Is it time to medicate?

[Katherine]

As an aside ...........

Snap says " I love my Manners Minder ".

 

[OntarioSheltie]

And by the way, I would not give up on Therapy Dog work. *Snap is a therapy dog with a large repertoire of tricks and the drive to do them. I have no doubt that Bailey could do the same.

That's true, don't give up on that dream, it could definitely still happen. Toby is going to be tested to become a therapy dog in Oct.-Nov. and Ginny is still a therapy dog, despite the problems she had this summer.

 

[SheltieChe]

I also want to add that working on crate games really really helps to deal with distractions as you describe. Because criteria is so clear- no moving out of the crate- dog gets it very easy and you can take the crate anywhere- to the hallway when neighbors are coming to the building entrance, to the street- will look little weird but you can explain you are in training
Che broke his stay about 3-4 times during off leash class but stay was about 30 minutes total and dog was running weaves barking, balls were bouncing, food bowls were put under his nose and frisbees were flying. I obviously have work to do with him but he did good, can't compare to before CG.
I seems to remember that you do have DVD?

 

[take4roll10]

Your description of Bailey is so familiar that it is scary. I applaud you in consulting with the most experienced / effective people that you can, whether formally or informally, to come up with a plan that is appropriate for your situation and for Bailey's temperament.

I finally spoke with my vet this summer about reactivity and medication, then followed up w three trainers locally that know Snap from the various classes that we have done / do.

My vet is reluctant to prescribe any medication, believing that it is to be used a last resort. Among other things, he suggested that as positive as I am, I may have actually confused my dog regarding the "corrections" that I do. While I didn't want to hear this, the conversation and subsequent discussions did prompt me to do a lot of soul searching and to rethink training methods, reinforcement rates, techniques for dealing with leash reactivity, impulse control, what I want from my dog, and what is good for my dog. **

I thought that the answer might lie with consultation with a vet behaviorist, but I frankly was dissuaded by one of the trainers in going this route. *She accompanied a client to see one at a vet school a few years ago and frankly found the advice to be very expensive and not worth the cost.

For now, I am revisiting some of my favorite booklets (Suzanne Clothier) and DVDs *(Patricia McConnell's "Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity" *and Grisha Stewart's "Organic Socialization) and working on making tiny improvements in management / retraining behaviors - habits. *Incidentally, I also have the Manners Minder and have successfully used mine at the office to reverse reactive behavior (when the front door opens, Snap now runs for his bed where the Manners Minder is, instead of barking at the intruder).

In lackadaisical hands, Snap might have ended up in rescue. *In my relatively inexperienced hands, this smart, "overdrive" dog (at age 3 1/2) is still a work in progress. *And by the way, I would not give up on Therapy Dog work. *Snap is a therapy dog with a large repertoire of tricks and the drive to do them. I have no doubt that Bailey could do the same.

I'm so sorry that you don't live closer... I'd recruit you to join my Sunday morning breakfast dog-folks group. *It's our own form of therapy.

I'm so glad you don't have the medicate Snap. I'm hoping I won't have to medicate Bailey either. If I do end up medicating her, I don't think it will be for her whole life. I plan on only living her for about 2 years then move back to the suburbs. I feel bad that she has to live in the city.

That's true, don't give up on that dream, it could definitely still happen. Toby is going to be tested to become a therapy dog in Oct.-Nov. and Ginny is still a therapy dog, despite the problems she had this summer.

I don't think Bailey would make a good therapy dog. Even if she wasn't reactive, she still doesn't have much interest in people.

I also want to add that working on crate games really really helps to deal with distractions as you describe. Because criteria is so clear- no moving out of the crate- dog gets it very easy and you can take the crate anywhere- to the hallway when neighbors are coming to the building entrance, to the street- will look little weird but you can explain you are in training
Che broke his stay about 3-4 times during off leash class but stay was about 30 minutes total and dog was running weaves barking, balls were bouncing, food bowls were put under his nose and frisbees were flying. I obviously have work to do with him but he did good, can't compare to before CG.
I seems to remember that you do have DVD?

I do have the crate DVD. I started it but never finished it. I should start watching and practicing again.

I don't think bringing it in the hallway where my neighbors are will help. Knowing Bailey she will just bark while in the crate.

For those who suggest Manners Minder, I think it was Katherine and Irene, I'm thinking about ordering it, but I'm concerned that Bailey will just bark at it. Do you trouble with your dog barking at the machine? And I'm afraid Bailey will just get her treat and then run and bark at the door or bark at the door just so she can get a treat. If she wants something, she will just stare at it and bark. I don't want it to turn into that.