Mexican Street Dog Adoption and Training

The Joys and Challenges of Adopting a Street Dog From Mexico

"I'm in Mexico, and I adopted a dog from the street almost 3 months ago. I'm not sure of his breed, but he's probably between 2 and 4 years old.

I've got him doing the same daily routine for walks, going to the bathroom, and eating, so after these 3 months, he's been good and is potty trained.

He's really aggressive, though, and protective. When I'm giving other dogs food on the street, he goes and tries to take it from them. My neighbour told me that he had recently killed a cat.

The first week I had him, he attacked other dogs, but now, after three months, he's more friendly with them and doesn't attack them.

He has too much energy and doesn't listen. I've tried for hours to teach him to sit, but I can't figure it out. My question is, how can I train him to be less aggressive and teach him commands like sit or wait?"—Panayotis

Congrats on Adopting a Mexican Street Dog!

Hello Panayotis,

Thank you for adopting a Mexican street dog and providing this handsome fellow with a home! It sounds like you've already started to make some significant improvements to his life, considering that he came from the streets.

As you can imagine, a dog who has lived on the streets for several years came to depend on survival instincts. These dogs often need to compete for food and resources. It is also possible for street dogs to have not had many positive interactions with other animals or people.

It is great that you have started providing him with a consistent routine. Dogs thrive on routines as they help them feel safe and secure as they understand what is expected of them.

Training street dogs may require some patience and sometimes some creative approaches, considering that they may be fearful or too hyper, which may prevent them from entering a “thinking state.”

Thinking “outside of the box” may be necessary to address the unique challenges due to these dogs' backgrounds and previous experiences.

Let’s take a closer look at how we can better manage this former street dog’s aggression and help pave the path for better learning.

What Is a Mexican Street Dog?

In Mexico, it’s not uncommon to stumble upon village dogs that are typically free to roam and search for food around human dwellings. Some of them may hunt down small critters, while others beg food from tourists.

It is estimated that over 60 percent of households in rural areas of Mexico have dogs, and these village dogs are referred to as “callejeros” (street dogs).

There are an estimated 10 million callejeros in Mexican cities and villages, which account for about 62 percent of the Mexican dog population, according to the Mexican Secretary of Health (SSA). These dogs are believed to have coexisted with humans for thousands of years.

Sadly, several of these village dogs are malnourished, sick and skinny, and are captured and taken to the antirrábicos (dog pound), where they are killed. This doesn’t really do much in terms of reducing the population as, for every dog killed, another dog typically comes in to replace and take over that dog's territory.

Lately, several international animal welfare organizations have started to raise funds to help these dogs by performing birth control methods through mass spays and neuters.

What Breed of Dogs Are Mexican Street Dogs?

According to a study, a type of dog that was commonly found in many cities in Southern Mexico is the Malix (or mongrel). These dogs, which are often referred to as “village dogs," are ”indigenous to a particular area and do not show typical traits of any recognized breed.

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Veterinarian Dr. Felix Rodriguez of the Clínica Veterinarea San Francisco de Asís in Tijuana, Mexico, in the book The Rescue By T. Jefferson Parker, in regards to the ancestry of the street dogs of Mexico, humorously remarks, “We like to say they are not a pool of genes, but an ocean of genes!"

Mexican street dogs are indeed the melting pots of various breeds, showcasing a rich genetic diversity. They often carry the genes of Terriers, Retrievers, Collies, Boxers, and German Shepherds, as well as Spaniels, Huskies, Dobermans, Lacy dogs, Vizslas, Basenjis, and "Pit bulls". Greyhounds are also common, as they are raced in the region and were later on sold as pets.

Additionally, small and toy breeds like Xolos, Chihuahuas, Papillons, Miniature Dachshunds, and Poodles are especially popular in Mexico. Intriguingly, even the genes of the legendary Korean hunting dog, the Jindo, have also been found among the dogs here!

Are Street Dogs “Aggressive”?

Labeling street dogs, or any type of dog, as aggressive can be an oversimplification and may not accurately reflect the underlying reasons for their behavior, which may be a combination of genetics, learned experiences, and environmental pressures.

