Oscar was accused of trying to bite.

[Boxergirl]

Arousal, to me, isn't playful nor is it aggressive. It's emotional overload. I don't seen any information that indicates Oscar thought it was play time, I think something about this person was very exciting to him and he just couldn't calm himself down. Of course that's my opinion only from the description. I do agree that rough play, prolonged play, enthusiastic greetings, etc can put a dog over their arousal threshold. Some dogs quicker than others. Most of my experience comes from living with a dog like this day in and day out. Al lives on the threshold of over arousal almost all of the time. A new person simply walking in the door or looking at him can put him over his threshold. Interaction must be no look, no talk, no touch for a long time - over multiple visits - before I allow anyone to interact with him. Then all interaction must be very low key and controlled. Focus and impulse control work are the best things for him, but I don't think he'll ever have a good emotional thermostat. The most helpful things for him have been identifying the signs that he's getting too aroused and doing whatever it takes to calm things down, good bite inhibition, and focus/impulse control work. Here's just one article that I have bookmarked about arousal. The descriptions of arousal seem to be pretty accurate to me. (Thought I'd mention that we have a behaviorist and I guess Al's a bit on the extreme end for issues like this.)

Dog Behavior Blog: Know the Signs of Over Arousal

 

[Oscar'sMom]

I may be wrong but I see it as playful arousal not aggression per se. I've seen aggression without contact, aggressive "warning" and it's still aggression: ie snapping the air. This was not, from your description, it was just your dog misunderstanding the signal "play time". Prolonged playtime, especially rough play, can lead to real aggression but this was not the case. What was his body language?

When his brother came to the door he was barking but his tail was wagging and he was excited. I don't think he was the least big aggressive towards her...he just did a little jump and nipped at her jacket sleeve and got a little skin in the process. She patted him on the head first and he's not a huge fan of that. Normally if someone pats him on the head he backs away like he's a little afraid of it. He never goes towards them.

 

[Boxergirl]

Oscar's Mom - I noticed quickly that with Al it's mostly when they are moving their hand away that he loses control of himself. It's why I just tell people not to touch him. Some fearful dogs do that too, but his is from arousal.

 

[Oscar'sMom]

Oscar's Mom - I noticed quickly that with Al it's mostly when they are moving their hand away that he loses control of himself. It's why I just tell people not to touch him. Some fearful dogs do that too, but his is from arousal.

Arousal makes sense. He was very excited. a small pat on the head resulted in his mouth on her but it was not aggressive and he was not showing signs of being upset. Thanks for the link!

 

[7121548]

Any kind of nip, snap, or bite from a big dog is likely to cause overreaction. When my dog nipped the neighbor, it was made more dramatic than it needed to be, only because the neighbor was in shock that this huge dog even jumped toward him, even if it the dog didn't BITE bite (I have to go to a hearing with the HOA tomorrow about that). I'm overly cautious now when there are people around, because most people don't know how to approach dogs and you just never know what might set the dog off. Unfortunately, even an excited nip can be made out to be a vicious bite if the person who was nipped is afraid of big dogs. Excited nips are hard to unlearn (my dog came to me with a habit of it). I think you just have to really try to keep him in a calm state of mind as much as possible when guests are around and not let him get to an aroused state, which can be difficult since it can cross over really quickly. And if your guests are even the slightest bit uncomfortable being around a big dog, I would keep Oscar away completely (or probably not even have those guests over, haha). Good luck with that. I feel you!

 

[7121548]

Arousal, to me, isn't playful nor is it aggressive. It's emotional overload. I don't seen any information that indicates Oscar thought it was play time, I think something about this person was very exciting to him and he just couldn't calm himself down. Of course that's my opinion only from the description. I do agree that rough play, prolonged play, enthusiastic greetings, etc can put a dog over their arousal threshold. Some dogs quicker than others. Most of my experience comes from living with a dog like this day in and day out. Al lives on the threshold of over arousal almost all of the time. A new person simply walking in the door or looking at him can put him over his threshold. Interaction must be no look, no talk, no touch for a long time - over multiple visits - before I allow anyone to interact with him. Then all interaction must be very low key and controlled. Focus and impulse control work are the best things for him, but I don't think he'll ever have a good emotional thermostat. The most helpful things for him have been identifying the signs that he's getting too aroused and doing whatever it takes to calm things down, good bite inhibition, and focus/impulse control work. Here's just one article that I have bookmarked about arousal. The descriptions of arousal seem to be pretty accurate to me. (Thought I'd mention that we have a behaviorist and I guess Al's a bit on the extreme end for issues like this.)Dog Behavior Blog: Know the Signs of Over Arousal

Great post!

