Advice for those with with dogs prone to fighting.

[Moonbird 10]

We recently had just such a thread but sadly some of the content was removed by the OP.

I felt that was a real shame as there was some really good advice and information on the thread that could be put to use by others having similar problems.

So we are going to try and salvage the thread for information purposes... watch this space

[pk014b7161 11]

when i kept a pit bull i just changed my walking habits took him out early morning late nights when ever i thought they would be no more dog s about

[dogs4life 10]

You need to get the dog castrated and always make sure he is wearing his muzzle, you are correct it won't protect him from other dogs but it will stop yours from harming anything else. Try and find a very good behviourist who can help you with him as this is obviously more than just a case of a grumpy dog. As a responsible dog owner you need to make sure that no other dog or person is going to be attacked by your dog - if other owners take responsibility for theirs there should not be problems like this - good luck

[Jessica23 10]

did the castration change your dog'd temperament? our dog has a lovely temperament at home and with other human's and dogs who don't try to attck him. he's naturally a very docile dog, and i fear if he was castrated he would become even more docile.. to the point of stationary! also, one of the main reasons we got him was as a guard dog and i'm scared it might affect his guarding instincts, as he needs to be quite territorial..

 

Not really. He was a bit quieter, perhaps, but he was never aggressive in the first place.

 

He certainly didn't stop barking if the doorbell rang until he was an old man, but that was about as far as his guarding instincts went. He stopped humping the milkman's leg, too, which was pleasing.

 

I'm not an expert but there are plenty of people on here who are and I think they'll all tell you that castration is vital, even before you factor in the fights your dog has been in. It's the sensible thing to do.

[savbaby 10]

my sisters dog was attacking other dogs and she had him castrated. He stopped being so agressive to other dogs and has calmed down a lot.

A muzzle is a must and if you say its cutting him then common sense says its not fitting right! Also to help with the control, is he on just a lead or a harness? If he is on just a lead get a body harness as its easier to keep hold of them!

 

The fact that he has killed a dog already should be a cause for concern and as said on previous post get a good behaviourist.

why are your brothers so against getting him castrated?

[Tess 10]

I agree with everyone, definately castrate him.

 

And as for a lead, why don't you try getting one of those "choker" Leads, which means the harder they pull away, the less air they breathe. Sounds cruel but once they get the hang of it they learn not to pull on the lead because they might strangle themselves.

[depoix 11]

when i kept a pit bull i just changed my walking habits took him out early morning late nights when ever i thought they would be no more dog s about

im the same with my jack russell,i take him up into the woods around 5 am when no one else is around,any other time he is out he is on a lead because he is naturally aggresive, luckily ,he is small enough to pick up if another dog happens along, the only way to prevent dog fighting is not to let them mix by changing your walking times as you said pk14b7161

[Jess22 10]

You really shouldn't be thinking of breeding from a dangerous agressive dog either. The traits may get passed onto the young which would not be good. It's what repectable breeders try to avoid.

 

EDIT; Others beat me to it!

[Lotti 10]

Firstly, it's most likely the fact he's entire that's making other dogs go for him... it's not the size of his balls, it's the fact that they're there at all!

You should not be breeding from an aggressive dog and yes - the fact he is now pulling towards other dogs and the fact he retaliates when other dogs start makes him aggressive.

Well socialised, non aggressive dogs know how to diffuse situations and they can recognise signs that a dog isn't friendly way before we can. When they sense this subtle body language, they start to give out calming signals of their own. They don't fight back and kill the other dog.

 

Secondly, nobody who can't hold him should be walking him. Sorry - end of. The dog's owner is responsible for the dog and if they can't hold him, they shouldn't be walking him. Have you tried getting non pulling gear to slow him down a bit? He'll most likely still pull but you'll be able to hold him.

 

A castrated dog will still be a guard dog, castration will only help this dog, not hinder him in any way.

 

Finally, if you have the time and patience to put into lots of behavioural work with him then you may sort him out. I can't say without meeting him and the people caring for him.

Otherwise, you'll have to start planning walks very carefully so that you meet less dogs and ensure he's always wearing non pulling gear (preferably a head halter because you will have control over his face without him wearing a muzzle) in case you do meet a dog.

[Lotti 10]

but he only ever defends himself. if he didn't he would surely be dead by now. other than defending himself he shows no signs of aggression whatsoever. i think big dogs get a bad rap on the basis that a few are aggressive. not all are like this. again, it was only ever in self defence! believe me if he had ever been the instigator then we would have no problem with castrating him immediately. but he never has been. hardly fair that other dogs pick fights with him and he has to suffer

 

He suffers because he's being attacked because his balls are sending off bad vibes!

 

Castration would not make him suffer, it'd make his life a lot easier.

 

My dogs have been attacked, my oldest isn't well socialised and was very old when attacked and I had to pull the other dog off because he was so shocked but my youngest is better socialised and whenever a dog goes for her, she snaps to defend herself, then gives off all the calming signals she can, diffuses the situation and leaves.

She's never been seriously hurt.

 

If your dog didn't fight back and gave off the right signals, he wouldn't be dead by now.

[Lotti 10]

the dog that died was an illegal breed that had been known to attack to other dogs before.

when he goes for walks, he is an excitable dog and will pull on the lead if he sees any kind of food or sticks or something else he wants to sniff at.

bullmastiffs are guarding dogs by nature. we have had one incident with a burglar who he scared off without biting him

 

It doesn't make it ok that your dog killed it, just because it was an illegal breed and had attacked dogs.

Your dog still killed another dog, and a very strong breed of dog at that!

 

I'd also be interested to know what proof you have it was actually a pit bull because many cross breeds are mistaken for pits lately

 

Bullmastiffs will guard by nature yes - with or without testicles - get them chopped!

[Lotti 10]

thank you, this is very sound advice. his behaviour with non aggressive dogs and when at home is immaculate and despite the lead pulling, he has been to obedience classes and this is the only area that he struggles with as he gets quite excitable when out.

a head halter sounds liek a good idea, i've never heard of these but will certainly look them up as they don't involve having to muzzle him and so leave him open to attack from other dogs with no defence

 

It may enable you to control him better and you will have control of his muzzle so can turn his face away from dogs (you may not realise that he could actually be staring dogs out - this is very confrontational and will cause dogs to attack).

 

I would have to say though - I wouldn't allow him to fight back even with a head halter on, if the dog doesn't fight back - a fight doesn't start and it's far easier to diffuse the situation and get out of the way causing no damage to either dog.