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Comment by ChestersMom on January 2, 2009 at 11:59pm

Get professional help.

Comment by cosworth on December 5, 2008 at 11:12am

hey,

you could try a puppia harness - they are softer and less likely to rub, if you think the problem is discomfort.

i agree with the professional advice for the biting. our corgi bit me a few times (breaking skin) when he was 6-8 months old, over high-value treats or dead things he found in the woods that i tried to take away. it was extremely upsetting when it happened and i thought it wasn't fixable. i'll tell you what helped:

-obedience class and working with a trainer who understood him
-tons of exercise, every single day
-playing with other dogs to learn bite inhibition (daycare, dog park)
-not "setting him up to fail" - we worked on "drop it" commands with low-value toys and gradually worked up to the problem items, rewarding with treats and kind words for good behavior but never backing him into a corner or forcing him to give something up by being confrontational
-getting rid of the high-value bones and treats for months until we had worked on the behavior with other items; reintroducing them slowly and so far it's totally fine
-reading and practicing "the leader of the pack" by baer and duno. for a few months, he wasn't allowed on the couch anymore and he still has to sit and wait for us to go through a door first, follow commands before being given his meals, etc.

so if there is any way you can backtrack and start showing you're alpha dog without being confrontational, make sure he's exercised and not frustrated, and be firm and consistent without being aggressive, and maybe change harnesses while you're doing this to reset and perhaps avoid a discomfort issue, maybe all that will help. i totally understand how hard this is - when it got to the point where i was bitten over approaching him in his new bed, i was in tears and thought it was impossible. after doing everything on that list (and i took the bed away, and he got it back 2 months later after we'd worked on everything, and i sit in it first and invited him to come share it with me), he is like a new dog; i can take a bone right from his mouth and i don't hear any more growls or snaps and no more bites. i think he was confused about what kind of rights he had in this house and it came out in the form of possessive aggression; he seems to feel more comfortable with his position in the pack now and while he;s not submissive, he's not aggressive anymore, either. it's night and day, in the matter of a few months.

good luck :)

-sabs and cozzy

Comment by John Wolff on December 4, 2008 at 12:26pm

Re. the harness: after the first 2 times I took a corgi hiking, I concluded that they were good for no more than 8 or 9 miles, because the dog just STOPPED and refused to go further. I CARRIED Gwynnie for the last couple miles. Then I found the sore that harness was rubbing over her breastbone/collarbone. Once that harness was discarded, I found they're good for more miles than I am.

Comment by John Wolff on December 4, 2008 at 12:19pm

http://www.4pawsu.com/dogpsychology.htm

Apparently there is some controversy re. the "dominance roll", and some think it is more a "submission roll" that is OFFERED rather than a "dominance roll" that is IMPOSED.

Comment by Cindi on December 4, 2008 at 9:11am

Agreeing with Debbie, dominance rolls and scruff shakes should only be done by a trained professional. And until you are trained properly, you shouldn't attempt. If done incorrectly, not only will you be bitten but you will be antagonizing the very behavior you wish to become extinct. (This is my thing with Cesar Millan. Wonderful behaviorist and trainer, but folks don't listen to the disclaimers about trying his stuff yourself.)

There was also a comment about activity. He must be walked and exercised...every day...even a couple of times a day. Many don't realize that aggression can be a response to lack of stimulation. Play and exercise are essential. Ball chasing and the like keep mental energy up. Walking brings mental energy down. Walking is absolutely essential to a mentally balanced dog.

If you choose a choke chain, remember to walk your boy on a short leash, no running ahead of you. The correction is a short snap to the side. If you pull to the rear all that happens is a tug of war (oppositional resistance). If you need help with that, just drop me a line.

Avoid rough play. Avoid playing with his face. And if play becomes rough, walk away and ignore him. That will speak volumes to him about his behavior being unacceptable. You're going to need to evaluate everything about your relationship with him.

As Debbie said, most chain stores like my PetSmart aren't equipped to handle aggression cases. And actually, it's against our policy because of liability. However, if you do your homework you can find excellent resources from us. I have access to three wonderful trainer/behaviorists who do take on aggression cases. Your local PetSmart trainer might have some for you, as well.

Comment by Christine on December 4, 2008 at 8:57am

I agree with Cindi that you should seek professional help. It's not easy to deal with, especially since he's an adult now. You said he showed aggressive behavior when you touched the harness; do you know if something happened that has to do with the harness?? Is he only growling when you do something with the harness or he does it to everything else? Something must have happened or is bothering him??

We had a similar problem with our 4-months old corgi. 3 weeks after we got him, he would growl at me and try to bite me for taking his toys and steering him away from rolling in the grass while walking. We knew that he was trying to dominate over me, so i did the dominating technique that Tucker talked about. He responded very quickly and is now reasonably submissive. It was very useful, at least for a puppy..

Comment by Sam Tsang on December 3, 2008 at 9:39pm

Hey Ernie, check the area that rubs the harness and see if there are any abrasion, sometimes a poor design harness can literally cause injury. When Vienna was a young pub, we used a poor design harness, everytime we put her in the harness she gets upset, we had no idea why until we flip her over and check for scaring, her armpits were bleeding and already had some scaring. We felt like a bad parent and blames ourselves for her injury.

Comment by cheryl on December 3, 2008 at 7:29pm

D. Campbell is right on what you need please get your dog training done and YES it is not free but what a great live time of love you will get back from your dog. Cheryl

Comment by cheryl on December 3, 2008 at 7:22pm

corgi are cow dogs if they do't have a out let for this drive they can become very agressive - they do
not want to share
Get help go to dog school -you have to be head of his pack (thats your house)

Comment by Carmen on December 3, 2008 at 6:26pm

I would seek the help of a professional. Aggression is hard to live with. Courtney was dog aggressive, so she never really got to know any other dogs. Since he is starting to act aggressive towards you, it is time to seek professional help. I agree with Cindi.

Be careful with the dominance roll. If your dog is overly agressive, he may try to bite you and you can get hurt. I only suggest using this technique if you have started with a puppy.

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