poodlefan

Dogs are remarkable in their ability to live up or down to our expectations of them.

Here's an approach you can try: - put a well-fitted martingale or whippet collar on him (not a sloppy fit) - put his harness on him - clip the leash to the harness and walk for 10 minutes, find somewhere quiet and without too many distractions - clip the leash to the collar and work on loose leash walking for 2-5 minutes - go back to the harness and walk how you normally walk - repeat daily, building up the amount of time you do loose leash walking on the collar Make a rule for the rest of his life - if the leash is clipped to the collar, you are going to do consistent loose leash walking training. At all other times, use the harness instead. If the dog is too small for a Whippet collar, Blackdog make a smaller version for Italian Greyhounds.

No one said this would be easy. People are trying to tell you what is possible.

C&S, I think you'd benefit from considering the perspective that just because a dog isn't easily trained doesn't mean it's not trainable. Your first dog was a piece of cake - you were lucky. Now you've got a tougher cookie - but he's still a dog. He still will conform to the principles of operant conditioning. The fact that he's not easy to train doesn't mean that patience and persistence wouldn't work. What you've yet to find is the key to engaging and holding focus.. that could take time. If he's reward focussed then putting him on a variable reward schedule would be better than having the rewards come at completely predictable periods (eg. every 4-5 cues) that's bread and butter stuff for a trainer. Generally a food motivated dog can be trained quite easily provided the timing and the consistency is kept up. I have seen dogs with years of pulling on lead walking quietly and calmly within 15 minutes of meeting the right trainer. The fact that you and your current trainer haven't met with success doesn't mean it can't be done. Perhaps you just need a better trainer? The first thing you have to change to improve things is to stop blaming the dog and rethink what you're doing with him. That's what I'd recommend to anyone in your situation. You won't change the dog.. all you can try is different methods to illicit the behaviour you want. I would take that bet also Nekbet..

That's because he's developed confidence in those dogs when what he fears hasn't happened. But every new big dog is another unknown for him to deal with. Watch Darce with dogs he knows and you'd never know he had an issue. Introduce a new dog and we start again from scratch.

You'll never force him to like big dogs JJ.. all you can do is help him to tolerate them. No amount of effort will change a dog's fundamental character - all we can do is manage the aspects that cause us concern. As I've said in other threads about aggression, dogs aren't blank slates and it's not just 'bad' owners that have aggressive dogs. Chances are he inherited his lack of confidence.. but whatever the cause its how you proceed from here that will make the difference.

When dogs are as much the product of their environment as their breeding, I would resist any suggestion that dogs alone should shoulder the responsibility for attacking children. Few dogs attack without warning - the fact that people may not read them does not suggest that they don't indicate discomfort. Unless a dog is running the full length of the room to attack children, then attacks can be prevented. The responsiblity for prevention falls to people, not dogs. Yes, there are 'bad' dogs.. but there are also ignorant and careless owners and distracted parents. Blaming dogs for attacks happens now and focussing on breed instead of a dog's temperament, socialisation and training ignores the fact that so many dog bite incidents can be prevented by strategies other than removing dogs from our society.

Darcy and some big friends.. never give up JJ... improvement is very possible.

It goes without saying that you should not allow other dogs to investigate Jet while he's in his pet carrier. If you can't get him away from others, cover it completely.

I would crate him in a pet carrier. Cover it if necessary. A physical barrier between Jet and perceived threats may help. He's clearly smart enough to realise that a dog behind a barrier is not a threat to him. Booking the first or last appointment of the day might help to - the surgery should be quieter. I try to sit Darcy in the cat section when he goes to the vet (with the permission of any cat owner of course). Darce loves the kitties. I don't know her personally but Jane Harper has an excellent reputation. She is in Brisbane.

Jettyjet, I own a dog that was like Jet at his age.. I got lots of advice, most of it complete shit. The worst of it was to punish him for behaving aggressively. Luckily I knew just enough to ignore it. I beat a path to see K9Force and it was the best thing I ever did. Darcy will never be a confident dog. He will never welcome the attention of strange dogs. He shows all the body language that he has to deter approaches but some dogs don't read him or don't care. That's where I step in. Darcy is not reactive onlead nor does he bite. Another dog I know who is punished for aggressing now reacts when he sights any strange dog approaching.. and goes off his nut. That dog has bitten. Introduction to strange polite dogs can be managed so that Darcy will not react to them and can be safely allowed to run offlead with them. If they get in his face, I've failed as an owner to protect him from what he fears. Suffice it to say Darcy is not the dog I suggest for puppy socialisation.. but he can mix with my friends young pups if well managed. He needs time to appreciate that they are not a threat. If Jet is like Darcy (and he sounds like it) then forcing him into social situations provokes the reactions you are getting. We know he lunges at strange dogs because you've told us that. Your job is to stop strange dogs getting close enough that he feels the need to defend himself, first by warning barking and then by aggressing. I think it helps to consider this as not so much a problem that Jet has but a responsibility that you must assume. Give him space. Keep him away from "friendly" dogs ( a reactive dog owners worst nightmare) and get help. This situation can be improved.

