Gone to the Dogs

[Marie2020]

I've been seeking training clips to try to curb Nancy's reactions. It's a hard haul

I hope you guys can see this clip . I would really appreciate your take on these methods

 

[Marie2020]

Nancy last week

 

[digitS']

 

[heirloomgal]

I've been seeking training clips to try to curb Nancy's reactions. It's a hard haul

I hope you guys can see this clip . I would really appreciate your take on these methods

Reactivity is a really big issue with dogs right now. I've wrestled with it a bit, and can tell you some of what has worked with my dog. The relatively easy life a well loved dog has, has a downside, it's a life that can take away a dog's confidence because they aren't working to do anything for themselves. One of the gateways to helping a reactive dog is to build their sense of ability. Asking your dog to do things that initially they are uncomfortable about doing is a great start - like asking your dog to jump up on a bench at a park, and various other elevated surfaces they find scary, then rewarding with a high value treat. Seems like a small thing, but it's standard protocol for dog trainers working with reactive dogs to build them up. This worked wonders for my dog, and his confidence in dealing with scary situations shifted noticeably. It was kind of amazing.

Another way to curb reactivity is to limit affection for a time. Some dogs view unearned affection as weakness on the part of their human, and it actually makes them feel vulnerable and reactive when outside the home. They interpret the affection as a cue that they are in a leadership position and so on a walk they will bark at anything threatening thinking they have no one to advocate for them, and that they've been given the role of protector, which mentally they can't handle.

Working with Nancy at any kind of job will help her too. Even doing some simple tricks, things that she can work to figure out with you. That can lead her into a better mindset.

 

[Marie2020]

Reactivity is a really big issue with dogs right now. I've wrestled with it a bit, and can tell you some of what has worked with my dog. The relatively easy life a well loved dog has, has a downside, it's a life that can take away a dog's confidence because they aren't working to do anything for themselves. One of the gateways to helping a reactive dog is to build their sense of ability. Asking your dog to do things that initially they are uncomfortable about doing is a great start - like asking your dog to jump up on a bench at a park, and various other elevated surfaces they find scary, then rewarding with a high value treat. Seems like a small thing, but it's standard protocol for dog trainers working with reactive dogs to build them up. This worked wonders for my dog, and his confidence in dealing with scary situations shifted noticeably. It was kind of amazing.

Another way to curb reactivity is to limit affection for a time. Some dogs view unearned affection as weakness on the part of their human, and it actually makes them feel vulnerable and reactive when outside the home. They interpret the affection as a cue that they are in a leadership position and so on a walk they will bark at anything threatening thinking they have no one to advocate for them, and that they've been given the role of protector, which mentally they can't handle.

Working with Nancy at any kind of job will help her too. Even doing some simple tricks, things that she can work to figure out with you. That can lead her into a better mindset.

Thanks so much for your help. I'm taking everything onboard .

This running and barking at people passing by is awful. It is also ignited by the two dogs that continually do this in the home next to mine.

These dogs are non stop and because of Nancy being kept in a back yard previously, and now having a front garden that she can see the world, she is following exactly what they are doing, then doing it even when they aren't around. So it's making my job a hundred percent worse.

Yesterday these dogs growled and barked at her down our shared steps and along their fence as we were trying to pass.
To top it all another dog did the same down the road. So I couldn't go anywhere and had too turn back home.
I'm no body builder and can only do so much, within my limits. We will be house bound at this rate

 

[Marie2020]

Fear

 

[flowerbug]

View attachment 73740

View attachment 73741

a paws for the because...

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

I recently saw a book called ‘Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy: Your Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Raising and Training a Happy Puppy.’ Being an unwavering fan of positive reinforcementforce-free dog training, and fully accepting that dogs don't love us unconditionally. A few good answers to a few questions about how to approache dog training using proven science-based ethical techniques. It’s all very interesting . Positive reinforcement with treats, petting, voice cheering,-‘Good Girl’, and of course given a fav toy for reinforcement . It’s all about establishing who’s the head boss of the pack. The owner of course.

 

[flowerbug]

Fear

i wish i could fix it for a certain person...

 

[heirloomgal]

Thanks so much for your help. I'm taking everything onboard .

This running and barking at people passing by is awful. It is also ignited by the two dogs that continually do this in the home next to mine.

These dogs are non stop and because of Nancy being kept in a back yard previously, and now having a front garden that she can see the world, she is following exactly what they are doing, then doing it even when they aren't around. So it's making my job a hundred percent worse.

Yesterday these dogs growled and barked at her down our shared steps and along their fence as we were trying to pass.
To top it all another dog did the same down the road. So I couldn't go anywhere and had too turn back home.
I'm no body builder and can only do so much, within my limits. We will be house bound at this rate

Keep hope @Marie2020, it's not an easy road dealing with reactivity but I've met many people have 100% solved it. Even quite severe cases. Almost all the online dog trainers I follow say this is the #1 reason why people seek them out for help. I quite like Cheri Wulff Lucas and she has put out a lot of content regarding this issue, and I like that she is a balanced trainer.https://www.youtube.com/user/cherilucas/videos

My only caution to you would be in regards to using food rewards when dealing with reactivity. You can't reward your dog out of a reactive state of mind. Treats are for integrating a wanted behaviour into your dog, they won't take a bad behaviour out. And if the treats become associated with barking behaviour, you've got an even bigger problem on your hands because they think it's a reward for it.

I (& my dog trainer) used a prong collar on my dog initially, and I can tell you that immediately stopped my dog from fear barking. The reactivity ended in 30 seconds flat, it was instant freedom. But I know not everyone is comfortable with that route, and it is a technical science to use the collar. Without a physical correction, it's a hard behaviour to stop, but if you really focus on building her confidence up that can work wonders too.

Now, after so much training with my dog, when we walk past other reactive dogs being walked, or dogs behind fences barking wildly, he loves it. Their barking actually calms him, because he knows that dog is afraid of him and not the other way around. He walks smugly in contented silence. Don't become a prisoner to your house, the fate of so many dealing with this. Dogs bark to eliminate from the environment what they dislike, and once you start to avoid the things that sets them off, the dog gets affirmed in what it's doing and commits further to it.