Cross Breeds

How to train an Australian Cattle Dog not to grab, bite and snap?!?

Well it's been about a year now, I responded to a very sad post here on Y!A about an ACD in my area that was going to be put to sleep that night. Her picture made me so sad and of course I was on my way to get her the next day. The plan was to take her to my vet and get her leg fixed (it appeared broken and my vet was going to contribute some of the fee for charitable cause) then we were going to take her to a no kill animal shelter to find a home. Well, my mom who already has 1 large black lab and a black lab mix got attached to this dog within a couple days and ended up keeping her. At first it wasn't on purpose, we couldn't find a no kill shelter to take her. Then I found the dog a home and my mom refused to give her up so I guess that means she was attached! This is both good and bad...if you know ACD's, they're a herding breed and can be aggressive and bite/nip if they are not properly trained. This dog was NOT properly trained, and she has bad cataracts which is a flaw that is usually eliminated with good breeders, but obviously she is not that old and has the eye problems as well. She did bite my mom 2 times, once when she was breaking up a fight between all 3 dogs then another time where she was trying to drag her into a crate by her collar, the dog snapped and bit her finger. Whenever we have company over, the dog has to be locked in a room because we can't trust that she won't snap at someone or steal food out of their hands. She was going to have her put to sleep because we didn't want to risk her really snapping and hurting a child when they come over, etc. I was very sad about it but I knew that she was not safe to be around if she continued that behavior and my trust for her future behavior would never be there. Anyways, here we are about a year later. My mom still has her. Her name is Shelby..anyways, she jjumps up in the air if you're holding a piece of food, a dog toy, just about anything she wants. She snaps and doesn't have any regard for biting your hand in the process. She also thinks its ok to sit by you when you eat a meal and steal food off of your plate. She has a room at the house which she claims as her own. My mom had to put a gate up and lock her in the room whenever she has a rawhide or treat because she is also very food aggressive and she will get in fights or attack the other dogs if they come near her. She barks uncontrollably whenever she sees the other dogs getting any attention or food. The smaller of the labs gets bullied by her sometimes but they also play together nicely sometimes. The bigger of the labs doesn't get along with her too well, the lab as put her in her place a few times and pinned her on the ground when she got aggressive with either her or the smaller lab. Is there any way to fix these behaviors? She has to be somewhere between 3-5 years old the vet estimates. She was found near an area with farms so she may have been a working farm dog prior to us finding her. She was wearing no collar and was poorly cared for. My mom is going to keep her no matter what now. But is there a way besides hiring a dog trainer to work on her behavior? My mom already hired a dog trainer and it didn't do much good, so I know she won't do it again. Advice? My parents do spend a lot of time outside with her, playing frisbee, fetching, and she also likes to round up the labs like they are cattle or something lol...but the labs don't like having their ankles nipped at. They run in circles all day. But I agree she would be better as an only dog, the problem is that now she's bitten and knowing this, if we re-home her and she bites, we could personally be sued :/ Also I don't live with my parents so I can't contribute to this as much, I'm just wondering if I can help with the situation so they don't live the next 10 years of her life in misery!

