mumtoshelley Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Hi everyone I have a behaviour problem with Axel my 19 week old male golden retriever. Some background he is a pretty good puppy but at 10 weeks old he was attacked by my brothers staffy cross american staffy no injures or wounds but Axel was scared and yelping. Ever since then he barks,growls and has his hackles up when he sees a strange dog, I don't want to tell him No for it as I'm afraid it would make it worse but I do tell him gentle. I want to try and get him to accept other dogs, he goes to obedience every monday night but they won't help they just say to keep him away from other dogs. Does any have any advice of what I can do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 have a read here CLICK about reactive dogs and also HERE , from K9 pro BLOG - it explains things really well. and THIS is brilliant . Obviously the BEST thing is to consult an experienced professional .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 yep get professional help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YippeeGirl Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Sounds like his reactivity stems from fear, whether it's from the previous attack or just an age thing. Our puppy is a similar age and at the moment, hackles up and barks at anything that isn't a German Shepherd. Mostly I have been using positive reinforcement, and redirecting her attention away from the dog and onto me before she starts to react. There is something called the 'Look At That' game, which may be something worth having a look at. If you plug it into Google, you will bring up a lot of articles and Youtube videos. I agree though, it would be best to get a professional involved. I wish we had with another of our dogs as she is very reactive towards other dogs (stems from fear) and it can be extremely challenging at times. It's definitely not something you want to let go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I agree with the others, if you can it would be best to get help. Zoe was dog aggressive and it really is no fun Here is "Look at That" which is something I found to be very helpful https://clickerleash.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/look-at-that-a-counterintuitive-approach-to-dealing-with-reactive-dogs/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Good suggestions here ... Good decision to not be saying 'No'. He has good reasons for his fear, IMO, so your job will be to keep him under threshold .. i.e far enough away that he is able to pay attention to you, instead of just reacting. If you inadvertently get to close, try 'turn and go' preferably round the front of your dog, so that you are showing that you are the protector and he doesn't have the responsibility of defending himself. It's useful to talk to him in a matter of fact tone of voice when you see an approaching dog, while at the same time, working out how to maintain a safe distance (that is, safe in his mind.) Something like "Look at that" will definitely be helpful. And obviously, while you're working on it, try to avoid situations such as dog parks where he might be approached too closely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Look at That for sure- but find better obedience classes where you can be taught how to use things like that in a controlled environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha bet Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 The attack itself doesn't need to be a problem long term... however it may have happened as your pup was heading into the initial fear stage which is common for the average pup at around 9 weeks or so. Hence it needs to be addressed quickly before it becomes your pups habit. I also agree that you need to find an alternative to the 'obedience club' you are currently attending.... This club is not addressing the situation and perhaps they do not have the right environment or the experience to deal with these issues. At this early stage of training - you are not trying to teach your puppy 'obedience' - this would be like trying to teach a 2 year old human to stand in a line or sit quietly in class, much of what we would expect of a 5 or 6 year old in primary school. - Pups of this age cannot create a structure of obedience - instead the Puppy Classes should be much more about building the bond with the handler and introducing pup to different concepts of using his body as well as coping with different personalities of puppies in an environment that allows him to have some space as he rebuilds his confidence. If you cannot find the right class what you need to find is people with good relaxed dogs who are pretty neutral - this means your your pup might initially be reactive but the other dogs will just ignore his bad behaviour and allow him the chance to work out they are not a problem, but in fact he might enjoy the interaction. What area of Vic are you in - Perhaps there are local people here who run classes that might suit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumtoshelley Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 Axel had a playdate with a grgeous 18 week old bull arab cross bull mastiff today At first he was wary,worried and was a bit snarling but within 30 minutes he started relaxing and playing with this gorgeous puppy. By time it was time to go home Axel refused to get in the car. He was pretty good considering, I was basicly ignoring the bad behaviour eg when he was growling at the other puppy I didn't pay any attention to him, but Patted the other puppy saying oh what a nice puppy. He then started coming towards the other puppy which was rewarded. When he started playing I told him Gentle which he listened too. I;m located near Mildura victoria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha bet Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Raising your puppies curiosity is terrific.... give him space to stop and watch others... if you can find a class where they are teaching puppy tricks or puppy agility games then your pup will watch the others and then venture forward as he wants to join in. Ring around different trainers in the area.... find the trick game classes and you will move him forward... Just remember it is common for dogs to go thru a couple of fear periods - often somewhere around 9 weeks and again around 9 months... if he looks like he is getting worried, give him space and the time to decide to try again. Dogs are great observers - dog parks can be a great place once your dog has confidence.... and if you have fenced parks nearby you can always take your dog to the park but stay OUTSIDE let him watch and give him time to become curious.... If you see someone leaving who has a calm relaxed dog ask if you can let their dog meet your pup. Once he gets the idea that meeting dogs generally is great fun he will learn to deal with the occasional bully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha bet Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 One thing I do find with the Golden Retriever is that they can be a bit slow on developing new ideas ... you need to hasten slowly with the goldies as they get tired and collapse - physically and mentally. If in a class and he wants to flop to the ground and won't walk on the lead - step to one side, let him have some time.... after 2-3 minutes then ask again... good chance he will be willing to continue. Always look for the times he seems to vague out and stop and relax before asking again. Don't try to compare your dogs progress against other dogs... the working breeds will race along learning new things and looking for the next but your Retriever is likely to get a bit confused if you try to add too many things at once. Relax and have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumtoshelley Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Udate on whats happening Axel will be seeing bronwyn welsh from delta dogs mildura for his behaviour towards other dogs and also a little towards people. His appointment is this friday, I know its going to take more then 1 visit to get him to where he can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Good for you starting early! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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