Loose Leash Walking

[PatsyIppolito]

Hi there.  I am feeling very frustrated (which I'm sure isn't helping).  I have a 21 month old terrier mix who is very smart.  She can learn a trick in less than 10 minutes and is able to sit, stay, roll over, play dead, be a sad puppy, play fetch, put a ball in a small cup, find hidden treats, does agility classes, just to name a few...  What we can't seem to figure out is loose leash walking.  We started in the house and she consistently is able to do it there as well as most of the time in the back yard.  However, despite much practice, and working in only very short sessions outside the yard, as soon as we leave the gate, she is pulling and running forward.  Originally I would stop and stand still and wait for her to turn back so there was slack in the leash and then treat at my side.  After  a lot of this and still not gaining much success outside the yard, I switched to making gentle u-turns every time she moved ahead so the leash was tight and then treating her at my side.  We have been trying to work on this a couple of times a day for months.  She is high energy so usually we do something to tire her out before ie. play date, brain training, fetch etc.   What am I doing wrong?  It is making walks very unenjoyable for both of us and I so want us to be able to walk for more than 100 meters in an enjoyable way.  Any suggestions are welcome.  

[PatsyIppolito]

Also, I forgot to mention, that I have switched from using a harness to just using a collar and a non-retractable leash.  We have always only used a 6 foot leash - nothing retractable.  

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Hang in there! Walking nicely on the leash is a work in progress. It takes a good level of impulse control and lots of practice. If we also have emotions getting in the way (like a dog who is anxious or overly excited) these can put a dent too since these dogs are too over threshold to be able to think and learn. Also things get complicated if we allow them to pull every now and then, as we send them mixed messages. 

What type of harness have you been using exactly? Was it a front-clip one (with the leash attaching to the front ring?) If so, what model?

Is there any reason why you have switched from the harness back to a collar?

How large is your dog? Is this your Yorkie, Maltese, Shitzu mix?

If so, I see you have had her for some time... did you just start now training her to walk on leash? Or did you start a while back and due to the pandemic have taken a break walking her? Or have you been struggling on this since you got her?

Is she anxious about something on walks, (like seeing other dogs, noises etc?)

 

[PatsyIppolito]

I was using a harness that I could clip on the front or back - Poypet is the brand.  I switched because everyone else at agility was only using a collar and I read somewhere that sometimes they respond better with just a collar.  

I don't allow her to pull - as I said we stop or lately I have been doing uturns instead of stopping as it didn't seem to be changing the behavior.  She would come back and heel, but then we would take a few steps and do it all over again.  

Yes, this is my little Yorkie, Maltese, Shitzu mix.  

We took a bit of a break during the winter when it was so cold and practiced inside - like I said - inside things are fine - mostly in the backyard too.  We have been working on this since I got her as a  young puppy.  

She does get really excited when she sees other dogs, although we have been using sit and look at me and that has helped.  Rabbits are another story.....

I feel like a bad dog mom - she is almost 2 years old and we can't even go for a nice walk.  Friends around me have dogs similar in age and are all out going for long walks.  Some of their dogs are 15 feet in front of them, and if I was ok with that we could be too.  Maybe I'm being to anal about the whole thing???  Seems like others just slap a leash on and let them lead, pull, whatever....

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Patsy, 

Thank you for the extra details, very helpful! Please see my observations in non-bold. 

I feel like a bad dog mom - she is almost 2 years old and we can't even go for a nice walk.  Friends around me have dogs similar in age and are all out going for long walks.  Some of their dogs are 15 feet in front of them, and if I was ok with that we could be too.  Maybe I'm being to anal about the whole thing???  Seems like others just slap a leash on and let them lead, pull, whatever....

First of all, please don't feel like a bad dog mom, walking nicely on leash is not easy. Firstly, it is not one simple behavior to teach, it is actually several. There are multiple behaviors going on and we need to fully understand all the dynamics occurring, and even then, it's not easy because 1) dogs are naturally prone to walking faster than us, 2) dogs who are overly excited or anxious struggle being in a learning state 3) dogs aren't great in generalizing behaviors they have learned in the house and applying them in other areas, 4) the exercises can be tedious and boring for us when all we want to do is just go on walk!

Your friends likely are OK with their dogs pulling. I know countless dog owners who never really trained their dogs to walk nicely on leash. They don't mind being dragged for the ride. They are missing out on how it feels to go on a more relaxed walk. And then, there are safety issues to consider. With a dog pulling there is no control so the dogs may rush to greet other dogs, people can trip over the leash and a dog out of control can be hit by a car or a person on a skate board coming at full speed from behind a corner. 

I was using a harness that I could clip on the front or back - Poypet is the brand.  I switched because everyone else at agility was only using a collar and I read somewhere that sometimes they respond better with just a collar.  Yes, this is my little Yorkie, Maltese, Shitzu mix.  

One main benefit of the harness is that, for small dogs, it protects their delicate trachea. Many small dogs are prone to tracheal collapse. Most represented breeds are Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Shih-tzu, Lhasa Apsos, Toy Poodles and Yorkies. In small dogs who pull, repeated damage to the their tracheas can have a cumulative effect over the years. 

We started in the house and she consistently is able to do it there as well as most of the time in the back yard.  However, despite much practice, and working in only very short sessions outside the yard, as soon as we leave the gate, she is pulling and running forward.

However, despite much practice, and working in only very short sessions outside the yard, as soon as we leave the gate, she is pulling and running forward.  Originally I would stop and stand still and wait for her to turn back so there was slack in the leash and then treat at my side.  After  a lot of this and still not gaining much success outside the yard, I switched to making gentle u-turns every time she moved ahead so the leash was tight and then treating her at my side.  We have been trying to work on this a couple of times a day for months.  

