We are in need of some advice about Ada.
She has always been a bit wacky and an anxious little thing, but it's gotten way worse lately and is turning into aggression. It's gotten to the point that having her out of the house is really stressful. She is really leash reactive and afraid of things like storm drains so she pulls and darts under cars, and she has become aggressive towards other dogs, and, aggressive towards some people. And I'm not just talking about barking her head off either, I'm talking growling, snarling, she almost got pepper sprayed by the postal worker last week aggressive (and the postal worker is a really nice lady!). She goes off on Darwin this way occasionally when they are playing and she gets too revved up.
We have tried a number of things - walking her without Darwin, walking her with Darwin, walking her off leash just inside the complex, not doing walks and instead just doing potty breaks and then inside play. Treats. Thundershirt. DAP spray. Anti-anxiety meds. Nothing seems to make her better, although we have learned that having our son Isaac along on the walks will make her infinitely worse.
We are really at a loss as to what to do here. She is steadily getting worse and gaining a bad reputation in the neighbourhood (people are crossing the street to avoid her) and I'm concerned that one day she's going to do her Cujo imitation on the wrong dog who will then rip her to shreds, or to a person who will complain to the city or pepper spray her.
And the weird thing is that at home, she is so sweet and gentle (except for said instances where she has tried to eviscerate Darwin).
