Hi there I'm new to the board and new to dog owning.Please can someone give me some advice.

I've just got a 3 year old alsation who is absolutely brilliant with the kids etc. He's well trained and great for taking for walks etc however, When another dog appears he cries and pulls at the lead trying to get to the dog. Once a dog which was off the leash came over to him and he put his paw on its back and then they started to fight.

I took the dog to my wifes mums house as she has a dog as well and we took both the dog out and they seemed to be ok but when we got back and we let them both off the lead again my dog put its paw on the others back (both male dog I shoulda mentioned) - again it started a fight between the 2 dogs.

Why is my dog so bad around other dogs and what casn I do to sort this? Please help?

How much socialization with did your dog receive as a puppy? Has he been neutered? I would advise seeking the help of a professional trainer as aggression can be very hard to deal with. You will also want to make sure the trainer you hire has exerience handling dog aggression and get references from people whos aggressive dogs have been trained by the trainer you are looking into. Aggression can be made worse if the trainer does not know what he/she is going. I do know of a few great trainers in my area (MA). Also expert dog trainer Victoria Stilwell is looking for dogs for her show, you may want to log onto her website and go into the forum section for more information. Good Luck.

Being a newbie dog owner, you would do well to seek out a dog trainer/behaviorist.

Dogs speak a much different language than people. It's easy to attach human emotions or intentions to dog behaviour. These are rarely correct interpretations of the situation. You need a crash course in doggy language. It will help you be a more confident dog owner as well as strengthen the bond between you and your dog.

Dogs are communicating with each other in many subtle ways that dog owners are usually completely oblivious of. Fights don't just spontaneously errupt. There are warning signs. Understanding doggy language will help you to spot trouble and take action BEFORE it errupts into a full blown fight.

There are also a number of tv shows about dog behaviour and some terrific books too. I especially like the ones with lots of pictures that show different doggy gestures and interactions with descriptions of what's really happening.

You might want to consider visiting a local dog park (preferably off-leash) WITHOUT YOUR DOG to observe how different dogs interact. Talk with their owners about what you see going on, most owners are more than happy to talk about their dogs.

Putting a head or paw over another dog's back is a dominant gesture. This doesn't necessarily mean the other dog is looking for a fight, it's just checking things out to see who's more dominant.

If the "underdog" is very submissive, the testing dog may mount the other dog and hump it./ This is NOT a sexual gesture, it's a doggy power trip equivalent to saying "I'm better than you are, and this proves it".

In an interaction between two well socialized dogs, a testing paw or head thrust over the back will provoke some kind of a reaction in the "underdog". You may see one or more of the following:

- a warning glance over the shoulder with a curled snarling lip "I don't think so buddy!"
- a warning growl "I'm not liking this, you better move."
- a quick bark "Get off now!"
- a snap at the other dog (not making contact) "I'm serious, get OFF!"
- a quick repositioning, hop or spin, to get out from under the other dog "UH-UH, you're not going to do THAT to me!"

Now, an unsocialized dog (which may be what you're dealing with), might totally overreact and a fight might errupt.

A dog that is on leash (especially an insecure dog on a tight leash) is more likely to overreact. Dogs will flee before they fight, however if they're on a tight leash, they can't get away leaving fight as their only option. So, what that means for you is that you need to be sure to give your dog a loose leash when it meets another dog.

One more thing before I wrap this up ...

My dog actually enjoys dominance games, so this kind of jesture from a dog he knows or likes may be a prelude to a very active "boxing" match. Both dogs rear onto their hind legs and jostle for position, each trying to get onto the other dog's back. There's a lot of open mouth play and possibly even growling and barking. To the uneducated eye, it could look quite a lot like fighting but it's most definitely not. This is my dog's absolute FAVORITE type of play. I compare it to two little boys playing cops and robbers screaming with conviction "I'm gonna KILL YOU!" or "Bang Bang, you're dead!"

That kind of play is reserved for his most favorite and trusted friends. It's the ultimate joy for him, but it's not that way for every dog. He's also capable of playing very gently with smaller dogs and will happily lay on the ground while his little buddy, Bruce, who is 1/4 his size, threatens to tear him apart. Bruce will climb all over him, growling and going right for his jugular with great gusto. All in good fun of course.

Good luck with your dog.

Thanks for the reply. No he hasn't been dressed yet and the general consensus from other people is that this will help. Yesterday I took him out and he was a bit better when I passed 2 dogs so I gave him treats as I read somewhere that rewarding him for behaving will help. We didn't get too much information from the previous owner except he was good with kids and the man was working on the rigs so was unable to look after the dog properly and his wife didn't have time to take him out much so maybe the dog hasn't been getting out but hopefully as i'm taking him out 4-5 times a day for 30-60 mins at a time hw will get used to other dogs and it will improve.

I would make an appointment to get him neutered as this should help. Working with a professional trainer is also very important. Good luck, I'm sure it will all work out. I also suggest watching "It's me or the dog" and reading Victoria Stilwell's book by the same title for advice. She uses easy to follow, non-violent methods that are very effective.

I am working in a dog training centre and I've seen many, many neutered males with agression issues. I also know many intact males who are perfectly well adjusted, model citizens. I'm also involved in therapy dog work and I know a number of intact males who are wonderful therapy dogs (mine included).

I'm not at all against getting dogs neutered. However, I think this is more of an owner management issue than a hormonal one.

There is also the possibility that neutering your dog will make things worse. Neutering a dog causes a sudden and drastic change in hormone levels. Not all dogs react the same way. Testosterone is not all about agression, it also gives a dog confidence. An insecure dog can get even more reactive with a big drop in testosterone. (like in people, some people sail right through menopause/andropause with no ill effect and others go a little loco)

I think you should see a dog behaviorist with experience in dealing with agression issues BEFORE you get him neutered.

I know a number of people whose dogs were perfectly calm and well adjusted before they got neutered. They saw changes the day after surgery. Their dogs started barking at people and other dogs and got progressively more and more agressive AFTER being neutered.

Get a handle on what's going on with a good dog behaviorist before altering your dog's hormone levels.