I was training my dog by walking around my neighborhood and trying to spot other dogs and slowly let him get closer. Then this lady popped up and was also training her dog so we spent a good 30 minutes just walking around each other to desensitize the dogs to each other. DOG OWNERS UNITE!
Thanks for another great video. Short and to the point. Clear demo with great fine detail tips (frequency of food treats, praise rewards) and whys (why giving 3-5 jobs changes negative to positive and helps desensitize). Will incorporate this into my daily training with my adolescent dog.
I could not have reached the level of success with my 2 rough collies if I didn’t watch your videos. I am more grateful than you will ever know. Earlier this year, one dog was “expelled” from the dog classes and groomers they had both gone to since they were 8 weeks old. Don’t sign Ranger up for another class and don’t make an appointment for grooming. Ranger was on the K9 blacklist. It was a blessing in disguise. Fresh start at a new facility and groomers is working out better than I could have ever hoped. Still have challenges outside with strange dogs and sometimes even “stranger owners”(like the women walking a 100 lbs of Rottie on a flexileash!!). We are either early bird/night owl walkers for the time being. But, hope to be able to walk during day soon at a normal time when you need to put on sunscreen ^_^. Again, thanks for the excellent content you put on your channel.
Thanks Thomas! What a great lesson! I used to treat my dog too much during socialization training. Now I see it takes away the learning experience from the dog's perspective. I think you are showing people how to strike a perfect balance of using just enough food as a reward at the right timing and right amount, so it's going to be understood more clearly by the dog as "reward" instead of "reward" & "distraction" at the same time.
Wow you use the "focus" command as well. I thought I was alone on that lol : ) I also use " focus hold" for maintaining focus . If I put glasses on my viewers would think I had lost my mind . Works well for you though Tom. Thank you Tom, you always make me smile : )
Thank you ! Thomas.That is a great video.The second my dog sees another dog ,could be half a block or a whole block...the second there's a visual ,he has lost it! I do like your way of making it a positive experience.I am afraid if tried treats ,I would be rewarding his crazy state of mind.
Get the focus as early as possible and have HIGH value treats, like chopped chicken or hot dogs. It takes a lot of practice and time. I’ve been working on my German shepherd for months and she is getting better
Hello, from Chile, your videos help me with my dog, he has some problems and is aggressive, I am also a veterinary technician, so I do everything with care and love for my Dog.
Thanks Tom , This helps me to know I am on the right page. Actually I am working with a dog right now that is dog reactive. And I am trying to do actually what you are doing. Doing other commands when the other dog is around. Problem I have is this is in a neighborhood and we have to try to find other dogs when we are out training it's not like this dog is around all of the time. This dog I'm working with seems to really dislike this one particular dog. And I believe it is because the owner allows his dog to home in on the dog I am working with. This other dog lays down and has the eye/stare which turns on the dog I'm working with. Hard to get the other owner to want to listen to me about not allowing his dog to stare. Thank you
I had to do this with my Wolfdog everytime we saw another dog, the key seemed to be how much space/distance she felt she needed at the point when the other dog appeared, also the body language of that dog, eye contact and high energy movement being the worst triggers. We'd turn and go the other way to gain distance until she felt comfortable, then she was calm enough to focus and take a treat. It doesn't happen overnight but this method does work, patience, patience.....
Loved watching this, I have a GS 9 month (83Lbs) he wants to meet everyone and play with all dogs...so so excite-ably! No focus at all...I believe a Prong Collar used the way you recommended is in order. Ty I’m from Ontario, Canada. ;}
When we first got our Lhasa Apso mix rescue dog, he was very reactive to people and other dogs on our walks. We went through training and he rarely reacts to people now, but with other dogs, it is 50-50. A lot better than before. We give him the "Leave it" command and he looks at us and we give him a treat. (Like your focus command). We do walk him on a prong collar (for almost a year now) which avoids him dashing to another dog and choking. With slip collars or regular collars he is more reactive to other dogs. And interestingly he is fine with other dogs in an indoor environment and doesn't show any reactivity. Will we ever be able to transition to a regular collar? We still avoid busy dog places, because of his unpredictability. He has pulled on his prong collar on a few occasions with the collar coming off, barking at other dogs.
Oh my goodness!!! He said he came to Kansas City... I live in KC! Is it weird that I'm excited just to know he was here (this city is not huge) LOL! So, so cool in my eyes 😎 I hope I get to see him working in person one day 😁 Love and appreciate you Tom!
This is awesome...my dog is extremely reactive and I would love to train her around other dogs but she is so fearful of being outside. She rather tush back home. How can I get her to enjoy walks with me and my other dog who loves being outside....and then I could work on her reactivity to people and other dogs... I guess.
Same here! I just found out that if I use a squeaking toy, my dog stops barking but then she wants to play with the toy and I have no idea if it's is a good idea.
Leilani Gem that’s good! If you can get her to focus on you with the toy she’ll ignore the dog, you can eventually phase out the toy! 5 months later lol
Mine does that on walks and when in the yard if someone walks by with their dog! Getting more reactive instead of less...towards people too! This video doesn't show the beginning issues, but Tom has gotten it to the point of focus which is cool!
Hi Tom I’m from Australia!! I do wish we could purchase training DVD or learn to be a Trainer from yourself. You are my personal pick if I wanted to learn to be a qualified trainer. Anyway thanks for all your content and looking forward to becoming more understanding about my new adopted greyhound. Xx😀
Obviously you wouldn't want to train with a stranger's dog in an outside environment, but since I have 2 could I use both my dogs to train reactivity on lead? If so, should I train the more dominant dog first as the example of what to do or does it matter? Thanks Tom and Canine Crew! Y'all help so many lives!!
Great video, Thomas. Little question: what kind of treats do you recommend to use? Taking in count daily sessions of obedience, etc. Thank you for sharing a little piece of your knowledge. Greetings from Baja, Mexico.
Love your videos! Is there any way to determine if a reactive dog is fearful vs aggressive? We recently rescued a 2 year old dog and she goes nuts when we're outside and another dog is around. Based on your videos it seems like strategies would be different but how to know which one she is...we don't know!
Hey Tom! This is super helpful! I rescued my dogs just over 2 weeks ago and he's really clever, works for food at home, but outside with other dogs nothing works. He will not focus on anything but the dog. He doesn't even blink when I present him with food when there is another dog. So my question is, how do you start teaching him to focus on you? Thank you from Scotland! Xx
How much of a threshold does your dog have? Mine used to react from far away. I ended up using a prong collar for a little, then made her focus on me. If she saw and reacted, it was already too late. I had to start from far, then gradually come closer, but I used a combination of positive and negative, the negative being a prong correction to break her focus, then redirecting the focus on me. Treats, but eventually no reaction. Start from 3:00 pay attention to what Tom is saying regarding the process...
Thanks Tom, great video! My 2yr pittie mix has very similar reactivity issues (over-stimulated around other dogs). Because of your videos we got a new trainer that does balanced training. She recommended that we do not use food at all in order to decrease his reactivity. Since food will also cause arousal, she recommends just verbal praise as a reward. My problem is that when he sees another dog he will break his heel and often react to the other dog. I have trouble regaining his focus/attention on me to comply to my commands (leave it, heel). Do you think this means my current reward (praise) is not high enough value for him to work and comply to my commands or is this a relationship issue? Also we are using a HS prong collar. Thanks!