Aggression I mean as in growling/barking and pulling on the lead. How can I help him next time I am in a situation like this? Punishing anxiety is pointless. My honest advice is don't get him into situations like this. Don't force him to sit still while the thing he fears approaches... take him out to the distance he considers "safe" and praise him for calmness there. You will not teach him to 'cope' by confrontation. He needs to spend time in the company of disinterested, non reactive dogs so he can learn that not all dogs are a threat. Personally, I think you need professional help with this. It's not the first time I've said so.

How old is Jet?

If he can, its not fitted correctly. A correctly fitted on won't fit over his head.

He will not be able to pull out of a collar that tightens under pressure. That's why I suggested a martingale.

In discussing dog attacks on children at a major seminar a few years back, one of Australia's leading paedatric surgeons dismissed the myth of "killer dogs" stating that the common factor in nearly all dog attacks on children was lack of effective parental supervison. Allocating blame or fault accomplishes nothing. It certainly doesn't repair facial injuries that a child will carry for life. Proximity to a child is not always effective supervision. Children can down in swimming pools with their parents within arms reach. A temporary distraction for the parent can provide the window for tragedy. The same thing applies to dogs. The keys here are undivided attention from the parent, the ability to read a dog and knowledge of the dog. If any of those elements is missing, then IMO the child simply shouldn't be within strike range. Easier said than done I know but I think the analogy with swimming pools is a good one. Either focus on the child at all times or dont' let it within range of disaster. I don't blame people for not knowing about resource guarding or for trusting the owners advice that the dog is fine. But the simple facts of the matter are that without effective supervision, these accidents (and they ARE tragic accidents) will continue to occur. Dogs with food should be automatic no go zones and dogs around kids with food should receive the same treatment. Like it or not, this recent attack was pretty much a text book example of what can happen. Young child + dog with food. I'd venture to speculate that the dog was a young male and possibly entire but that's probaby pushing it.

Have you ever attended any kind of formal training C&S - some more skills in your tool box would be of benefit here I think. Training a recall would be a start - if he pisses off on you, he shouldn't be offlead in any public place. Under no circumstances should you allow your boy to get within touching range of another dog if he's a nipper. Don't allow people to get that close. Don't stop when you're out walking.. cross the road if you have to but keep your distance. Until your dog is calmer, forcing him to stay put while a dog approaches may feed his anxiety/excitement (as I can't see him I can't read his reactions). You're going to have very limited control of him on a harness. A very small martingale collar would be a better bet IMO.. control the head and you control the dog.

Try her on a gluten free diet - its helped other dogs I know with yeast problems. Some apple cider vinegar in her diet also wouldn't hurt. Good on you for taking her on - sounds like she's really fallen on her feet.

When it comes to explaining what you want from a groomer, a picture is a good idea. There are a lot of groomers who don't know how to do anything BUT a close clip.Scissoring skills take time and training to develop. Specialist breed groomers are often hard to get a casual booking at and they will charge more for their services. Poodle groomers are a bit more common but to find a specialist spaniel or terrier groomer wouldn't be easy. I remember picking up a rescue poodle once from an owner who'd had him clipped that day (my guess is the dog was pretty grotty). Poor old bugger had a bunch of fatty lumps and the butcher (I can't glorify what they did as 'grooming') had taken the tops off most of them with the clipper blade.

KATS ROOL! Gorgeous photos - you've got to love a spunky kitten.

Yes, I did. Yes, I think he is A-framing although not severely. His front legs are not perpendicular to the ground.. he's not got his feet under his wither and he's leaning back. You need to set him up so he's standing under himself a little more. I'd be swimming him if that's possible. I'm no expert but he seems to be lacking muscle on that topline. I'd like to see him flex his head down a little from the neck, that should stop his back hollowing. Has he seen a chiro?

That's like the coke can test Nek, step on and squash a can next to the puppies. The one's that startle and bolt.........we don't want them, the one's who shy away then come back for a look or even pick up the squashed can is the better prospect. Old school temperament test Testing reaction to unexpected loud noise is also part of the Vollhard Puppy Test. ;)

My initial reaction to the stacked shot is that he's A-Framing. That would encourage roaching. His front legs are not under his shoulders. You need to set him up better in the front end so that his front legs are vertical. Raising his head like that wouldn't be helping..not easy to balance and relax in a position with all weight is going to the back end. Hemay be having trouble holding the stack so stretched back. Generally he seems to lack muscle on his top line - his spine is very prominant. What exercise does he get?

These programs are only as good as the trainer conducting them. What they are NOT, is the only place a pup should be socialised nor the only training pup owners need to undertake to set their pup up well for life. Sadly, that's how some puppy owners seem to view them.

Tragic for all involved. The biggest tragedy is that adequate supervision and some dog savvy would have prevented it.