Here's a deep dive into the behaviors of street dogs and why they may behave in certain ways.

Resource Guarding

Street dogs, or free-ranging dogs, have adapted to living in environments where resources such as food and shelter may be scarce and limited. There is also a level of uncertainty tied up to resources such as food since they may never know when or where they will find their next meal. This causes them to exhibit behaviors that are strategic for survival purposes.

Resource guarding may involve protecting food, sleeping/feeding areas and even mates in the case of intact dogs.

When dogs resource guard, they may bark, growl, snarl and even bite when another person or animal approaches them in the presence of a resource. Because these threatening behaviors “work” in keeping others away, the guarding behavior is reinforced.

While this may look like “aggressive behavior,” we must consider that it functions as an adaptive strategy to secure food or other resources. Ultimately, this behavior is motivated by a fear of losing access to valued resources.

Territorial Behavior

Street dogs often live in a social group (with which they may form long-term affiliative bonds), and have their own established territories in a particular area or street.

Street dogs (and dogs in general) may become protective of certain areas where they feel safe or associate with an abundance of resources.

Dogs may bark, snarl, growl and bite when an intruder, whether human, dog or other animal, approaches their perceived ”territory.”

Sexual Aggression

Intact female dogs tend to go into heat (estrus) twice a year. When in heat, powerful pheromones, which are detected by the dog's vomeronasal organ, attract intact male dogs which may be easily provoked and engage in aggressive responses when there are competing intact male dogs nearby or when the public disturbs them during mating.

Maternal Aggression

This form of aggression is observed in intact female dogs shortly after giving birth. During this time, puppies are very vulnerable and mother dogs may manifest maternal aggression when humans or other dogs happen to get too close for comfort.

Strong Predatory Drive

According to research by Ruiz Izaguirre et al. 2018, among the street dogs of Mexico, it’s not unusual to stumble on specimens who will hunt down iguanas, cuichis (small squirrels) and the eggs of sea turtles.

Last summer, when I visited a remote island off the coast of Sicily, I studied the local village dogs and occasionally stumbled upon some of them hunting lizards and eating cicadas or crickets like a delectable crunchy snack!

Fear-Based Behaviors

Street dogs may sometimes endure some negative experiences when around humans or other dogs, especially if they have not been socialized well. This may elicit feelings of fear which may evoke distance-increasing behaviors that may look like inherent aggression, but are fear-based responses.

Street dogs may be very cautious or may struggle with being restrained or touched. They may react defensively when they sense dangers, such as when people pick up sticks or stones. In general, street dogs may be shy and nervous when interacting with people.

High Energy

Mexican street dogs may have a lot of high energy due to the fact they spend a lot of time roaming around the streets and beaches of Mexico. High energy levels may be more pronounced among puppies and young dogs.

Let's Not Forget About Behavior Variability

Of course, not all street dogs will behave the same way or manifest “aggressive” behaviors. Like snowflakes, no two dogs on the face of this earth are created equally, and this applies as well to street dogs, which often boast a rich genetic heritage.

How to Make a Street Dog Less “Aggressive”?

There are several steps that can be taken to reduce “aggression” in street dogs and help them adjust to their new environment. More than aggressive displays, as mentioned, what is likely being observed are often adaptations tied up to the challenges of living on the streets.

Provide a Stable Environment

Keep providing your dog with a consistent routine. Set scheduled times for walks, training and naps and feed him at the same time each day.

By providing your dog his meal at regular times, your dog may come to understand that food will always be available, reducing anxiety about potential scarcity.

Identify Triggers

Getting to know your dog’s exact triggers can help you predict what contexts or situations may evoke “aggressive” responses.

It sounds like you have already identified one main trigger: feeding other dogs in the streets in the presence of your dog. Indeed, you mentioned that when you go feed these other dogs, your dog “goes and tries to take it from them.”

We must consider in this case, that sending other dogs away when in presence of food can be highly reinforcing behavior because “it works.” Many dogs will readily move away or leave the area when a dog manifests a desire to maintain priority access towards such food items.

Attempting to steal food from other dogs is reinforcing, too, if the dog is able to gain access to such foods.

