Dog Showing Aggression to Certain People

[CynadoAlley]

I recently adopted a 1 year old pitbull (I know, to most the title of this thread will now make sense) from the humane society, and she is an absolute sweetheart... 90% of the time. I've had issues with her showing aggression on 4 or 5 separate occasions. All situations were men, and all situations involved someone coming into "her territory" (my house, my office, my pickup). Once she warms up to people, she's extremely affectionate, but I've now witnessed her snap at a friend, warm up to him, and then snap at him again when he came over a second time.

With all of this being said, I want to do everything I can to keep her, but am not blind to the issue and realize that not every dog is the right fit (and that I'm guilty of trying to rationalize her actions in order to make it acceptable). Ultimately I fear that if I have to go through with returning her it will be a death sentence. So I want to give her every chance to change behavior, but also realize any dog-attack story you hear the owner claim they never could expect it to happen. Have any of you dealt with a similar issue and if so, how did you go about addressing it? Whether it be training, kenneling when any company came over, taking to a shelter, etc.

TL;DR: Adopted a dog that show's aggression toward certain people on occasion. How can I fix it or is returning the pup inevitable/for the best?

Update: I decided that it was for the best to return her to the shelter in hopes that she finds a home with someone that has plenty of experience in adjusting a dogs aggressive behavior. Thanks to those that provided input.

 

[ZB4CY]

Whats her background?

That could be an issue. When you got her and had your consultation, etc.. did she show any of these signs towards you?

 

[jc4cy]

Did she come from a family before where her owner (a man?) would abuse her

 

[CynadoAlley]

Whats her background?

That could be an issue. When you got her and had your consultation, etc.. did she show any of these signs towards you?

She has never once shown any aggression toward myself or my roommate. When I met her she was, and remains a complete sweetheart to myself and most people she has met.

The only info I have is from her most recent owner who returned her to the shelter because she didn't get along with their cat, but was fantastic with people. I have no other pets, but she clearly gets along with other dogs.

 

[dtISU]

I'm a first degree dog lover and have hardly ever met a dog I didn't like, but in today's world you HAVE to think about liability. Makes it tough, I know.

 

[ZB4CY]

Being she is still a puppy, and is slowly growing up in a steady home environment could make her come a bit more protective.

 

[mywayorcyway]

Did she come from a family before where her owner (a man?) would abuse her

First thing I thought. A neighbor has a rescue dog who is almost 15 years old now. They've had her for 10+ years. Aside from the owner, I am the only other man who can get near her. She isn't aggressive towards men, she simply runs away and hides whenever one shows up. She also runs away whenever she hears an F-bomb dropped, regardless of who says it. Sad, but she's an awesome dog.

 

[Farnsworth]

Is it bad when I saw the thread title I thought it was going to be about a racist dog? I know some of those.

Or a dog that hates people in hats.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

When does the aggression present itself? Is it when someone new initially enters or is it after they've been there for awhile? If initially, can you kennel her when people come over and get her used to them before letting her out to see if that might help?

 

[cycart]

I know this sounds overly simple, but with all dogs and especially shelter dogs, it takes a little extra love, patience, and training. Maybe try and take her to a training class through a humane society or something similar.

 

[CyInDFW]

I had an Alaskan Malamute that did the same thing. She loved females and kids, but would growl at male strangers. It wasn't a habit I was able to change. I just made sure to keep her in the backyard when someone new came over, until she had a chance to get to know their voice, etc.

It surprised me the first time it happened because, even at 110 lbs., she was the biggest baby of a dog when around women, children and males she knew.

 

[CynadoAlley]

When does the aggression present itself? Is it when someone new initially enters or is it after they've been there for awhile? If initially, can you kennel her when people come over and get her used to them before letting her out to see if that might help?

Kenneling her and having guests warm up to her and give her a treat before letting her out is the first thing I thought of. Every aggressive situation has come from the initial entrance, but I obviously worry that she could snap at any moment later on.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

Pit bulls are aggressive dogs, its bred into them. Yes this is a generalization and yes i believe it to be true.

Cue pit bull apologists

 

[BoxsterCy]

I'm a first degree dog lover and have hardly ever met a dog I didn't like, but in today's world you HAVE to think about liability. Makes it tough, I know.

Liability? I'd trump that with responsibility especially with a dog that has started to show aggression. If someone ends up getting hurt by this dog, and it's a breed strong enough to hurt someone, it won't really be a totally unforeseeable "accident."

