Male dog aggression Discussions

Discussion in 'Japanese Akita Inu' started by My bear Yoji, Aug 18, 2017.

  1. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa

    Male dog aggression

    Im righting this ' thread ' with a heavy heart. We have been so pleased with Yoji, our 7 month old male Akita, but, a few days ago I have seen a side of him I haven't seen before. A little background info to help you understand him better. We have spent a lot of time socialising him, he has been castrated, but, the vet said he could only find one testicle, not sure if the other one has made an appearance or if it ever will. He used to bark at everyone and every other dog from a distance, but, that is slowly disappearing
    So, today another male dog who we have walked with before happily had a bit of a shock. Yoji was very aggressive with him, I managed to pull him off, no physical damage, but, we wee shook up and I was very upset. We later came across the lady owner of the dog, she was on her own and Yoji started to growl at her for no apparent reason
    I'm not not sure how to approach the situation now. I'm nervous I have to be honest.
    Is this Yoji how he is going to be from now on, if so, I will have to avoid dogs and people, could it be a ' phase '
    I understand no one has the answer, I was just wondering if any Akita owners of older males can cast their mind back to their pups coming into adulthood and let me know your opinions
    I do feel a little disheartened by our experience because it has involved a dog and a human, so, I'm looking forward to hearing from you. When we took him on we understood Akitas are not for the faint hearted and we have overcome many of his ' ways ' I woke in the night and couldn't stop thinking we had got ourselves a dog that is going to upset me
    I want to be prepared for my next challenge.
  2. Registered users won't see this advert. Sign up for free!

  3. CaroleC

    CaroleC Member

    Likes Received:
    4,988
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Carole
    GsdSlave likes this.
    I'm sure that all the rooting about in his abdomen hasn't helped, but his age would suggest an hormonal problem to me - think bolshy teenager with testosterone deficiency. If you are unsure how to proceed, I would book an appointment with a qualified behaviourist and follow their advice, based on an assessment of his character and behaviour.
    You could ask your vet for a behaviourist referral, or choose one yourself through an organisation such as APDT website - I'm assuming that you are in the UK. In the meantime, let him observe other dogs from a safe distance, but avoid any close encounters. The human aggression could be because he remembered the person from the earlier skirmish, but much better to play safe and seek help now.
    It can sometimes be better to exercise in a Halti headcollar, which gives better control of the bitey end. Use a double ended lead, attach one clip to his usual collar or harness, and the other to gently guide his head direction with the Halti. Combine this with a Watch Me command, and reward him for making eye contact - a useful behaviour interrupter.
    You can sort this with a little help.
  4. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

    Likes Received:
    2,715
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Vee
    Chris B and CaroleC like this.
    Don’t get disheartened I was an experienced owner but still found them very challenging.

    He could be going through what is called a ‘second fear period. http://dogcommunication.co.uk/wp2/i...oked-secondary-fear-phase-in-adolescent-dogs/

    Mine were always ok with people and were fine with other dogs until they reached about 12/14 mths, and then started to change, loose dogs were a nightmare and I had a few near misses. Sadly it didn’t get any better but I learned to live with and manage it.

    While there are always exceptions, they have a high chance of becoming very dog aggressive even with socialisation. Watch his body language for warning signs ie: if he stiffens, standing on tiptoes, raised hackles ect: means he is not happy.

    Is his breeder near you, perhaps they could help.
  5. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    Thank you Carole, that's given me plenty to ponder on
  6. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    Thank you Vee, I will read the link. In the mean time we will take a wide birth and I'll watch for his body language a bit closer, even with people we know. Thank you for you advice, I will let you know of progress
    I think I was just taken by such surprise because we were doing so much with him, i.e. excercise, trading and socialising
  7. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

    Likes Received:
    2,715
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Vee
    What exactly led up to him having a go, were they playing? Was the other dog off lead was the owner with the other dog when the incident happened.?
    Just trying to understand what suddenly made him kick off .
  8. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    Thank you for thinking of us again. The owner was with the dog. The other dog was ' off ' lead and close to the owner. We went over to say ' hello ' All was well for a few minutes. Now I think back to exactly what happened Yoji began to push sideways onto the other dog and rest his chin on the back of the other dogs neck. The other dog then growled and that's when Yoji grabbed the back of its neck.
    Having never experienced that before I obviously watched it happen. I won't let it get that far again. In fact I noticed when we were talking to a friend of ours, Yoji was on lead and happy enough, but, I felt he was then slightly pushing his weight onto the ladies leg, I calmly moved him away
    I am learning about these things and I do try to change things without eliminating him completely from me talking to people, but, what I try to do now is before I get into conversations I get Yoji to sit and try to stand between him and who I am talking to
    Do you think that is correct ? I wondered if he was in front of me he may think he is in ' protect ' mode, so, my idea was I would ' protect ' him
  9. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

    Likes Received:
    2,715
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Vee
    Malka and CaroleC like this.
    It’s hard to tell, he could have been trying to play or he’s hitting the "kevin" stage, trying to be bolshy and push boundaries, either way the other dog didn’t like it.