Been watching lately, great videos. Watching from Utah. I've got a Japanese Akita and a Shiba Inu. So when I take them for a walk, I want them to go to the bathroom (I always pick up after them by the way) but they constantly want to sniff every spot another dog has gone to the bathroom. How do I get them to go for walks for exercise without wanting to stop every 10 feet but also let them go to the bathroom?
Great video. Specially helpful for me and my 8 mo BC :). When he sees another dog he only thinks about playing with it. It's better on a leash (also thanks to Your videos) but still sth to work on. Great job!! Greetings from Poland :)
Hi from France, thanks for all your work ! I definitely need a how-to video about the "focus" command ! How do you capture that behavior, without any parasitic gestures ? I'm afraid my (way too smart and observant) dog will focus on my hand or any unconscious movment I could make, so the command would be useless in real conditions... That's the root of all the problems we have, I don't want to reiterate my mistakes. I don't use clicker but treats and lot of vocal praise. Sorry for my very bad English, thank you for your help !
luv ur shirt, its always owners who r looking in love they don't have with dogs the first moment they buy them and treat them like toys, i did that mistake once and advise people to educate them self right to able to give the dog the life he deserves, its really painful when i see dogs hanging them selfs dragging there owners or run away from home and prefer being homeless than living with people all they care about is kissing and hugging, dogs have souls respect them by being a trusted educator and leader and they will follow u to hell without a single treat
Hi Tom, my dog is a lovely 4 year old rescue (we got her 6 months ago) and she's reactive in the sense that she NEEDS to smell the other dog and whines a lot and is clearly anxious and runs away/returns off lead, or on the lead pulls really hard toward other dogs. She settles after getting to smell and realising they won't attack. Do you think there is still hope for her given her age and she's surpassed the pivotal first few years of learning about the world/other dogs behaviours?
Thank you Thomas, for another great video. Looking forward to trying this out with Cloud. Can you do this with more than one other dog around? We have 13 total so I would like Cloud to get used to being around maybe 2 to 3 others at the time.... suggestions??
Thank you for sharing your videos they have helped my dog a border collie Merle she is fear reactive to dogs but our 3rd trainer has said she is hypersensitive to movement. She’s a very strong dog if we are in a situation where she becomes reactive. It’s difficult as as I use a perfect fit harness with a lead at the front and one on the back as she it very strong. Love watching how you calm a dog especially using leash control and the psychology of the dog. Although we have a trainer I have to say I will continue to watch and learn from you thank you for all you share I know it has built mine and my dogs confidence up together we have a way to go but we are getting there. It’s can be hard with the leads and harness and treating her with a muzzle. Any suggestions for that would be great. Thank you and we are from the UK
I love your videos! I just started training my dog Rico (American Bully) with the prong collar. He has only been on a walk with it 2 times and there's already a dramatic difference! Before he use to lunge and bark at other dogs and people on the leash and I couldn't even take him to the park. However Rico isnt friendly with people when they come to visit. He barks and lunges at them even when he has met them before. Can I use the prong collar to train him to be friendly with guests?
I have a super dog reactive dog. I've heard that if you give them a bunch of commands while they're freaking out, it makes them stress out and confuses them. I see the opposite happening here. Is it really just dependent on each individual dog? I had a trainer tell me to constantly reward whenever we see another dog, but I dont want to over do it. He's 100000x better than he was when we first got him, but we still have a long way to go.
Mine reacts when she's in the car. I used to distract her by asking for her paw. But now she just barks whole shaking my hand. It's kinda funny, but I'll eventually get around to fixing it.
Will a highly reactive dog ever be able to live in a home with another dog? I have been watching you since I got a reactive foster dog over 3 months ago. She still has not had a solid app. :( I have reached out to a trainer nearby who seems to have a similar philosophy training as you and is not afraid of the ecollar, etc. I saw one session with this trainer and she was able to get our foster to at least ignore another dog who was sitting about 5 feet away. Thanks for the video! I can definitely see the combination of "place" and "focus" getting some results.
I am learning a lot by watching your videos! I just watched an older video that you did about anxiety (6/27/18) and in it you mentioned that when a dog knows a command well (like for instance being sent to his kennel) that he has to learn that if he doesn’t comply to your command that there are consequences. What would you do to control that behavior? Example: I have 3 miniature dachshunds-2 go right into their kennels for bed and my youngest (2) would rather roll around on the floor or do anything other than go in his kennel (but will fly in there if he knows that I have a really good treat so he knows the command). Would you keep him on a lead and take him to it? What would you do if he didn’t follow the command? Thank you in advance for your suggestion! Really appreciate any advice you can provide!!!
So to get to this point you would need to have a good handle on heal, watch and sit commands? Also our dog won't take treats while out walking and in a reactive state. Suggestions?
I love your videos. I just don't think I'll ever get my dog to where we need to be so we get along lol. There's not much engagement unless I have food and then she gets over excited on the food and doesn't take it nicely. She freaks out if she hears another dog or a noise outside.. Like running through the house barking like a crazy dog. And she has a lot of separation anxiety.. I want to take her to group classes but not sure how she'll be around the dogs. She's not mean and from what her trainer said when she was in boot camp, she gets along well with other dogs when they would have group play. I just feel like I'm getting nowhere and am permanently stuck 😒
Aloha Thomas, I love your videos! Mahalo for putting out such beneficial content. Question my cousin has a very aggressive American Pitbull about 140 lbs. He's a rescue dog and we've been trying to get him help etc...no one is willing to wk with him without spending THOUSANDS of dollars (which we don't have) what do we do if he's deeply loved(cant put him down) but also living in fear of being bitten or he bite someone else? My cousin has been able to win him over but she's become the only one willing to be around him. I know the easy answer is put him down but she just can't bring her to euthanize him. How do we break his terrible habits of aggression and lashing out to bite😭😢🙏🙏🙏🙏Aloha & Blessings from Hawaii
I have a 10 month old female GSD. Her previous owners have not trained her on the lead and so I am slowly teaching her the 'heel' command when she's on-lead. However, when she sees another human or another dog, no matter how far away, she is instantly focused on the other dog/human, and completely ignores me. I try to get her to sit or walk her away in a circle until she re-focuses on me, and reward her when she does looks at me. My command to get her to look at me is 'here!', but I'm not sure if that sounds too similar to 'heel'? Perhaps 'focus' would be a better command to get her attention onto me. Either way I'm struggling with containing her excitement when she sees anyone else, she's not aggressive at all but just very excited and curious. I'm going to try and use these tools but if you have any further advice on how best to refocus her attention when she's distracted, that'd be great! Thanks so much for your helpful videos and positive attitude!
Tom, I need your help. My dog is fine with people and cats. She lives with three male dogs. One of the dogs is her litter mate. For the most part, she is fine around the other two dogs. However, she will get aggressive and attack the other two dogs. This happens with no warning. I’ve tried a muzzle which keeps the others safe but isn’t perfect for continuous use. Any other suggestions?
