Dog Health Questions: Was my dog trained for dog fights?

I've stated before that she is a girl, she's pregnant right now and I know nothing about dogs or dogs behavior, she's been with me for very little time and I know nothing about her before that. When I found her she had a broken leg and since she's rather big and no one would adopt her I decided to do so. Recently I've noticed that she's missing pieces of her ears, she has several scars where no hair grew back and smaller wounds that have already healed, leading me to think that she was abused. She got into a dog fight with a smaller breed and the dog had to be stitched. I've noticed that when I'm around she becomes overly protective of me and becomes aggressive without really attacking. I thought this was because of her pregnancy but just today when she was near one of my dogs and asked her to come over for her meal she wouldn't come and I went to ger her, pulled her by her collar and she completely turned into something else, growling and showing her teeth and barking, it was weird, but I recall she has done it every time I pull her collar in front of other dogs to keeps her away. I must also say that she is not aggressive to people or cats, because I own many of them and has never tried to attack them, but she will attack if you show any sign of being bothered by someone. I know I'm doing something wrong, it's just I don't know how to act because I've never owned a dog before that was this size and she's very strong so I'm afraid she'll hurt dogs or my cats. Any advice?

Dog Training: 7 Reasons Why You Should Do It Yourself

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the dog will eat when shes hungry but talk to a trainer about the behavior and go ahead and find out about that fighting thing

the place where you adopted her should know

Dog Training Advice - Tips That You Can Use

• First, the dog needs to see a vet. As for her meal, she'll come when she's hungry. If she's not hungry, don't make her eat.
  
  I also believe you need to see a dog trainer that specializes in abused dogs.


• jonnyboii - It is a myth that Pitbulls can lock their jaws. They are the dog of choice because of their determination,strength, and willingness to please the owners.


• What kind of dog is she?
  
  But what you are saying is common with fighting dogs so the chances are high. Dogs like these are best left to people with heavy hands so to speak.


• i doubt she was trained to fight,females generally arent.however,with her scars and fear of other dogs,she4 may very well have been used as BAIT to train fighting dogs.


• it depends on the breed and she is being protective of her young but if the pups are born and she is trying to hurt them take them away


• heres what i can tell you dogs who are trained to fight are afraid of humans for the simple fact that they are beaten ......if your dog goes after dogs and attacks it may have been trained to fight..if it is a pit bull u probly have a fighter because this is like the f-16 of dogg fighting they are able to lock their jaws in place which makes them the fighter of choice for most...


• Scars & torn ears are not automatically signs that a dog was "trained for dog fights". It likely means she was definitely neglected, possibly roamed loose a lot & got into fights with other dogs on her own. Another cause of beaten-up looking ears, is a dog being kept outside & the ears being chewed bloody by flies. No doubt you've given her a much better life by taking her in. :)
  
  The aggressive behavior you're seeing is most likely falls under the category of "redirected" or "displaced" aggression. By grabbing her collar and physically pulling her away from another dog, you are actually making her defensive and insecure. If she roamed loose, she is likely quite used to dealing with dogs on her "own terms", using her own body language to convey her intentions. She may very well be a dominant dog who is used to "bossing" other dogs around. Yet, when you grab her collar and pull her away, you are inadvertently CHANGING her body language- changing what she's "saying" to the other dog. This causes insecurity, and perhaps makes her feel threatened by the other dog. So, she compensates with an over-reaction of aggression.
  
  Body language is very important in dog communication. Eye contact, posture, the position of the ears and head- they all convey a very specific meaning to other dogs. And some of it is incredibly subtle, especially to someone who is not familiar with dogs.
  
  Your dog would definitely benefit from some basic Obedience training. Teaching a command like "Watch me", to get her to focus her attention on you, will eliminate the need for so much "physical" pushing and pulling with the collar. When you give a verbal command, the dog is consciously making the choice to divert her attention from another dog, to you. She changes her focus & body language on her own.
  
  Here is one website with tips on teaching a "focus" command; if you Google it, there are plenty more:
  http://ezinearticles.com/?Teaching-the-D…
  
  If you can enroll in group Obedience classes, even better- she can learn to focus & follow you even in the presence of other dogs. And you'll have the guidance of a trainer. If classes are unavailable, teach her commands at home & practice in public settings around other people & animals.
  
  Good luck :)


• the first thing you did wrong was allow her to get pregnant.
  she can pass her animal aggressive behaviors on to her young.
  i think what you need to do is talk to an animal behaviorist.
  they'll be able to pinpoint what makes your dog aggressive, and why, and how to deal with it/correct it.


• This answer may not be to everyone's satisfaction. I could tell you myself but the answer would be too long. What I'm going to tell you is to check out "The Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan on the National Geographic channel. You can also visit his website at www.cesarmillan.com. He deals with dogs like yours all the time.
  Good luck!
  P.S. Female dogs(Pitbulls) are used for fighting & your female will not pass her agression on to her pups.The behaviour of a dog is all about how we raise them. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners.


• It sounds like your dog was either trained for fighting OR she grew up on the streets. Trained for fighting would account for her barking and aggressiveness when you pull back on her collar around other dogs. That is what the dog fighters have to do, so that the dogs won't immediately tear each other to shreds upon sight of each other.
  Ho9wever, she could also be doing this because she grew up on the streets. Since you were perhaps the first person to actually care for her, she feels that she must in turn protect.
  The next time that you are with her in this type of situation, maintain a calm and assertive attitude. If she begins to show aggression, immediately correct it so she doesn't progress to a higher level of aggression.
  And about pit bulls and locking jaws, not meaning to "beat a dead horse" so to speak, but it is not that they lock their jaws. It is not possible for them to do that. The reason they can hold their jaws and seemingly "lock" them, is that they do not have to let go to breathe. They are able to breathe through their noses, even when extremely agitated. They're not locking them, so much as they are simply not removing their mouth from whatever they have to breathe.


• If she is a Pitt Bull or of the larger bully breeds, it is very possible that she as trained or attempted to be trained for fighting. However, it sounds more like she was abused and by a man. The pulling of the collar that triggers her anger is definitely a sign.
  
  Knowing the things that you have done that triggered her aggression, is a good way of changing her. She is reacting that way out of fear. She needs to be able to trust you fully and for a dog that has been severely abused, that takes time. Just like with people.
  
  Also, getting a trainer will help with her along with socializing her with other pets. Abused or neglected animals have to fight to defend what food they may have or may have found. Like you said, you have no idea about her past. You have to be very patient with her. Plus she's pregnant. Us woman become very hormonal and temperamental with pregnancy. Female dogs are no different.
  
  Once you gain her trust, you'll see a wonderful companion before you. As for the other pets, a socializing trainer is the best thing you can do for your other animals, yourself, and most importantly, for her.
  
  Good luck. You have done a wonderful thing.


• Ears missing pieces, hairless scars, broken leg ? I would say that your dog was defiantly used in fighting...they train the dogs to attack and fight by using small breed dogs as bait. You should look up on line and get the names of the groups that re-habbed Michael Vick's fighting dogs, I would also confine the dog away from others until you can learn how to train her.