Too excited around other dogs, help?

SheltieChe said:
One answer- Gentle Leader. You dog get too much reinforcement from environment, you need to control it.
Borrow the book Shaping success by Susan Garrett, has lots of good info there.
You walk, you see the dog, your pup is ABOUT to lunge/ now that is where you are proactive/ you are doing U turn, if needed catch the leash under the clip and turn pup's face towards you, walk 6 steps back. Then Its your choice game- your dog has a choice to look back or walk nicely with you... wrong choice.. step back 6 more feet... repeat...
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Hmmm definitely a very good idea, thank you for explaining the training technique to me. I`ll try to read up on that book you recommended. We only have a gentle walker... is the gentle leader more appropriate with this kind of problem we have with Precious, in guiding her to look away and focusing on me instead of looking back at the passing dog??
 
Gentle walker is good for preventing pulling but it isn't designed to stop lunging. Head collars are better for that.

You can still socialise in a controlled environment, with dogs you know, but when you are out walking and pass another dog its not the time for silliness. Most adult dogs get pretty annoyed with silly adolescent behaviour so its not a good way to socialise her anyway.
 
*Caro said:
Gentle walker is good for preventing pulling but it isn't designed to stop lunging. Head collars are better for that.

You can still socialise in a controlled environment, with dogs you know, but when you are out walking and pass another dog its not the time for silliness. Most adult dogs get pretty annoyed with silly adolescent behaviour so its not a good way to socialise her anyway.
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Hmm then luckily we haven't had any bad run in with any dogs so far that's 'snapped at her for being annoying' yet hahaha Maybe because all the other ones on walks are all puppies too or TOO old to care (10+). Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to try the walk away step technique first and see how far I can go on a walk around the block before I run into another dog to test her repeatedly over the next month or so to see if I see any improvement! Perhaps I'll consider also buying a head collar since I just saw them on sale, the gentle leader ones, and try it out during that time to see if it makes any difference with her too. Again, thanks for all the advice everyone
 
Precious might be still carrying puppy license... it will run out...:no:
if you do get GL, it is a training tool, it needs to be started slowly with lots of games and rewards, put your nose in it and you get treat type, then feed breakfast while in GL then play and tug, then slowly up to walking in the house with lots of treats, then short walk outside... you have to spend time making sure your pup is comfortable wearing it. Occasional pawing happens but should not be a lot of fighting, it could take couple of weeks or couple of days to adjust, depending on the dog.
While walking in GL, reward good choices, BIG time, build your positive history.
http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2010/09/head-halters-vs-a-flat-buckle-collar/
 
Another suggestion that I have found works well is to treat immediately BEFORE the reaction happens. I am sure you are roughly aware of the distance at which she starts to react when she sees another dog so ensure for the first few times you reward her before she reaches this point (I also use a clicker). After a while she will begin to associate seeing other dogs with getting good things from you and you can start to wait longer before treating her. The key is to never treat during or after an undesirable reaction - always time it so that you are treating before she reaches that point. Eventually you will be able to wtach a dog pass you and her attention will be focussed on you. I used this method to prevent Domino from chasing buses. For us the sound of the bus has now become a cue for him to watch me as good things are coming. I believe it is a form of classical conditioning (Pavlov's dogs) as his reaction to the bus (ie watch me) is almost involuntary and requires little thinking on his part.
 
Goggle said:
Another suggestion that I have found works well is to treat immediately BEFORE the reaction happens. I am sure you are roughly aware of the distance at which she starts to react when she sees another dog so ensure for the first few times you reward her before she reaches this point (I also use a clicker). After a while she will begin to associate seeing other dogs with getting good things from you and you can start to wait longer before treating her. The key is to never treat during or after an undesirable reaction - always time it so that you are treating before she reaches that point. Eventually you will be able to wtach a dog pass you and her attention will be focussed on you. I used this method to prevent Domino from chasing buses. For us the sound of the bus has now become a cue for him to watch me as good things are coming. I believe it is a form of classical conditioning (Pavlov's dogs) as his reaction to the bus (ie watch me) is almost involuntary and requires little thinking on his part.
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I`ve done the same for cars as well, thank you. I will try to somehow do the same for approaching dogs as well
 
