lisaspence

Thanks everyone for all those helpful tips/advice! I guess I just get overwhelmed at times because a) Nambi (my dog I'm discussing) is my first dog I have owned (apart from family dog) and b) the symptoms were so gradual that it was so hard to recognise at first - thus is harder to combat. and c) our family dog is such a all round dog who we have never had any problems with (14 year old cavalier still with us thankfully!!! what a champ!!). So when I realised I couldn't help my dog alone and needed advice/help from vets etc, I realised it was gonna be such a hassle having Nambi. And yet she brings me so much joy and life that I feel so bad for even thinking badly about it. It annoys me that some people will never understand what its like to have a reactive dog - which is the majority of people that Nambi barks at. But its lovely I can ask for help on this site! So thanks! :)

Yes, I have tried that! I do like it, and so does she, but am yet to see it work in high stressed situations! She gets too focused on the other thing, and tunes me out - and the clicker. I totally think it would work to gradually work up to more stimulants, but how would you do that? Every day is different, as different people walk around at different times, and its never the same. You know? And for mental stimulation - walking on a leash is actually a lot of mental stimulation. Play-wise and outside walking, i've taught her to 'catch' from far away, we play 'hide and seek' in my house - my fav :) And usually my brother might play with her and gets her to sit, lie down and roll over. I also do a calming game, where I teach her to focus on only me (and treats) and looking into my eyes - and as she begins to calm more (ears relaxed, leg relaxed or even lying down), i reward her. Its great for when she gets too excited about something, as i just need to look at her and get her to sit, and she calms down. If this is the case, then you are either too late with your click or you are too close to the stimuli...or both. No matter what type of training you do to fix this, you are going to have to build up the stimuli & that could mean taking her for walks where there is less dogs. I did it with my girl in the environment of agility trials, & I always practice it when I am on walks with her where she might bump into a little white fluffy. Did you have a read of the notes I pointed you to ??? Just read through the notes you pointed me towards, and they look great. Thanks so much for that. Im going to try building the LAT up with her and start walking her at different times - it gets hard when I have work or uni, but now that its coming up to holidays, I can definitely start working on gradually building up the stimulus for her. Probably start with some mid-day walks (as no one is out and about at these times... too many busy people I think) and move on to different locations (i've got some thoughts on some parks that might work). Our usual walks are in the morning, and now looking at it - its probably one of the worst times to walk her (at this stage).

Just joining the convo here! (thanks for the suggestion to join Snook!). After going through my mind of what i could be doing wrong with my anxious dog. I saw a vet behaviourist (the lovely Dr. Jacqui Ley at the glen waverley clinic) at the start of the year and was given medication and training tools. We have had some concerns as to whether the drugs (fluexotine) was the appropriate dosage or whatever, but thought it must have been as she seemed more calm around the house. But still highly reactive on walks. But i have never been back to the vet as it cost so much the first time, and i've been so busy.. excuses excuses and i guess i should just take better care and responsibility for my dog. Did you find that switching to find the right medication was significantly better for your dog? Thanks

...it's not meant to offend you ... just some food for thoughts... :) I don't think it's a matter of trust. I think it's a matter of thresholds - fear is often the cause but it's not well recognised. I agree that introducing triggers slowly in different environments and at a greater distance will help. The "Look At That" approach i.e counterconditioning, is one I use and teach a lot. It's surprisingly effective. I totally agree. Do you have any recommendations as to how to introduce triggers slowly? Like taking her for walks - i obviously can't predict every runner, or every owner with a dog that might be coming around a corner. I could try night walking - as less people about. But i don't know where from there... it kinda seems my area is full of active people and dogs all day long! haha.

hm... the issue might be that she doesn't trust you?...at home, in the garden it is easy to be obedient, you have to train her outside her comfort zone, you can play with the distance to other dogs, reduce the distance slowly... Yes she doesn't trust me in those high stressed environments - she tunes me out and anything else out for that matter. My problem is that i can't find a location where I can put her outside her comfort zone and reduce the distance slowly - because as i have said, its not easy to do so in the real world. Theres lots of different distractions/stressers everyday, so its hard to keep a specific distance. Does that make sense?

Yes, I have tried that! I do like it, and so does she, but am yet to see it work in high stressed situations! She gets too focused on the other thing, and tunes me out - and the clicker. I totally think it would work to gradually work up to more stimulants, but how would you do that? Every day is different, as different people walk around at different times, and its never the same. You know? And for mental stimulation - walking on a leash is actually a lot of mental stimulation. Play-wise and outside walking, i've taught her to 'catch' from far away, we play 'hide and seek' in my house - my fav :) And usually my brother might play with her and gets her to sit, lie down and roll over. I also do a calming game, where I teach her to focus on only me (and treats) and looking into my eyes - and as she begins to calm more (ears relaxed, leg relaxed or even lying down), i reward her. Its great for when she gets too excited about something, as i just need to look at her and get her to sit, and she calms down.

