hankdog Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Hey Mrs RB, never sure whether it's a joyous occasion to welcome a new voice in here or commiserate. The thing about having a reactive dog is that whilst we manage them so many people are blissfully ignorant that their "friendly" lunging dog is a problem. If everyone just minded their own business life would be so much easier. Snook I sort of went through a big avoidance stage and whilst obviously I stick to the open road and avoid areas where people congregate or I know dogs may be I sort of have accepted that $&it happens. I do practice in my garden stepping in front and yelling, poor chooks look mighty confused when we do that. I'm reasonably confident Jake will stay behind me, and he's used to that drill but you have to walk your dog. The world is full of numpties and off leash dogs. I don't look forward to what could happen, I try to be like a dog and just enjoy the walk. Then I come home and collapse in a relieved pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I've just come home in a relived piled heap as i do after most walks... glad I'm not alone :p It's like 'phew' !!! thank dog for that. We are all home safely without incident. I do try to stay relatively calm & my breathing has improved some what. Just depends on what other off leash dogs are around on any given day. I used to avoid every dog that is medium size at all costs, cause they are her trigger but have loosened that up just a touch of late just to step it up for Stella a bit. I certainly don't take risks though. She is coping a little better at times but with this one dog in particular there is no way she will tolerate her within 100ft radius.... She charges at her. But she is strange because she gets fairly close to her barking & carrying on, then comes flying back to me. Only to do it all over again if I allowed her. So she doesn't even actually touch her. She gets about 20 ft away. Strange girl at times she is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dididog Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Snook, could you find an obedience club that's on between now and seeing Pax and go a bit before it starts or a bit before it ends and just walk around the grounds so that you can see if his threshold has changed? At least all dogs will be on lead and if you went before or after class there will only be a few dogs around. I took Didi for our first walk using BAT and some other new skills and it went pretty well. She was more or less non reactive until the very end when a group of men started walking behind us. Fairly sure I handled it the right way, made some detailed notes for my one week check in with Judi just to make sure. Also to make sure everyone gives us a wide berth I gave her car harness a lil touch up. Unfortunately the little weed has outgrown her car harness (an XL) so might by another cheapo one and get those same labels embroidered on it because they really seemed to put people off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Hmm our dog club has started selling yellow leads and bandana things with "Give me space" written on them in big letters. I was probably one of the evil people who let my dog greet reactive dogs, but she was so good at it. We got away with it over and over... Well I guess not so much any more. What I don't get is the people who have dogs where every single other dog at the park hates their dog - they still say "my dog's friendly and you shouldn't bring your nasty dog to the park". Hello? You shouldn't let your dog harass every dog and every person... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 (edited) I can't believe I'm sitting here considering going to dog club at west beach tonight or the park... we had a good night at the park last night. And she's usually pretty good at dog club - as long as nobody gets right in the front of her crate - and at West Beach they don't use crates... they just put all the dogs in drop stays (wow Evil hound will actually do that with her tail wagging). There is one dog at club who just goes TAR and spends its entire time not running - barking and lunging... it's not dog aggressive tho - it just wants those jumps... And Frosty ignores it. PS I've got a major attack of the inertias - I don't want to do anything at all, and the dog keeps fetching me walking shoes... Edited August 28, 2014 by Mrs Rusty Bucket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Brilliant work Snook and Justice. The more positive encounters he has the less impact the incident the other day will have. I went through a stage of not walking Dee around the local streets and driving to other safe places. But I noticed that she was hyper vigilant when we did walk in safe local areas and over reacted to dogs that previously she had tolerated. So I put my big girl pants on, took a deep breath, and off we went walking our safer routes around the town. She is much better for it and copes better with attacking dogs now. Oh and hot dogs or chicken also help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Yep, you gotta have big girl pants if you have a reactive dog!! That and rhino hide for skin and a megaphone voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Yes Snook 90% of the time Stella just wants the dogs near us to get away. The trouble is the way she charges at them looks & sounds pretty aggressive so if they other dog is even the slightest bit defensive it takes 1 second for WW3 to errupt. She is very territorial & protective. She likes to keep darting back at them just to make sure they get the message. Stay away!!!! Or else. It is a very frustrating habit that I would love to break. She is better than she used to when she was younger. Little dogs are all good. Medium/ large size dogs on the move, look out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 BC Crazy, do you call Stella when she runs to the other dog and that is why she comes back to you? I know she is a very obedient girl and I just had a thought that she might be running toward the other dog to get you to call her away? Terri, I like your DIY harness signs :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Raineth, Stella is very fast & she returns to me of her own accord 99% of the time before I even have the chance to call her. Snook, sorry need to clarify. Don't explain myself very well When Stella charges she usually returns as fast as she left without me even calling her. In the case of this ACD he is left on the beach, usually on his own while his owner is out paddle boarding Anyway, Stella charges him & she is returning to me, but he tends to try & follow her though. She then turns back at him, giving an extra growl, then comes to straight back to me. I then move us further away, wait till she calms down then we have another game or something. She is so unpredictable with this though. She could see him 20 times without issue. We walk past him most times without a problem. Sometimes she just gets a bee in her bonnet with him & wants him to get away. I find if I put her on lead when she comes back to me it makes her more reactive to the point where I can barely hold her. So I find if I just pick up my backpack etc, she immediately just follows me & we walk away a bit she settles down very quickly without further issue usually. It just is very frustrating because this behaviour is just so very random. We may have just walked past this very same dog without issue. So it has been an extremely hard habit for me to break. I have been thinking maybe because it seems to occur more when we are playing a game so her arousal would be heightened already, then that seems to be when she will