Hi I am new to all this and am not sure of how to use it

[ecc74x]

I have a 4 year old Gordon setter who has a lot of issues. The worst is aggressive towards people that enter the house. He doesn't like to be touch which makes grooming near on in possible, he reacts to dogs that run towards him, he lives in a highly aroused state most of the time. Training is difficult because if he doesn't understand he shuts down. Which is a shame because he wants to learn. He is a scaredy cat. Scared of almost everything. Hope you can help.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums,

The whole course is meant to teach your dog better impulse control through training (obedience 101 section) while the brain games provide mental stimulation and an outlet for many instinctive behaviors. This helps pave the path for a dog who is better able to focus and whose brain is challenged so to lead to happier, more relaxed dogs.

 

With the issues you are facing, on top of training and mental stimulation, your dog needs behavior modification. This often (especially when aggression is involved!) requires the intervention of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation. I will be sharing with you some examples of the kind of work I would do with dogs dealing with some issues you are describing in your setter.

 

This is an example of behavior modification conducted on a dog I worked with who barked at people entering the room:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/

 

For handling and grooming issues, I would once again use behavior modification techniques focusing again on desensitization and counterconditioning:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/

 

For example, I would start by touching the dog slightly and initially simultaneously feeding a high-value treat so it would be simultaneously touch- treat, touch-treat, touch-treat. Afterwards, the treat should be given right after the beginning of being touched rather than simultaneously so touch then treat, touch then treat, touch then treat with a slight overlap. We want to make it clear that treats happen contingent upon being touched so to create a positive association. Then we would gradually progress, increasing criteria to longer touches and then touches in various areas of the body (leaving the most difficult areas at last), always paying attention to the dog to ensure he is never stressed or giving signs of being uncomfortable.

 

If the dog ever looks uncomfortable (whale eyes, turning the head, lip licks, yawning), that is often a sign that we have progressed too fast and need to go a step back. For safety, it may be necessary to use a basket muzzle until we have gained trust and a reliable conditioned emotional response to being touched. Depending on the dog, sometimes the basket muzzle may be needed long term in case of procedures that may cause abrupt pain (e.g. medicating a wound or clipping nails where the quick may be accidentally clipped).

 

For reactivity towards dogs who run towards him, it is important to use management as much as possible in the initial stages (walking in areas where there are no off-leash dogs) and aim to once again work on behavior modification. You can find a detailed thread on this here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?301-Reactive-anxious-dog

 

If he shuts down during training whatever he is being asked may be too difficult, or he might feel intimidated by something (you standing in front of him, tone of voice, hands near his face). Gordon setters tend to be rather soft dogs, who are very sensitive. These dogs needs a lot of patience and exercises may need to be split in small steps. Baby steps.

 

Start in an indoor area where there are not many distractions. Use high-value treats. Keep sessions short, when he is struggling, ask something easy, and call it a day ending the session on a positive note (jackpot of treats, toss several small treats on the ground for him to scavenge for). Try your best to never show any frustration when he doesn't get things right away, he needs all the encouragement he can get!

 

Most of the training course uses luring as a method for training (using food to position the dog), but if your dog doesn't like hands near his face because he is hand shy, you can try capturing, which entails reinforcing spontaneous behaviors.

 

Basically, for training a dog to sit, what you do is wait for your dog to voluntarily sit. You can therefore have him in a room with little distractions, you sit down on the couch and just wait for him to sit. The moment he sits, you say "yes!" and toss a treat in his direction. Repeat several times. Trial after trial, your dog learns that sit makes good things happen and you should see it happening more and more often. Once it happens more and more predictably, you can add the verbal cue: just say "sit" a split second before you notice him sitting or right as he sits. After several trials, he'll start associating the word with the action and you can say "sit" and he should sit automatically.

 

You can find more tips on living with fearful dogs here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/?s=fear

 

I am sure your dog has a big potential for learning, he just needs tiny steps in the right direction. It can be done! Let us know if you need any assistance as you move through the course.

 

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog is aggressive or has shown fearful, defensive or aggressive behaviors, practice caution and consult with a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification.

Edited January 10, 2020 by Adrienne Farricelli