Help

[Sharon]

have a 6 year old American Bull Dog called Ellie-i got her from a rescue centre as she had been very badly treated about 3 years ago, the problem is she hates any new faces, she literally drags me round the park because she is so strong, i just can get her to trust anyone, it takes her weeks to let a new face even sit on our sofa.....CAN ANYONE HELP ME????????????

[kuritsa18]

I suggest taking her to trainer that specializes in obedieance and agression training. They can work with you one on one at their faciltiy and even come to your home. Agression and obediance is what you are dealing with so it needs to be taken care of. They can also show you how to be a leader for your dog so you become the "pack leader" which is important for dog behaviour. Once you start taking her and working with her you should see an improvement. Call around to places in your area to find the best place for you. Just remember that your dog has been through a tramatic and negative experience so you need to be understanding and take it slow. Change does not occur over night and it takes consistancy, leadership, possitive re-enforcement, and time to change a dogs behaviour. The good thing though is that most dogs are changable so don't give up! Also, for walking, wearing a regular collar is usually not good enough especially for high energy strong dogs so you should consider soemthing that will give you more control. You can find stuff at the pet store. Plus, if you talk or go to a trainer they can make recommendations to you. Good luck and let us know how it goes

[prolibertate]

Sharon, you should take your dog to an animal behaviorist for some counter-conditioning. A trainer who isn't a behaviorist isn't going to be that helpful for you or your dog. You're not dealing with aggression, you're dealing with a fearful dog. You need to be the leader and show your dog that there's nothing to fear. This isn't obedience, per se; it's becoming the leader that your dog looks up to and takes guidance from.

If, when your dog pulls, you try and pull back, get excited, raise your voice, etc., that's only going to make the dog do what it's doing even more. You always have to remain calm, and your dog has to look to you in order to know what's expected of him. If you're calm, your dog will remain calm.

You can try a halter or gentle leader; that will give you more leverage and control than a collar. But your best bet is to find a behaviorist first, who can help both you and your dog. Best of luck.