I am glad to hear that now, only after 3 months that this street dog has been in your care, he’s more friendly with other dogs and is not attacking them, but it’s good to always practice caution.

It also seems that this street dog has recently killed a cat. The reasons for such killing may range from natural predatory instincts triggered by the sight, sound or movement of cats, to lack of socialization, resource guarding/territoriality and survival instincts.

As discussed earlier, it is not unusual for street dogs to hunt down small critters. This has been observed as well in free ranging dogs who will hunt down or scavenge whatever prey is most accessible, and this can include small animals such as cats, wildlife, or vulnerable livestock.

As with practicing food-guarding behaviors, chasing and killing cats is a highly reinforcing behavior that needs to be properly managed.

Avoid Rehearsals of Problematic Behaviors

Now that you own this street dog, this lucky fellow may feel like he won the lottery considering the fact that he gets to reliably eat tasty foods. On top of this, after living in scarcity, a street dog may form a strong attachment to their resources once they are plentiful.

These factors can make him more prone to guard resources against other dogs as he may fear that these newfound resources might be taken away or lost again.

Considering the reinforcing nature of food guarding behaviors, it’s therefore important to take steps so as to not allow your dog to regularly practice them.

Similarly, we want to take steps to prevent this street dog from killing cats. All of this can be accomplished by implementing some management techniques.

Implement Management Techniques

Environmental management entails taking steps to prevent the dog from practicing the problem behavior. In a case like yours, management may entail:

• Not feeding other dogs in the presence of your dog.
• Avoiding the practice of free-feeding.
• Keeping your dog confined when you need to feed other dogs.
• Having a helper walk your dog when you need to feed the other dogs.
• Having a helper feed the other dogs when you take your dog on a walk.
• Not letting your dog roam freely in areas where there are cats, kittens or other types of prey animals/pets.

While adequate feeding may lower a dog’s drive to hunt, if hunger is a driving factor, it's important to consider that satiated dogs may still engage in hunting behaviors since they aren't solely hunting based on their need for food. It's not at all unusual for well-fed domestic dogs to kill cats.

The Benefits of Management

By implementing management, you will be reaching several positive goals, such as:

• Preventing your dog’s behaviors from being rehearsed over and over. When rehearsed over and over, neural pathways in the dog’s brain are strengthened, making the behaviors ingrained with every repetition.
• Preventing your dog’s behaviors from turning into ingrained habits that are challenging to break.
• Preventing your dog’s behaviors from being reinforced by outcomes that the dog finds rewarding.
• Preventing your dog from feeling stressed. Dogs who resource guard are often hypervigilant dogs who are feeling anxious and threatened about losing access to their resources.
• Preventing your dog from potentially injuring or being injured by risky encounters with other dogs/cats.

Consider Changing the Emotional Response

If you want to get to the root of the problem, you may find it helpful working alongside a dog behavior professional using force-free dog training and behavior modification methods.

When attempting to reduce the instances of food guarding in dogs, there are two main options: using management as a long-term solution or working on the issue, but this latter requires safety measures to be in place and the application of behavior modification methods often involving desensitization, counterconditioning and operant conditioning (training).

The goal is to change the dog’s emotional response from dreading dogs coming near the food bowl to looking forward to it because it means great things happen when another dog approaches.

If your dog is the one approaching other dogs eating, you can use management as a long-term solution or, with the help of a dog trainer, work on training a steady fast response to the "leave it" cue.

A dog behavior professional can guide you through the process by implementing a behavior modification plan that is customized for your particular dog and situation.

Similarly, a dog can be taught to not chase cats or other critters when we are present in a controlled setting such as when we're walking a dog with high prey drive on leash, but it’s imperative to train a steady fast response to verbal cues. Even here, the leave it cue can come extra handy.

I would not trust a dog to be around cats when left unsupervised, especially one with a history of killing cats.

How to Manage a Street Dog's High Energy Levels?

If your street dog has high energy levels, this can lead to problems such as problems focusing during training or increased reactivity. Here are some general tips for tackling high energy levels.

Exercise

Make sure your dog is taken on daily walks, and provide opportunities to channel energy levels by playing games such as fetch and tug-of-war.