I have a 100 pound reactive Doberman. (Has never shown signs of aggression, only being vocal and nervous around strangers) The main reason I kinda get frustrated with him and give up for some periods of time, is because getting him to focus on me in any type of distraction is seemingly impossible. Do you have any advice on me getting his attention? Despite his intense love for food, he doesn’t even care if I have treats at all, it doesn’t matter how high pitched my voice is, he will not look at me. He does look at me inside our apartment, and most of the time on our patio. But outside of that I haven’t had any success, he just ignores me. We do use an e collar for some things (off leash training, basic obedience) and a prong collar for others (leash manners mostly). He still won’t look at me with the e collar, I haven’t tried with the prong yet.
What are some of your early socialization tips? I got a German Shepherd puppy when he was about 11-12 weeks. He is 16 weeks now and I take him to the Dog Park and Petsmart. He socializes with my friends and my girlfriend puppies besides the dog park. He’s super playful and too brave for his own good sometimes! 😂
We have a new rescue dog ( 3 weeks now) she is great on the leash and I have now taught her commands Sit, stay, down (this is at home without distraction).. The reason she is with us now is because she was kept in a cage because she would knock her elderly owners off their feet when playing with other dogs. She is an 18 month husky cross and she really does get her speed up when playing with other dogs and I'm scared she will knock another dog over or a person when playing. How do I stop this barreling behavior..
Reward calmness. Activities such as snuffle mats, lick mats, puzzle toys and bones are calming and stimulating activities. Then you can teach a settle command at home - have a blanket, a Kong and a short leash while you watch TV. Eventually, you will have a reliable, calm and long settle with a loose leash and no Kong needed. Then practice in increasingly distracting environments, use rewards as necessary but try to phase out. Have a solid recall, so you can get the dog back to you at the start of any potentially dangerous behaviour, or signs of the behaviour starting. You can then encourage the dog to settle down. Then, work on some engagement (fun commands, bit of luring and movement/play) before releasing your dog again. Try not to spend too much time at the dog park and tire out your dog before-hand. Be selective about the dogs they play with eg. some dogs will have low tolerance for rude behaviour and will correct your dog, in a way they understand, for being over-aroused eg. barrelling. Make sure this is a positive learning experience for your dog though and don't over-do it - don't want then to associate all dogs with being told off either! Throwing treats into long grass is also a good way to calm your dog and rewards them for being calm too. Nothing wrong with play - but the other dog, when your dog is barrelling, is 100% giving off body language to tell your dog they want to stop/are uncomfortable and your dog is just too over-stimulated to acknowledge it - this could easily lead to your dog getting into a fight and they would be the aggressor, even if they didn't start it, or show aggressive behaviour first. Good luck, I'm sure you can do it! If you still struggle, give your dog something they love more than playing with other dogs - as they're a husky mix, maybe canicross (as they can pull)? That's a more productive and safe outlet for energy and dogs will no longer be the best thing in the world, so they may be able to chill around them more.
My dog will try aviod a dog, how do I correct it to the point I can get him to play and or trust him around other dogs, esp my family's pets or playing with dogs at some point? He is a recent rescue, Australian Sheppard/great Pyrenees mix? Oh yeah, I from RI , but relocated to Tx.
Hi, as you recommended, I got my German Shepherd a Herm Sprenger training collar. He has learned to be more easy going but he still has one bad habit. He likes to start pulling the leash and playing tug of war with leash. I tell him no, leave it. Sometime the stops with out a correction but sometimes I have to give him a correction. Any ideas how to stop the tug of war game he plays with the leash? Also I have a technical question, what do you use to record your videos with? Thanks. I'll wait for your answers.
I fight this too and have with a few of my GSDs now. I worried about making other dogs neg so I tried to redirect, etc but anymore I read or watch to just correct them for reacting! No treating, redirecting, etc.
Hi Tom, my boy is about to move to a city with me and his brother and i am really nervous about it... i tried to get his attention around dogs as he is biting his brother when there is other dogs coming our way and he is not an aggressive dog outside of that. he is not reacting to anything i try its all eyes on the other dog and no focus on me or my fiance or treats or even his ball which normally always gets his focus. What would be your idea for him and me to get him with as i am at the end of my options and i dont know how to go about it from here... thank you so much and best regards, leonie
Hey Tom, great vids! Watching from Budapest, Europe. I’ve got a big question for you! I have a gsd puppy (lovely show line with great working skills, great nerves). Very brave, very curious, no timidity but since the first day I got him out he was very reactive to all dogs and bite them in the neck or back. This is passing after 30 mins and I keep practicing with him a lot and met 3 different trainers as well to see what’s the probelm but couldn’t give a proper answer. What do you think, with training do puppies outgrow reactivity and (maybe fear) agression? I don’t know about him getting bit by another dog... and he’s only reactive to dogs.
Hey all, My minpin mix resource guards me around big dogs. Doing exercises like this seems to help him not react so much, but it’s when dogs come up to us that he gets stiff and quiet, then snaps when they cross a certain threshold. How do you suggest I get to the root of the issue? I try not to baby him and I give him plenty of exercise. I use a prong in general, should I pop him if he acts out towards the other dogs? I don’t wanna use it in the wrong circumstances. Feedback from anyone here in the comments would be great! Loving this channel.
My dog is leash reactive and can't be within 20 ft of another dog without getting overstimulated. strange dogs are the hardest for us. would you advise working with a familiar dog first or a strange dog?
my service dog was recently attacked (wounds and all) and has developed some reactivty, he just gets really really whinny but will do everything i ask, or will become scared if a dog barks at him, would doing this help?
What are your thoughts on starmarks dog trainer school? On paper they seem to cover a lot of subjects... Or whereabouts would you recommend a well structured trainer curriculum?
I've had my girl for nearly a year now, she is still reactive to dogs, even just hearing them in the distance sets her off. Food only works so much and then she loses focus/interest and I have to carry her.
My dog is extremely reactive at times (high prey drive from what I've read), but I don't know if I should stop him when he's, say, chasing a squirrel in the backyard... I want his "prey drive" to go down, but I know he's still a dog.
A. Cruz saying “focus” or “look” or whatever word you choose is going to give the dog a job... she will know exactly what you want... “focus on me”, instead of just hearing her name but not a job. She may choose to glance to see what you want but immediately disengage, and go back to what she was doing.
I wish I could send my DDR German Shepherd he is still reacting on our walks and I pray that there are no loose dogs! He was a rescue and has a history of abuse 😢
My dog is only reactive when a dog is literally right in front of her. She raises her tail, her back goes up and she sometimes growls at the dogs. She does pull to get closer to them. Could this just be that she’s frustrated and wants to play with them or she’s genuinely uncomfortable with other dogs. She’s a rescue dog and we were told she’s fine with other dogs but we haven’t had many good experience with her and dogs
I have a 3 month old German Shepherd puppy that has become reactive to other dogs. She is okay far away but if the dog comes too close she’ll start barking and she stares at them and completely disconnects from me and what I am doing. I try to do a vocal correction and she ignores it.