 

[Oscar'sMom]

Any kind of nip, snap, or bite from a big dog is likely to cause overreaction. When my dog nipped the neighbor, it was made more dramatic than it needed to be, only because the neighbor was in shock that this huge dog even jumped toward him, even if it the dog didn't BITE bite (I have to go to a hearing with the HOA tomorrow about that). I'm overly cautious now when there are people around, because most people don't know how to approach dogs and you just never know what might set the dog off. Unfortunately, even an excited nip can be made out to be a vicious bite if the person who was nipped is afraid of big dogs. Excited nips are hard to unlearn (my dog came to me with a habit of it). I think you just have to really try to keep him in a calm state of mind as much as possible when guests are around and not let him get to an aroused state, which can be difficult since it can cross over really quickly. And if your guests are even the slightest bit uncomfortable being around a big dog, I would keep Oscar away completely (or probably not even have those guests over, haha). Good luck with that. I feel you!

I think you are totally right! So many people are afraid of him because he's big! He is so gentle normally. We are normally hermits anyway. I bet that's the last time they come over

 

[al capone]

Arousal, to me, isn't playful nor is it aggressive. It's emotional overload. I don't seen any information that indicates Oscar thought it was play time, I think something about this person was very exciting to him and he just couldn't calm himself down. Of course that's my opinion only from the description. I do agree that rough play, prolonged play, enthusiastic greetings, etc can put a dog over their arousal threshold. Some dogs quicker than others. Most of my experience comes from living with a dog like this day in and day out. Al lives on the threshold of over arousal almost all of the time. A new person simply walking in the door or looking at him can put him over his threshold. Interaction must be no look, no talk, no touch for a long time - over multiple visits - before I allow anyone to interact with him. Then all interaction must be very low key and controlled. Focus and impulse control work are the best things for him, but I don't think he'll ever have a good emotional thermostat. The most helpful things for him have been identifying the signs that he's getting too aroused and doing whatever it takes to calm things down, good bite inhibition, and focus/impulse control work. Here's just one article that I have bookmarked about arousal. The descriptions of arousal seem to be pretty accurate to me. (Thought I'd mention that we have a behaviorist and I guess Al's a bit on the extreme end for issues like this.)

Dog Behavior Blog: Know the Signs of Over Arousal

Yup,great post

 

[teodora]

Jack is aroused every time someone new comes - he used to jump on people, now he doesnt but he has the "seal face": jumping on his all 4 legs, ears back and tail waving so much that it's moving the body sideways.... It's obviously "happiness". He's playful. He's still very excited. I dont mind as long as it's under control but i always keep an eye on him. It's easier to manage him than to make people follow simple instructions, basically make them ignore him in the first 5 min. They always feel the need to be "polite" to my dogs and in the best case scenario stare at them and comment - if not go directly to hug/pet/play.

 

[season]

Keep working on place. If guests are over for 3 hours your goal should be for him to be in place for three hours. Unless u take him outside for potty. That's not unrealistic or "mean". It's teaching your dog impulse control and boundaries. Not to mention good manners. If not keep him in the crate. I don't have many ppl over but when I do Solo needs to know he is not the center of attention. I want to include him. I include him by keeping him in place.


Carpe Diem

 

[DennasMom]

Excitement, over-stimulation, or whatever... any 'nip' to a guest in our house - especially to a "non-dog" person - is reason for immediate removal to a back room for R&R (for the dog). That let's all the humans relax as well. Then you can re-examine, and hopefully get the dog out for a quick, calm, "hello/goodbye" (maybe with the guest giving the dog a treat), as the guest leaves, so there's a positive end to the event.

I hope the next visit goes better!

 

[Oscar'sMom]

Keep working on place. If guests are over for 3 hours your goal should be for him to be in place for three hours. Unless u take him outside for potty. That's not unrealistic or "mean". It's teaching your dog impulse control and boundaries. Not to mention good manners. If not keep him in the crate. I don't have many ppl over but when I do Solo needs to know he is not the center of attention. I want to include him. I include him by keeping him in place. Carpe Diem

How do I keep him there that long? Just work in increasing his time in place? He will go to his place and sit when I tell him to. I usually don't keep him there for an extended time because it's usually when I need him to calm down. Once calm, he is released.

 

[Oscar'sMom]

Excitement, over-stimulation, or whatever... any 'nip' to a guest in our house - especially to a "non-dog" person - is reason for immediate removal to a back room for R&R (for the dog). That let's all the humans relax as well. Then you can re-examine, and hopefully get the dog out for a quick, calm, "hello/goodbye" (maybe with the guest giving the dog a treat), as the guest leaves, so there's a positive end to the event.I hope the next visit goes better!

