Overexcitement Around Other Dogs

[SezzNJunebug]

Cheers

[Sam the man]

I have printed out this topic and bookmarked the Control Unleashed web site. I need to do some work with Sam as he 'carries on' when another dog comes towards him when we are out walking.

[StarLapyz]

I have been using Look At That with Fable. Fable was super reactive to almost anything, but especially dogs.

I have been at it for about a month and a half and she has shown huge improvement.

I started taking her out to some serious testing places this week and she has done REALLY well. She relaxed nicely at Obedience training on Tuesday and was a completely different dog at flyball training than the one I had 2 months ago.

She still has a long way to go, but the improvement is dramatic and so obvious. I couldn't be happier with it.

Edited July 14, 2011 by agentvee

[ruthless]

Why is it "look at that" and not "look at me"

[sheena]

Why is it "look at that" and not "look at me"

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I think it is because you click when the dog looks at the stimuli (but doesn't react), then you treat when the dog turns to you. Some people just use "look". This thread has encouraged me to start to do a bit of this with my girl, who is easily distracted

[Bullyisious]

OMG Ruthless, I have the same issue with my girl. She starts her obedience classes in a few weeks. Im hoping we can curb her behavior!

Im stealing some of your advice by the way

[**Super_Dogs**]

Teach it and train it with no distraction, but proofing is when they can still do it with other dogs around. I think!

Proofing in when the dog can complete the instruction with variations, in different environments and with distraction. Like Ruthless said, one of these distractions is other dogs. Other distraction include squeaky toys, food, banging ect. The variation is you standing in different places, being at distance, moving ect. Enviroment is just doing it in different places.

It is important you do not start proofing though until your dog know exactly what you are asking. This is the Train part of the pinciple.

[megan_]

Why is it "look at that" and not "look at me"

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I think it is because you click when the dog looks at the stimuli (but doesn't react), then you treat when the dog turns to you. Some people just use "look". This thread has encouraged me to start to do a bit of this with my girl, who is easily distracted

this. Plus you can use any words you want (as long as you are consistent) due to dogs not having a good knowledge of English. My girl is reactive and if I started again I'd say something like "Stay Calm!" so that people around me would know what I was doing. At the moment I use "who's that?" and I've occasionally had someone tell me their name!

[SezzNJunebug]

I have printed out this topic and bookmarked the Control Unleashed web site. I need to do some work with Sam as he 'carries on' when another dog comes towards him when we are out walking.

Thanks I'll check this website out too!

I have a bit of a dilemma. I can only afford to buy one book at the moment. Juno's main problem is getting excited and losing focus(I should say my problem lol!) Would anyone reccommend click to calm or control unleashed over the other?

Edited July 15, 2011 by Sezz

[Kajtek]

Fantastic advice. What an inspiring thread

We had a little training session last night and practiced during our am walk. It worked beautifully, no reaction to other dogs, perfect focus on me, etc

...but

How the heck do I stop them staring at me for the best part of our 1 hour walk?

The monsters knew I had cheese and were just waiting for the Look command. I don’t want the walks turning into a feeding frenzy.

What am I doing wrong?

(They know the Look command pretty well - I forgot about it)

Edited July 15, 2011 by HonBun

[SammieS]

Why is it "look at that" and not "look at me"

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I think it is because you click when the dog looks at the stimuli (but doesn't react), then you treat when the dog turns to you. Some people just use "look". This thread has encouraged me to start to do a bit of this with my girl, who is easily distracted

this. Plus you can use any words you want (as long as you are consistent) due to dogs not having a good knowledge of English. My girl is reactive and if I started again I'd say something like "Stay Calm!" so that people around me would know what I was doing. At the moment I use "who's that?" and I've occasionally had someone tell me their name!