Teach the focus command, like he is doing. Basically take a treat and stretch out your hand, get her attention, then draw the treat to your nose so she looks at you. Keep doing it until she looks at you even if the treat is arms distance away. Figure her threshold, call her to focus before she gets agitated by other dogs. Your mileage may vary, as far as if it will work? :)
You need to get her attention way before she notices the other dog. When she's fixated, it takes more to break her focus. The point is to distract them and show them that the other dog is no big deal.
Work on engagement and reward for good decisions. You need to keep the dog below threshold as MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Once beyond threshold (can't take commands reliably, fixated on something) it is simply another negative experience, making the behaviour slowly worse each time. Where the dog is comfortable, but notice the other dog is where you should work. They can look at the other dog breifly (can't expect them to comfortably ignore what they're worried about), but not fixate. When the dog is ready, decrease distance/increase duration/increase intensity (eg. is the other dog calm or running around). You can also add distance as a reward for keeping chilled, despite nearing threshold, and lots of praise. The dog will learn to trust you and start to associate the other dog with good things, while also becoming desensitised. When unexpected run-ins happen, do not correct the dog. Simply shoo off the other dog or ask their owner to leash it, while giving your dog an easy command (if they ignore you, don't bother trying - just pull them away to add distance). A basket muzzle is a good way to get other owners to respect your space, as well as 'I need space' or 'no dogs' harnesses, handler t-shirts, dog capes and leash slips. The dog's threshold will get higher over time. However, some days you may have slight relapses when training - this could be because your dog has had a particularly stressful day (reacted, busy environment - even excitment counts as stress) and is already nearing theshsold for other reasons. Just, be patient. Have empathy and understanding of why your dog is reacting (must be some pretty extreme emotions to feel the need to protect themselves/panic and get the scary thing to go away). Adding corrections once the dog is over threshold will have an undesired effect, as suddenly the appearance of another dog causes added discomfort. It can feel isolating having a reactive dog but there are SO SO MANY of us owners out there and recovery is 100% possible. Even well-socialised dogs can become reactive after particularity negative experiences, or even due to pain (best to always check with the vet that there is no medical reason for reactivity). But there are behaviourists and trainers out there who can help in a fair and humane way :) if you do look for professional help, I suggest making sure who you hire has both recognised qualifications (theory) and reliable testimonials (practice). Many "trainers" have only practice, and while several are reputable, many many aren't and will just suppress the behaviour in your dog - creating a dangerous animal as they will still react, just with no warning. This gives the appearance of success - hence why the theory is so so important. Modern, up-to-date and science-based.
My dog freaks out when other people walk by or someone is on a bike. Not sure how to help her. She's good around other dogs but is very skittish around other people.
My beagle is super reactive, I have tried the treat method but by the time he sees a dog or person his mind is already gone. We could be 1/2 to 1 km away and he reacts, were across the street he reacts. I could not get my dog to focus on me to save my life
Hi Emma. Not in all situations a simple peace of food is taken as a reward. Have you tried other forms of rewarding your dog? For exemple increasing distance before giving the treat, movement/play.Thinking of Beagle,something to sniff out on the ground could be the job you give....
My dog will sit, give paw, heel etc, but not at the dog park!! He's EXTREMELY focused on aggressive dogs, and barks his head off like a lunatic! He's only little, and I lose sleep worrying about him getting attacked. He's not food or toy motivated, so I can't get his attention. He's fantastic off his lead with friendly dogs, but an utter nightmare if he spots an aggressive dog. How to I start to train him? He's very well socialised with other dogs, by the way, so it's not a lack of doggie interaction!
Simply just be very selective about the dogs you allow interaction with. Build a solid recall, so if you see a dog with suspicious body language, you can prevent your dog having a negative interaction with them. Dog scuffles are common, but I think it's unlikely your dog would get injured unexpectantly - if there are no toys or food around (resource guarding) and the other dog isn't leashed (trapped), then dogs will try to avoid conflict causing injury.
@@JessicaRainbowCloud1 Thank you for your advice. ♥ Yes, I'll be careful who he interacts with. 🐶 The problem is when he spots a dog that I haven't seen. He abandons the dogs he's playing with, and runs over to the new one! Usually the dog is friendly and there's no issues, but my dog has ran up to a bull mastiff, that was very aggressive (The man had to hold his dog down, in a effort to try and prevent him attacking my dog, who, BTW, I couldn't catch because he was running around the dog, barking.) He's also ran up to a few aggressive Staffordshire bull terriors and a Collie. All have been on a lead, so it's my fault, not theirs. His recall is great if he has nothing better to do! If he sees a dog and he picks up on any aggression (It's amazing how do they know!) It's like he's gone deaf!
I have the same issue but my dog is so stressed when we see another dog that he doesn’t listen to basic commands that he can otherwise do really well and consistently. He knows “look at me” and “sit” so I try to do these before he notices the other dog when on a walk. However when he sees the other dog, nothing I say will get him to focus on me again.
My kennel puppy mill momma (9 1/2 years) was never socialized. 2 1/2 years later she has learned a name, been to stores and camped for 2 years. Walks loose lead, flat collar, sits to greet strangers. But she's been attacked 3 times, fears loose dogs running up to her. All the larger parks routinely have unleashed dogs. How can I get so we can be safe in these parks. I'm 67 with major health issues. I can control her easily, but not other 100 pound dogs. Have spoken with Park Adm & county deputy .... no help,.
@@caninetherapyinc9031 On leash walking in the trees is her one joy. Doesn't know what dog toys are for. She came with 3 broken canines, can't give her tug toys. Just want to give her more happiness, Not drama.
I was training my dog by walking around my neighborhood and trying to spot other dogs and slowly let him get closer. Then this lady popped up and was also training her dog so we spent a good 30 minutes just walking around each other to desensitize the dogs to each other. DOG OWNERS UNITE!
So glad I found this channel...very helpful for my recently adopted 90lb reactive Doberman puppy!
Thanks for another great video. Short and to the point. Clear demo with great fine detail tips (frequency of food treats, praise rewards) and whys (why giving 3-5 jobs changes negative to positive and helps desensitize). Will incorporate this into my daily training with my adolescent dog.
I could not have reached the level of success with my 2 rough collies if I didn’t watch your videos. I am more grateful than you will ever know.
Earlier this year, one dog was “expelled” from the dog classes and groomers they had both gone to since they were 8 weeks old. Don’t sign Ranger up for another class and don’t make an appointment for grooming. Ranger was on the K9 blacklist.
It was a blessing in disguise. Fresh start at a new facility and groomers is working out better than I could have ever hoped.
Still have challenges outside with strange dogs and sometimes even “stranger owners”(like the women walking a 100 lbs of Rottie on a flexileash!!). We are either
early bird/night owl walkers for the time being. But, hope to be able to walk during day soon at a normal time when you need to put on sunscreen ^_^. Again, thanks for the excellent content you put on your channel.
Thanks Thomas! What a great lesson! I used to treat my dog too much during socialization training. Now I see it takes away the learning experience from the dog's perspective. I think you are showing people how to strike a perfect balance of using just enough food as a reward at the right timing and right amount, so it's going to be understood more clearly by the dog as "reward" instead of "reward" & "distraction" at the same time.