She is high energy so usually we do something to tire her out before ie. play date, brain training, fetch etc. 

Are you rewarding her consistently when she heels like first every step/then every few steps? I mean like several treats in a row so to let her understand that your side is the place to be. You can even start indoors on this without a leash. Practice walking her back and forth as you treat her for walking by your side. Then, do the same in the yard, then practice this walking towards the gate (if the area is fenced). Then clip the leash on, and practice walking back and forth towards the gate and treating for sticking to your side. Then open the gate, practice walking towards the open gate without her pulling. If she pulls, either  stop and call her back into position, turn, or walk her in a circle. Keep the gate open and keep practicing walking towards and then aim to walk past the gate, and the moment she pulls, once again, stop and call her back into position, make an about turn or walk her in a circle until the leash is slack again. 

Practice several times, until the concept sinks in: the loose leash is your accelerator, the tight leash is your break. I even like to add a midway cue, basically, when I notice the dog is starting to pull ahead, I will make my steps really heavy (making noise) and informing the dog that his walking faster only makes me walk slower and even come to a stop if the dog reaches the end of the leash. 

We took a bit of a break during the winter when it was so cold and practiced inside - like I said - inside things are fine - mostly in the backyard too.  We have been working on this since I got her as a  young puppy.  

I don't allow her to pull - as I said we stop or lately I have been doing uturns instead of stopping as it didn't seem to be changing the behavior.  She would come back and heel, but then we would take a few steps and do it all over again.  

I am afraid there may be some inconsistencies at play. Breaks can be deleterious to any progress we may have made as we then need to go back to basics. The less a dog is walked (even skipping a day, I can notice a difference!), the more overly excited. overstimulated or anxious they will become once we bring them back to the outdoor world, and the more excited/overstimulated/anxious they are, the more we need to put in work. So if we stop walks for some time, we lose momentum, and we then are back to square one, and then that demotivates us and we turn into a vicious cycle of frustration and de-motivation. 

It is also true that, when we get frustrated by the lack of progress, we often feel tempted to just walk them for the sake of it, allowing them to pull. Not saying that's your case, but it's a very common scenario. I know you said you don't allow her to pull, but we need to also consider that, if we allow them to pull on any type of walks (even walks to go potty, or walks to take them to the vet or walks from the car to inside the field where agility classes are held) we are reinforcing their pulling, and therefore, we send mixed messages which gets extra confusing to them. 

My training mentor I worked with years ago was very adamant about this. He would not let any dogs into the agility field unless they were walking on a loose leash. I mean he literally closed the entrance door in the face of any dogs who were pulling and ahead of their owners, eager to get in the field. It was such a pet peeve of his. After several trials, and with the help of tasty treats, most dogs would make it through the entrance (although it would take some time for some dogs), but it made sense because allowing dogs to pull sometimes yes and sometimes no, puts the behavior on a variable schedule, making it super harder to fix. 

Of course, we can't always micromanage our dogs' lives to the point where we never ever get them to pull. Life happens, one day, vet staff may come to call us telling us the vet is ready for us, and they don't have the time or will to deal with us practicing entering the building on a loose leash! Yet, mental note for the future: on a day when we have time, we can make it a goal to go practice entering the building on a loose leash when we're not under the pressure for an appointment. 

The main concept is all about training a dog what makes them move forward. A loose leash that is, and we must do that over and over. Apply it in different scenarios, gradually adding distractions into the mix. If something is too distracting, we do some troubleshooting, split the exercise into smaller, easier steps, offer super valuable treats to make us compete with an stimuli, evaluate whether there are some emotions interfering etc.  

Attaining this skill often takes weeks and sometimes months. Aim for a year for really solid training where the dog learns to generalize the training to almost everywhere. On top of teaching the dog to not pull, it's also about relationship-building. As we train our dogs using positive reinforcement, they bond to us more and more perceiving us as their "secure base." They'll come to want to stick to us more rather than gaining constant reinforcement from the environment. Of course though, dogs need their time to be a dog too. So training a "go sniff" cue is important. Basically, when a dog is walking politely and we pass by some bushes, we can point and tell them to go sniff for some time. This is a natural reinforcer. Then, we say 'let's go" and resume our walks. 

As mentioned, dogs are naturally faster than us, they may prefer to trot. Sometimes picking up the pace can help prevent the leash from being too tense and setting our dogs up for success, especially at the beginning of walks, when dogs are very excited. Of course, with time we'll aim to train them to walk slower, but this can get us over that initial hurdle. 

Some good exercises are also teaching dogs that our movements are unpredictable so that they learn to focus more on us. I like to do lefts, rights, circles, and then serpentines to get dogs dog to pay attention. We can start this in a fenced yard. Your dog is likely already getting a good dose of that already in agility, but it's always good to practice. Here is a guide on serpentines and spirals:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/graduation/serpentines-and-spirals/

As you reach the area of the gate, try swapping to something extra high value. Many use chicken slivers or sodium-free organic hotdog slices, check with your vet if your dog is prone to upset tummy or has allergies. 

You may find that once you get over that gate threshold hurdle, things may get better. It could be that to your dog, the gate has come to represent a visual reminder of the super enticing outdoor world. Try keeping it open and practicing over and over getting out of it on a loose leash. 

Walking the same routes over and over can also help gain a more consistent response, then,  once you have that pat down,  you can try a little bit of a new path, but consider the chance for a setback, (sort of like the threshold of another gate, beyond which there are super salient stimuli) so you may need to re-apply the training there, each day aiming to progress a little more and being satisfied with a little progress each day. 

