I could write a book about my wonderful (despite his aggressive nature) dog Elliott, – bless his dear cotton socks – who is now closer to 14 years of age and still going strong! Wow, what a journey we have both been on and he has taught me more than I could have ever taught him.
Elliott came into my life because I wanted a companion for my Sophie (Golden Retriever also). She was on her own all day as I was out at work and the best thing I could do for her was get her a companion.
Well, at the Golden Retriever club training classes, I had befriended one of the breeders, and mentioned that I would like a companion for Sophie. This breeder had a litter due and wanted to keep pick boy as a stud dog. We agreed to go joint ownership and the dog lived with me. The deal was that I would show him and get his eyes and hips done at 12 months of age. All was going to be perfect, but little did I know!!
Please bear in mind that this was 1994 and there was no such thing as puppy pre-school – it was more important about the vaccinations than socialisation!
So, after picking Elliott up at 8 weeks of age, we had to wait until he was fully vaccinated before we were able to attend the Golden Retriever training classes. He started growling and being a little bit aggressive at the other dogs at that early age. I didn't think much of it. He was absolutely fine with Sophie – they were like chalk and cheese in temperament but best buddies! As he got older he became a real handful, as well as full on dog aggressive. Can you relate to this situation? We even went to a doggie psychologist!! We got a list of instructions which needed to teach him his place in our ‘pack’. He needed to be dominant over Sophie, even though he was the youngest. I got very involved in dog training and I realised that because he was hyperactive plus dog aggressive his energy would need to be channelled into positive activities. We did obedience training and were ready to start trialling at about 18 months of age. That's another story.
We started to get into Agility and gave that up after he took on a female German Shepherd. I was told to take him off the lead and very reluctantly I did so. No damage was done to either dog but was not nice. Because of this aggressive incident toward this other dog someone wanted us banned from the grounds for a few months but the President of the club was very kind and said he would work with us. Really, how can one correct a problem if one is banned from being involved in the training groups? These are the types of dogs (and owners!) who need this kind of help! And we needed major help!
The next week we did some exercises and that was really the start of us getting very serious about dog training. Elliott really was quite uncontrollable when he was around strange dogs. And when he was in this state food treats, toys, or a ball just did not have any affect on his behaviour. Over time, though, we got to be able to read each other like a book.
We eventually got training three nights a week at different dog clubs after an Alaskan Malamute stood over Elliott in his first ever obedience trial during the drop stay exercise. There was no fight – and that in itself was a major breakthrough. However, it created a problem which is the other story I mentioned above. I'll talk about that in another blog.
We finally got our Novice Obedience Title. I wanted to do Retrieving which is what Gundogs are bred to do and once again, I thought this would channel his energies into positive activities. There was one trial in the early days where he ripped the lead out of my hands and ran over to fight with two Labradors – yes, he took on two of them! And he was 5 by this stage – so he wasn't a real spring chicken. I was trying very hard to keep him well away from the others. I was devastated. I drove all the way home in tears and rang my mentors, Jean and Dave. It was after that I decided to get him sterilised. I hadn't done it because I thought I would get him back in the show ring eventually.
Well, it took 6-12 months and he started to settle down. He was still aggressive and I had to be careful when he was around other dogs. We continued our retrieving and competitions until he was 10. By this time he had started to mellow down. I was so proud when he finally achieved his Novice Retrieving Dog title three days after he turned 11. And nowadays he doesn’t really socialise at all and his aggressive nature has pretty much subsided even when he does come into contact with other dogs – he’s very much into retirement years.
I should mention that I don't hold the breeder at all responsible. This person is a responsible breeder and sometimes I think it is the luck of the draw. Personally, I believe that the animals choose us and in our case, I have Elliott to thank for the position in which I now find myself - he changed the path of my life and I owe that to him. He has taught me far more than what I have taught him!
Do you have a dog who is aggressive? Do you want some hints on how to cope? I dread to think what would have happened to Elliott if he had gone to a family situation or to someone who wasn't prepared to put the time and effort into him. An aggressive dog is not easy to manage and will take time and effort. Please post if you would like to make comments or ask questions if you have an aggressive dog. Keep your eye on this site for further ideas on the things I did to actually manage and control this dog aggressive nature over a period of time.
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