Twix...it's not just a candy bar anymore
My other thread (http://www.nihonken.org/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=4253&page=1#Item_15) has become more of an ongoing saga than a discussion just about how to help my dogs get along. I am a new large breed owner (Maybe I should say I'm new to being owned by a large breed?) and new to dog training, so my family will have a lot of adventures.
In case you haven't been in on the previous conversations, here are some highlights.
-We adopted Twix, the American Akita, from the Salt Lake City, Utah animal shelter on June 5th, 09.
-I have a family of 6, including 4 kids from 6 to 13, my wife, and "our little dog Turbo, too!". (Wizard of Oz reference, couldn't resist.)
-Turbo is old and decrepit, Twix is 3 years old and outweighs him by about 50 pounds and 10-12 inches in height.
-Turbo is arthritic and defensive when he gets stepped on, perhaps justifiably so, but has lost the 2 tussles he's been in with Twix.
-Aside from getting along together, we are facing the challenges of crate training, leash training, obedience training, training the humans, getting along with other dogs, retaliation pooping in the crate, and all the other joys that come with our learning experiences.
In this thread I'll keep track of our progress and ask for help and advice, and I won't get snippy (sorry for that in the other thread!). Thanks for your help and input!
In case you haven't been in on the previous conversations, here are some highlights.
-We adopted Twix, the American Akita, from the Salt Lake City, Utah animal shelter on June 5th, 09.
-I have a family of 6, including 4 kids from 6 to 13, my wife, and "our little dog Turbo, too!". (Wizard of Oz reference, couldn't resist.)
-Turbo is old and decrepit, Twix is 3 years old and outweighs him by about 50 pounds and 10-12 inches in height.
-Turbo is arthritic and defensive when he gets stepped on, perhaps justifiably so, but has lost the 2 tussles he's been in with Twix.
-Aside from getting along together, we are facing the challenges of crate training, leash training, obedience training, training the humans, getting along with other dogs, retaliation pooping in the crate, and all the other joys that come with our learning experiences.
In this thread I'll keep track of our progress and ask for help and advice, and I won't get snippy (sorry for that in the other thread!). Thanks for your help and input!
Comments
Day 10 - Socializing with other dogs. We know Twix is anxious to meet other dogs, but we are unsure of her intentions. Yesterday when going for the Twix relay at the park (each kid takes a turn running Twix from one end of the park to the other, the smaller kids get a turn after she is worn down a bit.) the kids were at the park with her, without an adult. I went to get them to come home for dinner and passed a neighbor whose Weimeraner was off leash in his front yard. I told him about Twix and I was unsure how she would react if his very friendly Weim came to greet her. He said, "It's ok. She's just friendly and won't cause a problem." I replied, "Great. I'm just not sure if my dog will rip her throat out or not." He said, "No problem, she needs to learn. I'm not worried."
*sigh*
So I continued to the park, where the kids were trying to catch up to some Lab owners who had their dog off leash to ask them to leash the dog. I just called them back and apologized for not going with them. They had struggled holding her back from other dogs and keeping her obedient on the leash.
**Lesson learned: Dad or Mom ALWAYS accompany the kids on a walk with the dog. If kids have the leash, we are right there with them. I knew the concept, but was tired after a long day at work and just didn't want to go.Won't happen again.**
Walking back past the Weim, the owner had taken her so she was standing between his legs and he had reasonable control over her. I asked if it was OK if I let Twix approach her, no problem. Twix was jumping and straining at the leash so I made her calm down, then held her close to the collar as she strained forward to sniff noses. The other dog seemed fine, they touched noses, and Twix lunged ferociously and without warning, trying to take her face off. I had a good hold and all she got was a little nip on the nose, no blood. I smacked Twix under the chin and said "No!" while pointing harshly at her. She lay down submissively and only got up when I indicated to her it was OK to do so.