race down toward him. She sounds very aggressive but she is very vocal & it seems to be more stand over tactic's. A lot of noise, sticks her chest out etc. He tends to lay down, then she runs back to me. I'm not having it though. She has had one fight in her life & that's one too many. My fear is she will pick the wrong dog one day & she wont be able to run back to me Edited August 30, 2014 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 yes arousal adds a whole other dimension doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 I've seen a few dogs around the wyong Newcastle area and also Adelaide beaches - where the dog gets left loose on their own while owner goes out in the water... I'd think the wyong ones would get washed off the rocks eventually cos they run around barking at their owner right on the edge... Frosty was really unexpectedly good today at beach and park - just lulling me into a false sense of security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemmy Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 I've been lurking this thread for a long time!! My pup is inappropriately woofy at other dogs when she first catches sight of them... She's great at puppy school, and with a couple of dog friends that we walk with on weekends, but she'll even bark at them when we're on the approach, until she realises who it is and then she either play bows or lays down in front of them. I'm not sure if she's afraid and putting on a show until she realises the other dog is safe, but we've become very good at turning in the opposite direction if we see strange dogs, before she hits her threshold. This thread has made me a better dog lover too, I feel like I'm more mindful of other people's situations when they're out walking, whether I've got my woofer or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dididog Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 I've been lurking this thread for a long time!! My pup is inappropriately woofy at other dogs when she first catches sight of them... She's great at puppy school, and with a couple of dog friends that we walk with on weekends, but she'll even bark at them when we're on the approach, until she realises who it is and then she either play bows or lays down in front of them. I'm not sure if she's afraid and putting on a show until she realises the other dog is safe, but we've become very good at turning in the opposite direction if we see strange dogs, before she hits her threshold. This thread has made me a better dog lover too, I feel like I'm more mindful of other people's situations when they're out walking, whether I've got my woofer or not. I'm sure somebody else can shed light on what your pup is doing but it's good you're intervening and not letting it become an ingrained behaviour :) and yes I agree this thread has made me so much more mindful of where my dog is in relation to others. Unfortunately the only person I've bumped into with a reactive dog who has actually cared their dog is reactive was working their Rottie offlead at an oval with other dogs around and flipped their lid at me when I walked near them to leave even though Didi never got very close to their dog. Didi also went to the beach today... she's grown so much since we used go in the summer that you now have to walk in SO deep for her to be able to swim :laugh: . Didi used to have such a high value for dogs that her recall was terrible offlead around dogs but she's gotten so much better and I recalled her away from 4 different dogs that came up to play which is when she would normally find it hardest to break away. We're going to brave obedience club tomorrow, last time she got spooked when the trainer looked like he was going to touch her and would get a bit antsy afterwards when he was talking while facing us but I've had a chat with him since and he's really good about it and will be extra mindful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Hi Jemmy & welcome :) Nice to here from another dedicated reactive dog owner. That quick turn around response is a wonderful gift you have taught her. I also find if I already know the dog approaching & know they are bomb proof but Stella is still a little miffed, I act all happy & hi honey,talking to the dog approaching. Stella seems to settle straight away & handle the oncoming new arrival. Just seems to defuse her almost negitive mindset. I would never do this unless I was completely sure about the approaching dog naturally. I just find we have made a couple of friendships with this. Seems to reasure Stella when I act like we are really happy to meet & great these ' safe' folk :) Edited August 30, 2014 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 There's a school of thought that says just act neutral when a dog approaches so your dog follows your lead but I've found with Jake I am better off warning him. Steve told me he needed to learn a new script for how to behave and I find that he does better in all situations if we have a regular "ritual" that we follow. He has poor vision so I will generally see a dog before he does. Then I call out in a happy voice "dog coming." Which is cue for sit, panic, look at me, get some peanut butter....more panic, more peanut butter and then by the time he sees the dog it's almost a relief. A lot of theory revolves around getting your dog to trust in your ability to be in charge. For Jake I think telling him I see the dog helps him believe I have his back rather than him thinking I just wander along and he has to be looking out for dogs. It might be helpful to start something similar with your pup Jemmy. Maybe when you first see the dog coming just a short "dog coming" and then a look command. Reward the look and then ask her to look at the dog and reward for looking back at you and then move on. I guess you don't want to make every dog a big deal but you do want her to learn to look at you when she's startled rather than going for a woof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Exactly HD. You don't need to make a big fuss with every oncoming dog. I just do this with 2 dogs that I know. The rest we just walk past, usually without incident. I engage Stella while passing as well. Depending on how is with it at time I will either allow her to face the direction they are approaching or I make sure she has her back to them if she is unsettled. Do a sit/treat or something then continue on. If I can see Stella is becoming too anxious with an oncoming dog, it's about face & off in the other direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Snook pleased to hear another play date with Pax was successful That is just so beneficial to Justice in so many ways :) Wonderful really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 I think I own the weirdest dog in the world. I didn't go to training for 2 weeks after I got back from os because my car was written off when I was away. I noticed a decline in Jake, I decided he must be getting old. He just seemed less sparkly, although he's not really a wildly enthusiastic dog. Went to training last week, he kissed my trainer and we just hung out in the shed because if the rain. Good news he's been happy ever since, I guess he's formed a bond with Zoei and just needed to see her. Funny little dog. I will never understand him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) Oh hankdog I think that is so lovely. Jake is so funny. He loves his trainer & he was missing her. The reality of it to is that it is a huge bonus really. Wonderful for him & you :) Edited September 1, 2014 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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