A flirt pole can be used productively for dogs with high predatory drives. I like to use a flirt pole to teach the “leave it,” “take” and “drop it” cues. Incorporating these cues can be a good impulse control exercise as the dog learns to patiently wait for the cue to chase or release the toy.

Because the flirt pole mimics the movements of prey, it also allows dogs to safely express their natural predatory instincts in a controlled setting.

Mental Stimulation

On top of exercise, high energy dogs benefit from mental stimulation. This can be provided under the form of food puzzles, scent games and general brain games that help challenge their mind.

Teach Relaxation

It's also important to teach a dog how to relax. When you catch your dog lying down and relaxing, make sure to praise him. Here are some extra tips: how to calm down a "hyper" dog.

A Lesson in Canine Brain Anatomy

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain associated with higher cognitive functions. The prefrontal cortex allows dogs to maintain focus, analyze situations involved in problem-solving and understand cause-and-effect relationships. Its activation is necessary for retaining information and learning.

When a dog is stressed or in a highly aroused state, its limbic system is involved. The limbic system interferes with a dog’s ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli and concentrate on important cues, such as a dog owner’s cues (commands). Its activation is necessary in situations of danger/high arousal, considering that it plays a role in helping an animal quickly respond to perceived threats.

How to Get a Dog in a Thinking State?

If your dog is mildly stressed or in a high arousal state when training, his limbic system is likely overriding the prefrontal cortex, leading to an inability to think clearly, and may struggle to process and respond to cues (commands).

It’s therefore important to take steps to bring the dog to baseline so that the dog is no longer over the threshold. Following are several strategies to help bring a dog to a better thinking state.

Find a Quiet Area

Pay close attention to your dog’s body language and watch his ears. Are they orienting towards distant sounds? If so, your dog may be too distracted. Train in a quiet area that is free of distractions. A calm location is more conducive to training since there are no distractions.

Reduce Stress

Is your dog looking in all directions and wanting to sniff everything? Is his face and body tense? If so, there is a chance your dog may be stressed or overstimulated.
Lowering a dog’s stress or arousal is important.

Nowadays, there are several calming aids, such as pheromones-based sprays and calming supplements. Your vet can provide specific product recommendations.

Positive Reinforcement

Use positive reinforcement training. Research has revealed that positive reinforcement is the best training method. It strengthens desired behaviors and helps increase the bond between dog and owner.

Short Training Sessions

You mentioned spending "hours" trying to train your dog to sit. It's best to schedule short and sweet training sessions. Do not put pressure on the dog or get frustrated; have fun with the process.

Ensure Needs Are Met

Make sure your dog has received enough exercise and mental stimulation. Oftentimes, when I notice a dog suddenly losing focus when training, I tell the owner to give the dog a break. The dog is often thirsty or has to go potty.

It's therefore a good idea to ensure that the dog has had an opportunity to go potty prior to the training session.

Timing the training prior to meal time instead can help increase motivation.

Exclude Medical Problems

Sometimes, dogs may act distracted when they are too hot or have some underlying medical issue. For instance, older dogs may have pain in their joints or dogs with anal gland issues may find it painful to sit.

If your dog seems to always struggle focusing when being trained, it may be a good idea to see the vet to exclude medical problems.

Using a Food Lure to Make a Dog Sit

How Can I Train My Street Dog to Sit?

A common method to train a dog to sit is through the use of a food lure. Keep the food lure between your thumb and index finger, allowing it to protrude a bit.

With the dog standing, make an upward motion that goes from your dog’s nose up towards the back of his head.

As the dog’s nose follows the treat, his rump should lower and make contact with the floor. When this happens, make sure to verbally mark the behavior (using a verbal marker like the word "yes!") and reward by feeding the treat.

Troubleshooting Problems

Backing up instead of sitting is a common issue encountered when training a dog to sit. In this case, you can try training your dog against a wall or corner so that he has no space to back up and will end up eventually sitting. Using some bulky furniture may also help prevent a dog from backing up.

It may take a little bit to persuade them, but some patience, along with the use of a tasty food lure, will likely help. In several cases, I have had success combining both sitting on the couch and using something bulky nearby to prevent backing up and set the stage for success.

