Fear Aggression

Travlingman wrote:

I have been using some techniques from Upstate Canine Acadamy training videos. I like this guys methods and thinking. Showing that the things she is afraid of and that I am not. An example is if she sees someone walking toward us and becomes scared, I get in front of her and turn my back to them and talk positive to her. This shows her not to fear them, and she will calm down. I would like to find a trainer that uses the techniques he does.

That also tells her that you have the situation handled (a good thing for fearful dogs).

It sounds like you are making good progress - it's just going to take time. My late dog/soulmate Ike (Aussie) had come from an abusive home and had plenty of issues - it took many years to get him over some. He didn't bite - but he would growl at people who tried to force themselves on him; I had to be firm and tell people he didn't want to be petted. Period.

Regarding sending your dog back - as long as you are seeing progress, I wouldn't. I once agreed to take a horse that was just plain ferocious - he came boiling out of the horse trailer with a big guy on each side with LONG leads. If I couldn't do anything with him, he was going to be put down by the adoption agency. I won't go into details - but he turned into the world's greatest trail horse that anyone could ride; and he was safe around my kids, cooperated with our Vet and farrier, etc.