Need Help With My Crazy Cocker

[Leah82]

Ok, I need help with collie. I have just started a grooming business from home and Collie is not coping well with strange dogs coming and going.

He's always been a barker when someone knocks on the front door, no blocking or telling him it's ok will get him to shut up until he is able to greet the person. There's problem number 1, I don't want him barking at every customer that arrives. I've managed this one so far by distracting him with a frozen chicken wing outside while I get the customer and dog in, do the initial consult and bundle the dog into the grooming room (laundry).

Once I have the dog locked away collie gets to go back inside in the front room where he doesn't have direct access to the laundry, if OH is home he's ok, if not I get a lot of whining and howling interspersed with moments of peace.

And of course the main issue is when the dog leaves, knocking on the door means more barking and at that point distracting him with food is impossible because he's already agitated. Putting him outside means barking and howling, putting him in the crate results in the same the only thing that keeps him quiet is to put him in the car outside.

Anyway help would be appreciated, I don't want to subject my customers to helping me train my dog and I don't have anyone that can drop by with a dog on a regular basis either.

At this point I'm thinking a dap collar or drugs for when I have customers so he stays quiet and can get lots of praise for doing the right thing

[huski]

Is he crate trained?

I would look at training him to behave appropriately before drugging him.

[Florise]

Please don't use drugs.

[Leah82]

he is crate trained and most of the time is happy to be in there but when there is something more exciting going on outside of the crate he's not happy being in there.

So the question is how do I train him to behave without using customer's dogs as training aids?

I had a friend drop their dog off this morning. There was initial excitement but a couple of minutes out the back getting to know the new dog and he's now curled up in his crate with the door wide open with the new dog wandering around

[persephone]

Oh Dear

It's a shame you couldn't start his desensitising prior to working ...... I suggest getting in touch with Erny or Cosmolo pronto :)

[huski]

he is crate trained and most of the time is happy to be in there but when there is something more exciting going on outside of the crate he's not happy being in there.

So the question is how do I train him to behave without using customer's dogs as training aids?

I had a friend drop their dog off this morning. There was initial excitement but a couple of minutes out the back getting to know the new dog and he's now curled up in his crate with the door wide open with the new dog wandering around

If he was crate trained he would be relaxed in there any time, not just when there's nothing exciting going on. Are there other times he gets excited (ie dinner time, if you train your other dog etc)?

[RiverStar-Aura]

Try popping him in the crate with a lovely bone to gnaw on that might help keep him distracted

[Leah82]

he is crate trained and most of the time is happy to be in there but when there is something more exciting going on outside of the crate he's not happy being in there.

So the question is how do I train him to behave without using customer's dogs as training aids?

I had a friend drop their dog off this morning. There was initial excitement but a couple of minutes out the back getting to know the new dog and he's now curled up in his crate with the door wide open with the new dog wandering around

If he was crate trained he would be relaxed in there any time, not just when there's nothing exciting going on. Are there other times he gets excited (ie dinner time, if you train your other dog etc)?

So I play crate games with him which he loves, I reward him when he is being quiet and relaxed, what am I missing to get him to the point where he doesn't escalate?

and yes he does get excited around meal times and especially when I'm training Sarah, although definitely not to the same point as a new person in the house, it's more pawing at the door and whining

[louise6616]

also, a tired dog is a happy dog.. BIG walk in the morning might help!

[huski]

he is crate trained and most of the time is happy to be in there but when there is something more exciting going on outside of the crate he's not happy being in there.

So the question is how do I train him to behave without using customer's dogs as training aids?

I had a friend drop their dog off this morning. There was initial excitement but a couple of minutes out the back getting to know the new dog and he's now curled up in his crate with the door wide open with the new dog wandering around

If he was crate trained he would be relaxed in there any time, not just when there's nothing exciting going on. Are there other times he gets excited (ie dinner time, if you train your other dog etc)?

So I play crate games with him which he loves, I reward him when he is being quiet and relaxed, what am I missing to get him to the point where he doesn't escalate?

and yes he does get excited around meal times and especially when I'm training Sarah, although definitely not to the same point as a new person in the house, it's more pawing at the door and whining

It's like anything we train, you've taught him what the crate is and to relax in there but now you need to train and proof it by asking him to do for longer, at different times and around distraction.

If he finds those things exciting but not as exciting as someone coming to the house that's a great place to start training him to relax in the crate at times he gets excited.

[Brandiandwe]

Can I just say that, although trainibg is key, if he goes over threshold too quickly for trainibg to be effective, it might be worth investigating DAP or other options to be used in conjunction with training?

[2boxer]

My two go into their crate roughly 5 min before I expect clients to arrive. I usually have a treat waiting in their for them and they go in happily! Might he worth trying getting him in and settled before you expect people to arrive!

[raineth]

I'm not sure about the layout of your house (obviously) but could you put him in a crate in a closed room that is furthest from the action of your front door and where you groom the dogs?

He might be able to cope with it a bit better from more of a distance, and behind a closed door. Giving him a bone or something to occupy him as well.

Back when I had both the dogs, we practiced so that a knock on the door meant go into the crate. This made for very peaceful visits. You could incorporate this too maybe.

[Kavik]

There may be some ideas in this video

[Leah82]

Thanks guys, will start implementing some of these suggestions and see how we go, my next booking is Saturday so hopefully we can get some improvement between now and then.