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This is highly embarrasing! Our 20 pound poodle/schauzer mix that looks like a teddy bear started going crazy on the leash (growling, lunging, barking, and hopping) when we pass another dog. This dog has been highly socialized to other dogs and has been in agility, goes to a boarding facility where he plays with other dogs. When meeting a dog face to face, he is the submissive one and is never the pack leader. In our home, we are in charge and not him. He's 1 1/2 years old and only started doing this six months ago. This is what I've tried
1. Putting him on a gentle leader leash (he doesn't pull on walks anyway) and as we are passing a dog, look ahead with confidence and no tension towards the leash and ignore the situation: he still does it, but not as bad, but still enough to do something about it.
2. Telling him "leave it" and dangle a treat overhead as we are passing the other dog and giving him a treat if he "leaves it" : this doesn't work at all. He is too distracted by the other dog and does his whole lunge and growl.
He's giving off the wrong vibe, because if he met that dog, he would be belly up in a heartbeat. He's going to get himself in trouble one day I fear. It almost seems like an instinct (protective maybe), like he can't help the reaction he's having since he would never fight another dog. What do you think. It's really embarrasing, other dog owners are giving me bad looks.
Do you lead him on the walk or does he lead you? I noticed a huge difference in Harper and how he reacts to things around him when I started leading him. He has a similar problem when other dogs go by, even other people to some extent. It is mostly wanting to play or interact with them though.
Another thing I do is if I see a dog or people coming I position it so that I will be between Harper and the potential distraction. If he does lock on to them (you can see it long before the dog actually goes off) then I can nudge him or turn him away (by making am U turn away from the distraction) and sit him facing away. It seems easier to enforce a leave it or on me when he is already turned. EDIT This one comes down to the first question of who leads who though. This really won't work if the dog has free reign and walks in front of you. I've been teaching Harper to walk beside me for just this reason. Sure I let hm roam when he deserves it but it is a treat and not a requirement. I can bring him back beside me with a word and a correction on the leash (if needed).
The big one with me though is catching it early. Once the dog has lit off and is bouncing around settling them becomes a real challenge. Correcting them when they are just curious on the other hand is much easier.
The 'leave it' will work, but you're not doing it correctly.
You need to first find your dog's threshold for attending to you, meaning that you have to find out how near the other dog can get to your dog before he's going to ignore you and attend to the other dog. When you figure out the threshold you must work OUTSIDE that threshold until the 'look at me!' and 'leave it' are down COLD.
I believe I responded to a similar question in another thread...because the process is somewhat lengthy to describe. Remember you have to use the BEST possible treats: chicken, cheese or steak, because crappy cookies from the store are NOT going to be enough to keep your dog's attention.
If your dog starts acting up say 'uh-uh' and turn and go the other way. after a few steps that way then turn around and head back. Repeat step one. You need to keep repeating this until he understands that he isn't going to move that way towards another dog until he keeps himself in check. Good news is he is still very young and very teachable.
If your dog starts acting up say 'uh-uh' and turn and go the other way. after a few steps that way then turn around and head back. Repeat step one. You need to keep repeating this until he understands that he isn't going to move that way towards another dog until he keeps himself in check. Good news is he is still very young and very teachable.
This is where 'leave it' is very helpful. See the post to which I referred on how to teach 'leave it' so that your dog understands that if he leaves the object of his desire, he gets something BETTER!
Also, when you turn away (which should occur JUST before his threshold (in the beginning) AFTER he notices the dog but BEFORE he goes nuts!), say 'oops!' It's the one 'corrective' cue that, no matter how you say it, always sounds happy. Saying 'no!' or 'uh uh' sometimes gets loud and carries a very negative tone. You want this turning away to be a GOOD experience for him, so he gets a treat for turning with you. A really, really good treat: chicken, cheese or steak.
With clicker training it's very easy to mark the behavior you want and reward it and I strongly recommend taking a look at ClickerSolutions Home to learn about clicker training. That way you can watch him, see exactly when he notices the dog, click, then turn and treat. He needs to 1) associate other dogs with getting good treats and 2) gradually learn that you will keep him out of harm's way with other dogs.
As he gets more reliable with this you can SLOWLY move beyond his original threshold, but ALWAYS continue to turn away, PRAISING HIM PROFUSELY and treating him generously for the behavior you want.
our coonhound is the same, especially other male dogs, I geuss he thinks he has to prove hes the dominant one.
We use leave it & uh-uh with a gentle leader & continue to keep him distracted by talking to him non stop until the other dog passes
Ive found this booklet by Patricia McConnell to be incredibly helpful. She clearly details each step of effectively changing the dogs behavior. It takes some practice, doesn't happen over night but it does work.