After that she went slack on the leash. After about 10 minutes she was still slack, so we let her try the introduction again. This time she sniffed and licked aggressively, but did not try an attack of any kind. Her aggressive introduction was too aggressive for the Weim, who tucked her tail and did her best to get away. I pulled her off the introduction and said that's enough for today. The other guy and I visited for a little longer about unrelated stuff and parted company on a good note. He let the Weim free during this time and she sniffed Twix while I had a hold of the dangerous end. Both seemed fine with it. We'll try more introductions in the future.
So, what should I have done differently and what did I do right? I'm just winging it here.
Side note, the Weimeraner owner said, "Akitas lock their jaws in a fight, don't they?" *double sigh* This time with Twix is going to be filled with informing the ignorant and comforting the uneducated, isn't it?
Im glad you are getting Twix out and giving her a chance to socialize, it may be hard for her, being a shelter dog and probably not having as much social experience as is optimal, so just watch these interactions carefuly. I would NOT slap her nose, yell, make her go into a submissive position, etc. These things are reinforcing fear in your dog and you don't want your dog to be afraid of you. I would suggest reading up on POSITVE reinforcment training and implementing those methods. For instance, if one of my dogs (usually Sake) gets greeted by another dog and starts to get snarky I use sound aversion like Victoria Stillwell on "it's me or the dog", I use a sharp "AAHHT" at her and redirect her to a positive situation, like to her brother Miso or a dog that is already friendly with her or to me to do a trick for a treat. That way she learns that if she doesn't start the snarky process, then good things follow. I always praise her when she greets a new dog nicely and give her extra love when she plays with a new dog nicely. This positive experience has really helped her.
I would really stay away from the Cesar-esque "pack leader" "alpha" training, it really does the opposite for most Nihon Ken that I hear.
Patricia McConnell has some GREAT books, you should look into what she has written, they will really help you understand positive reinforcement.
About the submission thing - I'm totally going out on a limb here but what I've found to be true in dogs are things like submission and dominance - they are survival behaviors dogs use when they feel they need to, as protection. Using these survival methods does not mold a confident dog. Now, opposite that are things like playing, hunting, mating, etc., all group activities that dogs 'enjoy' doing - cooperatively. Being a part of a cooperative family unit/group will help build confidence in a dog.
My assumption is that if you have a shelter dog - one that has been who knows where in her life already, thrust into an incredibly stressful environment of cement floors for sleeping and metal doors slamming and different people handling her and who knows what else - now enter you and your family with the best possible intention for that dog.
She's already in survival mode.
She's already stressed from what her life has brought her up until now.
She's already trying to learn to make it in the human world that has been so unfair to her.
Therefore... my suggestion for you would be to take it easier on her. Train her. Get to know her. Have fun with her, safely. Teach yourself and your family to be consistent with her in a positive and friendly way.
Now, I don't have an akita but I have shibas and have worked with many shelter dogs and as this is the nihon ken forum, I think all of us will agree that these dogs tend to be more sensitive. I think that means that their tendency to be reduced to survival modes is extreme. All it takes is a smack under the chin to get a full grown akita to submit to a human. Thats huge - she could do some serious damage and all it takes is that small gesture to make her wonder how to survive this encounter. I think you are lucky her survival tactic isn't to attack the hand that strikes her, because in these sensitive breeds that can also be their extreme solution.
Opposite this is that a positive learning experience also goes a long, long way with these breeds.
I urge you to be creative in these situations - find a way to make all of these scenarios with her into a positive LEARNING experience for the BOTH of you. So, for example if I were to do this again, I would take my dog that I know to be reactive and nervous fresh from the shelter system to a park but farther away from most people with leashed dogs. I would do some running or jogging to expel some energy. i would take a seat at a safe distance to watch the goings on at the park, so you and her have a good view of the other dogs and give her treats and praise for calming watching and observing them. I would really invest in time and training before I allow her to interact with any more dogs until I knew her better and until I knew that I could make each interaction a positive learning experience.
I would actually do distance positive reinforcement of observing other dogs playing until you can get a behavior assessment of your dog. To be safe, to keep your dog and your whole family from a potentially harmful situation.
