Aggressive Reactivity

[huski]

M&mrc- if your dog already works well for trainers and not for you, what do you hope to achieve through boarding and training? While it is a great tool for some dogs and owners, it certainly isn't a cure all as dogs can quickly revert back to previous behaviours as a result of prior learning and owners different handling skills.

Totally agree with the above. Sending the dog away for someone else to train won't help you learn to handle him.

ETA: Personally I'd never board and train my dogs unless it was with a trainer I trusted explicitly, and even then, I'd need a damn good reason to do it as I think the most important thing is that I learn how to train my dog not have someone else do it for me.

Edited February 18, 2011 by huski

[Erny]

My apologies for the OT : M&MRC .... is your boy a Lagotto? I have a client on my books with a dog who looks almost exactly as yours does and he is a Lagotto. Nice dogs, although they have an aloof tendancy - don't get to see many of them around. But the one I work with is a great little guy who mainly needed/needs to be understood.

Also to M&MRC : I agree with Cosmolo to a big extent. The handling component needs to start at home. Without knowing what your prior trainers/behaviourists have informed/advised you it is impossible to know if it is a case of your confidence not being able to be increased. But perhaps a separate thread would be better in the event you plan to answer this, so as to not railroad the OP's thread.

Edited February 18, 2011 by Erny

[perfect partners]

hello, I have a 21mth old desexed boy that has shown fear aggression since he arrived in our home at 14 weeks, I have exlpored many avenues to overcome his fear, clicker training with a Delta puppyschool,books, a Jan Fennell trainer, behaviouralist's another trainer and hours of pratice, we have made a great deal of progress but I have not been able to overcome his lunging and barking at other dogs, joggers pretty much anything that runs when we are walking, to the point I walk him when I know the streets and parks will be empty. Recently through talking with a trainer I had a light bulb moment that has lead me to beleive that he just does not feel safe with me and as I have seen him work with a trainer and he is a different dog and it's so upseting that I cannot achive the same level of trust that they can. He is a very smart boy and will allways test me and I feel I'm not experienced enough to pick up on these moments which then reinforces his defenceive behaviour. Through talking with someone who also had a fear aggressive dog and contacting the trainer they used and talking with them about our problems they suggested dog training and boarding so I've been checking out their site and so far it looks like they might have what I'm missing and I thought you might want to have a look as well, their videos are impressive and I'll aslo pay them a visit and maybe try and talk with some of their past clients, if your interested it's Alpha Boarding Kennels and you click on Boarding School for Dogs and that is where you will find the videos. If there is anyone who reads this and has used them or knows of them I'd love your feedback,they also have an interstate program, they are located in Victoria. I hope this helps us both, all the best, Lou

I did about 18 months training with Alpha, including their trainers course, but I left before completing it as I got more and more disillusioned with their one size fits all training methods. My dog was becoming more and more shut down and I saw others with the same problem. You have to use head halters and are not allowed to use food. Since I left there and changed methods my dog is very motivated and super easy to train. They have some good ideas and their methods suit some dogs but the trainers don't seem to have much empathy with the dogs. My sister also took her dog there. She is a very soft dog and because the trainer was too hard with her when initially teaching her drop, she is still hesitant when asked to drop. My sister quit because her dog's responses were getting slower and slower. One of our friends took her dog to Alpha because he was reactive to some dogs when walking him. He went through the 6 levels and never reacted to any dogs while there but they didn't help her solve the problem away from training sessions. One private lesson with Underdog has made a big improvement. I'd suggest you talk to Underdog Training. I've done some training with them too and their methods are much more dog friendly.

Edited February 18, 2011 by perfect partners

[Erny]

I did about 18 months training with Alpha, including their trainers course, but I left before completing it as I got more and more disillusioned with their one size fits all training methods. My dog was becoming more and more shut down and I saw others with the same problem. You have to use head halters and are not allowed to use food.

I didn't know this. Head Collars, but not food? IMO the two go together. I'd not be using a toy/tug motivation sequence with a dog on a head collar, so what other motivation style do they promote? Just interested - I thought Alpha had a reasonable reputation.

[perfect partners]

I did about 18 months training with Alpha, including their trainers course, but I left before completing it as I got more and more disillusioned with their one size fits all training methods. My dog was becoming more and more shut down and I saw others with the same problem. You have to use head halters and are not allowed to use food.

I didn't know this. Head Collars, but not food? IMO the two go together. I'd not be using a toy/tug motivation sequence with a dog on a head collar, so what other motivation style do they promote? Just interested - I thought Alpha had a reasonable reputation.

No toys either. Releasing them from a sit/drop/stand/heeling was supposed to be their reward. Probably is rewarding to an energetic dog that doesn't like to stay still but not rewarding to those that are laid back and/or shut down. I had heaps of trouble getting my dog up from a drop so it certainly wasn't rewarding to her. Since using food/toys to reward her she is very motivated - except when it's hot weather! I have to admit I did start slipping her a treat or two when they weren't looking!

[Aidan3]

I have seen him work with a trainer and he is a different dog and it's so upseting that I cannot achive the same level of trust that they can.

This is something I have a gripe with and I'm always careful to explain why this happens. Whether it has anything to do with "trust" or not I don't know because I don't know your history with the dog, but dogs are almost always better in the hands of an experienced trainer for a few reasons. Trainers are skilled and rehearsed, often to the point of unconscious competence, so they know how to get the best out of your dog regardless of whether the animal "trusts" them or not. They also have almost no learning history with the dog, which means all those things that your dog's temperament throws up over time that would become a part of his behaviour simply haven't had time to happen. All dogs learn unwanted behaviours in anyone's hands, but a knowledgeable trainer will know how to change those behaviours more effectively.

So there is no need to put yourself through the guilt trip simply because your dog works better with a professional. You are there to learn, so you're doing what you can. If you take what you have learned and apply it and rehearse it day by day, you will get better at it. Your dog's learning history with you will change.

[Cosmolo]

What Aidan said

[Kelpie-i]

agree with Aidan too!!