[kmarie]

We are having problems with our dog she is about a year and a half. she loves my mother and i, but just cant get used to my brother or other strangers and her behavior seems to be getting worse. She is a mutt and we are not sure what breed she has in her at all, we have some ideas but everyone has a different opinion .

i did some research and found out that keeping her on a leash when someone walks in and as soon as she starts barking and becoming aggressive they should stop and not move, and once she calms down walk her around them in a circle and have them give her a treat. now everytime she goes in my brothers room or associates with him he has treats in hand to give her.

we do believe she could have been abused by the previous owner, mabye the same height as my brother and boyfriend (does the same thing) she was also a pound puppy so she wasnt worked with at her essential age. everything else she has learned very well including sit, laydown, kennel up, stay ect. she is a well behaved dog outside of the home and at my work which is a doggy day care (but shys away from people when they come to her), but in the home she is a completely different dog.

My mother and I are really starting to worry about her starting to bite and go after the wrong person, she has bite my boyfriend before, and went after a little boy the other day. we have recently moved and it seemed to have made her worse. she dosent like being startled, which we believe my brother does startle her, and she dosent like strangers coming into the house, or even people she knows come over like my boyfriend and brother. she is fine and adores my father. any ideas on what we can do before having her see a specialist?

Also i would love to know your opinions of what breed she is, the pound told us sausxx spaniel X Australian shep, but i dont see that in her. we were also told ber. mt dog mix and gordon setter mix, but i kinda see some rottweiler in her. any ideas?

[piratekitty]

You said you didnt know the breed of your dog. Is it a small breed, like min pin or chi, 10 lbs or less? Is your dog a male and if so Neutered? How often did you take your dog out with you this past year in the public, once a week or more? How often do people come over to your home?

[Lunareclipse]

I can see the aussi in your dog. Did the place where you got your dog just guess or was it an owner surrender and they told them what your dog was?

[lange]

Does you dog listen to you? Your mom? Dad?

What leads her to bite? What is happening before she bites? What is she doing? What's the other person doing? you? whoever else is around?

[dralionagogo]

I see Australian Shepherd and Springer Spaniel.

My dog came from an abusive is very fearful of larger men. Having another dog around all but eliminated it, as she could watch another dog securely greet company, but when my other dog grew old and ill and had to be put down, that fear came rushing back.

If she meets and receives a treat from a guy enough times, she comes to love them. It's not so bad if your dog is expecting a treat around your brother. Desensitization can take a very long time, so try keeping a treat bag on you at all times. Every experience should be a positive lesson for her.

[kmarie]

Originally Posted by piratekitty

You said you didnt know the breed of your dog. Is it a small breed, like min pin or chi, 10 lbs or less? Is your dog a male and if so Neutered? How often did you take your dog out with you this past year in the public, once a week or more? How often do people come over to your home?

shes about 40 lbs, and she is a spayed female. When we first got her she came to work with me alot, and i work at a doggy daycare, when her aggression got worse i stopped taking her as much because i was worried. there were certain people there that she would bark or growl ate - the more heavy set girls there. we dont often have visitors but its when every my brother or boyfriend come over that she acts like this.

I can see the aussi in your dog. Did the place where you got your dog just guess or was it an owner surrender and they told them what your dog was?

she was an unwanted breeding, they told us sausexx spaniel and aussie, but other people that see her ask if she is a gordon setter mix.

Originally Posted by lange

Does you dog listen to you? Your mom? Dad?

What leads her to bite? What is happening before she bites? What is she doing? What's the other person doing? you? whoever else is around?

she has only bite my boyfriend once and we believe he was reaching out to pet her. she barks a growls when ever my brother walks out of his room, comes in the house, or is ready to leave the house. it seems to be when the people are coming to our house and she dosent know them or whenever she is startled or surprised.

My dog came from an abusive is very fearful of larger men. Having another dog around all but eliminated it, as she could watch another dog securely greet company.

we do have two other dogs, a corgi mix who is 15 years old and barks at everything, and also a springer spaniel who loves everyone that comes into the house and is just all around a complete lover.

[lange]

Because it sounds like she's reactive to so many different scenario/people, I would just get the professional help. She acts one way at home and different outside of the home. She accepts some people, not others. It doesn't even sound like the sex really matters if she's nervous with different types of people.
It would help you to get a professional to observe her and try to find triggers.

But I would first check to see if their might be an underling health issue that is causing her to be so nervous/reactive. Sight, hearing, thyroid, pains, ect. That would be the first thing to rule out. If the vet runs tests and can't find anything wrong, then I would go to a behaviorist.

Meanwhile can you, mom or dad keep her leashed to yourselves when in the house and crated when you can't watch her? Just while you figure out what is going on. That way she is protected and so are the people...