Thanks Dennasmom! I had wanted to put him in our room and away from the situation but chose to leash instead. He was not happy but it kept him tethered to me and upset but he understood his reaction wasn't ok. I need to just keep be non dog people out of the house hahaha

 

[season]

Yeah. Just work on duration. The idea of place isn't just a place to "calm down." It's a place you can put your dog at any time. Sometimes u need your space. Or need to get stuff done without having your dog constantly feeling it needs to be by you. There are so many great reasons to use it. I use it daily with Solo. For no reason other than to work at it. So then when u do need it it's there. No compromise. No debate. Trust me, 3 hrs may seem long to us but it's not too much to ask from your dog. I know Solo would gladly spend 3 hrs in place as long as he's close by and included.


Carpe Diem

 

[season]

Case in point. I was visiting s friend who isn't a big fan of dogs. The second I got there I asked him for a blanket. I put it on the ground. Told Solo to go to his place. He went right to the blanket and stayed there for almost the whole day. Sure he tried to move. I simply said no. Directed him back and praised. He was close by. Not isolated and completely content. No issues. Not to mention my friend was at peace, relaxed and impressed. Win win.


Carpe Diem

 

[Boxergirl]

Season is right about the place command being very important. We say go to your rug, but it's still place. "Home" is their crate and they can also be directed to their home for longer periods of time where the they can stretch out more. The door is left open on the crate. For dogs that arouse easily, it's very important to help them learn how to calm themselves down. Not all dogs are able to do that on their own. It's our job to help them. In our house that means clear expectations and rules. He needs structure and it's my job to give it to him. Honestly, if the humans around us would just listen half as well as the dog, life would be easier. And that's why when I have people over my dogs are kept in a totally separate area until I know that the humans will follow the house rules of interaction with the dogs. It's for the safety of my animals - because that's all I really care about.

 

[scorning]

My Dane started having similar issues. I take him to work with me, and he was always awesome. Around 9-10 months, he started air snapping at some people, mostly women who were very excited to see him. He never made contact, but the behavior really worries me. I'm getting a trainer to work on the behavior, but for now I rarely let him meet new people, and only dog savvy people. He is always fine at dog training (we do nosework, agility, barn hunt, and obedience), the issues have primarily been at work and off leash. So, for now, he is either crated, on leash, or under my direct supervision at work.

 

[DennasMom]

We do use the 'place', too - and I agree it is VERY handy, and does allow the dog to stay close, which is good for them, too. Denna spent nearly a week on her 'place' at my parent's place over xmas... with breaks only for walks, meals and potty... she was also recovering from a foot injury, so even walks were minimal and she still happily napped most of the days away. (Her 'place' was a nice comfy new bed - the costco one with bumpers, that she really likes - which was also right at my feet most of the time.)

Scorning - 8-10 months is a 'test' period... when dogs will try and test the limits again, and see what they can get away with. Hormone shifts might also be going on bringing on more protective behavior and a desire for more privacy... If your pup decides strangers just aren't worth meeting, I'd just work on getting him to ignore them - a good 'leave it' and 'place' command can communicate that to your pup. Love that you can take him to work with you! RugersKris has some great posts on how she handles her pups at work, if you're looking for any suggestions...

 

[Rugers-Kris]

How do I keep him there that long? Just work in increasing his time in place? He will go to his place and sit when I tell him to. I usually don't keep him there for an extended time because it's usually when I need him to calm down. Once calm, he is released.

I personally would never keep my dog in "place" for a whole three hours. What is the point? The idea of place is to calm down and listen to commands but not for the entire time the company is there. I don't understand why you would want to do that. My dogs are a part of the family and are allowed to interact. Ruger is not stranger friendly so I just tether him to me and he goes where I go without issue.Season, explain to me why you do that when company comes over and he has to stay there the entire time?

 

[Rugers-Kris]

Thanks. I hope Denna is healed up now. At work the boys have a "line" in my office that they don't cross unless asked to. They stay in the area behind the desk with me. Basically half of my office is behind the desk and the other half is in front of it.

We do use the 'place', too - and I agree it is VERY handy, and does allow the dog to stay close, which is good for them, too. Denna spent nearly a week on her 'place' at my parent's place over xmas... with breaks only for walks, meals and potty... she was also recovering from a foot injury, so even walks were minimal and she still happily napped most of the days away. (Her 'place' was a nice comfy new bed - the costco one with bumpers, that she really likes - which was also right at my feet most of the time.)Scorning - 8-10 months is a 'test' period... when dogs will try and test the limits again, and see what they can get away with. Hormone shifts might also be going on bringing on more protective behavior and a desire for more privacy... If your pup decides strangers just aren't worth meeting, I'd just work on getting him to ignore them - a good 'leave it' and 'place' command can communicate that to your pup. Love that you can take him to work with you! RugersKris has some great posts on how she handles her pups at work, if you're looking for any suggestions...