Wow you use the "focus" command as well. I thought I was alone on that lol : ) I also use " focus hold" for maintaining focus . If I put glasses on my viewers would think I had lost my mind . Works well for you though Tom. Thank you Tom, you always make me smile : )
Love the concept of verbal command to Focus, instead of just saying the dog's name to get her attention. She knows what you want.
Thank you ! Thomas.That is a great video.The second my dog sees another dog ,could be half a block or a whole block...the second there's a visual ,he has lost it!
I do like your way of making it a positive experience.I am afraid if tried treats ,I would be rewarding his crazy state of mind.
Kristine Graham thank you, sometimes rewarding a dog is just as hard as correcting a dog properly!
Get the focus as early as possible and have HIGH value treats, like chopped chicken or hot dogs. It takes a lot of practice and time. I’ve been working on my German shepherd for months and she is getting better
Hello, from Chile, your videos help me with my dog, he has some problems and is aggressive, I am also a veterinary technician, so I do everything with care and love for my Dog.
Hola! Yo soy de chile también, súper buenos videos
Great explaination!
Thanks Tom , This helps me to know I am on the right page. Actually I am working with a dog right now that is dog reactive. And I am trying to do actually what you are doing. Doing other commands when the other dog is around. Problem I have is this is in a neighborhood and we have to try to find other dogs when we are out training it's not like this dog is around all of the time. This dog I'm working with seems to really dislike this one particular dog. And I believe it is because the owner allows his dog to home in on the dog I am working with. This other dog lays down and has the eye/stare which turns on the dog I'm working with. Hard to get the other owner to want to listen to me about not allowing his dog to stare. Thank you
I had to do this with my Wolfdog everytime we saw another dog, the key seemed to be how much space/distance she felt she needed at the point when the other dog appeared, also the body language of that dog, eye contact and high energy movement being the worst triggers. We'd turn and go the other way to gain distance until she felt comfortable, then she was calm enough to focus and take a treat. It doesn't happen overnight but this method does work, patience, patience.....
Loved watching this, I have a GS 9 month (83Lbs) he wants to meet everyone and play with all dogs...so so excite-ably! No focus at all...I believe a Prong Collar used the way you recommended is in order. Ty I’m from Ontario, Canada. ;}
When we first got our Lhasa Apso mix rescue dog, he was very reactive to people and other dogs on our walks. We went through training and he rarely reacts to people now, but with other dogs, it is 50-50. A lot better than before. We give him the "Leave it" command and he looks at us and we give him a treat. (Like your focus command). We do walk him on a prong collar (for almost a year now) which avoids him dashing to another dog and choking. With slip collars or regular collars he is more reactive to other dogs. And interestingly he is fine with other dogs in an indoor environment and doesn't show any reactivity. Will we ever be able to transition to a regular collar? We still avoid busy dog places, because of his unpredictability. He has pulled on his prong collar on a few occasions with the collar coming off, barking at other dogs.
Oh my goodness!!! He said he came to Kansas City... I live in KC! Is it weird that I'm excited just to know he was here (this city is not huge) LOL! So, so cool in my eyes 😎 I hope I get to see him working in person one day 😁 Love and appreciate you Tom!
My dog's trainer sent me a link to this video! It is extremely helpful! About to go work with her using these techniques!
Fabulous. Love how to stabilize my GSD into a having positive curiosity rather than ravaging reactivity.
This is awesome...my dog is extremely reactive and I would love to train her around other dogs but she is so fearful of being outside. She rather tush back home. How can I get her to enjoy walks with me and my other dog who loves being outside....and then I could work on her reactivity to people and other dogs... I guess.
I'm really struggling with this topic, my dog pulls violently towards any other dog, I can't seem to break his concentration away and on to me.
I have the same problem. He's great until he sees another dog!
Same here! I just found out that if I use a squeaking toy, my dog stops barking but then she wants to play with the toy and I have no idea if it's is a good idea.
Leilani Gem that’s good! If you can get her to focus on you with the toy she’ll ignore the dog, you can eventually phase out the toy! 5 months later lol
Mine does that on walks and when in the yard if someone walks by with their dog! Getting more reactive instead of less...towards people too! This video doesn't show the beginning issues, but Tom has gotten it to the point of focus which is cool!
Hi Tom I’m from Australia!! I do wish we could purchase training DVD or learn to be a Trainer from yourself.
You are my personal pick if I wanted to learn to be a qualified trainer.
Anyway thanks for all your content and looking forward to becoming more understanding about my new adopted greyhound.
Xx😀
Obviously you wouldn't want to train with a stranger's dog in an outside environment, but since I have 2 could I use both my dogs to train reactivity on lead? If so, should I train the more dominant dog first as the example of what to do or does it matter? Thanks Tom and Canine Crew! Y'all help so many lives!!
Great video, Thomas. Little question: what kind of treats do you recommend to use? Taking in count daily sessions of obedience, etc. Thank you for sharing a little piece of your knowledge. Greetings from Baja, Mexico.
Love your videos! Is there any way to determine if a reactive dog is fearful vs aggressive? We recently rescued a 2 year old dog and she goes nuts when we're outside and another dog is around. Based on your videos it seems like strategies would be different but how to know which one she is...we don't know!
Hey Tom! This is super helpful! I rescued my dogs just over 2 weeks ago and he's really clever, works for food at home, but outside with other dogs nothing works. He will not focus on anything but the dog. He doesn't even blink when I present him with food when there is another dog. So my question is, how do you start teaching him to focus on you?
Thank you from Scotland! Xx
Try using a clicker. It at least works with my dog, she can be fixated on another dog, but hears a click and turns...
@@mrkimpham thank you, but I've tried. No sound, no smell, no food or toy works to distract him 🤦🏻♀️
How much of a threshold does your dog have? Mine used to react from far away. I ended up using a prong collar for a little, then made her focus on me. If she saw and reacted, it was already too late. I had to start from far, then gradually come closer, but I used a combination of positive and negative, the negative being a prong correction to break her focus, then redirecting the focus on me. Treats, but eventually no reaction.
Start from 3:00 pay attention to what Tom is saying regarding the process...
Awesome Video thank you Tom 🤠🔥
great help for us with a reactive dog slow improvements positive ideas cheers from NZ
Thanks Tom, great video! My 2yr pittie mix has very similar reactivity issues (over-stimulated around other dogs). Because of your videos we got a new trainer that does balanced training. She recommended that we do not use food at all in order to decrease his reactivity. Since food will also cause arousal, she recommends just verbal praise as a reward. My problem is that when he sees another dog he will break his heel and often react to the other dog. I have trouble regaining his focus/attention on me to comply to my commands (leave it, heel). Do you think this means my current reward (praise) is not high enough value for him to work and comply to my commands or is this a relationship issue? Also we are using a HS prong collar. Thanks!
Same with me, curious to see an answer.
Kansas City this weekend? You doing any type of public lecture/seminar? I'm in KC would love to attend!
Been watching lately, great videos. Watching from Utah. I've got a Japanese Akita and a Shiba Inu. So when I take them for a walk, I want them to go to the bathroom (I always pick up after them by the way) but they constantly want to sniff every spot another dog has gone to the bathroom. How do I get them to go for walks for exercise without wanting to stop every 10 feet but also let them go to the bathroom?
