some times i wonder why i bother

Morning Joyce

I well remember when we first collected Kee, she got out of a car and started barking because everything in the world was new,.. the guy quickly gave the lead to me before he lost her.

For a few moments I also tried to calm her, she was throwing herself around, rearing up, and barking for Scotland,,.. so I walked, just pulled her and walked,.. it shut he up, it gave her something to do.

No,.. Coda wouldnt have learnt anything at the class, standing there barking at all the others,.. but walking I think is different, I have always thought that if you can get an uncertain dog moveing it is a good way to settler them down

I have never walked ours on a walk like whats on offer to Naomi, so I may well be wrong, but unless all the others are barking I dont think she would collect more bad habits,..it would certainly socialise Coda, and that in itself would help her

Stuart

[DelsMum]

Hi Naomi,

I've had Jerry lee nearly a year and he is still a work in progress wrt other dogs. Some he is great with and others he isn't...........yet. Don't panic hun you will start getting somewhere. The thing I found most beneficial to Jerry lee was/is to walk him with 'bombproof' dogs so he gets the socialisation but doesn't pick up bad habits and feed off the other dogs nerves/aggression. One of his 'things' is bullying nervous dogs so if I walk him with dogs that look at him like Del does as if to say 'god you are embarrassing' and ignore him he calms down very quickly and within 10-15 mins is off lead, de-muzzled and being very good. Do you have any friends with chilled dogs you can walk with?

[joyce]

Stuart it is the words "other problem dogs" I have the problem with..not just the barking factor what other problems do they have.. Coda needs to be amongst

Faye has said it....Bombproof

Hang in there Naomi..... We have all been there one time or another

pity i dont live near you,hugo would be perfect,even if she flew at him hed just amble on

[naomi]

Thank you everyone was having one of those moments yesterday Coda is so good on all her comands knows them all and will do them untill there is another dog, its not an agressive thing with her she just so wants to go and play with the other dog as soon as she gets to other dog she just sniffs them. i have tried to make her sit or down but she does not listen to a word i say when there is another dog. the infection was from her stitches so nothing another dog could pick up, it is fine now. i know it is my fault i am very stressed at mo we have a lot of rehersals for panto so very tired, and when i have the kids with me as well i worry about them as well as coda so it just doubles. It has just been going on since she was 4 mnths and now she is 8 mnths just dont know what to do next Naomi

[kita]

Originally Posted by naomi

i have tried to make her sit or down but she does not listen to a word i say when there is another dog.

She will not listen because she has already seen the other dog and committed herself to the behaviour BEFORE you got the command in. You need to give the command and show her the distraction before she even sees the other dog. It is all about timing.

You need to avoid her constantly repeating the behaviour. Every time she does she is reinforcing the barking etc.

Take her out on your own if possible (so you are not worked up with the kids etc.) and when you spot a potential problem (eg a dog approaching) give her the command 'leave' and get her attention on you with a treat or toy. Don't let her 'lock on' to the other dog - once she has you are wasting your time.

Try to keep at a distance where she will keep her attention on you and gradually reduce the distance where she will react to other dogs. It may take a bit of time. I would take her to a place where lots of people walk their dogs (always under their control though - you don't want a dog running over to her whilst you are trying to train her).

I would not take her on a walk with 'problem dogs' or for that matter any walk with loads of dogs (especially if they are running free) as you will just be reinforcing her behaviour - she will only want to run and play even more!!!

Imagine if she was a hyper child and you took her to an adventure playground full of other kids what do you think she would do? Do you think the child would want to sit quietly with you and read a book? I don't think so!!

In time she will calm down naturally, but you can help her by doing sensible training with her now.

Just a tip - always do training when you have the time to spend on her, when you are calm and relaxed. If you have a bad training session always end on an easy exercise (like sit) and end on a good note. Don't try and train her when you are dealing with the kids and are stressed out - she will pick up on it and run rings round you and you will end up getting really annoyed with her.

Don't forget she is a teenager and you will always have good/bad days with her - just like any other teenager!!

This article may help you understand her better:

Calming Signals Community

Sue

[kita]

Just a thought - I would also want to know what 'problem' these dogs had? If they are aggressive and one of them went for your girl that could well cause even more/worse problems for you. Even if the dog was muzzled it would simply teach your girl to be aggressive - whereas at the moment she just wants to play.

The last thing she needs is a dog attacking her in an aggressive way, or for that matter showing her any bad habits. She is in a learning phase and needs to be shown positive behaviour not negative.

Sue

[don-don]

[QUOTE=naomi;112097]Thank you everyone was having one of those moments yesterday Coda is so good on all her comands knows them all and will do them untill there is another dog, its not an agressive thing with her she just so wants to go and play with the other dog as soon as she gets to other dog she just sniffs them. i have tried to make her sit or down but she does not listen to a word i say when there is another dog.[QUOTE=naomi;112097]

i have the exact same problem with Diesel...he loves other dogs but goes mental if he cant get to them, he has started to bark as well as lunge if say another dog is the otherside of the road walking past us. i also find it really hard to get him to focus on me..treats dont work outside the house either once he clocks another dog..
i like the methods Kita has suggested and will be having a go at them..

Originally Posted by kita

I would not take her on a walk with 'problem dogs' or for that matter any walk with loads of dogs (especially if they are running free) as you will just be reinforcing her behaviour - she will only want to run and play even more!!!

Imagine if she was a hyper child and you took her to an adventure playground full of other kids what do you think she would do? Do you think the child would want to sit quietly with you and read a book? I don't think so!!
Sue

After what Sue and Joyce have said, I am pleased to be corrected,... we learn something every day

Stuart

[kita]

Often treats are 'boring' compared to the prospect of playing with another dog.

Like I said if you took a child to an adventure playground (or the fairground) and offered the child a piggy back on your shoulders instead of going on a ride with their friends what do you think the child would go for?

You need to find a treat that is more desirable than what the dog is doing. This could be a 'special' treat (a piece of cooked liver) or a really special toy that you only use in this situation (a squeeky toy). That is what Police Dog Handlers do when they train the sniffer dogs. They get the dog totally centered on a particular tennis ball and the dog only gets THAT ball when he finds the object of the search.

This is a good article if you substitute the word 'chase' for what your dogs are doing (they probably would chase if they were off lead), halfway down it explains how to get them really focused on one toy:

How do I stop my dog chasing? – David Ryan CCAB

Sue