And perhaps you might find that she really doesn't do well with other dogs. And thats OK - someone said this on this forum before, and it really speaks volumes -> before you she had nothing, imagine how happy she is just to be a part of your family now. If it came to that, it should be enough. But I do think getting to a point where she isn't as reactive to other dogs - for everyones safety - should be the ultimate goal in her dog-dog interactions both with Turbo and all other dogs that you cannot control.
crate training - its a slow process if you do it correctly, but priceless when you accomplish it
http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html
the link is tailored for a puppy, but since Twix is so new to you I think it applies
leash training - what is your goal for leash training? for her to walk loose leashed beside you? what leads up to putting the leash on her? is she excitable? does she sit first?
There is a great episode of "Its me or the dog" where Victoria teaches a family with two rambunctious shepherds to walk well on a leash (they are also dog reactive). See if you can track that episode down, its a really good one.
obedience training - BE POSITIVE! BE CREATIVE! "The Power of Positive Training" is a really great book by Pat Miller that helps you understand why its so imperative to train positively and consistently with every member of your household.
training the humans - we're all in this boat my friend
But joining this forum, asking questions and wanting to really know your dog are HUGE steps in the right direction!! We've all been newbs!
getting along with other dogs - I think you should wait for a proper behavior assessment before trying to force interactions on her like I said above
retaliation pooping in the crate - how long is she in there? when was she let out to potty previous to being put in there? when was her last exercise before going in the crate?
I agree with the posters above: expect a lot less of her for a while re: dog park and greetings. It is OKAY to say no thank you, when someone asks if the dogs can say hi. It is perfectly reasonable and wise to say, "She;s new to us still, maybe in a few weeks." That is absolutley respectable! and you are on your road to being the very best Twix owner, so go really really slowly and prevent negative encounters by playing it ridiculously safe for a while so she can build up LOTS of reps of "I dont need to worry about that obnoxious dog, because Dad always keeps me safe." Think about being at a party wiht lots of people and hoping against hope that you wont get stuck having to talk to Francine- ugh! "I wish my date didn't ditch me here at the buffet.." You are Twix's date and she is relying on you. You are much more important to her than strange dogs.
Dog introductions- when she is ready- meaning that she needs to know and trust you completely to keep her safe and to keep from situations she doesnt know how to handle yet (think many weeks)- dog introductions need to begin with a shortie- imagine a recieving line at a wedding, you say hi, shake hands and its over you move on. you dont stand there longer waiting for the awkward silence to know its time to go. A quick hello with a short but loose (if you can manage it) leash. If you are holding the collar ad the weim guy has her between his knees, the dogs are not free to do their polite avoidances and body curves. Keep it short, keep it casual, and if it went well try again later for a longer duration, 20 seconds maybe? Extended greetings: They need to sniff noses, lips, ears, butts, bellies, and be free to circle. The circling and examinations allow their bodies to say it for them. I am friendly, I am uncomfortable...I really dont like you. etc. If the dogs found each other agreeable in the shortie, it is to your advantage to leave them wanting more anyway.
So WHEN Twix is comfy with you, and she knows she can expect not to have to listen to the other dog's life story, that it will just be a quick hello, and that you wont scare her (careful to avoid repeats of this or she will dread the approach of another dog she doesnt want to meet to begin with- "crap, a dog, I will have to meet it and then Dad's gonna scare me- how can I let him know NOT to bring me over there?") then she will be glad to briefly greet dogs she is interested in, knowing she will not be overwhelmed.
It is much harder to UNDO this learning than to prevent Bad Repetitions. You are doing well for her by asking questons and by NOTICING things abotu her- you are veyr good at this! You really want to know how to be her best Dad and you WILL! Your real live akita trainer will be SO helpful for you, so just limit your expectations for her until you start with them! Good Luck! You and Twix will get there!
Shibas Venge Poo...ask LJ
You are right though, most dogs won't eliminate in their crate unless they NEED to, not because they want to.
