Newly Aquired Aggression

Question
My dog Sylas is a five year old fox hound/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix.  I
rescued him at 11 weeks.  He has never been aggressive until recently.  He
has been attacked three times now and two of those time was by the same
dog.  After each attack he has grown more aggressive towards other dogs
while he is on a leash and he also has a lot of anxiety when we leave the
house.  The dog that attacked him twice lived next door (fortunetly the owner
realized what a problem his dog was after the second attack and he found a
new home for him).  I feel bad because I am also fearful now whenever a dog
approaches us while on a walk.  I can't even take him to the dog park which
he has been going to since I first adopted him.  I have never had to address
this issue before so I am in unchartered territory and have no idea what to do.  

Answer
Dear Amber,
Thanks for the question. Sorry to hear of your troubles. It's not too uncommon for a previously-friendly dog to become anxious around other dogs after an attack. I suppose I would be anxious after a few attacks and I wouldn't trust anyone either.

Your dog, rightfully associates other dogs with attacks, therefore he is doing his best to keep them away.

In order to help him, you must change his perception of other dogs. This can be accomplished by systematically exposing him to friendly dogs at a distance and pairing treats (or other good things) with the sight of the other dogs. You'll teach him that other dogs don't predict an attack, they predict your attention and good stuff!

In addition, you must be very careful not to expose him to rogue dogs in the neighborhood. If you want him to relax around dogs, then it's your job to make sure dogs don't get the opportunity to attack him.

First you should teach him to relax and practice relaxing before you go outside, then relaxing when he is outside and no other dogs are nearby, then relaxing when dogs are far far away, then a bit closer, a bit closer, et cetera.

The whole process can take weeks or months, depending on how it's done and how often you can practice.

The instructions are too detailed to explain on a forum, you'll need some professional guidance. Buy the book, The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell. Search for a trainer in your area that works with aggressive dogs and is familiar with systematic desensitization. Check http://apdt.com for a trainer near you. Good Luck!

AT
http://howsbentley.com