Can anyone help, ive got an 8mth old saluki dog, and he seems to be getting a bit snippy with SOME other dogs, he attacked my mums greyhound and put a hole in his leg, so needless to say, he has to have a muzzle on when we are at my mums now, does anyone have any suggestions on how i can stop him doing this, i had a saluki some years ago but never experienced this with him. I would be very greatful

kelly

Sorry to hear you have problems with your Saluki.

I would be asking myself why he does what he does, because once the cause has been discovered then you can work on the problem.

Do you think he is actually aggressive, is he nervous, what is he like with different sexes and spayed/neutered, etc. Could it be genetic, do you know what his littermates are like now? Also how do you react, and are their any environmental factors to be taken into consideration?

Putting a hole in another dog's leg means he doesn't have much bite inhibition, unless the greyhound was having a real go back at him and he was defending himself, but as he started it......

You are right to muzzle him at the moment :)

I always feel with aggro dogs it is worth having a vet check as so many dogs have physical problems we can't see, such as problem hips, liver shunts etc etc etc.

If you feel he is definiteley aggressive towards other dogs, there are rehab. groups in some areas which may help. If you live in Somerset i can recommend a great lady with aggro dogs. (But you probably live somewhere else!!!)

Just my opinion, hope you get it sorted,

Good luck :)

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay

Thanks for replying, he is a lovely dog and isnt aggressive, he just sometimes takes a dislike to a dog and that is it, he crowls and barks and trys to attack it, but not all the time , we go to training classes twice a week, and he is fine with most of the dogs there. He seems to be ok one week with some doogs and then the next he wants to eat them, lol. I honestly think he is nervous, and to your question on what i do, i just tell him in a firm voice that he is bad and pull him back.
The greyhound was a rescue and he came a good while after i had got my saluki, so whether he is jelouse of him i dont know, what started the fight was an empty dinner plate, as my dog seemed to think that the greyhound was getting something he wasnt, he has also had a few tiffs with my cross springer over food,

I dont know what to do from here, he isnt like that all the time, i was hoping to get another saluki next year, but that is on hold at the moment, cause of the way HE is at the moment. His sibblings are great, and the breeder kept 2 and she has had no probs with them at all. The breeder says it could be his age, and ive to be a bit firmer with his, and ive been doing this, but just thought i would put a post in and see if anyone else had any suggestions.

thanks lindsay

kelly

Im in fife, in scotland

Think he may just be being a lout, like a lot of young men, try to let him know you will not accept his behaviour and hope he grows out of it. Try to be one step ahead of him so you can jump on him the moment he starts to growl, don't be rough grab him either side of his head and say NO in to his face as firm as you can and then ignore him, but of course be ready for him having another go. Jackie H

Hi Jackie H

Thanks for advise i will try that and see how i get on, as an example, we were at class tonight and 3 rotties came in at once, they were 15 weeks, 7 months and 9 months old, he wanted to kill them all, but another one came in and he is a year old, and malki has known him since he was 11 weeks old and he was all over him to play, but as soon as the other rotties came within a couple of feet of him he wanted to eat them again, so the owner of the year old rottie took hold of every other rottie in turn and came over to malki, he wanted to play with them, confused, so am i. I cant work him out, but i will try what you have suggested and i will let you know how i get on

kelly, and the nutty saluki (malki )

I don't want to sound horrid but it would be an idea to muzzle when out full stop not just at your Mums until you get the matter sorted:) Kassie (my 15wk old GSD) is quite bad with other dogs too (only older dogs never puppies) at the moment- she doen't want to go to the lengths your is though- I often feel that if she did get to the dog she's having a go at she wouldn't quite know what to do. As she's only been out for a week or so I think it's just the experience at the minute- before she's been safe and secure in my arms then obviously she was too big to carry round for socialising (she is the only dog too). I would think at least training classes are a step in the right direction- but unfortunately I have no other advise to offer you- I'll be asking for yours if she doesn't settle down soon:D Like I say though I would muzzle at all times when out as for him to get another dog- the owner might not be quite as understanding as your Mum:)

Stacey x x x

Hi Kelly ,

I just thought I would say HI..Malki is such a good dog normally..He loves my 2 Westies OK.

