I took in an abused dog. Lately she has been charging & nipping walkers/bike riders How do I discipline her?

She has been charging and nipping at children. She is not charging and nipping at adults and she only does it when they scream. How do I discourage this behavior and discipline her without breaking the trust that we have worked very hard to develop. She has just started doing this recently and there has been some construction work going on across the street. I have noticed some kids around the neighborhood playing in the construction zones. She has had all her shots and she has never behaved this way before. She is normally a very sweet and loving dog and she is very timid around strangers. I am concerned about this sudden shift in her behavior. If anyone has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated.

I would not discipline physically an already scared dog. The behavior is probably fear-driven. Instead, I would work on attention and trust with her. When something that might potentially provoke this reaction is sighted, get her full attention on you (the 'Watch Me' command is a good one for this). When she pays attention to you rather than the distraction, click and treat and praise excessively. Done correctly, she should soon be turning her attention to you when a frightening person or object is near, rather than charging and nipping. If the behavior is severe and/or you think it does not have a basis in fear, consult a professional for help.

I would NOT jerk her back. I would consider taking her to someone that is specially trained with disciplining abused animals. Try the humane society, and if they can't find someone there to help you, they can recommend people.

This isn't really something you personally want to mess with, as she already has lasting affects. You don't want to make it worse.

Well , keep her on your property, never leave her loose, even if your with her. Also, when she does this *with a leash on* jerk her leash back and make her lay down. She will eventually stop if you do this. Also, correct her if she starts whining or getting anxious/excited.

I like what oregano had to say about teaching "watch-me." You can use it to keep her attention on you in all kinds of situations and especially to teach her to look at you for directions when she's faced with "scary stuff" like kids.

My dog used to try to chase cars on leash, and It worked really well for me to take treats on our walks and tell him to sit and watch me until the car passed. I would give him a treat as the car went by to try to associate the event with good thing as well as to reinforce the sitting behaviour.

You can also use the treats as a distraction if you have to. I know some trainers don't like the idea of bribing a dog, but for me, I think bribing the dog is a safer option than risking a bite.

I am wondering if you have adopted a dog with herding instincts as the problem is common in some breeds bred for working livestock.

Get professional help to extinguish the problem before it gets any more advanced. You need an animal behavior consultant not a trainer.

There are a few things you should absolutely do:
-Keep the animal under your control when out in public via a leash and a head control device (Halti, Gentle Leader).
-Address the issue with a verbal reprimand prior to any escalation. (BEFORE intense agitation.)
-Praise non-reaction to kids.

Most of my students are given a device that dispenses a water stream to assist interrupting bad behavior (covertly). This interrupts the behavior but also keeps it from being connected to the person reprimanding (important later so the dog behaves when you are not there to reprimand).

Again, with any type of aggression you should get professional help. I'd recommend you visit the following professional group to locate someone near you. There is also a referral page up on my website.

International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
http://www.iaabc.org/