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Exercising Reactive Dogs Thread


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So glad that the instructor handled it Spencinator. What you were saying reminds me a lot of the saying, that everyone should own a reactive dog just once in their lives. But honestly, such poor form from that lady!

Our instructors are really good about that actually. They are very proactive about telling everyone to give space to the dogs that need it. Actually they are almost too good at it, as these days we are probably at the point where Del doesn't need quite so much space at dog club :)

Love the photo of Justice, Snook :thumbsup:

Edited by raineth
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Snook you will get back to that wonderful place were Justice will be the calm dog that you desire. This time it will be easier as you have laid the ground work.

For now, rest and regroup.

Huge hugs and lots of calming encouragement.

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Yay, just got home and had a lovely day on the couch with my boy, he's had another week of board training so I cant wait to take him out for a test drive tomorrow. He had a step up last time so will hopefully have done the same again.

Justice has such a great face, one photo he looks all noble and the next he's pure boofhead!

Its not just that people should give our dogs space but I sometimes want to shake people and say one day your dogs going to go all psycho-friendly on the wrong dog, get attacked and then and end up reactive. As I was walking through a park once a kid dropped her fluffy dog out a tree right in front of Jake, luckily he was so stunned he came with me on a u turn quick fast but really, what was she thinking! I've also had a dog jump off a ute, a nd then the owner hit it for being naughty..... I seriously think you should have to do a mandatory dog ownership course but then I guess in your case Spencinator that dog is at agility so presumably has a fair bit of training!

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I thought I'd post a silly photo of Justice that I took this afternoon to lighten things up a bit after all of my doom and gloom posts.

Me: Stay.. Good boy. Look!

Justice: Refuses to look at me because everything else is way more interesting than his silly mum and her iPhone

Me: If you look I'll give you a treat!

Justice: Treats! Did you say treats!?!

14827784913_8008b209af.jpg

Yep, that was the only photo I got.. :laugh:

I am going to respond to the comments on my last post about PTS, just when I'm more awake...

But I couldn't go past the adorable Justice picture without saying :love: He looks so cuuuuuute!

You should print that on a canvas for the wall, I think it would make me smile whenever I saw it :laugh:

Edited by Simply Grand
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Haha apparently my trainer taught Jake to give her kisses on command, he's been doing this weird thing licking my ear which I thought was just him being his weird self but apparently she taught him that.

We had a great walk yesterday, I know I over treat him which gives him a sloppy attitude. He's come back from his week all instant command-obeying. Its a bit scary, I will have to try being good so I don't ruin him. There's a big ridgeback puppy on our route and she is very friendly which really freaks him out. After his initial startle I could see the training kick in and he sat and started whipping his head back and forward as if he were watching a tennis match. She had her paws up on the gate and was doing a big wiggly woofing dance which he normally needs to flee from but he was able to sit there for about about a minute before I moved him on.

I was really upset leaving him but I think it does him good to have extra people and situations he can cope with. Stretching his boundaries will hopefully lead to a more confident dog.

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It would be very difficult to leave Jake but I think you are right HD. From another 'over treater'. I think having him stay with his trainer & doing different stuff is a huge confidence builder for him. Pushing him a bit is good.

Oh he was showing you his new kiss trick. Awwww how cute :)

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I have decided to give up on trying to get people to keep their dogs contained, as the last attempt resulted in some stalking from the resident concerned. :mad I will not take the risk of my dogs being baited or let out.

So I am now trying to modify my behaviour to keep my dogs under thresh hold and calm. The dog that regularly attacks us was out again last week when I was walking by. I walk each dog separately as it is just safer that way. I got each dog to practice heeling, so that I was between my dog and the other dog, which was on it's property. We just kept walking, with me watching the dog out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully the bloody thing did not charge, and my dogs did not react, or notice. So far this has worked three out of four times. Me yelling at the dog to dog away only puts Dee over thresh hold, but it does get the stupid owner to call their dog off.

It is so bloody hard to remain calm as you approach the house, because you don't know if the dog is going to just sit and watch or bloody rush and attack. :mad

Edited by grumpette
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I have decided to give up on trying to get people to keep their dogs contained, as the last attempt resulted in some stalking from the resident concerned. :mad I will not take the risk of my dogs being baited or let out.