Thanks for that crate training link, btw.
Time and patience+dog introductions: This will be a struggle. It's necessary, and I can really see the benefits brought out by all of you. My wife is worried about her with other dogs, it's summer, and the kids want to play. It's time to be out and adventuring! I mentioned in one of my other threads, this may not have been the best time to adopt an Akita, but we did it, now we need to do it as right as we can. People in Utah have this notion that we live in the wild west and it's still cool to have your dog off leash and free. It's pretty common wherever you go. A little less so towards the City, but still. Being outside = meeting new dogs. The trainer we are going to meet with is kind of booked up right now, but I think we'll impose just a little and ask about a few specific behaviors and some starting points. She is familiar with the challenges we are facing in the area we live in and should have some good suggestions.
Crates and revenge poo: In both cases she was in the crate for less than 3 hours and had been out 3 times before going in to the crate. I don't think she knows that when we take her outside it's time to go to the bathroom. "It's actually time to play! Why are we going back inside already? Hmm. Whatever." With that said, she holds it pretty well. No accidents in the house to date. We've been giving her a treat to go in and then another after we close the door, then another when she gets out. I'll check out that site you recommended though. I'm sure it will give better direction.
Leash training: She pulls CONSTANTLY on the leash. She is very curious and wants to check out everything. If it's another dog, she is straining to the point that she is up on two legs and gagging against the leash. My wife is only about twice as big as Twix and nearly as strong. During the day, this is her duty. She is sore and bruised from holding Twix back. Nobody in the family has the endurance (yet) to run her long enough to wear her down before a walk. Running is a little easier because you're going fast enough she doesn't have time to stop and start and yank. My wife is not a runner (yet). We want her to respond to "leave it!" and walk mostly slack-leashed. Lead up to putting the leash on...not really. Once in the morning (not sure if Ann does it before or after breakfast), once mid-day, and once when I get home from work at a minimum. The kids will take her in the back yard on the leash when they are back there. For now, that's the only way she goes outside is on the leash.
I'll have Ann read all that everybody has posted and try to digest it. We need to have a little "Lesson learned" session each night with the kids so we can drive home what we are doing right and where we can improve. We'll work on keeping it positive for now and try to stay on the other side of the street/campground/trail/whatever from potentially stressful situations.
Thanks again!
Ann hadn't read the comment about keeping her leashed in the back yard, and we hadn't discussed it. They were in the yard playing ball, and Twix was having a great time. Chasing, pawing, nosing it around, fetching, really being cute. Turbo was across the yard laying by the garden in old dog mode. Suddenly, with ball in mouth, Twix switched directions and ran across the yard to Turbo, dropped the ball and grabbed him in the mid-section with her mouth! He was yelping and she was not releasing. Ann was only two steps away and went to pull her off and she wouldn't come off. She finally let go and only Turbo's pride is injured, but he's regressed a couple days on being stiff and sore. There was no growl, no body language, not even a warning look that might have said she was thinking about it.
About two hours later Hannah, my 13 year-old who needed a running buddy and who has been key to exercising Twix, fell off the swing and broke her foot. We have to see an orthopedic surgeon on Friday to determine damage to growth plates, the need for screws or pins, etc. Now I have two kids in casts, one that will likely need a surgery or two, an injured and stressed old dog, and a 3 year-old Akita who needs more training than I know how to give her.
*sigh*. This could be going better.
I am not trying to be harsh, it appears your family may not be ready to take on the commitment to keep your old dog and other dogs outside your home safe. Sadly there is a reason why Akitas are listed as aggressive by many jurisdictions and that is because many require a very good management plan and many folks can not or do not provide that. There are so many misconceptions about the breed and it usually stems from accidents that occur because of oversight. The breed is wonderful in many aspects but they do require a fully dedicated effort to make them the best they can be.
Really I am being realistic, if you cannot manage the behaviors of the breed and its tendencies due to the hubbub in your family and lack of time, an Akita may not be for you simply for management reasons. Your really have to weigh what you are able to do yourself as a parent.