Great video. Specially helpful for me and my 8 mo BC :). When he sees another dog he only thinks about playing with it. It's better on a leash (also thanks to Your videos) but still sth to work on. Great job!! Greetings from Poland :)
Hi Tom! How do I get my dog to learn the focus command?
Hi from France, thanks for all your work ! I definitely need a how-to video about the "focus" command ! How do you capture that behavior, without any parasitic gestures ? I'm afraid my (way too smart and observant) dog will focus on my hand or any unconscious movment I could make, so the command would be useless in real conditions... That's the root of all the problems we have, I don't want to reiterate my mistakes. I don't use clicker but treats and lot of vocal praise. Sorry for my very bad English, thank you for your help !
Do you have a video on teaching focus? Thanks
luv ur shirt, its always owners who r looking in love they don't have with dogs the first moment they buy them and treat them like toys, i did that mistake once and advise people to educate them self right to able to give the dog the life he deserves, its really painful when i see dogs hanging them selfs dragging there owners or run away from home and prefer being homeless than living with people all they care about is kissing and hugging, dogs have souls respect them by being a trusted educator and leader and they will follow u to hell without a single treat
Hi Tom, my dog is a lovely 4 year old rescue (we got her 6 months ago) and she's reactive in the sense that she NEEDS to smell the other dog and whines a lot and is clearly anxious and runs away/returns off lead, or on the lead pulls really hard toward other dogs. She settles after getting to smell and realising they won't attack. Do you think there is still hope for her given her age and she's surpassed the pivotal first few years of learning about the world/other dogs behaviours?
Thank you Thomas, for another great video. Looking forward to trying this out with Cloud. Can you do this with more than one other dog around? We have 13 total so I would like Cloud to get used to being around maybe 2 to 3 others at the time.... suggestions??
I have two dogs and they are both very reactive on the leash, should I be training them both together or seperate?
Separate at first Brooke
Thanks Tom :)
Loveeee all your videos!
Thank you for sharing your videos they have helped my dog a border collie Merle she is fear reactive to dogs but our 3rd trainer has said she is hypersensitive to movement. She’s a very strong dog if we are in a situation where she becomes reactive. It’s difficult as as I use a perfect fit harness with a lead at the front and one on the back as she it very strong. Love watching how you calm a dog especially using leash control and the psychology of the dog. Although we have a trainer I have to say I will continue to watch and learn from you thank you for all you share I know it has built mine and my dogs confidence up together we have a way to go but we are getting there. It’s can be hard with the leads and harness and treating her with a muzzle. Any suggestions for that would be great. Thank you and we are from the UK
Ashland, KY
I love your videos! I just started training my dog Rico (American Bully) with the prong collar. He has only been on a walk with it 2 times and there's already a dramatic difference! Before he use to lunge and bark at other dogs and people on the leash and I couldn't even take him to the park. However Rico isnt friendly with people when they come to visit. He barks and lunges at them even when he has met them before. Can I use the prong collar to train him to be friendly with guests?
Hello from the Azores!
I have a super dog reactive dog. I've heard that if you give them a bunch of commands while they're freaking out, it makes them stress out and confuses them. I see the opposite happening here. Is it really just dependent on each individual dog? I had a trainer tell me to constantly reward whenever we see another dog, but I dont want to over do it. He's 100000x better than he was when we first got him, but we still have a long way to go.
Mine reacts when she's in the car. I used to distract her by asking for her paw. But now she just barks whole shaking my hand. It's kinda funny, but I'll eventually get around to fixing it.
Thank you!
Will a highly reactive dog ever be able to live in a home with another dog? I have been watching you since I got a reactive foster dog over 3 months ago. She still has not had a solid app. :( I have reached out to a trainer nearby who seems to have a similar philosophy training as you and is not afraid of the ecollar, etc. I saw one session with this trainer and she was able to get our foster to at least ignore another dog who was sitting about 5 feet away. Thanks for the video! I can definitely see the combination of "place" and "focus" getting some results.
Well done! Pa
I am learning a lot by watching your videos! I just watched an older video that you did about anxiety (6/27/18) and in it you mentioned that when a dog knows a command well (like for instance being sent to his kennel) that he has to learn that if he doesn’t comply to your command that there are consequences. What would you do to control that behavior? Example: I have 3 miniature dachshunds-2 go right into their kennels for bed and my youngest (2) would rather roll around on the floor or do anything other than go in his kennel (but will fly in there if he knows that I have a really good treat so he knows the command). Would you keep him on a lead and take him to it? What would you do if he didn’t follow the command? Thank you in advance for your suggestion! Really appreciate any advice you can provide!!!
So to get to this point you would need to have a good handle on heal, watch and sit commands? Also our dog won't take treats while out walking and in a reactive state. Suggestions?
I love your videos. I just don't think I'll ever get my dog to where we need to be so we get along lol. There's not much engagement unless I have food and then she gets over excited on the food and doesn't take it nicely. She freaks out if she hears another dog or a noise outside.. Like running through the house barking like a crazy dog. And she has a lot of separation anxiety.. I want to take her to group classes but not sure how she'll be around the dogs. She's not mean and from what her trainer said when she was in boot camp, she gets along well with other dogs when they would have group play. I just feel like I'm getting nowhere and am permanently stuck 😒
Aloha Thomas, I love your videos! Mahalo for putting out such beneficial content. Question my cousin has a very aggressive American Pitbull about 140 lbs. He's a rescue dog and we've been trying to get him help etc...no one is willing to wk with him without spending THOUSANDS of dollars (which we don't have) what do we do if he's deeply loved(cant put him down) but also living in fear of being bitten or he bite someone else? My cousin has been able to win him over but she's become the only one willing to be around him. I know the easy answer is put him down but she just can't bring her to euthanize him. How do we break his terrible habits of aggression and lashing out to bite😭😢🙏🙏🙏🙏Aloha & Blessings from Hawaii
Hi there!! Love your videos!! What if the dog won’t take treats,
Make sure they are hungry and the treats are super high value, rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, cheese
I have a 10 month old female GSD. Her previous owners have not trained her on the lead and so I am slowly teaching her the 'heel' command when she's on-lead. However, when she sees another human or another dog, no matter how far away, she is instantly focused on the other dog/human, and completely ignores me. I try to get her to sit or walk her away in a circle until she re-focuses on me, and reward her when she does looks at me. My command to get her to look at me is 'here!', but I'm not sure if that sounds too similar to 'heel'? Perhaps 'focus' would be a better command to get her attention onto me. Either way I'm struggling with containing her excitement when she sees anyone else, she's not aggressive at all but just very excited and curious. I'm going to try and use these tools but if you have any further advice on how best to refocus her attention when she's distracted, that'd be great!
Thanks so much for your helpful videos and positive attitude!
Tom, I need your help. My dog is fine with people and cats. She lives with three male dogs. One of the dogs is her litter mate. For the most part, she is fine around the other two dogs. However, she will get aggressive and attack the other two dogs. This happens with no warning. I’ve tried a muzzle which keeps the others safe but isn’t perfect for continuous use. Any other suggestions?