...by not trying to change her behavior you reinforced it obviously over time ...you definitely need other dogs and experienced owners / trainers to help you out here. As you don't know how she would react if she would be face to face with another dog, you can't try it out with a dog owner you just met during the walk. For me it looks like she behaves like this because she never learned a different behavior - it might not be too difficult to change this...talk to an experienced trainer and give it a go... Thanks Willem, sorry I forgot - she is a cocker spaniel x poodle x labrador or golden retriever (we think) - she was an 'accidental' pup; her mum was a spaniel x poodle and her father was unknown. I agreed to adopt her because of the mothers temperaments. We have used methods in the past to try and change her behaviour - with private trainers using chocker collars/leads and it worked well for her pulling on the lead - she doesn't do that now. But we think it caused more fear/pain when used to correct behaviours surrounding her reactivity. Another trainer and behaviourist taught me to use a method where i positively reinforce (e.g. saying good girl) when coming close to a 'situation' and slowly get closer and closer until she doesn't react. But it is difficult when in an unpredictable world where suddenly there might be someone around the corner, or maybe we'll see no one on the walk. It is difficult to get anywhere with this method if every situation (walking session) is different. So yes i agree, it can't be tested on other dog owners on the walk! However, no i don't agree that she behaves this way because she never learnt another behaviour. As i said, she has anxiety and fear, but is otherwise an obedient dog. Her issue is that she doesn't feel comfortable in the situation - a closed off environment like being on a leash. In an open environment (like the park), she can choose who she meets and who she plays with, so usually if she doesn't feel comfortable around a certain dog - she may just move on and walk around them. She doesn't bark and lunge at them like she would in a closed environment. So no, I don't think its just because she hasn't learnt the appropriate behaviour. Sorry, I just have had this advice given to me numerous times and it does not work for my dog. But i appreciate your help! I would definitely look to teaching her other methods (when she doesn't want to meet a certain dog or person) when she feels more comfortable and less fearful.

Hello all! I am not new to these forums - I have been reading quite a few posts over the months :) But now have decided to post a question regarding my own dog! My dog (2 and half years old), has been through puppy training with the local community training (eastern suburbs obedience dog club) when she was young and is quite obedient to my demands! However, there were a few situations and poor advice making her symptoms escalate from 'just a shy dog that needs discipline and obedience' to a highly anxious, reactive and aggressive dog. When she turned 2, we decided to see a behaviourist who really helped us understand her. We now know how to deal with stressful situations and we have been in the process of 'conditioning' her. She is on medication for her anxiety - as she was beginning to be so anxious even around the home causing her to hurt her muscles/ligaments due to running so much and so sporadically just to 'check' on things. The medication has definitely helped with her anxiety at home - now she is much more calm, just lying around or playing with her ball :). However, we cannot take her to the park anymore as she may suddenly run off and chase a cyclist and bark at them until we finally grab her (although she has never bitten anyone or any dog). We walk her every morning and maybe some afternoons, only on the lead around the streets. I play with her daily - ball throwing/catching, tug-of-war, or just running around the back yard. On walks, we try to avoid people and other dogs - by crossing the road, or walking away from them - as she becomes extremely reactive and will lunge and bark until there is a good enough space for her to feel comfortable again. What i'm trying to get out is that, we understand our dog. We have tried numerous methods, but so far, we only have a few results. We understand persistence and understanding, but we eventually want to be able to walk her with no issues. I would REALLY like to socialise her more, as she does miss her doggy friends - she used to have a group of close dog friends who she loves and plays with for hours. I want to be able to walk her on her lead without feeling uncomfortable - where she feels calm enough to walk by dogs and people without feeling anxious or have the need to be aggressive. I understand she may always have her fears, but if she has the ability to have dog friends and get along with them, then I can only imagine she can get over her fears on the leash. She is such a affectionate dog to anyone who is close with her, but it is so sad to see her like this in other situations! What a joy she would bring to people if she could be comfortable with everyone! haha. But anyway... So soes anyone have any suggestions as to where I could take her for training? I was thinking group sessions, as it would help to become more familiar with being on the leash whilst near other 'strangers' and dogs. But I really don't know. I could muzzle her - for my own sanity. So that wouldn't be a problem. I would only hope other dog owners would understand my situation and not think I am the worst dog owner in the world... I have had a look at eastern companion training, and it looks quite good - but am up for any suggestions! I am willing to hop along to any the classes and check them all out before I commit to anything. But it would be GREAT if someone was in the same situation as me, and could help guide me! I must not be the only owner with an aggressive/anxious dog! Many thanks, Lisa