Note the following link.
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusutst18_1_1.htm
Please be aware if something happens you may lose your homeowners insurance, it does not always require a bite to a human. All that must occur is an incident to others property where the dog is deemed “potentially dangerous” to other animals.
Get thee to a trainer and pull in the reins. This should not be left up to your children it is up to you to get the situation under control before things completely fly out into outer orbit. If that happens it will be the dogs that suffer.
Again I say this out of wisdom and having seen many many dogs and situations like yours go sour if owners do not get direct hands on help and stick to an advised plan by a trainer.
Snf
Ann will call the trainer tomorrow and get over there after Hannah's foot appointment. In the meantime, I've pulled my running shoes out of mothballs.
I really do appreciate your direction, frankness, and concern. We'll meet with the trainer and work on an assessment, then go from there.
Day 12: No incidents at home today. I took Twix for a walk with the kids after work tonight. We went a different route. In less than 1/2 mile we encountered (no exaggeration):
Unleashed
5 chihuahuas, 1 that was particularly arnery and would not leave us alone
1 small lab mix
2 full size Labs
1 Bichon Frise
2 lab puppies
1 old Lab
1 unidentified small mixed breed
Leashed
2 lab puppies (on the way home they were leashed up.)
Fenced
2 extremely arnery dogs (chain link)
2 fairly arnery dogs (vinyl fence)
The mid size lab mix was first. Twix was up on her hind legs pulling against the leash. She about pulled me over and I reacted by yanking her back and growling "Leave it!" I know what you've said, but it takes practice. I tried to be positive, but in the situation without practice, I wasn't. After this she was fairly responsive to a tug on the leash and the "Leave It." command. I might have to do it 5 times for the same dog when she was really interested, other times once was enough. Here's the thing, I COULDN'T EVEN GET TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITHOUT ALL THIS TRAUMA!! At one point she was just turning to look here, and there, and everywhere because there were dogs barking from every side! I felt very bad for her and reassured her, encouraged her, praised her for leaving it every time, etc. We avoided the dogs as best we could. The boys ran interference and kept unleashed dogs from approaching and tried to get owners to get a hold of their dog. I didn't dare take a different route home because I didn't know what we'd find there. At least on this route I knew what to expect and could plan accordingly. The school is good because there are other parks nearby that are well kept and the grass at the school is pretty ratty. Nobody takes their dogs there and few people even use it. I think next time we'll drive there and spare her the trauma until she handles it better.
On the way home she was worn out enough from the Twix relay that she didn't pull on the leash and we were able to avoid nearly all the dogs. The closest encounter we had on the way home was across the street. Even these provided little challenge to the "Leave it." command. This behavior, not pulling and leaving it when told, elicited much praise. She doesn't like the treats we bought for her. Go figure.
Ann kept the dogs completely separated today. One was up and the other down, one was crated, the other not, one was in a bedroom, one was free, etc. Tonight just before bed they were in the same room together, Turbo on my lap, Twix leashed and being petted by a kid. When Turbo got down, Twix' ears jumped to attention and she tracked him aggressively with her head. Not sure if it was play or attack. A quick Uh-oh shut her down.
We'll seek out the trainer and/or a behaviorist based on what happens with the trainer. We really want to keep Twix and be a good home, but recognize it just might not work out. We won't wait for a bad incident to happen before making the decision, but we would like to meet with the trainer and work aggressively with Twix before giving up.
We really did do breed research before going to the shelter, but there are so many breeds, you can't just pick and choose before you go. She was very mellow at the shelter and didn't mind the other dogs. She submitted very well and showed interest in playing in the play yard. She didn't seem "dopey" in any way. In retrospect, it probably did have a lot to do with recovery from being spayed 5 days previously, or medication. She seemed like a good fit. Maybe she still can be.
http://www.paws4thought.net/
Hummm...the breeder may or may not serve your needs. Often times they are focused more on the handling and old school methods which depending on the dog may not be best for animals that have been through trauma or have social issues.