Some dogs may also not feel too comfortable when we loom over them from a standing position. In these cases, it may help if we sit on the couch with the dog on the floor nearby.

Some tentative dogs may benefit from a training method known as shaping. In shaping, you reward very small approximations of the final behavior.

So, using your food lure, you would start with your dog just looking up at the treat at first, then moving his head upwards, then lowering his back legs a bit until you finally get the sit, at which point you’ll give a jackpot of treats (several treats fed in a row so as to leave an impact).

On the other hand, we may sometimes stumble upon dogs who do not like to have hands near their faces. In this case, you can try a training method known as capturing.

Try "Capturing"

In capturing, all you need to do is to be patient and wait for the behavior to occur spontaneously and then be ready to mark it and reward it.

So try sitting on the couch (with treats in your hand, ready to toss in your dog’s direction at a moment's notice) and watching your dog during the day.

If you ever notice your dog sitting spontaneously, immediately say "yes!" and toss a treat his way. With time, you should see an increase in the sitting behavior as your dog makes the connection of sit=treat.

Tip: Keeping your dog on leash while you are sitting on the couch may help prompt a sit as your dog may at some point get bored and a bit tired and may eventually sit.

How Can I Train My Street Dog to "Wait"?

If by "wait," you intend a stay, consider that this is a positional cue that involves having the dog assume a specific position and maintain it until released. Knowing how to sit and lie down is, therefore, a preliminary skill that should be taught before introducing the stay cue.

You can find a guide on how to train a dog to "stay" along with training a release cue in this guide: Tips for training a dog to stay.

If, instead, you are specifically looking for info on how to train your dog to wait to eat when you lower the food bowl, you would still need to train your dog to first sit and stay.

You would, therefore, ask your dog to sit and stay and attempt to put the food bowl down. Should your dog attempt to get up from the stay as you are lowering the food bowl before you release him, stop lowering it and hide the food behind your back.

Then, slowly try putting the food bowl back down, freezing it, and stopping to lower it if your dog still attempts to break the stay prematurely. When your dog finally holds the stay and the bowl is on the floor, say your release word (I like to use "go!) and move away. Your dog should get up and eat his meal.

If, instead, you are trying to train your dog to specifically "wait" when opening a door, here is a general guide featuring the "open sesame method:" How to prevent your dog from bolting out the door."

I hope this helps you! Your dog is very lucky to have you; thank you for rescuing!

Happy training!

References

• Ruiz Izaguirre, Eliza & Hebinck, Paul & Eilers, Karen. (2018). Village Dogs in Coastal Mexico: The Street as a Place to Belong. Society & Animals.
• Ruiz-Izaguirre, E., van Woersem, A., Eilers, K. C. H. A. M., van Wieren, S. E., Bosch, G., van der Zijpp, A. J., & de Boer, I. J. M. (2015). Roaming characteristics and feeding practices of village dogs scavenging sea-turtle nests. Animal Conservation
• Natchimuthu, Paviya Sri & Ramakrishnan, Yamuna. (2023). Review on -a better world for street dogs.
• Cortez-Aguirre, Gloria & Jimenez-Coello, Matilde & Gutierrez‐Blanco, Eduardo & Ortega, Antonio. (2018). Stray Dog Population in a City of Southern Mexico and Its Impact on the Contamination of Public Areas. Veterinary Medicine International. 2018
• Doherty T.S., Dickman C.R., Glen A.S., Newsome T.M., Nimmo D.G., Ritchie E.G., Vanak A.T., Wirsing A.J. The global impacts of domestic dogs on threatened vertebrates. Biol. Conserv. 2017
• Salgirli, Yasemin & Emre, Bahri & Kockaya, Mustafa. (2014). Integration ability of urban free-ranging dogs into adoptive families’ environment. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research
• Font, Enrique. (1987). Spacing and social organization: Urban stray dogs revisited. Applied Animal Behaviour Science

If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting), please consult with a dog behavior professional for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos, and general information provided online are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this service, you are waiving any liability claims or other types of claims related to any of your dogs' behaviors against you or others.

© 2024 Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA, Dip.CBST