Aidan

I disagree, nor is it necessarily about lowering drive. That I agree with. What if we can teach a dog that a calm reaction reduces stress instead? The reactive drive in aggression is defence drive and lowing defence drive is what raises the reactive threshhold. Maintaining a high level of defence drive in a reactive dog or increasing it by agitation defeats the purpose. Defence drive IMHO must be reduced to provide the best opportunity for rehabilitation. Teaching the dog a calm reaction reduces stress is the idea, yes absolutely. Even a very hard protection breed will not stay in defence drive for ever if the other dog doesn't go away. Nor should the dog be unresponsive to commands during defence drive if the groundwork is completed correctly.

I disagree, nor is it necessarily about lowering drive. That I agree with. What if we can teach a dog that a calm reaction reduces stress instead?

I'm studying Behavioural Science with a Psych major. You might be better of with a Bachelor of Science, there is a certain course outline for Psych that is more relevant to human psychology. If you make contact with the faculty of science at a uni nearby they will put you in touch with the right people, this time of year is a good time to do it. I'll be nearing 40 by the time I finish, one of my mates is doing the same course in his 50s, although full-time so won't be moving at my plodding pace.

Grab the back legs and pull up and back hard and fast (not just back). If you think you will break the dog's legs you are doing it right. Obviously, some people will not be able to do this and it won't help much if two or more dogs are attacking.

TS has got to be simpler than this: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8qs696pt;j...AF705552#page-2

The neuroscience doesn't make it any simpler to predict! :rolleyes: I agree though, my point was only to validate Kelpie-i's perspective from another angle. Behavioural science had evidence for this long before neuroscience, but neuroscience has filled a lot of the gaps. The two disciplines are working very nicely together, the paper I linked to is a good example.

Well if the shoe fits...

For anyone with an unusually deep interest in the science (or a great deal of persistence in nutting it out), this paper is worth a read: http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(05)00159-5 (Sorry for being a bit off-topic)

I agree with Corvus, this alone is not an indication of SA and getting another pup isn't guaranteed to help even if it is. I would seek a second medical opinion, preferably a veterinary behaviourist.

There are more than 3 options.

Good post written by someone who understands the difference between "suppressing some superficial symptoms" and "helping the dog actually feel safe around other dogs" and how to get there. ETA: I will make one small addition, from my understanding of the neuroscience, nothing is ever unlearned. What appears to change is that the fear is actively inhibited by a process of learned safety. Some dogs have deficiencies in learning this (as do some people, and rats, and most other species that have been studied), and will take much longer than others who may have just had some really bad experiences, but otherwise don't have any trouble learning when things are innocuous.

I love Jafco muzzles and I use the clear PVC model (which is softer). I've modified mine and I can feed treats through either side very efficiently. However, they don't lose heat as well as wire basket muzzles so I don't leave them on during hard exercise or hot weather for long periods. It's probably a bit paranoid, but better to be safe than sorry. From memory Leerburg has a sizing guide, just go off that for measurements.

I think that test is very practical regardless of whether you want to go on to more specialised training, great program for any gundog - pet, show or working.

What sort of study were you thinking of? Very helpful if it can be linked to gaps or questions raised by previous research.

One of my dogs has never been to the vet for anything more serious than a hot-spot. The other would have died at least 3 times by now. Both are purebred. I dare say our diets have changed too. I feed table scraps but I'm selective about it.

I don't firmly rule out what might be regarded as "paranormal" phenomenon, but I would have to say that body language and other human behaviours would be the simpler, more plausible explanation for me. I suspect Cesar Millan may even be referring to this. When you change your internal state, you can have a profound effect on your external state and dogs can sense this through normal sensory processes. It seems reasonable (to me) to refer to this as "energy".