So I am now trying to modify my behaviour to keep my dogs under thresh hold and calm. The dog that regularly attacks us was out again last week when I was walking by. I walk each dog separately as it is just safer that way. I got each dog to practice heeling, so that I was between my dog and the other dog, which was on it's property. We just kept walking, with me watching the dog out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully the bloody thing did not charge, and my dogs did not react, or notice. So far this has worked three out of four times. Me yelling at the dog to dog away only puts Dee over thresh hold, but it does get the stupid owner to call their dog off.

It is so bloody hard to remain calm as you approach the house, because you don't know if the dog is going to just sit and watch or bloody rush and attack. :mad

Big stick!

Mine seem to appreciate me telling barking, annoying dogs off. But I tend to do the low growl 'noooo' rather than yelling.

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I have decided to give up on trying to get people to keep their dogs contained, as the last attempt resulted in some stalking from the resident concerned. :mad I will not take the risk of my dogs being baited or let out.

So I am now trying to modify my behaviour to keep my dogs under thresh hold and calm. The dog that regularly attacks us was out again last week when I was walking by. I walk each dog separately as it is just safer that way. I got each dog to practice heeling, so that I was between my dog and the other dog, which was on it's property. We just kept walking, with me watching the dog out of the corner of my eye. Thankfully the bloody thing did not charge, and my dogs did not react, or notice. So far this has worked three out of four times. Me yelling at the dog to dog away only puts Dee over thresh hold, but it does get the stupid owner to call their dog off.

It is so bloody hard to remain calm as you approach the house, because you don't know if the dog is going to just sit and watch or bloody rush and attack. :mad

Big stick!

Mine seem to appreciate me telling barking, annoying dogs off. But I tend to do the low growl 'noooo' rather than yelling.

But how do you you juggle the big stick along with everything else? I feel quite loaded up with my one dog, treats and clicker!

I think I mustn't be very dexterous :o

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Hey raineth! I love using the clicker but can I suggest that you ditch it on your walks? Apart from requiring extra hands :D it is such a powerful tool that if your timing is very slightly out (as in one second) you may be inadvertently rewarding the wrong behaviour. If you are using LAT try dropping a marker altogether - look away, look at you (repeat ad infinitum), treat.

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Hey raineth! I love using the clicker but can I suggest that you ditch it on your walks? Apart from requiring extra hands :D it is such a powerful tool that if your timing is very slightly out (as in one second) you may be inadvertently rewarding the wrong behaviour. If you are using LAT try dropping a marker altogether - look away, look at you (repeat ad infinitum), treat.

Well I was using BAT without the clicker, and it improved things to a point. Then it just didn't. And she went backwards, I think because she is conflicted. With her friendly side warring with her 'this dog might bite me' side. So increasing distance was sometimes reinforcing, and at other times punishing (although I know Grisha disagrees with this).

So I've ditched BAT, and switched to back to CC (with the clicker) and she has improved immensely since doing this.

Then with doing the recallers stuff I have learned to ask for more, and know we can go past very territorial dogs putting on very aggressive displays of behaviour with her behaving from a distance of about 2 metres. (Which is honestly about as close as I'd want to go anyway!)

So I would be very wary of ditching the clicker. She also has a verbal reward marker, but I find the clicker just that little more effective.

Still I'm pretty sure, that I couldn't add anything more to the mix. When I had to walk her and hold a bag of shopping, I ditched the clicker. Three things seems to be my limit, that's for sure.

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Can't wait to hear how it goes Snook!

Thanks for that description of what you do with Justice and BAT :)

Sounds like they have some similarities :) What BAT did do wonders for Del with is teach her to sniff the ground. I know when she sniffs the ground she is clearly making a choice to disengage, and I know that with the friendlier dogs that she kind of wants to meet but is a bit worried about, she won't sniff the ground.

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Wonderful news Snook !!!!

I was going to pass on some positive vibes as my girl & I blizted it the other day with a hugely successful Vet visit which included a massage & stretch session. Without incident YA !!!

But you & Justice don' t need any help. Justice went so very well :) so happy for you both...

Edited by BC Crazy
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