Remember that behavior is reward-driven, so the ultimately reason dogs pull is because we move forward with them. We need to go at their pace in the process, and troubleshoot issues. Before learning how to run, we need to crawl, then walk, and finally then run, so baby steps. 

Now, there is a possible compromise we can sometimes make with our dogs, but we need to make things crystal clear. In other words, we can use a leash attached to the back of the harness for pleasure walks and the leash attached to the front for loose leash walking. Many wonder whether this may confuse dogs, but we have service dogs who know that, when they wear that specific vest it's time for working so it's possible for dogs to predict what type of walk we will do based on equipment.

In the pleasure walks, we may therefore allow the dog to walk in front of us on a longer leash -on safe trails, not city walks- but must never permit actively pulling. In other words, when they are about to start pulling, we slow down and even stop if they reach the end and pull, and then resume all over again, slowing down as necessary until the dog learns to pay attention to how tense the leash is getting and adjusts accordingly. 

In the loose leash walking, the dog is kept for the most part next to us, and we may need to keep the leash shorter initially until the dog gets the idea.

 I am not really a big fan of swapping between two ways of walking, it can be confusing for some dogs, especially with dogs who aren't trained well yet, but it's better than just giving up loose-leash walking altogether.  To help these dogs learn better the difference between pleasure walks and loose leash walks, we can even have them start in heel position and tell them "go ahead" pointing ahead and therefore putting walking in front of us on cue. One advantage of this, is that, when we put a behavior strongly on cue, the behavior is less likely to happen unless we tell them to. 

I am posting below a video of some training done with a dog who was totally new to leash training. You'll see several of the methods mentioned about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKC1xp7XFPw

I hope this helps!

Happy Training!

Best,

Adrienne 

[PatsyIppolito]

Hi Again,

Thanks for the information.  What you describe in the paragraph which starts "Are you rewarding her consistently...." is exactly what we have been doing.  She knows to sit and wait before the gate is opened and also at the door.  Also when I stop she stops and sits beside me.  All of those things she can do very consistently in the house and in the yard and has been able to do consistently in those settings for at least 6 months.  Perhaps that is why I am so frustrated.  Outside the yard I am still treating her every few feet, but she continues to run ahead.  

I don't allow pulling in any setting.  When I take her places and she tries to pull, we turn around and go the other way or I call her to a heel position.  I feel like she is losing out by not getting to go for longer walks and can't help but wonder what I am doing wrong that we struggle so much out of the yard.  I do recognize that the breaks in the winter probably didn't help.  We practiced inside, but it was simply too cold for a lot of the winter for her to be walking - even with coat and boots.  -30 is cold for little dogs!

Do you have a preference over stop vs uturn vs turn in circles when they pull?   Also, the harness we have is the PoyPet No Pull Dog Harness, No Choke Front Lead Dog Reflective Harness, Adjustable Soft Padded Pet Vest - we need a new one so just wondering if there is something different that you would recommend.  

 

Thanks again,

Patsy

[Adrienne Farricelli]

What you describe in the paragraph which starts "Are you rewarding her consistently...." is exactly what we have been doing.  She knows to sit and wait before the gate is opened and also at the door.  Also when I stop she stops and sits beside me.  All of those things she can do very consistently in the house and in the yard and has been able to do consistently in those settings for at least 6 months.  Perhaps that is why I am so frustrated. 

Being that she can do it in the house and yard well, shows that she's capable of performing the behavior and you have the skill to train. The going past the gate issue is  likely causing some strong emotional responses that are causing her to be too over threshold. When a dog is too over threshold, their cognitive functions decline (try to think straight when you're too anxious of excited about something!) so we need to find ways to get over this hurdle. 

So here are some more tips:

-Practice the stopping and getting your dog back to heel/turning around/ circling behaviors in the home and then in the yard and then practice a whole lot within the gate area, but without going out of the gate.....yet. You want to gain a very fluent response, then open the gate and practice walking towards it, back and forth, back and forth, praising rewarding for being on a loose leash and doing the stopping and getting your dog back to heel/turning around/ circling behaviors as needed. 

At some point, she should grasp the idea that advancing towards the gate pulling doesn't get you to go forward. It will happen eventually, it's a matter of not getting frustrated or giving up and sometimes being more motivated/goal-oriented than our dogs. When that happens praise and reward her with a jackpot of treats (several treats dropped on the ground). 

-When you are walking past the gate area, rather than praising her and hand feeding a treat, try to toss the treat/treats to the ground. Do this only if you are good at aiming not too far away that she has to pull to get them. If you make this a game, chances are, she'll look forward to playing this, versus focusing on pulling ahead. 

-You can start practicing scatter feeding around the home and yard first, then generalize in many different environments.  It's calming for over aroused dogs to sniff and search for treats and this can help increase dog comfort. Not to mention, it's rather easy to implement.

-If the place allows, you can try to bring a chair by the edge of the gate with your dog on leash and sit down there. The goal is to get her calm enough and make the area less salient. While siting there, reward calm, non-pulling behaviors (looking at you, sitting, laying down). As soon as you notice a calm behavior, make your smacking sound,https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ and praise/reward with a treat.  Do this several times until she seems more comfortable with the area. 

You can then turn this into a teaching moment. In other words, as you're sitting on the chair, if she pulls ahead, wait it out, then, when she comes back to you and leash is slack, praise that, and reward her with you getting up to go on the walk (if she seems eager to want to go). Feed treats (or toss them) to help her stick nearby without pulling. If she pulls again, then make an about turn and go back to sitting on the chair. If she pulls as you're getting up, be ready to back promptly into the chair (make sure not to miss! I have done that!). Make it a game.  Rinse and repeat until she understands that, in order to start the walk, the leash needs to be loose, then do the same exercise but this time standing by the gate. 

