Bicycles, Prams & Skateboards...oh Boy!

[Stitch]

I have a very sweet dog with a fairly low drive and an anxious personality. It is very hard to get his attention when there are distractions around.

We have been training for quite a long time now and he is great with sit, drop, stand, etc. but...he is still anxious when faced with anything different.

Walking with him is something that both he and myself don't enjoy because he is always on the lookout. His head is constantly swivelling back and forward.

I have tried training him in open areas so he can see things coming and I have tried walking him in street situations but he is not happy anywhere except partially at dog training classes and home.

I am about to give up and just let him enjoy being at home but it would be so nice if I could just get him to like going on a walk.

Would anyone have any insight into this problem?

[persephone]

Can you drive him to places like parks/ovals/beach ? is he happier in those sorts of spots ?

[Stitch]

Yes, I do drive him to beaches and parks...and no he is just the same everywhere.

Not terrified, as he is quite happy to sit and look while the bike or whatever passes but just not enjoying himself and always on the lookout.

[The Spotted Devil]

Hey Stitch - there's a saying that I love about "Pavlov always being on your shoulder" - which essentially means if you have an animal that is anxious or fearful that you are training then "Pavlov" grows larger and it's very difficult to use operant learning to teach new behaviours ("Skinner" is on the other shoulder!)

So I would suggest the Look At That (LAT) Game as a starting point (just google it). Essentially you want to change how the dog feels about the scary stuff. For example, instead of the bike or dog triggering a fear response it becomes a trigger for a game with you. It really does work but most importantly you need to work with the dog under arousal threshold so it might mean working in your yard and having a set up where there is a stationary bike then someone walking beside a bike then riding it. Apologies for brief response but 13 hour day for an agility trial and I'm exhausted

Edited June 13, 2016 by The Spotted Devil

[Stitch]

OK I have looked at the LAM game and I have no trouble with the basic training however we have no bikes, prams or skateboards here and no friends who have them who would be prepared to work with us.

[The Spotted Devil]

OK I have looked at the LAM game and I have no trouble with the basic training however we have no bikes, prams or skateboards here and no friends who have them who would be prepared to work with us.

Might be able to start at least with something cheap and second hand on free cycle or an op shop? Also I take young pups to the shopping centre or skate park and work at a distance enough so the dog feels comfortable.

[corvus]

I took my dog to a vet behaviourist for hypervigilance like that. He is much happier on Prozac long-term. No more hypervigilance. Sometimes no amount of training is enough on its own.

[skip]

I do agree with corvus but my dogs behavour is spuroitic so do not use any drug. I have considered it and just recently a trainer did comment on her behaviour when she was being particularly hypervigilant.

She can walk thru busy places etc very happily Thou and when she was younger I shaped her to look at scary things but then used to wait till she offered to approach the scary thing. Eventually we shaped putting paws on the scary thing. Now we don't need this game much but for ages that was her go to behaviour. She really found it comforting and now puts paws or herself on things all the time as a game to play. But she is used to shaping so all pretty easy.

Her fear is more off leash dogs so if she has a scary dog one day, could be for days after, she looks for it again. Hates skateboards, can be shaped to touch or ride one but still uncomfortable round them.

My dog also does noseworks so we do that game in public places as well.

Good luck with your dog, you might benefit with professional help. Thou sometimes it is just what you have to work with. I do what my dog is happy dealing with and all my training attempts help heaps but her issues still exist underneath. I learnt a lot with her.

[Papillon Kisses]

How are things going Stitch?

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

my dogs behavour is spuroitic

even google could not help me with this word: spuroitic

do you mean "sporadic" or only sometimes?

My dog can be hypervigilant - but I think it's usually something she gets from me. If I'm anxious - even if it's only about how she's going to be - then she is anxious too. She's a bit anxious about going for walks and it took two years on a flat collar to get her to look forward to walks after ruining everything by trying to get her to walk on footpaths with a slip collar. If only I knew then what I know now.

I have several cues for "say hello to friends" or "look there's a friend" and I can say those or use the tone - even when the dog is not one we know... to get her in a happy optimistic mood. I don't let her greet a dog if I don't know that they are friends if I've done that tho.

Cueing happy mood is better than her freezing up and then lunging and snarling every time she sees a new dog. I noticed if I don't say anything she's more likely to assume it's a nasty dog and do the "I'll get you first" thing.

And bizarrely - the happy tone "what a good dog" will settle the other dog too if it's a bit anxious, and that helps both of them.