I returned a rescue after he took a snapping bite at some kids out of the blue. He's was only a 25 pound basenji but I was not going to take any chance that he would scar some little kid. He was an adult dog and I wasn't going to mess/train trying to change him. He had been listed and evaluated as super friendly and non aggressive. They relisted him as having a "unique" personality and that he snaps/bites, my read = "unpredictable". Kinda disappointing to find that a lot of the rescues, even when fostered for a while, are not honest with the dogs traits. The two previous basenjis were the gentlest dogs ever and a child could probably have pulled theirs tails off without them snapping back.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Are there breed-specific laws where you live? Something to take into consideration. Sometimes just the breed name will be a huge liability issue, despite the individual personality of the dog. And let's just say if you named your dog Killer Queen or some equally aggressive-sounding name, you're removing any benefit of the doubt she might have otherwise had.

For the record, I disagree with breed-specific laws...but also believe that there should be stronger penalties on OWNERS who fail to properly train or control their dogs. Have you considered taking her to an obedience school?

 

[ZB4CY]

Kenneling her and having guests warm up to her and give her a treat before letting her out is the first thing I thought of. Every aggressive situation has come from the initial entrance, but I obviously worry that she could snap at any moment later on.

TBH, that could be any dog... snapping at any moment.

IMO, Pit-Bulls get a bad rap, but I understand why at the same time.

I have 2 boxers and people think that the older male (He's 85 pounds) looks like a pit-bull.

 

[CynadoAlley]

Are there breed-specific laws where you live? Something to take into consideration. Sometimes just the breed name will be a huge liability issue, despite the individual personality of the dog. And let's just say if you named your dog Killer Queen or some equally aggressive-sounding name, you're removing any benefit of the doubt she might have otherwise had.

For the record, I disagree with breed-specific laws...but also believe that there should be stronger penalties on OWNERS who fail to properly train or control their dogs. Have you considered taking her to an obedience school?

No laws or regulations here against breeds. I had no specific breed in mind when I went to the shelter but wanted to be sure in case I fell in love with a pitbull.. sure enough..

 

[3GenClone]

Sent you a PM

 

[cycloneshort]

I recently adopted a 1 year old pitbull (I know, to most the title of this thread will now make sense) from the humane society, and she is an absolute sweetheart... 90% of the time. I've had issues with her showing aggression on 4 or 5 separate occasions. All situations were men, and all situations involved someone coming into "her territory" (my house, my office, my pickup). Once she warms up to people, she's extremely affectionate, but I've now witnessed her snap at a friend, warm up to him, and then snap at him again when he came over a second time.

With all of this being said, I want to do everything I can to keep her, but am not blind to the issue and realize that not every dog is the right fit (and that I'm guilty of trying to rationalize her actions in order to make it acceptable). Ultimately I fear that if I have to go through with returning her it will be a death sentence. So I want to give her every chance to change behavior, but also realize any dog-attack story you hear the owner claim they never could expect it to happen. Have any of you dealt with a similar issue and if so, how did you go about addressing it? Whether it be training, kenneling when any company came over, taking to a shelter, etc.

TL;DR: Adopted a dog that show's aggression toward certain people on occasion. How can I fix it or is returning the pup inevitable/for the best?

I am experiencing the same exact thing, and have a few tips!
Background: girlfriend's dog did not like me, or other men, when we first dated. We moved in together and after a year of bad behavior from the dog, we went to a trainer and things have significantly improved.

Take away her personal space: If she has a dog mat or corner she likes to stay in, do what you can to obstruct the spot. Our dog has a small kennel in the house that we have now moved, and keep him out of when it's just us at the house. The dog needs to learn that he doesn't own a thing.

Clicker training: start simple by clicking, then immediately giving a treat. You need to associate the click with a treat. Once that has started, should take a couple weeks, add in a task/trick for the dog to do, then click, then treat. Associate positive behavior with a click and a treat. Next, invite someone over you know the dog doesn't like. As soon as dog looks at them, click and give a treat. Note this must happen without the dog showing aggression/distrust. this has worked the best for us.

Get a child gate: If you are expecting guests, put the dog in an open hallway if possible, separating her from guests with a child gate. This will allow the dog to warm up a bit quicker than just leaving her outside.

Communicate with your guests: Clearly tell guests how the dog reacts to certain motions or people. Trust is hard to gain back in a dog if it's already scared. Another part of this, is talking with your guest, without acknowledging the dog, no looking, treats, etc. If you ignore the dog, she may come up later, sniff around, and feel more comfortable.

Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss more, I'm happy to help.

 

[KnappShack]

My rescue dog has an issue with men. Had him for quite some time now and he hasn't gotten better.

He's 20 pounds of fury, but I still get concerned that he could draw blood on a visitor some day. Don't think he'll ever get over it.

One day a man came up to my dog. Dog's hair was standing and he was obviously not happy. Guy still tried to stick his face in my dog's nose. Had to tell the guy to take a walk. But if my dog bit him....I'd be on the hook