Hmm hard one..Wait and see what the others think..

I am not an expert on this but you are always firm with him so he is not fooling you. Maybe teenage trouble.

Pam

That sound good Pam- maybe he's trying to find his feet in an adult doggy world:) Hormone trouble- a teenager with a bad attitude:) Like I say I hope you're taking all this in because I'll be needing to ask you soon if she doesn't stop:D :D

Stacey x x x

Sounds as if he sees a group of dogs or some breeds of dogs as a threat to him. I am concerened that it is not just noise and he has bitten, but still think that at 8 months it is teenage loughtish behaviour and that you can get over it by insisting he does not do it. It sounds as if your dog club is being supportive, don't think you will need a muzzel but only you can decide if he is in danger of hurting a inocent dog, if you think you can't control him then use a muzzel, but I think you can. Think that rather than getting him to 'say hello' to dogs I would insist he ignore (LEAVE) all dogs alone, even those he would normaly play with, and jump on him if you hear a growl. When you have good control with the leave command you can then allow him to greet selected dogs by using another command like (PLAY) or (say hello). Take your time with each stage you are dealing with a Trevor here. Jackie H

Sorry a bit more, try to avoid confrontation at the moment as each time he does it, it is reinforcing the habit. Stand well away from the door and be aware when he is going to let rip, try to take his attention away from the dogs entering and on to you.

Hi everyone

Thanx for the advice i will try them, but im not keen on muzzling him all the time when we are out. Like pam said, he is lovely with her two westies, and most other dogs, I think you may have a point jackie about a group of dogs and some breeds, but who knows, yes he is a bit hormonal at the moment as he is going about with his bobbie out at times, which is a bit embarasing.

I will let you all know how i get on with the suggestions you all kindly have given me, i will keep my fingers crossed all is fine in a few weeks, but if anyone else has a suggestion, please, please let me know

kelly and the crazy malki x

Kelly,

Bobby my youngest westie has his bobby out all the time as well. As soon as I say his name..We have a right laugh about it just now.

BFN

Pam

It does sound as if he is indeed scared of a group of dogs, or a strange dog,and perhaps isn't sure what body language to use. It is amazig how many dogs don't know what to do when they meet another dog. Some get aggro, some flirty, some playful, some pushy etc etc.

It would perhaps be best to reward him profusely for acceptable behavour towards other dogs (I would use a clicker if you have one). If he is nervous, telling him off may or may not work, as he may see other dogs as making Mum xross, if you see what I mean! It really depends on you and him....was he a bit undersocialised maybe? As this would explain a lot.

If he is fine with other dogs most of the time thats great and I understand reservations about a muzzle. If you have very good control then it's no problem, but I would take the attitude that there is always a chance he may attack a strange dog until you have it sorted....I am saying this based on your first post really, where he did sound rather "aggressive", but as others have said, you know him best.

Good luck! :)

Lindsay

Hi lindsay
No he wasnt undersocialized, he has been a great pup, just on the odd ocations that he has towards other dogs, baffles me completely, oh well i will just keep doing the things that you all have suggested, and see how that goes

kelly

I've had a similar thing with a saluki x who had nervous agression. I clicker trained him to sit and wait or hide when I thought we were likely to have problems. Luckily he's very greedy, so adapted to clickering very quickly.

Personally (having been bitten in the face by an aggressive dog) I wouldn't put my face near any dog's whilst telling him off......if he's scared and feels you're pushing the issue, you could be bitten too.

I can recommend a good behaviourist up your way if you feel you'd like to talk this over face to face with someone? I think you're right with the adolescent thing, but I wouldn't try to confront him, I'd distract him until he realises there are better things to do with his time. Is he going to be castrated btw?