-Schedule your walks to the quietest times. Sometimes, there are specific triggers that dogs struggle with. 

-Drive to a quieter area for walks. 

-Try to drive her to a nearby area, do the same chair exercise (but this time using your car seat) and practice walking her back home. You don't have to make her walk the entire way home, even a few feet is good enough to call it a day and end it on a positive note. 

-If a dog is too over threshold due to fear/anxiety, calming supplements or prescription meds from a vet may be needed. 

-If a dog is over threshold due to triggers, it's important to work on desensitizing and counterconditioning them to them.  The dog I worked with needed to do an intensive remedial socialization program to feel comfortable enough walking politely on the leash in the city. 

Outside the yard I am still treating her every few feet, but she continues to run ahead.

Sounds like a yo-yo walk due to behavior chains. Dogs basically come to think that pulling and returning to you is the whole exercise. Not all dogs do this, but the especially bright dogs often do. These dogs basically will be pulling, then they come back to us for a treat, then forge ahead and pull, then come get a treat etc. A behavior chain requires some skill to stop. I work on this with providing frequent feedback as mentioned above.

If your dog seem to do this, then, the moment she pulls ahead, you can use a slowing down option to put in the middle of the two behaviors (heeling next to you and pulling).  In other words, right after your dog has eaten the treat after several steps of heeling, start slowing down and then stop in your tracks the moment she reaches the end of the leash.

Imagine being a tree, where as your dog starts pulling, you start getting heavier, slowing down and then you stop in your tracks, put roots and "become a tree."  You want to anticipate your dog in this. If you do this enough times, your dog will come to learn that "When I start to pull, my owner slows down, when I reach the end of the leash my owner stops, when I don't pull my owner keeps walking and I even get tasty treats! Pulling or trying to pull is not good if I want to keep walking!"

You can even issue a warning that you are about to slow down by saying a split second prior to slowing down something like "slow down" and then "oops!" (or anything else) once you put roots and stop walking. This pre- warning will help your dog succeed as she will learn to adjust her pace to yours upon hearing you pronounce that, while the "oops" works to get your dog's attention and understand what is happening.

So once your dog understands, that, when she forges ahead and pulls, you slow down and stop, you'll notice more occasions of her walking next to you which you can promptly reward so she learns it's great to stick nearby.  With small dogs, we can even drop treats to the ground next to us to reward them rather than feeding them repeatedly right next to our knee. 

Do you have a preference over stop vs uturn vs turn in circles when they pull? 

I sort of vary based on specific circumstances. For instance, on a tight sidewalk with cars on the road, I don't have the luxury to do a circle. A u-turn  may be impractical if behind us there is another dog. Sometimes, we may not have enough time to stop and ask for a dog to come back into heel position. So now, I train all three exercises at a fluent level before going on walks, and then practice in the home/yard, and then in front of the home, and then gradually stretch a little more and more.

Also, the harness we have is the PoyPet No Pull Dog Harness, No Choke Front Lead Dog Reflective Harness, Adjustable Soft Padded Pet Vest - we need a new one so just wondering if there is something different that you would recommend.  
 
Your harness looks pretty good, is has front and back options and  it's good you don't have to have anything go over the head as many small dogs struggle with that. I know many harness are claimed as being no pull, but  over all, a better name would be "control-better-your-dog-while- you-are- training" harnesses as a trainer colleague of mine once said. There are some models with a martingale strap in the front which tightens when te dog pulls, but in the case of an anxious dog we don't need any additional sources of stress happening in their environment..

So far, some of the most rated harness are "the Perfect Fit harness" the Balance harness and the Ruffwear Front Range harness. 

Keep me posted on how things go, I have some extra methods we can try out, but before going those routes, I rather try the less-habit forming methods first. 

[PatsyIppolito]

Thanks again for your info.  We have gone back to the very beginning as if starting all over again.  I have a new harness for her and am using the front clip.  We are going out at least twice a day for short stints.   She is doing ok for the most part.  Tonight we had a very short walk.  Unfortunately we have many rabbits in our city and they tend to jump out and she completely freaks out.  We turned and went the other way, but then two dogs came down the street on the other side of the street.  She was already over threshold at that point and completely freaked out so we called it a night and came home after 5 minutes.  

I could also use some guidance regarding other dogs.  If she meets other dogs in a store or when she is off leash in our house or yard when other dogs come over or when we go to houses with other dogs or even when we have gone to small dog play group or agility, she seems to be quite fine and is actually quite submissive.  Out on walks however, if she sees another dog, she tends to bark and lunge towards them.  Sometimes I can get her to sit and look at me and we do ok, but other times like tonight she is completely out of control.  It is so embarrassing!   I know she was over threshold tonight, but still.   Again, any suggestions would be welcome.  I feel like she should be better at that by now too.  Maybe my expectations are too high??

Thanks.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Unfortunately we have many rabbits in our city and they tend to jump out and she completely freaks out.  We turned and went the other way, but then two dogs came down the street on the other side of the street.  She was already over threshold at that point and completely freaked out so we called it a night and came home after 5 minutes.

By freaks out do you mean she loses it and wants to chase the rabbits, or is she scared of them? Does she try to pull to get to them or escape from them? And with the dogs, when she completely freaked out was it because she was overly excited and wanted to go meet them or would you say she's reactive towards them? Sounds like lots of triggers that are putting a dent in her receptiveness. She needs to be at baseline to be able to cognitively function. 

I could also use some guidance regarding other dogs.  If she meets other dogs in a store or when she is off leash in our house or yard when other dogs come over or when we go to houses with other dogs or even when we have gone to small dog play group or agility, she seems to be quite fine and is actually quite submissive. 

