hi everyone,
i have a problem with my greta dane. he is over 1 year old now and is a very loving dog.however, we have been having problems with him, especially on walks.when he see's another dog he goes crazy and rushes off to it, and often hurts it by          or displays aggressive behaviou e.g. growling and starting fights.i always put him on a lead whenever i see another dog but sometimes i just cannot control him and he escapes my grip.sometimes he rushes off to people, and although he says nothing to them they are sometimes intimidated by his boisterous behaviour.don't get me wrong, i have trained and trained my dog;he knows how to sit, stay, e.g. and on walks i have taught him to keep to heel and 'stand'(meaning stay where you are).however the problem with my dog is when he see's another dog he just won't listen.i spend enough time with him each day, he is left alone for about 4 hrs each day, all the rest of my time is spent with him.i have enough time for him at home, but i don't really have enough time to take him to trainig classes, and im worried that if i do he will escape my control again and that we would be removed from the class.i have heard something about dogs who are born first in a litter of pups are very       nt and harder to train, could this be the case with my dog?my breeder is away at the moment so im unable to ask her.also, i have not neutered my dane, as iv heard that danes shoul be neutered at 2 yrs old...is this true?recently iv began to doubt this, perhaps if i get him neutered now the bad behaviour will stop?or perhaps i have been teaching him wrongly?when i went on holiday i left him with my breeder who had to do some trainig on him, apparently he became much better, but he does'nt listen to me
please please please give me some advice as i feel that me and the rest of my family will not be able to cope if he keeps doing this.when we first got him we were looking forward to walks with him, now its something we dread.
thanks in advance

Hi Guest

I have a blue Dane who is 2. Do you use a halti for yours?

Probably best to [email carla@hodgkins.com]email me[/email] off forum for a lengthy chat. A lot can be contributed to adoloscense, diet, breeding...and the fact that you have a 15 stone dog who has decided all other dogs should submit!

Drop me a mail - and don't panic :) :)

Hi Guest you may have trained and trained your dog but unfortunately not enough. 

If he is always put on a lead the minute you see another dog then the desire to go over and actually make an acquaintance will be even stronger because dog to dog socialisation is such a novelty and so the circle will continue until one day your dog could be injured by a dog that is somewhat less than thrilled by his approach or by the owner and unfortunately you could be liable to prosecution under the DDA.

If training is important you will MAKE the time to attend a class or arrange for 1:1 tuition.

It is vital, especially with such a large dog, that your dog does listen to you.

http://www.apdt.co.uk/list_trainers.asp  This link will show you what trainers are in your area.

Perhaps in the meantime you could consider using a headcollar on your dog to enable you to have better control; there are many models on the market such as the dogmatic, halti, canny collar, pullstoppa, gentle leader, gentle controller and the dogalter.

Best of Luck

Hi there, I know how you're feeling about this. I have a 9 month old standard poodle who is displaying very similar behaviour. He is a great dog and does a lot that we ask him to though obedience definitely isn't his strong point at the moment. I've started doing some training with him with a professional to try to calm him down. We have only had one session so I've no idea how well it will work. I'm at the stage now where I'm going to buy him an extending lead and not let him off for a bit until I can control him.
To be honest, I think we are the problem. Alfie is our first dog and we're not very up on how to teach dogs obedience. That's why I've gone for help. It does sound like they are similar types. Alfie is very confident and very boistrous. He loves the company of other dogs but is completely unable to recognise boundaries and, like your dog, has been attacked on 2 or 3 ocassions because he starts barking and nipping dogs who won't play with him. Like you I've started to dread taking him for walks when I intend to let him run around off the lead. I try to take him when it's likely to be quiet and there are no other dogs around. He never bites people or other dogs so I know he's not aggressive. I think I just lack control of him and find that he doesn't listen to anything when there's another dog around.
Perhaps we could compare notes. If I make any progress with him at his next training session I'll let you know and if you pick up any good tips please pass them onto me.
I totally sympathise with what you're going through at the moment. It takes a lot of the pleasure out of having a dog.

Anyone taking on a dog need to put in the "appropriate" training.....its all very well training your dog at home where there are no distractions....but your dog needs an environment where other dogs are present to learn how to cope with distractions. I also think a class would allow a trainer to assess how you handle your dog. I recommend that you make the time to go to classes,.....if you really do spend all your time with your dog, surely some of that time could be used at class?