How do I get my male deaf dog to stop snapping at other dogs?

My little Jack Russell Terrier is deaf and very insecure. He's the sweetest dog at home and around other people but the minute another dog comes to say hello or sniff him he snaps. His tail is always tucked in while at the dog park and has now started to jump up and chase the other dog to bite and snap. How can I stop this behavior? How can I build his confidence?

The reason your dog is insecure is not just because he is deaf, but because he doesn't have proper leadership. You should never allow your dog to snap at other dogs. He has no leadership in his life. Show him that you are the alpha dog. Get a slip collar/nylon choker and correct him anytime he shows these aggressive and negative behaviors.

Get a water bottle and squirt him with it him for a minute after he does whenever he does it, then dont look at him for a minute after he does it. It can be difficult to traina deaf dog but not impossible, you have to use hand signals, treats, toys, affection, squirt bottles, and non-affection to show whats good and bad, look up how to train and teach deaf dogs and many websites will give you more help. Hope I helped!!!!

roll up a newspaper ant tap him on the nose when he snaps. dogs dont like the sound. my dogs a mastiff, and thats how i got her to stop. hope this helped:)

First off, I would stop taking him to the dog park for a while. You say yourself that he is insecure and you are putting him in a stressful situation where he does not feel safe. Insecure dogs, aggressive dogs, fearful dogs, stressed dogs, should not be brought to dog parks, that's how fights happen. You are not only stressing him out more, but you are endangering him because an insecure dog can be a target for a dominate/aggressive dog.I strongly suggest you find a trainer/behaviorist who has dealt with deaf dogs, and insecure dogs. Until then, I would only be introducing him to calm, well mannered dogs, so he doesn't have more bad experiences until he has more confidence. You need to be correcting him immediately when you see any signs of aggression. Don't wait until he has already tried to bite before correcting him. All dogs have a tell, they never just attack. Sometimes its a lip quiver, sometimes they just stand too still. When you see him switch from normal dog to scared/aggressive dog. maybe you can tap him (and i really do mean tap, not hit) or tug on your leash. You want to break his attention on the other dog and get it back to you. Praise and pet him as much as you can when he isn't being fearful/aggressive. but do not praise him if he is. If it were a kid, you want to reassure them when they are scared, but dogs aren't kids. You dog should look to you to see how you react to things, so he knows how he should feel. If you stay calm, he should too. Go slow with him, don't expect a change overnight, and please please please find a trainer who has dealt with both deaf and insecure dogs.Good luck!

Hi there, we rescue and train deaf dogs of all breeds. What your dog is displaying is fear aggression. You shouldn't correct your dog in a negative manner - it will only make him fear you and the correction, not correct the cause of the behavior. To baby him by petting him encourages the behavior. You need to train him with positive reinforcement. It's very hard to do this at a dog park, as the introduction of treats can start a doggy-mob. Train him when you take him for walks. The minute you see a dog approaching, put him in a sit-stay, and give him high value tiny treats to reward him for not going "off" at the other dog. Make sure his attention is on you, and focused on the treats. "Jackpot" him with treats. He will soon realize that when he sees another dog that he can look forward to tasty, positive things. (try hot dogs cut up into tiny pieces)Also, with deaf dogs, your actions, body language and facial expressions are a very effective mode of communication. Make sure that you are relaxed, and make it a "happy" time, when he sees another dog. You will soon be able to wean away from the treats when he has a positive association with the appearance of another dog. For more advice, consider joining this message board. You will find owners and trainers of deaf dogs from around the world. Everyone is very generous with advice, we share stories, etc. It's a fabulous resource for information on deaf dogs: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/deafdogs/Good luck!Lisa TiptonAngelDogs Foundationwww.angeldogsfoundation.org