Out on walks however, if she sees another dog, she tends to bark and lunge towards them.  Sometimes I can get her to sit and look at me and we do ok, but other times like tonight she is completely out of control.  It is so embarrassing!   I know she was over threshold tonight, but still.   Again, any suggestions would be welcome. 

When she is off leash does she seem overall friendly and happy to interact? Do you notice any stressed body language? When you state she acts submissive is she keeping her head low, tail low, lifting a paw, licking her lips, yawning, does she walk tentatively around? Do other dogs bully her, chasing her around and her slinking or walking away? Does she play? 

Lunging and barking can be seen in dogs who are reactive due to underlying fear/defensive aggression, but can also be seen in social butterflies who get frustrated from being on a leash unable to go greet. It is known as barrier frustration. It requires a slightly different approach than the actual reactivity from fear/defensiveness. 

I feel like she should be better at that by now too.  Maybe my expectations are too high??

If she has been rehearsing reactive behaviors for some time and/or if she is often over threshold, this can really slow down progressing. It's important tackling these emotions so to have the dog in a learning, operant state. This requires to a good extent more behavior modification initially than training. 

[PatsyIppolito]

With the rabbits, she definitely wants to chase them.  With other dogs it's hard to tell what she wants.  She doesn't bark like that and lunge toward every dog.  Last night she was definitely over threshold.

She is very social and especially loves people.  Around other dogs she tends initially to walk tentatively and if they approach her will often lay on her back - paws up.  She has been chased a few times by bigger dogs at some dog friendly trails so is quite tentative there.  We haven't been there over the winter.  She has a little dog next door that she plays with.  She had a big buddy across the street that she played with too, but he unfortunately moved away.  Recently I had a friend's little dog stay with me for 3 nights.  She is a tiny dog and elderly so wasn't overly interested in playing.  Maisie tried to play with her, but took the hint when the other dog indicated she didn't want to play.  At the recommendation of our vet, I don't take her to off leash parks.  The vet has seen too many dogs hurt or worse at off leash parks so discouraged us from going there.  There was a small dog killed at one of our off leash parks just this past fall.  We are trying to get at least one small dog off leash park in the city.  Perhaps I should be finding other ways for her to spend time with other dogs?  

I think there is a bit of both at play - sometimes barrier frustration and sometimes fear/defensiveness.  

I think also that overall she revs pretty high - very high energy - wants to play all the time.  I worry that I may have contributed to that.  I am the only one here with her and worry about her being bored or unhappy.  She gets lots of attention and stimulation - games, fetch, agility, etc.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

With the rabbits, she definitely wants to chase them. 

Thanks for the extra details,

So with the rabbits, you'll need to strategically plan your walks so that you can avoid them-at least until she's better trained to control her impulses. This may take some tactical approaches and learning more about their habits. For instance, rabbits being crepuscular, we'll be more likely to encounter them at dusk and dawn compared to during the day. Also, being vulnerable beings, they may stick to bushes and trees rather than open spaces and public roads/ busier areas. Scanning for their presence as you walk, can help you make good decisions so to prevent putting your dog into a sticky situation. This is the management approach. 

Management is a temporary measure until the dog is better trained and for those times when we don't have time to dedicate to training. As for training, being part Yorkie, consider that the desire to chase critters is strong. Yorkies were selectively bred to chase and kill quarry underground (like rats and mice). Because of this, their impulse to chase critters cannot be entirely cancelled out, but it can be provided with outlets and redirected. You will therefore likely need a multi-pronged approach.

-I would focus on impulse control and frustration tolerance exercises:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/

-I think flirt pole exercises using the leave it and drop it commands can turn helpful. There are many flirt poles on the market nowadays. 

-With dogs with high predatory drive, I like to create set-ups. Like I like to  practice leave its https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ with fake birds/rabbits etc (you can find these online) and have helpers that drag around such stuffed animals tied to a long string in tall grass. I also have helpers also toss rocks (without the dog seeing) in tall grass on an opposite field and practice with that while the dog is on leash. Soon, the dog realizes that the sounds of grass being moved by the tossed rocks doesn't produce prey and learns to attend less to it and pay more attention to the treats I have. 

-Try the smacking sound. With some challenging high-predatory drive dogs, I find that more than verbal cues (like saying leave it) they may respond more readily to sounds. I have therefore had more success with these guys by making a smacking sound and then delivering a treat to reinforce paying attention to me/looking at me. I start training this in areas with little distractions like a fenced yard and then gradually increase the level of distractions. Rep after rep, the goal is to have a dog who learns to look at you by default anytime your dog hears a sound/catches a smell. Here is how to train the smacking sound: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/

-Reward with high-value foods. Very important is to use very high value rewards for choosing to leave it or walk nicely on a loose leash. These rewards need to surpass the adrenaline associated with the fun of the chase.  I like to feed several treats in a row (I use the super duper high value foods like strips of baked liver) to leave a strong impact. However, in some dogs bred for hunting, the drive/instinct to hunt is so strong that they can care less even if you dangle a slice of liverwurst in their face. Their eyes are sort of glazed over, and they look as if they're in a trance. It's important to catch them before they get to this state and are still under threshold.

-Don't forget about scent. Dogs with predatory drive are blessed with strong noses so you may want too practice with scent too. Find some rabbit fur online, you can practice with that (since the fur retains some odor) by creating set-ups. You can have a helper on walks place the fur in a bushy area (prior to you walking by), and you can practice walking by that area and doing leave its initially at a distance from the bush (always with the leash) using super value treats to reinforce good choices. Another idea that comes to mind, if you spot on walks an area where there are often rabbits, and you see them flee away, you can practice walking by this area since there will be some residual scent. 