Public Comments

1. Yes. There is a way to fix these behaviors. There is a television show on Animal Planet called It's Me or the Dog and the dog trainer on there deals with issues similar to yours. One thing you can do is when she snaps or bites (if you're playing with her and she does this), you can make a squealing type noise and stop all play. She will eventually learn that snapping and biting is not okay while you are playing with her. While you're eating, you can get up from the table and use your body as a block. While you're doing this, you walk toward the animal and say "Back." Keep doing this until the dog finally gets it.
2. First off, she needs a home away from those labradors. Obviously, this isn't the correct situation for her. A lot of the problems come from her reaction to the other dogs. Think of the most annoying person you know. Now, how would you like to be locked in a house with nothing to do but hate that person all day? Every little thing they do will just annoy you, right? Until you snap, right? Same with dogs. Second: ACD's are a high energy breed. They're not happy as indoor pets. They need jobs. HOURS of hard running every single day. Yes - hours. Not "walkies" for 30 min or so. Not getting enough exercise CAUSES these dogs to be snappy, grabby and territorial. At this point, she's going to need intensive behavioral modification therapy. Every minute of every day, she's going to need to be watched and managed. Do you have that kind of time? Does your mother? Third, and the saddest fact: Some dogs are "found" because their previous owners didn't/couldn't deal with their behavior issues. Some dogs have real, unmanageable problems which caused their abandonment. Some dogs can't be retrained because of past trauma, or bad breeding. You mention her bad eyes. That could be a sign that more isn't right inside her head. Something to think of when you consider her future. Don't pawn this problem off on someone else. If you can't train her, and can't find someone willing to work INTENSIVELY on her problems - she'll need to be destroyed. Cheers!
3. Please explain to your mom that there are different training methods and what works for one dog may not work for another. You do need another trainer...but do some serious homework on finding one. Look online for places near you. Interview them, see what they say and what they have to offer. Observe a session or a group class if they have them. See if anyone you know can recommend someone. The bottom line is that you are caring for the dog but this whole situation is not really working. You are not happy. And neither is your dog. . First you must do everything you can to integrate...not isolate the dog. If she needs her own room to have a rawhide...don't give her a rawhide. If you even suspect she was a farmdog...have you been doing any "work" with her. Cattle dogs are really smart....you can start some very basic training ..sit, stay, leave it , off , watch me, come. Try and get her to the point where you can do outdoor activities with her...this dog really needs a ton of exercise!! Tired dog, happy dog. Your mom may need to change how she deals with ALL of the dogs...its great to want to save a rescue but all dogs must be equal and subordinate to Mom...period...and none should be favored over another. That said, when you do your interviews, if you decide to go with training...look into the different methods and speak with a trainer about what is the best method or combination of methods for your dog. I have one of my 3 dogs on ecollar...he was the perfect pet till he turned 2 and I started to have what I thought was aggression problems..after finding a trainer..through a recommendation..we went over my options and for THIS dog at THIS time, ecollar was the best solution. I have an amazing well behaved dog at this point..and the training is NOT painful or inhumane..as many people may think ..and TD this answer! We use a combination of reward based and ecollar...but he always has ecollar on outside . This might not be right for you...but it sounds similar to my experience and I was very happy with the decision and outcome. Please tell your mom that even though she seems to have bonded with the dog...it just may not be the best situation for the dog...you should consider re homing if the training doesn't alleviate the symptoms. Maybe he would be better as an only dog. I would tell you to go the extra mile for training if you can...and at least if you have to rehome, the dog will be in a better position to be placed. Both of you are Heroes for trying...I hope I was helpful and I hope this works out for you. Good luck
4. It's called obedience training. And just because the one trainer didn't work out doesn't mean your mom should stop trying. Does she even realize how many ACDs are put down in shelters across this country? In my area they are usually on the "automatic kill" list at the front counter. Obviously the trainer your mom hired had no clue how to train an ACD, and she needed to do better research. Did she get references? Did she ask if this trainer knew how to handle an ACD with behavior issues? She needs to find a trainer who works actively with herding breeds. And one who is NOT heavy-handed, as your mom found out just what physical correction can do to an ACD with issues when she got bit. Never drag a scared ACD by the collar. Google NILIF. It is an excellent lifestyle change that will work remarkably with the ACD, and stop the fights between the other dogs as well, as that should also not be happening. It seems your mom has too much on her plate and no clue how to handle it. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm There is also a great chat group for cattle dog owners on Yahoo Groups that your mom can join. A wealth of info in that group through rescuers, owners, and breeders. It takes alot of work to fix a confused ACD, and one with bad eyes is a special challenge. Hope your mom has the commitment and the stamina to see it through, because it can be worth it.