I adopted a Basenji/Shepherd Mix about six months ago. She had been starved and beaten in her previus home. In the beginning the training went smoothly, she seemes to be happy to be in a home, and she seems to get along fairly well with other dogs. Recently however, she has been getting into aggressive standoffs and fights with other dogs. She and I were attacked by a dog a few weeks ago who was off of her leash (mine was leashed). After chasing another dog today, she was bitten by a pitbull. She is also very defensive around men. Not all, but some. She does not appear necessarily aggressive, but protective. For instance she will come between me and the male and her hair will stand on end and she'll bark. Im concerned that if I cannot get a handle on this she will hurt someone who doesn't know not to touch her or another dog. Or eually as bad she will be seriously injusred by another dog. I have lots of expereince dog training and I have never had this much trouble containing and controlling a dog's behavior. Any suggestions are helpful as I have run to the end of my training experience.
It is normal for dogs to "honeymoon" (ie act very nice 🙂 ) for anywhere from a few days to several months after you get them. How old is she, btw? As they adjust to their new home, you start seeing "the real dog."
My first concern is that you have had her attacked by a loose dog, then chased another dog? How did she chase it? Truly, you need to limit this dog's access to strange dogs and their's to her. The more of these incidents you encounter, the harder to correct over time.
For now, i would concentrate on the home issues. Men.
Go to a place like a ball field or game where dogs are allowed on leash only. Take tons of treats. Take a friend and enlist them to having men come up to you.
First, let them just TOSS a treat to her, no eye contact, no talk, and go on.
Once she is looking at men approach relaxed or expecting treats, have them actually come up and give her the treat… in flat palm much like feeding a horse. 🙂
Next step, have them talk to her while giving treat.
Finally have them talk to YOU but give her a treat.
What this does is simply rewire her brain response to MEN = need to protect to Men = treats. It may take you a couple of weeks, but its effective and can be done.
Once you have that conquered, then think about the other issues. Dog aggression is not abnormal in this breed. Goes with the territory sometimes. Dogs are not children in fur clothing and they really do NOT have to socialize with other dogs outside the family. If she gets along with your own dogs, I'd simply keep other dogs away from her and her from them. And I would work on my own obedience training especially a 100 percent solid "leave it" or "look at me" as a way to diffuse her obsessing about another dog if she sees one.