Will tackle the reactivity towards other dogs shortly in a next post!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

 Around other dogs she tends initially to walk tentatively and if they approach her will often lay on her back - paws up.  She has been chased a few times by bigger dogs at some dog friendly trails so is quite tentative there.  We haven't been there over the winter.  She has a little dog next door that she plays with.  She had a big buddy across the street that she played with too, but he unfortunately moved away.  Recently I had a friend's little dog stay with me for 3 nights.  She is a tiny dog and elderly so wasn't overly interested in playing. Maisie tried to play with her, but took the hint when the other dog indicated she didn't want to play. 

OK, so sounds like she does well with certain playmates. Some dogs she may find come too strong, or are intimidating and she reacts to those by showing appeasement gestures. It was nice that Maisie was respectful of the older dogs' wishes to not play.  

At the recommendation of our vet, I don't take her to off leash parks.  The vet has seen too many dogs hurt or worse at off leash parks so discouraged us from going there. There was a small dog killed at one of our off leash parks just this past fall.  We are trying to get at least one small dog off leash park in the city.  Perhaps I should be finding other ways for her to spend time with other dogs?  

Your vet is right, dog parks can really cause troubles, physically and behaviorally. There are of course some exceptions to the rule. Small dog parks for small dogs are safer than dog parks that allow a bunch of dogs of all sizes to mingle, but on top of size, we need to consider how the other dogs are behaving. If dogs are constantly chasing other dogs around, acting pushy and not being respectful of other dogs' request to tone down their style of play, they can do more harm than good. In these cases, play dates with other dogs you know your dog is comfortable being around and that share similar play styles may be better. 

I think there is a bit of both at play - sometimes barrier frustration and sometimes fear/defensiveness.  

In such a case, she may benefit from management, some behavior modification followed then with training. I'll go a little bit more on depth on this, it's important to prevent her from going over threshold. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Management: the main purpose is to prevent the dog from  rehearsing over the threshold behaviors over and over as doing so leads to perfection. In other words, practice makes perfect. Just like an actor gets better and better in reciting for a play by doing rehearsals, dogs get better and better in performing certain behaviors and therefore carrying out these behavior becomes almost like second nature. 

Hence, the importance of avoiding exposure to stimuli and situations that trigger the dog to go over threshold. This is known as "managing the dog's environment." t 
Your main goal is to therefore proactively manage your dog and her environment between training/ behavior modification sessions so to prevent rehearsals of over-threshold behaviors. The benefits of  behavior management are various. 

1) Management helps keep every body safe. By preventing a dog from going over threshold, you reduce the chances for the dog to harm herself, yourself and other people or dogs. When dogs are over threshold, they are more likely to react in impulsive ways and this can include biting (this may not apply to your dog in particular, but worthy of mentioning). 

2) Management reduces a dog's stress. By no longer exposing the dog to overwhelming situations, the dog is in a calmer state. Consider that every time a dog displays aggressive behavior, several neurochemical and behavioral reinforcement systems are activated. 

3) Management reduces an owner's stress. With the dog no longer over threshold, the dog owner can relax no longer feeling anxious or embarrassed by the dog's over-the-top behavior. A reprieve from exposure to triggers therefore gives both dogs and owners time to "chill out."

4) Management prevents rehearsal. As mentioned, every time a dog is exposed to a trigger and reacts to it, he/she is learning to practice the behavior.  Soon, courtesy of associative learning, the dog learns to associate its anxiety and all of its accompanying autonomic responses (rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing) with that particular stimulus or situation. 

Ways You Can Manage Your Dog's Environment 
There are many steps you can take to manage your dog's environment so that she feels safe and you protect her from unnecessary stress, which only makes matters worse.  For instance, in the case of reactivity to other dogs on walks:

• Walk at a distance from other dogs.
• Use an emergency U-turn if you see dogs coming your way. Here is a guide on how to train that: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/
• Walk your dog at night or early morning hours to avoid peak times (yet, consider that this is the time when rabbits are out! So maybe pick areas where rabbits are not around, avoid trails or maybe drive somewhere?)
• Avoid rehearsal of barking at other dogs from windows and behind fences. Block access to the window area. Apply opaque window film to windows, use privacy fence/keep dog on leash in the yard. Avoid the perimeters of the fence. 

Of course, keeping your dog away from all of his triggers won't do much to fix the problem, but at least it prevents it from establishing and getting worse. The earlier you intervene in taking measures to prevent rehearsal, the better, since your dog has less chances of rehearsing the behavior allowing it to put roots. As the saying goes "best to nip the behavior issue in the bud" than dealing with a deeply entrenched behavior. 

Management is therefore a temporary measure that should be in place as you systematically plan and take steps to implement behavior modification techniques. Management works great also for those times when you do not have much time for training, but don't want your dog to go over threshold. 

Become a Pro in Reading Body Language 

On top of management, you want to become a pro in reading your dog's body language. Through body language you can decipher how your dog is feeling. This can help decrease the chances for a dog feeling overwhelmed and getting over threshold. Here are some subtle and less subtle signs of stress: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/signs-fear-stress-dogs/

Your goal is to therefore keep your dog as consistently relaxed as possible during the day, and then dedicate some time systematically exposing your dog to her triggers (through organized setups) so that she's aware of them but under threshold.

Signs a Dog Is Over Threshold

The dog is exposed to the full intensity form of the trigger. The dog is overwhelmed, panicky, reactive and unable to concentrate. She may bark, lunge, growl. What to do: remove the dog from the situation and allow her to decompress in a safe area. 