I have a 100 pound reactive Doberman. (Has never shown signs of aggression, only being vocal and nervous around strangers) The main reason I kinda get frustrated with him and give up for some periods of time, is because getting him to focus on me in any type of distraction is seemingly impossible. Do you have any advice on me getting his attention? Despite his intense love for food, he doesn’t even care if I have treats at all, it doesn’t matter how high pitched my voice is, he will not look at me. He does look at me inside our apartment, and most of the time on our patio. But outside of that I haven’t had any success, he just ignores me. We do use an e collar for some things (off leash training, basic obedience) and a prong collar for others (leash manners mostly). He still won’t look at me with the e collar, I haven’t tried with the prong yet.
What are some of your early socialization tips? I got a German Shepherd puppy when he was about 11-12 weeks. He is 16 weeks now and I take him to the Dog Park and Petsmart. He socializes with my friends and my girlfriend puppies besides the dog park. He’s super playful and too brave for his own good sometimes! 😂
How do you teach the dog the command focus ??
We have a new rescue dog ( 3 weeks now) she is great on the leash and I have now taught her commands Sit, stay, down (this is at home without distraction).. The reason she is with us now is because she was kept in a cage because she would knock her elderly owners off their feet when playing with other dogs. She is an 18 month husky cross and she really does get her speed up when playing with other dogs and I'm scared she will knock another dog over or a person when playing. How do I stop this barreling behavior..
Reward calmness. Activities such as snuffle mats, lick mats, puzzle toys and bones are calming and stimulating activities. Then you can teach a settle command at home - have a blanket, a Kong and a short leash while you watch TV. Eventually, you will have a reliable, calm and long settle with a loose leash and no Kong needed. Then practice in increasingly distracting environments, use rewards as necessary but try to phase out. Have a solid recall, so you can get the dog back to you at the start of any potentially dangerous behaviour, or signs of the behaviour starting. You can then encourage the dog to settle down. Then, work on some engagement (fun commands, bit of luring and movement/play) before releasing your dog again. Try not to spend too much time at the dog park and tire out your dog before-hand. Be selective about the dogs they play with eg. some dogs will have low tolerance for rude behaviour and will correct your dog, in a way they understand, for being over-aroused eg. barrelling. Make sure this is a positive learning experience for your dog though and don't over-do it - don't want then to associate all dogs with being told off either! Throwing treats into long grass is also a good way to calm your dog and rewards them for being calm too. Nothing wrong with play - but the other dog, when your dog is barrelling, is 100% giving off body language to tell your dog they want to stop/are uncomfortable and your dog is just too over-stimulated to acknowledge it - this could easily lead to your dog getting into a fight and they would be the aggressor, even if they didn't start it, or show aggressive behaviour first. Good luck, I'm sure you can do it! If you still struggle, give your dog something they love more than playing with other dogs - as they're a husky mix, maybe canicross (as they can pull)? That's a more productive and safe outlet for energy and dogs will no longer be the best thing in the world, so they may be able to chill around them more.
My dog will try aviod a dog, how do I correct it to the point I can get him to play and or trust him around other dogs, esp my family's pets or playing with dogs at some point? He is a recent rescue, Australian Sheppard/great Pyrenees mix? Oh yeah, I from RI , but relocated to Tx.
yap
How can I do that if my dog reacts to another one literally miles away before i even know what's going on?
Hi, as you recommended, I got my German Shepherd a Herm Sprenger training collar. He has learned to be more easy going but he still has one bad habit. He likes to start pulling the leash and playing tug of war with leash. I tell him no, leave it. Sometime the stops with out a correction but sometimes I have to give him a correction. Any ideas how to stop the tug of war game he plays with the leash? Also I have a technical question, what do you use to record your videos with? Thanks. I'll wait for your answers.
I fight this too and have with a few of my GSDs now. I worried about making other dogs neg so I tried to redirect, etc but anymore I read or watch to just correct them for reacting! No treating, redirecting, etc.
Hi Tom,
my boy is about to move to a city with me and his brother and i am really nervous about it... i tried to get his attention around dogs as he is biting his brother when there is other dogs coming our way and he is not an aggressive dog outside of that.
he is not reacting to anything i try its all eyes on the other dog and no focus on me or my fiance or treats or even his ball which normally always gets his focus.
What would be your idea for him and me to get him with as i am at the end of my options and i dont know how to go about it from here... thank you so much and best regards, leonie
Thankyou from New Zealand. How do you stop a gsd from chasing cats. So fast
Haha I wish my gsd only chased cats, she would chase almost everything but cars lol but she is getting better with practice and conditioning.
Hey Tom, great vids! Watching from Budapest, Europe.
I’ve got a big question for you! I have a gsd puppy (lovely show line with great working skills, great nerves). Very brave, very curious, no timidity but since the first day I got him out he was very reactive to all dogs and bite them in the neck or back. This is passing after 30 mins and I keep practicing with him a lot and met 3 different trainers as well to see what’s the probelm but couldn’t give a proper answer.
What do you think, with training do puppies outgrow reactivity and (maybe fear) agression?
I don’t know about him getting bit by another dog... and he’s only reactive to dogs.
Hey all,
My minpin mix resource guards me around big dogs. Doing exercises like this seems to help him not react so much, but it’s when dogs come up to us that he gets stiff and quiet, then snaps when they cross a certain threshold. How do you suggest I get to the root of the issue? I try not to baby him and I give him plenty of exercise. I use a prong in general, should I pop him if he acts out towards the other dogs? I don’t wanna use it in the wrong circumstances. Feedback from anyone here in the comments would be great! Loving this channel.
My dog is leash reactive and can't be within 20 ft of another dog without getting overstimulated. strange dogs are the hardest for us. would you advise working with a familiar dog first or a strange dog?
my service dog was recently attacked (wounds and all) and has developed some reactivty, he just gets really really whinny but will do everything i ask, or will become scared if a dog barks at him, would doing this help?
What are your thoughts on starmarks dog trainer school? On paper they seem to cover a lot of subjects... Or whereabouts would you recommend a well structured trainer curriculum?
mrkimpham no idea, I’ve never looked into it.
I gotta find a buddy we can practice with
I've had my girl for nearly a year now, she is still reactive to dogs, even just hearing them in the distance sets her off. Food only works so much and then she loses focus/interest and I have to carry her.
My dog is extremely reactive at times (high prey drive from what I've read), but I don't know if I should stop him when he's, say, chasing a squirrel in the backyard... I want his "prey drive" to go down, but I know he's still a dog.
My beagle is not food motivated reactive and scared. How do you train a dog that is not food motivated.
OMG she looks and acts the same like my rescue amstaff. Even one ear up, one down is the same :D
She is so cute.
Is "focus" a better word than the dog's name to get their attention (focus)?
A. Cruz saying “focus” or “look” or whatever word you choose is going to give the dog a job... she will know exactly what you want... “focus on me”, instead of just hearing her name but not a job. She may choose to glance to see what you want but immediately disengage, and go back to what she was doing.
My dog isn't treat or toy motivated on walks what should I do
Any tips from stopping my morkie from licking air CONSTANTLY when its time to go to bed. I NEED SLEEP
I wish I could send my DDR German Shepherd he is still reacting on our walks and I pray that there are no loose dogs! He was a rescue and has a history of abuse 😢
My dog is only reactive when a dog is literally right in front of her. She raises her tail, her back goes up and she sometimes growls at the dogs. She does pull to get closer to them. Could this just be that she’s frustrated and wants to play with them or she’s genuinely uncomfortable with other dogs. She’s a rescue dog and we were told she’s fine with other dogs but we haven’t had many good experience with her and dogs
dam i missed this live. i could do with a lil help.
