Walking nicely training

[Kelsytmills]

Hello,

 

I'm trying to train walking manners on both of my boxers. Zero is 2 years old and Dobby is 7 months.

I can get both of them to walk nicely when there are no distractions but am struggling with what to do when they react to stimuli.

Both will go crazy barking and tend to lunge. Am I needing to let them just see triggers from far enough away to get there attention and reward them as long as they are quiet? That's my understanding from reading the course at least. But what should I be doing when they are hyped up? Turn them away into a different direction or try to get them to sit and wait for it to pass? Is this where the look into my eyes game is to come into play?

I am worried I will make matters worse. I am guilty of not getting either of them out enough to be really social which I suspect to be a big part of the issue.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello,

Are you walking them together or one by one?

Have you recognized what triggers exactly set them off?

Have you read the article below on threshold levels? It sounds like they are overtreshold, and you may need to take a more gradual approach. If they are reactive due to fear'lack of socialization, this falls more under behavior modification rather than training at this point.

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

[Kelsytmills]

I'm currently walking each of them separately so they are not feeding off each other.

It seems as if anything drops them off. Children, strangers, other dogs.

On the flip side of it dobby can come into my work or the pet store and be fine. Might bark once or twice but is usually happy.

I will for sure give the threshold levels another read through.

Thank you

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Great! Yes, walking them individually is much less challenging. Once you have individualized a list of triggers that you have noticed a pattern of your dogs reacting to, then you are going to have to start implementing behavior modification. This is best done with the help of a behavior consultant for safety and correct implementation, but here are a few general guidelines.

 

-Try a harness that offers the opportunity to attach the leash in front rather than a collar. Examples are the Walk your dog with love harness, the Sensible no-pull harness, the Easy-walk harness. With the leash attached to the front, you have a better level of control which will give you more confidence walking them should they tend to pull.

 

-The goal however is to expose them to their triggers for now at a distance so they are under threshold. If they are too close, they are over threshold and cannot cognitively function to learn new emotonal responses and afterward, new behaviors.

 

-If a trigger is getting to close, in a way that you know your dog will likely react, yes, by all means (in the initial stages) turn in a different direction. If you are in the mood for training a flashy version of a turn, you can try training the emergency u-turn. Remember; it is best to turn when you spot t a trigger at a distance, rather than too close. If too close, your dog may try to lunge as you are turning.

 

-Once you have found a distance from which your dog doesn't react and he's nicely under threshold, then you can try to start a counterconditionining process such as Look At That. The goal is to change your dog's emotional response by feeding your dog tasty high-value treats so to help form positive associations with the triggers as he observes them. I like to make a smacking sound with my mouth a split second before delivering the treat to get the dog's attention. It doesn't matter if your dog is sitting as the triggers pass by for now, we are not focusing on training behaviors just yet right now, just simply changing the emotions.

 

-Gradually, by taking baby steps, distance with the trigger can be decreased. If at some point the dog reacts, make a mental note of it and what happened. Perhaps we went too fast in the process getting too close, so we need to take a few steps back and increase distance again until he is comfortable at that specific level. Sometimes, it's not a matter of distance, but rather the trigger was particulalry salient (like a person running versus stationary) and the dog isn't used comfortable around people at that level of motion. In such a case, again make a mental note of what might have caused the dog to react and take advantage of this mishap to make it productive. Perhaps, you can find a place where there are joggers and practice having your dog watching them at a distance as you feed tasty treats.

 

-After several reps, once the dog is comfortable at closer distances, it is possible to then move on to actually start asking the dog to sit. Initially, you may have to feed treats as the trigger passes. Then once the trigger is out of sight, you can stop feeding. Afterward, once your dog seems comfortable sitting while the trigger passes, you can just ask your dog to sit and reward afterward.

 

-Some dogs do not feel comfortable sitting when the trigger passes. This may be because they are still fearful and sitting is in contrast with what reactive dogs would naturally do which is lunging or retreating. In such as case, it might be better to engage the dog in motion-based activities such as doing some steps of attention healing while passing the trigger.

 

-Finally, here are two important tips I have found helpful for some of my clients: 1) take your dog frequently on walks, preferably on a daily basis. If you miss walking a couple of days, you may see already a difference in reactivity. The more walks, the better. There is such a thing as desocialization and it takes often place when dogs don't get to keep their minds busy on seeing enough outdoor stimuli. Let's call it "maintenance of social skills." Dogs who live in suburban areas, are prone to becoming reactive because they do not see enough people and dogs overtime. 2) Only once your dog seems more comfortable, it may help to take him frequently to places that are oversaturated with stimuli. A trip to a big city or a trip to the farmer's market (he doesn't have to neceassarily walk through the crowds if that makes you nervous, but just seeing a bunch of people and people walking dogs coming and going helps as you keep working on training and creating positive associations). The help of a professional for closer encounters to people and other dogs is always recommended.

 

A diclaimer is therefore warranted here, considering that when dealing with reactive behaviors there are always risks for a re-directed bite or people/other dogs getting injred. Behavior modification may come with risks (to the dog, the owner and other people, and other dogs). It's important to play it safe and seek in-person help from a behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.

 

Hope these help!

Best,

Adrienne

Edited October 19, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[Kelsytmills]

Thank you so much Adrienne!

 

I am really looking forward to getting both Dobby and Zero into a good walking routine.

They both love being outside so much I just was struggling with finding an appropriate way to do it.

 

I can see now how with a combination of the steps will yield great results. Truly appreciate you taking the time to respond to me. I imagine you are a busy person. The program is great, lots of information for sure.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

You're very welcome! Your dogs are fortunate to have a dedicated owner like you. Good luck!

Best,

Adrienne