Signs a Dog in Under Threshold 

The dog is exposed to a less-intense form of the trigger. The dog is alert and aware of the stimulus, but responsive. What to do: Monitor the dog carefully for signs of stress. If there are signs, take steps to lower intensity of exposure. If not, use this level for controlled desensitizing and counterconditioning exercises. 

Signs a Dog is Neutral (Baseline)

The dog is not exposed to the any trigger. The dog is comfortable and relaxed state, dog feels safe as there is no triggering stimulus. No intervention is needed. 

Here's why it's some important to read a dog's body language and prevent them from going over threshold. When Dogs are Over Threshold, Their Ability to Learn is Impaired Imagine having a phobia of heights and being asked to solve a math problem while being at the top of a skyscraper. Most likely, you will hardly be able to think through your anxiety!

It therefore should come to as a surprise if, when a dog is barking and lunging, it's close to impossible to get his attention, even if you're dangling a tempting piece of liver in your dog's face!

There is though a type of learning taking place at an operant level that still can take place when a dog is feeling strong anxiety: that is, doing anything that provides them with immediate relief.  For instance a dog who is scared of loud noises on walks, will quickly learn that, by pulling, he gets home faster, or a dog who doesn't want any people petting his head, may learn quickly how a snap will cause the person to quickly back away. 

We can take advantage of this form of learning to help a dog stay under threshold. For instance, if on walks your dog is reactive towards other dogs, the moment you spot a dog approaching at a distance, before your dog reacts, do a u-turn and walk away.

Paving the Path Towards Learning 

Now, to the juicy part. While management of the environment has prevented your dog from going over threshold, you may at some point be ready to take some steps on changing your dog's behavior.  How can you do so though if exposure to the trigger will cause your dog to go over threshold? The answer is by implementing behavior modification. 

Most behaviorists use a variety of techniques, and these often include methods based  on operant conditioning, desensitization and counter-conditioning. The choice of one over the other may vary based on what is causing the dog to go over threshold. Let's take a closer look at several useful methods. 

Operant Conditioning: this is simply training. In behavior modification, dogs can be trained to engage in alternate behaviors that are incompatible with problematic behaviors.  Several impulse control training exercises may turn helpful in teaching dogs better self-control. 

Now, in dogs who are fearful/reactive towards other dogs, it may be difficult to get them into an operant state of thinking since their minds and bodies are in a fight or flight mode, so they need some extra work first, but in dogs who are just excited, and maybe a bit frustrated because they can't go and meet other dogs (barrier frustration), a little distance and training to engage in an alternate behaviors through differential reinforcement (my favorite lately is attention heeling) using super high-value treats may work.

More about strategies to work on barrier frustration are covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barrier-frustration/

Differential reinforcement: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/differential-reinforcement-incompatible-behaviors/

Desensitization: the process of exposing the dog systematically to his triggers in a manner that the dog is under threshold. This is best done through organized set-ups since we have more control over the environment. Often, distance can be a great place to start. For example, with a dog over threshold with dogs 40 feet away, it would be important to start with strangers at 30 feet away. The dog and dog owner team can be instructed to walk perpendicular to the reactive dog (not frontally which is perceived as more threatening). Desensitization to be effective should be coupled with counterconditioning. More about desensitization: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/

Counterconditioning: the process of pairing a trigger with something the dog finds very reinforcing (often tasty food). The goal is to change the dog's emotional response to a trigger from dreading it, to actually looking forward to it. In order to work best, should be coupled with desensitization. 

Back to the example above, as the stranger is introduced at 30 feet, the dog is fed tasty food. Then, the distance can be reduced gradually, always feeding the dog tasty morsels and watching for signs of the dog going over threshold.

Here is more about counterconditioning:

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

As you pair the sight of other dogs with food, you want to aim for nice +CER: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

There are several techniques that incorporate desensitization and counterconditioning, here are some:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/treat-retreat-game/

Progressing Too Quickly: A Common Mistake 

Desensitization and counterconditioning is over all a pretty tedious process, some compare it to "watching paint dry." The first exposure sessions should be rather short, about 10 or 15 minutes at a time, once or twice a day, every day being preferable. The biggest mistake is moving too fast through the process which can cause setbacks. If the dog reacts at any time, that's a sign we have progressed too fast. We would therefore take several steps back into the process and resume from there before trying to progress again. 

Do not progress to the next level until your dog ignores the stimulus or at least shows just mild interest. With time, the dog should progressively show signs of tolerating more and more exposures.

Need for Some Sub-steps? 

Some dogs are so over threshold, they need some sub-steps. For instance, before seeing actual dogs on walks, some dogs can benefit from first watching them from a window, then on a porch, and then in front of the driveway  https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

And some dogs may need first being desensitized to the sounds of tags jingling or dogs barking, using the "hear that" method:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/pre-lat-look-behavior-modification/

Raising Criteria

There are four types of criteria to meet when doing behavior modification: distance, duration, number of stimuli and distraction To keep the dog under threshold, no more than one criteria should be added at a time.  For instance, if you start with a setup with a dog walking closer and therefore decrease distance, you shouldn't add duration or distractions. 

"I think also that overall she revs pretty high - very high energy - wants to play all the time.  I worry that I may have contributed to that.  I am the only one here with her and worry about her being bored or unhappy.  She gets lots of attention and stimulation - games, fetch, agility, etc."

It's great you are providing her with all these activities! You are a very dedicated owner. It's important to ensure that she has time to recover in between and that she learns also how to relax. A big issue with dogs who are over threshold is their level of emotional arousal. While training can help teach better impulse control, it doesn't tackle directly a dog's strong emotional reaction triggers.