I do not know your location but here are some additional trainers to investigate that are not using overly harsh methods and should be able to assist in some capacity. I would check out puppenschoodles. I see they have some specific training for reactive dogs. Some of these trainers may be able to come to your home to evaluate the dogs in the context of your environment. I would think having them come out sooner than later would be best. I would not wait around for the breeder handler to get to you. They are very busy with an agenda that may be quite different. If none of these folks are in your area call them and find out who they can recommend to help you out. They should know of a few people.
Good luck
Snf
Utah
Anna Bettina Johnson
Puppenschnoodles
http://www.happyhealthypup.com/
Central Utah
Email: anna@happyhealthypup.com
Astrid Smith
A Dogs Journey
http://www.adogsjourney.com/
North Salt Lake City, Davis and Weber County
Johanna Teresi
Four Legged Scholars LLC
http://www.fourleggedscholars.com/
Salt Lake City area
Phone: 801-463-1668
Email: info@fourleggedscholars.com
Alyssa Walker
Walker Dog Training
http://www.walkerdogtraining.com/
Logan, UT
Email: alyssa@walkerdogtraining
Wow! What a change! Ann contacted the breeder/Trainer today. She wanted her husband to work with us because he is the specialist when it comes to behavior issues, and the Akita. He is traveling in Montana at a dog show right now, so we didn't expect to hear from him until Wednesday. He called Ann at home on a break between shows! I was impressed with that. We haven't paid them anything yet. He asked a lot of questions and gave some suggestions for starting out. He was frank about the issues, and what we had done wrong so far, but very nice. He explained that he is the most gentle trainer you'll find. But, without a lot of force your emotional energy needs to be very focused with an Akita. Some suggestions were:
1) Get a training collar (choke collar). Not one with spikes, just a slider. He emphasized it was just to redirect her attention with the sound of the chain sliding, not for choking.
2) Avoid "The Gauntlet". Drive somewhere more remote without a lot of other dogs and let her be away from them while we get used to each other.
3) Keep our two dogs separate for now. He believes we can work it out with them, but he will need time with them/us.
4) He explained to Ann how to have some control of other people's off leash dogs.
5) Make sure that the people ALWAYS are first in everything.
6) When going on a walk, do it with a purpose. Twix will pee when we tell her it's ok, she will sniff a bush when we tell her it's ok to sniff a bush, etc. Do not wander the neighborhood. Go somewhere, do it purposefully, and come back.
7) He explained that female Akitas love to mark all over the neighborhood. Control it.
8) That was enough for now. He wanted to meet us with and Twix before giving us anymore advice.
He was also impressed with some things:
1) She never begs for food. She just lies down and calmly waits for her turn to eat.
2) She hasn't shown aggression towards people since we've had her.
3) That she doesn't jump up on people at all.
A lot of this is what you have all said already. We have been acting on it, but it's always good to get it from multiple sources, and to have this trainer agree with what we've already been taught...mostly. I'm sure there will be differences and different preferences.
So, we got the training collar and took her for a walk tonight. I took her to the door and put the leash on at the door. She sat and I tugged the collar a couple times so she could hear it and recognize that it was different. When she was ready we went outside. She was immediately a different dog. She stayed slack leashed at my side when I had a hold of the strap near the collar. If I gave the full length of the leash she took it, but she didn't pull. Ann talked to the trainer, not me, so I didn't know or remember the list above> Still, the walk was MUCH better. It helped that we walked at 9:00 at night when most dogs were inside. This was avoiding the gauntlet. We only encountered 2 dogs on the entire walk. If ever she pulled or looked like she was going to, a gentle tug, just enough to slide the chain one or two links, accompanied by "uh-oh" or "Leave it" was all it took to bring her right back by my side.
