OMG alpha + anxiety issues chasing cyclists and marathon issues

onkyd · #1 21-12-11, 11:17 AM

Right, im currently working on some issues lol

The first is, I dont think my lad sees a strong enough leader at home hence he feels he needs to take the leading role on a walk and at only 8 months, no wonder its causing anxiety issues.

So for the past few weeks ive been working to be a strong enough leader for him . I noticed i had this issue when my friend who is generally a very confident and strong leader amongst dogs grabbed my lad and instantly he was behaving and less anxious in public.

Also where i live we get a lot of cyclists and joggers, especially for the half marathon that goes past my house. Thing is, if kane sees someone running, especially if its bloody towards/behind or past him he WILL pull and go at them. very funny at times but its getting hard as hes very strong. 2-3 runners came running at my direction from nowhere and even with a Halti on he pulled and went at one (not necessarily to bite) but she pooped herself lol. With kane, (partly because he doesnt see a strong enough leader in me yet he gets anxious and i get anxious before he gets anxious lol) he will barely let somebody walk past never mind RUN.

any ideas to help me out?

will put a pic up, measured him yesterday, hes around 26.5-27inch in height already at 8 months. darent even check his weight.

LOVEGSD · #2 21-12-11, 11:20 AM

Oh dear not good for all those joggers

I think you need to distract and re-direct Kane's focus when you see people running, does he respond to food or a toy? Does he know the 'leave' and 'watch me' command?

If it were my lad I would be telling him to leave and asking for Deez to 'watch me' until the joggers went past and then rewarding for him ignoring them. You would have to be consistent with this so he then learns that when he sees a jogger he's to look at you.

LindaM · #3 21-12-11, 12:20 PM

Hi - I'm a first time GSD owner and you are right they need leadership but instead of thinking 'strong' think, CONFIDENT, CALM, KNOWLEDGABLE, CARING, KIND, PROTECTIVE TOWARDS HIM (not the other way round) INSTRUCTIVE.

I needed help and have had it. Don't over fuss him. Do short training sessions with him that are fun.

If you start to play a game or a training session you end it WHEN YOU WANT TO.

Don't fuss him everytime he comes for a fuss, sometimes move him very, very gently to one side (you're busy right!! doing something else). Other times call him for a gentle fuss when you want him to.

Lots of things like this can turn you into a 'good leader' that he will start to have confidence in and so will you and when that happens you will feel good. Actually you will feel GREAT and so will he

Lots of luck, and keep posting.
Linda

DelsMum · #4 21-12-11, 08:07 PM

If it were me I would be practising leave its and down stays

onkyd · #5 21-12-11, 08:55 PM

he knows exactly what leave it means and is grasping 'watch'. but in public he doesnt want to know. i usually try distract him with a clicker but ill prob start bringing out his favourite tug.

regard to leadership, thats the stuff ive been doing, ignoring him when he wants petting atm but i go back on my terms. i can get him to sit at each crossing as i dont want him running into the road and he now 80% time sits by himself when he stop at the edge of the pavement. But trying to get him to sit so the jogger/cyclist runs past? i cannot image this at all! lol

nisbreagha · #6 21-12-11, 09:03 PM

If your clicker training this great but follow it through with a treat, could you get some family/friends to pretend ti be runners and you practise putting him into a down and using the stay or leave command and click treat if he does as he is told, if he lunges a correction on the lead with a NO command, and just keep that up click treat if he does as told correction with a NO command if he does not he'll soon realise that it's far more appealing to do as he is told and get a treat.

DelsMum · #7 21-12-11, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onkyd

he knows exactly what leave it means and is grasping 'watch'. but in public he doesnt want to know. i usually try distract him with a clicker but ill prob start bringing out his favourite tug.

regard to leadership, thats the stuff ive been doing, ignoring him when he wants petting atm but i go back on my terms. i can get him to sit at each crossing as i dont want him running into the road and he now 80% time sits by himself when he stop at the edge of the pavement. But trying to get him to sit so the jogger/cyclist runs past? i cannot image this at all! lol

If he knows what it means but wont do it because he is outside and the joggers etc are more interesting then perhaps the reward you are offering isn't high value enough.

LindaM · #8 22-12-11, 07:02 AM

I thought I would tell you a little story about me and Lukey boys.

I used to get him to lie down in a place and stay for 5/10 mins and would you believe the little ******was moving the position every so slightly every day so he wasn't going down where I wanted but 'where he wanted'. Mmmm had to sort that one. Then when I put him 'where I wanted' he had a little mumble (doesn't growl) so it just goes to show he was doing what he wanted and when I cottoned on he didn't like it

You need eyes in the back of your head with em

It sounds like you are working hard with him

Shrap · #9 22-12-11, 02:41 PM

First off, forget the word alpha. Dogs don't think like that! They think terms of instinct and they learn what works for them. If he's ignoring you when out then the treat isn't high value enough, but equally you can't expect to do a down stay in the house when all he has to focus on is the treat, and expect it to be transferrable to outside when something fast is going past him!

He's not trying to be a leader, he's looking to you for direction but if you're anxious then he will think there's something to be anxious about. It would help if you did some extra training with him, a toy that you only use for special training that he doesn't get any other time. Make it REALLY fun. Practice your sit/down stays with that. Practice them outside with nothin going on. Practice them with someone he knows jogging by, so he can see them coming. The practice from different directions. Practice practice practice! He needs to know exactly what he's supposed to be doing in situations.
Introduce a half check collar if you need to since the chasing is self rewarding. A calm, not angry, correction if he attempts to move.