please help again!

[Amy Johnson]

Hello everyone, thanks so much to everyone that helped with the last issue I had! My Oscar is getting better with his biting and I feel better now that it's just his puppy biting. Anyway, today I was walking Oscar (4 months) and he started bucking and biting in a frenzy and nothing I did helped to calm him down! I noticed that everytime I walked past a person's house in my neighborhood he went into this frenzy. The lady that lives at this house ties her boxer up in the front yard for about two hours everyday. We have calmly walked past this lady's house a million times while this boxer is going crazy barking, and we have also stopped and visited with this dog and lady recently. I spoke with this lady today and she said she thought that it was because testosterone kicking in and I need to get him fixed to help the problem. I think it's a little early for him to be affected by the hormones. Can this be a anxiety issue he somehow built up because it sure seems like it?! I walked around the whole neighborhood and he only went into this crazy aggessive frenzy when I was in front of this lady's house... biting, bucking, pulling on leash and growling. He is usually very calm and well behaved. He also has been around a lot of dogs and has done very well. What can I do to fix this because I don't want to have to avoid this house, or have a dog with a issue that can grow! Please help!

[charlotte bednarsh]

Hi, I totally agree that a good trainer could help evaluate Oscar, and assist you in developing strategies to help Oscar focus on you, rather than whatever is causing this negative response.  Oscar is truly very young, so this represents a great opportunity for you to work with him.  My doodle, Paz, is three years old and a registered Pet Partner Therapy dog, and I can honestly say, with each stage of his growth/development I encountered new challenges.  We live in Lower Manhattan, and the streets are truly crowded, so when I walk him there is little room to maneuver when another dog is approaching.  At about 18 months, when on a leash, Paz started to bark at dogs that approached in a certain way.  I immediately called the trainer, who came out and spent a lot of time explaining that at about 18 months, particularly when on a leash, dogs tend to become more defensive when approached by another dog who assumes a combative stance; it's made worse on a crowded street because dogs are approaching head to head so to speak, so they are making direct eye contact which even a submissive/gentle dog like Paz, can perceive as a danger.  Using positive reinforcement techniques, the trainer demonstrated a strategy in which Paz focuses his attention upon me, when another dog is approaching that might be combative. I carry treats in my pocket, and tell Paz to "look at me"; he responds by focusing on me to get the treat, rather than an approaching dog who may appear challenging.  At the end of the day, after months of hard work, Paz will look at me when another dog approaches because I give him a treat and it really works.  Last night on a crowded street, a woman approached with a huge pit bull; she clearly knew nothing about handling such a powerful animal, as evidenced by the fact the dog was several feet ahead of her, pulling the leash, and as he spotted Paz, he assumed this scary stance.  I remained calm so as not to jerk on Paz's leash (although I was scared to death) and told Paz to sit and look at me which I rewarded with a treat;  because the pit bull never had the opportunity to make eye contact with Paz who was sitting with his back to the pit, the situation remained calm and the dog passed by.  The owner looked annoyed at me because I had not allowed Paz to interact with her out of control, 75 lb pit bull.  I guess what I am saying is that training at all ages (both owner and dog) is truly the key for managing behaviors.  Also, neutering Oscar asap is really important, because it will make him, and all the dogs around him easier to manage.

[Lynda Kamrath]

It is probably something else all together.  He sees something that you don't.  You can get him neutered anytime now, but not because of his hormones.  That isn't a fix for this problem.  Keep your eyes open for the real problem.