I have a 3 month old German Shepherd puppy that has become reactive to other dogs. She is okay far away but if the dog comes too close she’ll start barking and she stares at them and completely disconnects from me and what I am doing. I try to do a vocal correction and she ignores it.
Teach the focus command, like he is doing. Basically take a treat and stretch out your hand, get her attention, then draw the treat to your nose so she looks at you. Keep doing it until she looks at you even if the treat is arms distance away. Figure her threshold, call her to focus before she gets agitated by other dogs.
Your mileage may vary, as far as if it will work? :)
mrkimpham she knows the focus command and when I try to get her to focus she ignores it and stays hooked on the dogs.
You need to get her attention way before she notices the other dog. When she's fixated, it takes more to break her focus. The point is to distract them and show them that the other dog is no big deal.
Work on engagement and reward for good decisions. You need to keep the dog below threshold as MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Once beyond threshold (can't take commands reliably, fixated on something) it is simply another negative experience, making the behaviour slowly worse each time. Where the dog is comfortable, but notice the other dog is where you should work. They can look at the other dog breifly (can't expect them to comfortably ignore what they're worried about), but not fixate. When the dog is ready, decrease distance/increase duration/increase intensity (eg. is the other dog calm or running around). You can also add distance as a reward for keeping chilled, despite nearing threshold, and lots of praise. The dog will learn to trust you and start to associate the other dog with good things, while also becoming desensitised. When unexpected run-ins happen, do not correct the dog. Simply shoo off the other dog or ask their owner to leash it, while giving your dog an easy command (if they ignore you, don't bother trying - just pull them away to add distance). A basket muzzle is a good way to get other owners to respect your space, as well as 'I need space' or 'no dogs' harnesses, handler t-shirts, dog capes and leash slips. The dog's threshold will get higher over time. However, some days you may have slight relapses when training - this could be because your dog has had a particularly stressful day (reacted, busy environment - even excitment counts as stress) and is already nearing theshsold for other reasons. Just, be patient. Have empathy and understanding of why your dog is reacting (must be some pretty extreme emotions to feel the need to protect themselves/panic and get the scary thing to go away). Adding corrections once the dog is over threshold will have an undesired effect, as suddenly the appearance of another dog causes added discomfort. It can feel isolating having a reactive dog but there are SO SO MANY of us owners out there and recovery is 100% possible. Even well-socialised dogs can become reactive after particularity negative experiences, or even due to pain (best to always check with the vet that there is no medical reason for reactivity). But there are behaviourists and trainers out there who can help in a fair and humane way :) if you do look for professional help, I suggest making sure who you hire has both recognised qualifications (theory) and reliable testimonials (practice). Many "trainers" have only practice, and while several are reputable, many many aren't and will just suppress the behaviour in your dog - creating a dangerous animal as they will still react, just with no warning. This gives the appearance of success - hence why the theory is so so important. Modern, up-to-date and science-based.
👍
My dog freaks out when other people walk by or someone is on a bike. Not sure how to help her. She's good around other dogs but is very skittish around other people.
That dog was extremely calm with that dog being so close. That’s not dog reactivity
My beagle is super reactive, I have tried the treat method but by the time he sees a dog or person his mind is already gone. We could be 1/2 to 1 km away and he reacts, were across the street he reacts. I could not get my dog to focus on me to save my life
Hi Emma.
Not in all situations a simple peace of food is taken as a reward.
Have you tried other forms of rewarding your dog?
For exemple increasing distance before giving the treat, movement/play.Thinking of Beagle,something to sniff out on the ground could be the job you give....
My dog will sit, give paw, heel etc, but not at the dog park!! He's EXTREMELY focused on aggressive dogs, and barks his head off like a lunatic! He's only little, and I lose sleep worrying about him getting attacked. He's not food or toy motivated, so I can't get his attention. He's fantastic off his lead with friendly dogs, but an utter nightmare if he spots an aggressive dog. How to I start to train him? He's very well socialised with other dogs, by the way, so it's not a lack of doggie interaction!
Simply just be very selective about the dogs you allow interaction with. Build a solid recall, so if you see a dog with suspicious body language, you can prevent your dog having a negative interaction with them. Dog scuffles are common, but I think it's unlikely your dog would get injured unexpectantly - if there are no toys or food around (resource guarding) and the other dog isn't leashed (trapped), then dogs will try to avoid conflict causing injury.
@@JessicaRainbowCloud1 Thank you for your advice. ♥ Yes, I'll be careful who he interacts with. 🐶 The problem is when he spots a dog that I haven't seen. He abandons the dogs he's playing with, and runs over to the new one! Usually the dog is friendly and there's no issues, but my dog has ran up to a bull mastiff, that was very aggressive (The man had to hold his dog down, in a effort to try and prevent him attacking my dog, who, BTW, I couldn't catch because he was running around the dog, barking.) He's also ran up to a few aggressive Staffordshire bull terriors and a Collie. All have been on a lead, so it's my fault, not theirs. His recall is great if he has nothing better to do! If he sees a dog and he picks up on any aggression (It's amazing how do they know!) It's like he's gone deaf!
I have the same issue but my dog is so stressed when we see another dog that he doesn’t listen to basic commands that he can otherwise do really well and consistently. He knows “look at me” and “sit” so I try to do these before he notices the other dog when on a walk. However when he sees the other dog, nothing I say will get him to focus on me again.
Maybe try adding some space between you and the trigger, in this case another dog.
Get your dogs attention way before they notice the other dog.
My kennel puppy mill momma (9 1/2 years) was never socialized. 2 1/2 years later she has learned a name, been to stores and camped for 2 years. Walks loose lead, flat collar, sits to greet strangers. But she's been attacked 3 times, fears loose dogs running up to her. All the larger parks routinely have unleashed dogs. How can I get so we can be safe in these parks. I'm 67 with major health issues. I can control her easily, but not other 100 pound dogs. Have spoken with Park Adm & county deputy .... no help,.
Do not take her to a dog park. Worst place for a dog with her issues.
We did not go to dog parks, just walking trails. Many owners are used to letting dogs loose despite state & local laws.
Sorry Laurie. I mis-read that.
@@caninetherapyinc9031 On leash walking in the trees is her one joy. Doesn't know what dog toys are for. She came with 3 broken canines, can't give her tug toys. Just want to give her more happiness, Not drama.
2 100 pound Rottweiler mixes ran up behind us, no owner in sight. I didn't see them till they were beside us. Felt vunerable.
If my dog is focused on another dog, or another animal, she rejects food. I'll hold it right under her nose and she ignores it, lol!
My dog gets so over excited to even walk out the door I can’t even get him to look at me and treat do nothing.
Neither of these dogs are being reactive
Tom, you talk too much and spoil your videos, however, you know about Dogs. Can you train the UK prime minister May?
Wat?
I'd like to see a rabbit running around & see what happens.