SheltieChe said:
Precious might be still carrying puppy license... it will run out...:no:
if you do get GL, it is a training tool, it needs to be started slowly with lots of games and rewards, put your nose in it and you get treat type, then feed breakfast while in GL then play and tug, then slowly up to walking in the house with lots of treats, then short walk outside... you have to spend time making sure your pup is comfortable wearing it. Occasional pawing happens but should not be a lot of fighting, it could take couple of weeks or couple of days to adjust, depending on the dog.
While walking in GL, reward good choices, BIG time, build your positive history.
http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2010/09/head-halters-vs-a-flat-buckle-collar/
Click to expand...

I`m just a little hesitant to try it out, because she does pull so much around other dogs. I`ve heard a lot of `my dog has hurt themselves on the head leads`. Not that she`d be using it improperly but incase of that one second chance that she pulls away too hard... is this something I should be concerned about? I like the idea that I could more easily control her face to face away from the distraction but..... I don't know, the last few times I was at Petsmart to look for Precious's Easy Walk harness few months back, the trainer kept looking at me crazily as if to say WHAT?!?! She doesn't need that?! And kept saying I didn't need it and that I shouldn't use it for her. Even when I just wanted to ask a few questions about it to really understand the difference between the head and the chest harnesses, he'd barely go into any kind of explanation and kept throwing the item back down saying all but "YOU DON'T NEED IT'..... So...

As many have you have seen us during our battle against getting Precious to walk on the sidewalk after months of controlling her urge to lunge at cars... I guess this too will be one of those things that will take many many months. Perhaps by the time she's 2, all of this reactivity thing will die down a little and finally make walking a little more enjoyable in crowded spaces. Otherwise, I still like hiking best when no thing and no one is around :)
 
Marlowe was very dog-shy as a puppy. When I took him to classes, he wanted nothing to do with the other puppies and just wanted to leave. When he saw other dogs on our walks, he shied away. He gradually gained confidence so when he first seemed happy and excited to see other dogs on our walks, I just let him be. He pulled to get to the other dog and bounced about in play bows. This was good and well for a little while but it became a challenge as he grew into a 30-lb dog and I felt like I was wrangling a large fish at the end of the line.

Goggle said:
Another suggestion that I have found works well is to treat immediately BEFORE the reaction happens. I am sure you are roughly aware of the distance at which she starts to react when she sees another dog so ensure for the first few times you reward her before she reaches this point (I also use a clicker). After a while she will begin to associate seeing other dogs with getting good things from you and you can start to wait longer before treating her. The key is to never treat during or after an undesirable reaction - always time it so that you are treating before she reaches that point. Eventually you will be able to wtach a dog pass you and her attention will be focussed on you. I used this method to prevent Domino from chasing buses. For us the sound of the bus has now become a cue for him to watch me as good things are coming. I believe it is a form of classical conditioning (Pavlov's dogs) as his reaction to the bus (ie watch me) is almost involuntary and requires little thinking on his part.
Click to expand...

I used the same method as Goggle. Now, it has gotten to the point that I can wait until after the other dog passes before treating.
 
One of my favorite blogs had an article about this today:

http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/

Keep in mind that a lot of the people giving you advice have had direct experience in training their Shelties in this kind of thing. Also, search the archives - I remember a lot of threads about reactive dogs.

If memory serves, Precious may be in a reactive developmental phase now. Buffy calmed down a lot after a year and a half or so. (She's now 2.) She still likes to race around once in a while but she is more predictable and can concentrate on training instead of outside distractions much better now. Some of it is building up a rapport, and some of it is just maturity. Puppies, like little kids, are kind of ADD.

For us, a calm "greet" is one of the first commands we learned. Right after "Settle." (An off switch needs to be taught.) And during puppy class, all of the people there were constantly trying to work their dogs and keep them quiet and lying down during class. It's definitely a skill you will need throughout Precious' life if you want to be able to bring her everywhere.
 
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