This is where 'leave it' is very helpful. See the post to which I referred on how to teach 'leave it' so that your dog understands that if he leaves the object of his desire, he gets something BETTER!
Also, when you turn away (which should occur JUST before his threshold (in the beginning) AFTER he notices the dog but BEFORE he goes nuts!), say 'oops!' It's the one 'corrective' cue that, no matter how you say it, always sounds happy. Saying 'no!' or 'uh uh' sometimes gets loud and carries a very negative tone. You want this turning away to be a GOOD experience for him, so he gets a treat for turning with you. A really, really good treat: chicken, cheese or steak.
With clicker training it's very easy to mark the behavior you want and reward it and I strongly recommend taking a look at ClickerSolutions Home to learn about clicker training. That way you can watch him, see exactly when he notices the dog, click, then turn and treat. He needs to 1) associate other dogs with getting good treats and 2) gradually learn that you will keep him out of harm's way with other dogs.
As he gets more reliable with this you can SLOWLY move beyond his original threshold, but ALWAYS continue to turn away, PRAISING HIM PROFUSELY and treating him generously for the behavior you want.
You have YOUR opinion and apparently YOU think nobody else deserves to have one. I DO train dogs and not all (especially terriers) respond to nothing but positive. Occasionally in the REAL world, people, dogs, tigers, etc, NEED to know what they are doing is UNACCEPTABLE, and -gasp- they actually have been fine for millions of years getting corrections from their parents and others in their packs. That doesn't mean I beat them, but sometimes they have to get the point and saying 'uh-uh' quickly isn't destroying that dog's psyche. I LIVE in the real world. For example, Guide dog services use nothing but positive training and with good success. But 70% of the dogs they try to train are too exuberant and hard-headed to continue in the program and they have to leave the program. PLEASE be very careful about how much YOU tell people that they aren't allowed to have their own opinion or that their opinion is wrong. That's just plain rude, especially the way you do it.
One of my grooming dogs that I trained has a very 'positive' owner that is nothing but that, positive. With a boxer/greatdane mix starting to feel his oats at 1yr old, he was getting aggressive and wild. I trained him a lot with a mix of positive but also leader of the pack training. He was getting too big for his britches, and as she was only positive, she could do nothing with him. NO amount of treats and pleading and time would let anyone trim his nails, touch his feet, put him in his crate, make him lie down or sit. Until me. And we worked and worked with a lot of success Then I had back surgery and recovery and that meant others were working with him to do his bath/nails. Her words after 6 months "we need you back. Apparently YOU are the only one allowed to touch his paws." Not even the vet and their staff could do it and he acted like a huge idiot in there (and I worked for years at a vet). She brought him for his bath/nails and he was an angel. He just stood there. Of course he got a lot of praise, but he understood that I wouldn't put up with idiocy and he was VERY PROUD of himself when we were done.
Sometimes, SOMETIMES, it takes more than just positive training. Especially with aggressive/bullheaded dogs. I have worked with tons of aggressive animals or anxious or just plain fractious animals. And while I'm 100% mean, I never hit, never do anything harmful.....I don't take crap either. There ARE bully animals that like to direct the show. I have a very happy client with the boxer mix now and he LOOOOOOVES coming to see me (how crazy is that). He listens very well to verbal gentle warnings, waits drippingly for his treats, and now actually ADORES the blowdryer...all because I don't tolerate acting like a fool and he finally realized the dryer is a big massage. I groom all of my dogs without restraints and many were dogs that had a lot of issues and now they are great. You have to admit, sometimes the positive has to come after they understand that what they were doing isn't allowed and when they do it right....they get LOTS of praise and kisses.
Point is...many, many methods to training. There is no perfect one. All dogs are individuals and need their own tailor-made training. You just think that ONLY YOU have all of the answers and that just doesn't work in life. Saying 'uh-uh' and turning to walk the other way is NOT going to make that dog go slit his wrists. So you turn the other way for a short walk then turn and head back for another encounter to see if he learned. If he does it again "uh-uh' and turn away again and repeat. When he does it right YES praise him profusely. It IS okay for a dog to learn that what behavior he is doing is inappropriate.
Last edited by Viralmd; 07-23-2009 at 05:36 AM..
Reason: Personal attack.
Thanks everyone! I finally got him under control. I used a combo of all your suggestions. When we approach another dog, I have him face me ( and opposite of the other dog) and tell him to look (look at me), sit and stay while dangling cheese for a treat. I also don't feed him right before the walk like I used to. It works like a charm. He stays and gets the treat as the other dog is passing and then we go about our way. I'm going to do this a couple of months to get him conditioned to the other dogs, and then I'm going to attempt passing another dog with a command "look", so that Bailey will look at me while we are passing the other dog and get the treat. Thanks everyone! This has saved me from major embarrasement.
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