All dogs therefore benefit on learning how to relax. It is therefore important teaching these dogs how good it feels to be relaxed. Capturing calm behaviors as they unfold can help a ton. Massage and TTouch are useful too. 

When Things Get Difficult 

Sometimes, no matter what you do, it may be difficult keeping the dog under threshold enough. In such cases, there are several options.

Consulting with a professional (like a certified applied animal behaviorist/board-certified veterinary behaviorist) to personally guide you through to ensure correct implementation can turn helpful. Some dogs need medications to be calm enough for behavior modification to have an impact and these professionals can prescribe those. 

No pill though will cure anxiety or reactivity on its own, but medications along with management and behavior modification can be the winning strategy.  For milder cases, a variety of calming aids are available over the counter or by prescription. Following are some examples:

• Pheromones (Adaptil plugins, collars, sprays)
• Calming Supplements (L-theanine, alpha-casozepine)-ask a vet before starting. 
• Calming Foods by prescription by a vet:  Hill’s Prescription Diet b/d and Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Calm.
• Calming Shirts (Thundershirt, Anxiety Warp)
• Calming Cap (Thunder Cap)

Sorry this turned out being so long, there is a lot to cover on the subject and I still don't think I covered all cases or situations, but it should give you an idea.

I hope this helps you and little Maisie! Let me know if you have any questions!

Best,

Adrienne 

[FrederykBlot]

I cannot provide any better advice that Adrienne already had, but what i can say is not to be to harsh with oneself

Our Loki is also good at home, kneeling, and attention kneeling like a perfect little boy in the house, and even in the yard

but when getting outside, one time over two he would be like "yeeaahhh yeahhhh hooman, I heard you, but this weird smell in the grass in wayyyyy more interesting"

 

I'm not saying not to try anymore, and that is a fatality, but I guess they're just living creatures and not robot, so they also have their mood and envy, and we're not to blame

[PatsyIppolito]

Thank Adrienne for all of the information and Fredery for your encouragement.

 We are a work in progress for sure.  We have been very diligent in doing 2 15 minute training walks per day for the past couple of weeks.  For the most part I think we are making progress although some days are better than others.  We have been managing to avoid the rabbits by going later in the morning and earlier in the evening.  Our city and surrounding area are overrun with them so it is not easy to avoid them.  Much of the time there is one who hangs out under our front step.  

We are working on relaxing more.  

We will continue to work on triggers.  I have been using the smacking sound since I first found your site.  It works well when she isn't too stimulated.  

I am thinking about consulting also with a trainer I can meet with with Maisie to get a better sense of what I may be doing right and wrong.  I appreciate the information for sure, but I know it is also hard to get a sense sometimes just through trying to explain things in writing.  I also find that I learn best by watching and doing.  Anyway, I will check in again at some point.  

Thanks again!

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Thank Adrienne for all of the information and Fredery for your encouragement.

 We are a work in progress for sure.  We have been very diligent in doing 2 15 minute training walks per day for the past couple of weeks.  For the most part I think we are making progress although some days are better than others. 

Progress is the keyword we want to hear, although yes, it may initially start like a little trickle and then a little more and more. Try to protect your work, by ending things when they look good rather than asking a little more and risking things to downfall. 

We have been managing to avoid the rabbits by going later in the morning and earlier in the evening.  Our city and surrounding area are overrun with them so it is not easy to avoid them.  Much of the time there is one who hangs out under our front step.  We are working on relaxing more.  

That sounds wonderful! If there is  a rabbit under your front step, may be worthy going out on your own first and making noise so that it takes cover and doesn't come back out until you're both out of the door and on your walk. On the way back though, you may need a family member to prep the area to be "rabbit free" so you can come back without issues. 

In the meanwhile, flirt pole work practicing leave its and drop its can turn handy! Being part terrier, she may even like to squeaky toys, have you ever tried bringing some along for the walk? It can be used as a distracter/reinforcer. 

We will continue to work on triggers.  I have been using the smacking sound since I first found your site.  It works well when she isn't too stimulated.  

I think this is the biggest hurdle you are facing, the underlying emotional response to triggers on walks causing her to be too over threshold. She may not be ready yet to face certain levels of distraction. We can split things further and may start indoors, in different rooms, then training by the door open, then in the yard, then go back inside practice in each room again. Keep moving in small increments stopping in a good note each time. Set up a simple check off chart to keep track of each success. When you reach 90 % success move to the next level with more distractions. 

More work in the yard and by the gate may be needed before progressing to the big stimulus package of the outdoor world:

In the yard, you can also practice serpentines and spirals so she learns to pay attention to your movements:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/graduation/serpentines-and-spirals/

And some invisible leash walking (bonding exercise with no leash) can help too: 

In some difficult cases, a head halter can help create the setting for more reinforceable behaviors, but the head halter will need an adjustment period and not all dogs do well on it (although many do when given the time).

I am thinking about consulting also with a trainer I can meet with with Maisie to get a better sense of what I may be doing right and wrong.  I appreciate the information for sure, but I know it is also hard to get a sense sometimes just through trying to explain things in writing.  I also find that I learn best by watching and doing.  Anyway, I will check in again at some point.  

I am sure that can help, especially if there is some error on your side (dog training is more about teaching owners than the actual dog-in most cases), but from the feel of it, I think that since she walks well with you in the yard with you, the issue is she's overstimulated/anxious and too emotionally charged to apply what she has learned in a quiet area to an area with distractions. However, he/she should be able to guide you through in recognizing signs that she may be going over threshold and keep her below that and when to raise criteria. You can post a video of you walking her here as well if you would like some input/ideas.

Please make sure to use a dog trainer who uses force-free training and behavior modification. 

Best,

Adrienne