K

no im not going to castrate him, if he doesnt settle down within the nex few months i will get the name of that person you were talking about and have a chat with them and see if there is anything i can do to stop him doing this

thanx kelly

Can I ask why you are not considering castrating him as with a suspect temperament surely you're not intending to breed from him?....

Don't you think it is a bit soon to label this dog as having a suspect temperament, he is 8 mths old. Jackie

Thank you jackie, you took the words right out of my mouth there, He is only like that with some dogs, he can be fine with them one week and then the next he isnt, so i think it is more likely to be hormonal than anything you are suggesting, and he is going about crying a lot at the moment too. so if anyone has got anymore suggestions for me i would be greatful

kelly

Whistling, whinging sort of crying - know to me as bitching. If so his problems are hormonal, thats the good news. the bad it takes a fair long while for them to grow out of it. In the meen time he needs good strong guidence and for you to allow no nonsence, you wont be able to stop him whistling but you will be able to stop him making himself a nuisance of himself with bitches, and being too pushy with males. IMO your dogs behaviour is normal for a healthy male of his age and think this is why a good number of males are castrated because the owners can't or wont deal with it. All the best and you do get used to dealing with it in the same way as bitch owners have to deal with their hormonal behaviour, some animials suffer more than others and some seem not to notice that they are growing up. Jackie

Thanx jackie your advice has been most helpful, and i will let you know how i get on in the near future, fingers crossed

kelly

Hi Jackie, have stayed out of this thread because as you know I'm not up to much at the training/behavioural stuff, but for what its worth I agree with you about this sounding like adolescent/hormonal behaviour.

Kelly, I'm no saluki expert either, but it is a breed I'm very interested in, so I do know that they are slow maturers mentally and can be particularly difficult adolescents. Although they have superb temperaments 'only' deerhounds in particular can occassionally be difficult adolescents too. If this was a deerhound or an IW I'd do my best to have him spend some time in a safe pack situation, preferably with other sighthounds. By a "safe pack situation" I mean with an established group of adult hounds, all of good temperament, where if he pushes his luck, the dominant hound(s) will give him what for and show him his place, but will not hurt him.

Many of the others will not agree, it depends on the class, and its very definitely advice I'd talk over with your breeder before I'd even think of taking it - just to repeat, I have deerhounds and IWs, not salukis - but with a young deerhound, I'd also think about dropping out of training classes for a bit, to concentrate training at home and on 'general' socialisation by taking him to new places, especially ones where he will meet dogs of different breeds but in a less formal setting and not in large groups.

I know this flies in the face of just about everything that is usually advised, so I'm very diffident about suggesting it, but some wolfhounds and again especially deerhounds often simply prefer their own kind, and don't particularly enjoy the company of other breeds. Once adult and mature, they will tolerate them quite happily singly and in groups, but I've known of adolecent male deerhounds finding the 'forced' company of groups of other breeds stressful.

Hi sharon

Ive just had a huge thought, he seems to be like that ONLY on a wednesday night class, i have watch him for the past few weeks on a tuesday and nothing, not even a growl, mmmmmmm, it seems to be just a wednesday, and at my mums at the weekend with her greyhound, so i think i might just give up the wednesday class, and start to take him out down the town park at certain times instead of first thing in the morning and last thing at night, when there isnt a lot of other dogs going about. So he can see that the other dogs arent going to hurt him, and hopefully that might work, who know, but i will try

Kelly, think that's a good idea. Two classes per week might even be a bit much for a sighthound as they are often just immature, confused overgrown puppies at this age :-). Do let us know how it goes.

This is very true.......just to back you up :).....I find this with my lurchers. They (normally) lurve other lurchers, but can get a bit iffy with some other breeds at times......one loathes black Labs and one feels the same about BCs because they've both been attacked by them.

Have you got anyone near you with sighthounds that you can socialise with?

K