I was thinking the same thing - what words do I use - I find "look at that" really 'wordy'! Asti already knows "look at me" so I want to say something else to indicate looking at stimuli... I have to choose my words carefully as I think my tone of "look at that!" hightens her sensitivity to the stimuli

Also, when she's looking at the stimuli is that when you say "look at that" and then you click? or you click then say "look at that" and then treat only when you get eye contact? what's the cue, click and treat order?

inally, if she's "looking" at the stimuli but not looking back at me when I click (which she does with no distractions) does that mean I have to move further away from the stimuli?

Thanks in advance.

[Aidan3]

For those of you who, deep down, know you do best when you follow the directions exactly as written, ignore what I'm going to say next. For anyone else, this is what is important about LAT - the dog can engage with the 'thing' whilst staying calm. The cue (e.g "Look at That!") is an important part of Control Unleashed, but it's not really that important as far as what the dog is learning. In fact, I don't use a cue at all as I prefer to just have the dog learn to look at stuff that might otherwise cause excitement (or fear) and just be able to do it without hysterics regardless of what I'm doing or saying.

I also don't teach the dog to look back at the handler. When viewed in the context of what I've been saying here, it just isn't necessary - unless you're following Control Unleashed and need the dog to focus back on the handler. I aim to have the dog turn into a "normal" dog and do "normal" dog stuff; like being able to look at other dogs, then just do whatever normal dogs do next. You'll find the dog looks back to you anyway, because when you click, they should know what comes next (food, for e.g).

[Kavik]

I don't use a cue either. Mine look back at me, but that is because I have made it a very rewarding behaviour for them to do.

[Kajtek]

Thank you Aidan & Kavik

You have solved my little problem ie

"How the heck do I stop them staring at me for the best part of our 1 hour walk?"

Edited July 15, 2011 by HonBun

[megan_]

I guess I like a cue because -purists look away - my dog has become conditioned to an "emergency" calming word. For example, last night I got out of the car with the dogs and my neighbour came across the road to speak to me. I didn't notice her until it was too late. Lucy went a smidge nuts. I said "look at that" and she looked at me, wagged her tail in a relaxed manner and stopped. Now I *know* that is the wrong order and I don't use it often. It it just nice to know I have a phrase for emergency situations.

[Kavik]

Thank you Aidan & Kavik

You have solved my little problem ie

"How the heck do I stop them staring at me for the best part of our 1 hour walk?"

If I decide I don't want them looking at me at a certain time and want them to do doggy things, I give their release command and don't reward their attention on me for a while.

[Cosmolo]

What Aidan said And i like the cue for the reason's Megan said too.

[sheena]

OK...tell me where I am going wrong. I thought I would try LAT today in a trial situation. Armed with yummy treats & a clicker, everytime she glanced at a distraction, I clicked & treated, before she had time to react to the distraction. We went on to do two lovely rounds without her getting distracted BUT......people who know better than me, said I should be clicking & treating ONLY when she takes her eyes off the distraction & looks at me I switched to this, & we then did two lousy rounds where she looked at everything else but me So Who is right....do I click & treat when she looks at the distraction OR after she decides to look back at me.

[Cosmolo]

I think the dog answered your question. There are a few things i like about teaching the dog its okay and even a great thing to look AT the distraction.

- It teaches the dog to deal with the distraction in a positive and appropriate manner and allows for further progression in the appropriate behaviour.

- It prepares the dog (and handler) for the times when the dog is not looking at the handler which is inevitable- teaching focus on the handler only does not do this.

- Allowing the dog to look appears in my experience to reduce stress and conflict, so much so that the dogs actual focus surprisingly improves as well.

[sheena]

I think the dog answered your question. There are a few things i like about teaching the dog its okay and even a great thing to look AT the distraction.

- It teaches the dog to deal with the distraction in a positive and appropriate manner and allows for further progression in the appropriate behaviour.

- It prepares the dog (and handler) for the times when the dog is not looking at the handler which is inevitable- teaching focus on the handler only does not do this.

- Allowing the dog to look appears in my experience to reduce stress and conflict, so much so that the dogs actual focus surprisingly improves as well.

At what stage do you add the Look at That verbal cue. ?