aggression

[teul2]

While at a cook out this weekend my chessie lashed out 2 times.

The first time I can let slide because it was my fault. A buddy went to pet her in her kennel in the back of my truck and she bit him on the hand. She didn't break the skin, but she nipped him. She is very protective of her "space" in there. And I didn't warn him as he has not been around her befor. Plus, I don't like the guy to much (he put the ole cok block on me at the St. Paddies Parade).

The second time is compleatly unforgiveable to me. While at heal to me, an old college room mate leaned forward and put both hands under her jaw to rub her, like I do all the time. She went for for his throat. At which point I caught her with the right foot to the ribs before she could make contact. And we had a meeting with Jesus there after.

To be honest, I like the fact that she is a little agressive in the truck and house, no one meses with my truck, house, ect. But when I am beside her, in a social sitution, where is no need for this. I have socialized her as much as I can in situations like this. For instance, she was a perfect ladie at the crawfish boil at Willow Break.

How can I curb this arrgession? I know I can have some one mess with her to set her up for correction. But that just doesn't seem like the right way to go about it.

[Dutch Dog]

My friend YOU HAVE A CHESSIE.

[Meeka]

I got a couple folks in mind to use to set her up for a correction

[70 sprig]

In my dumbazz opinion you cannot have a double standard . You will either put up with her being protective EVERYWHERE or you will not put up with it ANYWHERE . I may be completely wrong ( and if I am I'm sure someone will tell me ) but in the famous words that I get all the time .......BLACK and WHITE . As far as how to fix it , I don't know

[gator]

In my dumbazz opinion you cannot have a double standard . You will either put up with her being protective EVERYWHERE or you will not put up with it ANYWHERE . I may be completely wrong ( and if I am I'm sure someone will tell me ) but in the famous words that I get all the time .......BLACK and WHITE . As far as how to fix it , I don't know

sprig, i waz gonna say the same thing....dog don't reason like, "ok, i'm a badass here, but there, i'm a good girl"....but, i didn't as i don't know any correction for it to stop it...if it's been allowed for this long, it may be too late - i dunno...gator

[teul2]

It has never really been "allowed". But at the same time I guess it has been tolerated when she is in her kennel in the truck.

I do verbally correct her when ever I am around and she barks as some one. But I have never really "corrected" her abuout her kennel behavior.

When ever she has barked at people in the yard, on leash, at heal I have checked her and "NO"ed her. But she has never been physically aggressive to any one but spoonallard and that was a they met in the door one comeing in and the other going out and scared each other.

I can't tolerate any physical aggression. I will be sure to be black and white on the subject from now on. I am just at a loss what else I need to do.

[Meeka]

My last dog would make you think the world was ending if she was in the truck and you wanted to be near it and she didn't like you. But she was pretty much fine around folks. And all that was fine with me.

But dogs can sense things about people, and it is probably fear. Like the time my fatherinlaw walked into our storage shed and she reached up and grabbed his belly and got his attention. Didn't break skin or anything, but the message was sent.

Or like the time at wal mart. They called me on the intercom to meet the manager at my vehicle. She had a black guy who made the mistake of parking next to my truck afraid to get in his vehicle. Seems she had scared the piss out of him by just barking at him and he went and told the manager about the problem. So I get out there and start talking to the manager and he is explaining the problem to me while trying not to bust out laughing cause the black guy had accused the dog of being trained to attack BLACK people. So while I was denying that accusation, up comes some white redneck who was walking by and he walks straight up to my tailgate and starts loving on my dog. So then the black guy just KNEW he got attacked cause he was black. We held Meeka while he scooted past and got in his car and left and we all laughed about it after he was gone.

Point is it is not black or white, but dogs can sense things about people and in some dogs it will set them off.

[teul2]

That makes some sence. Sean walked up and loved on her in her kennel no problem. But Tommy walked up and she nipped him.
Heck I don't know.

[70 sprig]

Teul , I'm just thinking outloud here but maybe try having people that she's not familiar with approach her in different locations with treats . Might just turn those bad people that are coming to do her harm into those good people that are here to give me treats . For a while maybe even put a box of treats outside your door and when you expect company tell them to bring one in with them and give it to her ? Don't know , just wundrin .

[teul2]

I think I may just try that.
I am pretty sure it is mostly fear driving the barking. It may be the driving the physical aggression too.

[Troy Williams]

A dog that goes for a throat, unprovoked, or for any reason is, IMO, got to go.

[teul2]

I promise, if we don't get this worked out, she will get a lead injection.

[kaustin]

I have a different problem with one of my labs. I have 2 black male labs that are 7 months old and from the same litter. I keep them in seperate concrete runs but let them play together at least once a day in the back yard. The problem is one of them constantly nips at my wife and kids when they are in the yard. This is not aggresive behavior, but more like playful behavior. Bottom line is it hurts. Is this something that can be corrected? It's almost like he sees them as siblings and is trying to play with them like he does his brother. He very rarely does this with me.

[eastover53]

. . . Though not guard dogs, many Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which could lead to aggression. Some Chesapeakes go in the opposite direction -- without enough socialization, they become fearful of strangers, which can lead to defensive biting.

[kaustin]

sorry, I did not mean to hijack your post. I was trying to start a new one.