When we reward something every n times, that is a "fixed ratio schedule". What you would be doing in your example is increasing a ratio schedule, n gets larger over time. A "variable ratio schedule" is where you vary the number of responses before you reward. When people say "intermittent reinforcement" I believe they are usually referring to a "variable ratio schedule". A variable ratio schedule is where n varies over time, you might reward every 2nd, third, tenth, 4th, 7th etc responses. I'm explaining the technical terms because they are well defined, and given that we've gone down this path understanding how they are defined might help. That would be a fixed ratio schedule of 1:1, every response that meets your criteria is rewarded. Another name for this is "continuous schedule of reinforcement". A secondary reinforcer is anything that provides a reinforcing consequence that isn't a primary reinforcer. Primary reinforcers are things like food, water, comfortable temperatures, safety and sex. Secondary reinforcers are things that take on reinforcing properties by becoming paired with primary reinforcers; so we have things like praise, clickers, and money (for people).

Can you think of a simpler, more plausible explanation? If so, then that is probably the best explanation.

That sounds like a pretty good plan :D Provided that you were calling her before she actually barked. Define (for yourself) what you want her to do INSTEAD of barking. Figure out a way to set her up to succeed at what you want her to do. Reinforce. Then make it a little bit harder and repeat. An example that illustrates it quite well is to get a DVD that has dogs barking on it, or record something that sets her off. Play it very quietly, just loudly enough that she knows it is there but not loudly enough to make her bark. She is not barking, so mark that with praise or a clicker, then reward. Repeat, increasing the volume just a little each time. If at some point she barks, turn the volume down a little and try again.

I lean towards utilising toys when I'm home but not able to interact with the dogs, e.g making dinner, tidying up etc If we can stimulate them and exercise them while we are home, they tend to sleep when we're out and this more closely matches a natural cycle for dogs (free ranging dogs tend to sleep during the hottest part of the day and are active morning and evening). This also opens up your options a bit. The Tug-a-Jug is not indestructible, but it's a great toy when you're there to supervise then put it away when finished. You can put some treats under a towel on a hard floor, this will keep them entertained for a while. A "staffy ball" is a good, active toy. A bully breed might enjoy being able to use a spring-pole. These might be a bit much for a British, but I'll not make assumptions Even tearing up junk mail can keep a dog stimulated and engaged for 10 minutes or so while you're busy. Of course, training is always going to be your best bet so a little training each day even if it's just cute tricks will help a lot.

It's a very low risk strategy with a potentially high return so as long as there isn't a medical or learning-attributed cause, it's well worth trying. Also, in my experience increasing the glycemic load (enough carbs) can make a difference, also a low-risk strategy so long as the dog isn't allergic.

What does "to better the breed" mean to you?

Carbs aren't necessary, but they can help. Tryptophan has to cross the blood-brain barrier and larger aminos will reduce the amount of tryptophan that gets through. The reason for supplementation is to increase the amount of tryptophan that does get through. Alternatively, by raising insulin a little you can shuttle some of the larger aminos off for repair and maintenance of the body. Exercise will help, too, by placing a demand on the body for larger aminos. Oats won't be digested very well, best to cook them. I add boiling water, stir, then microwave for 30s then leave to soak and cool. Add some dry food or mince for palatability, brewer's yeast is also good (lots of B vitamins), and some olive oil. I don't recall seeing the other thread, hopefully a vet has been consulted to rule out medical causes?

These divergences have already occurred, Goldens are one breed where they are notable. I suppose we just have to find a point where we stop and say "this is as far as we will go from what this dog was bred for". Too far already, IMHO. There is nothing wrong with the working GR as a pet in a family home.

Clinical psychologists have well established, heavily researched methods for dealing with phobias and post-traumatic stress. Assuming she is seeing a clinical psychologist who uses these methods (and the Australian Psychological Society now has a mandate that therapists use only evidence-based methods) then, if she follows through with treatment, they will get to that point sooner or later. I'm not certain of the legalities, but it could actually be an offence to offer this service if you are not an APS registered psychologist, depending on the context.