Decreasing anxiety and tension around other dogs

[codglvr]

We have been working Balder from a distance on obeying commands around other dogs. It's not going well. Despite loving balls and food, I can't seem to get his attention. Even at 500 feet or more, as soon as he spots the movement, he will only give me his attention for a split second before turning his head back to the movement. He spits the treats out, even high value food treats and won't have anything to do with the ball. Other ideas, I need some new direction, as he is just plain being a bonehead about this. I have tried moving in front of him and walking away from the other dog and I'm sure a few others that I'm not recalling at the moment. Ideas. BTW, he is not good at meeting other dogs, his is far too puppyish and exuberant about it. Ie running up and pouncing on the other dog, then getting upset when the other dog corrects him and things go down hill from there. I know there is something I must be doing wrong, can you all help me identify it? He's acting like a brat, and I know it, so so must everyone else he meets.

[DNeff]

How old is he and what kind of foundation work have you done with him so far?

Dawn
U-CD Cammcastle's Mystic Riven CDX OAC OGC NA NAJ NJC TT CGC
http://members.aol.com/dplantier
http://members.aol.com/rottweilerworld

[codglvr]

Balder's three and recently discovered his size We work primarily on basic obedience, sits, stays, downs, stands with waits, distraction on all of the above, some minor agility work to build confidence (right now we are working on climbing ramps), as he is a fearful dog. Recall with him is either on or off, and the only time I work him off lead is in our backyard. Responds well temporarily to leash pops, but then goes right back to being a bonehead. Prong gets his attention but also has a tendency to make him fearful of the leash. Can you say frustrating dog to correct. Loves to play fetch and soccer, but neither interests him once he sees another dog. One other thing, he and our other dog play extremely rough, I can stop this wrestling with an"enough". He also tends to play rough with my brother's male dogs and my mom's female. He has been attacked and fought back once with a female lab that is extremely dominant, a dog we occassionally dog sit at our house. But our dogs can not go to her house, once was enough for me to say never again. They can share and play well in the dog run at my work under constant supervision. Don't know of any of that helps.

[DNeff]

First thing I would suggest is a very stringent NILIF is free program, and I mean strict!! He does nothing, gets nothing, without first working for it. Fearful dogs need to learn to rely on you for everything and not to take it up on themselves to defend their space. I posted a short thread on it in behavior, if he is not on the plan, he needs to be!!!!

I know you said at 500' he is still acting like an idiot, how about 600'?? I realize this might sound excessive, but where can you be relative to other dogs that his brain is still engaged? It sounds like at 500' he is in mental overload. Is that correct? If he can not take his favorite food or toy, he also won't be affected by a correction at the distance either.

You need to about 1/2 mile off and gradually move in. Where does he start to show worry/excitement? ears back some, slowing down, or where does he show over stimulation, etc... You need to know what distance he is still mentally there with you. You can only train a dog who is "there". If not you are just wasting both of your time and energy.

If he is mentally there at 560' but not at 550', you should start training at 560'. Work on lots of very simple, easily done behaviors; sit, watch, et... Give him lots of success and reinforcement at 560'. Show him the appropriate behavior there so he has an idea of what you are looking for. Work lots of commands and keep him focused and working with you every minute.

When you are able to do many successful reps at 560' move in to 555'. Again ask for any easy behaviors. Reward any and all calm behavior. Keep the leash loose at all times. If he starts acting like an idiot say something like "too bad" and back away from him and the object of his attention. The minute he looks back at you get him working again and praise and reward.
You always want to work a few feet back from where he starts to get set off.

The other thing to work on just outside of his trigger threshold is sitting calmly while watching the other dogs. It's great to teach them to watch us, but they also need to learn it is possible to sit calmly and watch other dogs.

I would start with him on a loose leash let him look around and ask for a sit. If he sits calmly praise. If he gets up circle him round and ask for a sit again. You need to be sure you aren't inside his trigger zone or you will never get any success out of him. Learn to read the cues he is giving off to judge when you can move closer and when you should move off.

Each session move in further. You may be able to move up considerable during each session, if you work it well. If you get in to the trigger zone, and he goes off, you probably won't be able to accomplish too much learning during that session.

I would also start this with dogs in the distance being calm. You don't want dog's jumping and playing to do this at first. Once you can get in close to calm dogs, I would move out and work playing dogs, then playing barking dogs, etc...

It's really just a long drawn out counter conditioning program. Hope some of it helped.

Dawn
U-CD Cammcastle's Mystic Riven CDX OAC OGC NA NAJ NJC TT CGC
http://members.aol.com/dplantier
http://members.aol.com/rottweilerworld