At the end of the walk the second dog came along. It was a Lab on a leash, and was showing the same behavior towards Twix that Twix showed yesterday. She stood at attention, with the leash and collar taut, but did not pull beyond that. I told her to leave it and gave a tug, she stepped back so the leash was slack, and turned to keep her face towards the dog until it was passed. That was it. This was an easy walk, and a HUGE difference from yesterday to today. I'm pretty sure she was familiar with this type of collar before we used it. I can't believe she would respond to it that quickly and dramatically without that familiarity.
We have her on a training collar (choke chain), but not for the purpose of choking. He says it's the sound of the zipping chain as it tightens that will train her to hold back. It's working fairly well, but I think we need some more guidance. Today Ann had her leashed to a tree in the front yard while she gardened. Twix was laying happily in the shade when a cat strolled by. She leaped at the cat...and literally stretched the collar by a full inch and a half. The chain links are stretched out on one side! She is not injured, but the collar is done for! I'm sure it tightened low down on her neck instead of right around her throat, so it didn't cause her a problem.
She is learning that we will keep her away from other dogs, and will keep other dogs away from her. She seems to appreciate that.
She has good house manners, chewing on her toys, not everything else. When we have to be gone for a couple hours she has the upstairs to herself and doesn't cause a problem.
Our small dog is getting used to being separated from her, and us on occasion. Neither of them like to be separated from the family, but to keep them apart it's necessary sometimes. One more week and we'll start our training and hopefully find a way to help them co-exist.
Our struggle right now is finding a solution to a 3 day trip where we can't take either dog with us. We'll leave on the 23rd, and calling around this late means the good boarding kennels are already full. Our family members are all coming on the trip too, so that's not an option. We'll see what we come up with.
And I'm glad that your dogs are safely co-existing for now!! Have fun on your trip.
Sad news though, this weekend we were leaving for about 20 minutes and left the little dog downstairs and Twix upstairs, with a door separating them. Apparently it wasn't latched properly. When we came home she was upstairs, submissive, and Turbo was hiding in a corner downstairs that Twix couldn't get to. We took our small dog to the animal ER where he was put to sleep. It looks like there were only 2-3 bites, and no flailing, but his ribs were broken behind the front legs and his injuries were too severe.
They have been getting along so well. Twix had still been actively ineterested in Turbo, and we were keeping them separated. But they had gotten to the point where they could be in the same room with us and Twix would leave him alone, or just nuzzle him interestedly and then leave him alone. We would have put her in her crate when we left, but she pee's in the crate every time we put her in, even for just 20 minutes. We really thought that the upstairs/downstairs arrangement would work. Turbo had a door he could go out and Twix couldn't, and the door on the stairs was shut. I don't know if it was an aggressive "hunt him down" situation, or if it was just a tussle, but the outcome is the same either way. There were no punishments given to Twix. It's terrible and sobering to come home and see your Akita's beautiful white fur turned pink.
We are sad at our loss of Turbo, but nobody is mad at Twix. Turbo was 17 years old and we nearly had him put to sleep a couple months ago due to another unrelated issue. We realize this was caused by our lack of securing the dogs in our absence and feel terrible about it. Twix still isn't an evil dog, but we do need help to train her in her aggression towards other dogs.
The fact is that Twix will most likely always remain dog aggressive.
Snf
Twix may be better off as the only dog in a one-dog household. Hope everything goes positively from here.
Good luck with training. Its great your whole family has gotten involved, it works wonders to all be on the same page.
But I digress. We would love to have her be able to play freely with other dogs, even if it was just a select few. But we are pretty sure that's not going to happen. Maybe this trainer can work miracles, but we are prepared for not.
I ran in to an animal control officer at lunch today and just asked her opinion of next steps. She said she doesn't trust Akita's...OK, not everybody has to, although it would be nice. But she strongly recommended walking Twix with a muzzle until the behavior is resolved. I think it's a good idea. There are a lot of dogs off leash in the area, one Chihuahua in particular with the sense of a fence post. It would not be good for her to lunge and get a grip in a situation like that.
Your thoughts on muzzling?