    If you attempt to walk together again both dogs should be on lead, (yourself and the other owner side by side) both dogs on the outside, on a short lead and keep his attention on you.

    As well as training at home, do bits on walks, and practice the sit/down stay. When you meet people don’t get too close and put him in the sit or down, beside you, I would tell them just to ignore him, and see how that works.
  10. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    Thanks again. Poor Yoji he has plenty of good points too and he's turning out to be a good jogging partner for me, only a few minutes at a time and then walk, but, he seems to enjoy it. He's on lead and stays close, I always make sure a have some ' slack ' lead for when he slams on the anchor lol
  11. Innocence

    Innocence Member

    Likes Received:
    136
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Jane
    Hello,
    Bit late joining in this post. May I ask what size the dog was? No dog can turn aggressive towards dogs and humans without a development. So I wouldn't worry, as your obviously taking excellent care of him. Keep a good watch out for signs as @GsdSlave said earlier. Looking forward to hearing from you.
    Jane
    xx
  12. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    Thanks for commenting Jane, he is a big boy. He is generally perfect for an 8 month old pup, lots of ' sniffing ' which I understand is normal so I let him do it for a while and then keep saying no ! If I didn't we would be out all day.
    He walks beautifully on the lead and has fun on his long lead when the time is right.
    He had a lovely bounce about with a female dog, both off lead in a secure area
    I'm sensing he has a male dog agression thing going on, so, i keep as many dogs ar a distance.
    He seems very happy with children, don't get me wrong I'm very watchful and I won't become complacent. He is choosy with humans, so, again I keep a close eye on him if we come in contact.
    I'm hoping he will become less interested in humans and even ignore them, I'm hopeful because he has really improved with something that he used to do. He used to bark at everyone and every dog in the distance and now he seems to have stopped doing it
    I suppose I'm trying to rush him out of puppyhood because he difficult bits are hard word with him being strong
    I would love to see his brother and sisters so I could compare, I'm sure I'm doing well
    Bless him he's only 8 months old, I'm just so determined to have a well behaved and happy dog
    Philippa
  13. Innocence

    Innocence Member

    Likes Received:
    136
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Jane
    Hiya Philippa,
    Yes, I was just about to say some dogs are gender specific. Don't get me wrong I ain't a Ceasar Milan lover but maybe he likes to be the "dominant dog" when it comes to males.
    Hope this helps,
    Jane
    xx
  14. Bean

    Bean New Member

    Likes Received:
    0
    Name:
    mavis
    Have you talked to the breeder? Sometimes, the breeder will know the temperament of the dogs, especially his parents, much better than the common knowledge we know about the breed. Of course, the breeder could hide some hard facts but at least, he could share how to socialize the dog.
  15. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    GsdSlave and CaroleC like this.
    Thank you for messaging me, Yoji is now one year old and definitely agressive to other male dogs.
    We are aware of this and isn’t unusual for Akitas, so, we “ manage “ him. It’s not always easy or perfect, but, it’s how it is. We try lots of different ways to make it easier on our walks.
    When we were last at the vets she did a few physical checks on him, after that she checked his heart and told us he is a very calm dog. That was great to hear.
    He is a full Japanese Akita from a a breeder who also show his dogs which assured us hugely
    Traits of every breed are exactly that, we work with rather than against......boy I’m shattered with him, but, I wouldn’t swap him
  16. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

    Likes Received:
    2,715
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Vee
    CaroleC likes this.
    Some Akita's, even if well socialised, still end up being dog aggressive, even with careful training/breeding one cannot completely undo basic nature/traits

    Best if the dog is not placed into a situation which may cause them to act aggressive.
  17. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    GsdSlave likes this.
    That’s us Vee
    Avoid situations when we can without secluding him totally
    Any situations that crop up we move on as quickly as possible
    He is always on a lead, so, we can keep a close eye on things
  18. GsdSlave

    GsdSlave Member

    Likes Received:
    2,715
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Vee
    I know the feeling well, much as I loved the breed after owning two I decided no more.

    For me personally I found it very frustrating and not pleasurable when on walks to be on constant lookout, couldn’t stop and have a natter with other dog owners and loose dogs were my worst nightmare.

    At dog shows I had to negotiate crowded aisles and stand well away from other dogs in the ring.
    I think temperaments have got a bit better over the last 20 yrs but with this breed it’s a chance you take.
  19. My bear Yoji

    My bear Yoji Member

    Likes Received:
    528
    Gender:
    Female
    Name:
    Philippa
    GsdSlave likes this.
    Only another Akita owner can understand him & us !
    We are lucky enough to have some amazing places to walk and throughly enjoy our time out. My husband and I usually go together which makes things so much easier, we have a long lead for him to bumble about and a short training lead for around the streets
    He definitely changes personality when we leave the house
    Bless him, he is only one and I think I expect so much from him, I think it’s because I had read so much about their traits I was determined to create a good, well behaved dog
    Even with his complex personality I feel out of all the dogs I have had in the past, I feel he is the one I feel closest to and get more pleasure from

Share This Page