Hello to everyone,
My name is April and I am new to this website, but I think it's wonderful. My husband and I are dog lovers and love the positive way of training. I have a 3 year old Am Staff, Maggie, that we adopted from our shelter 3 years ago. She was 4 months old when we got her and started working with her right away. She walks about 3 miles a day and we play at home quite a bit. We tried to socialize her as much as possible with other dogs and people starting early. The people she loves...strange dogs not so much. When we adopted her we had an older German Shepard and they got along swimmingly. However, when another dog would walk in front of the house or we cross one on our walk she would go crazy. I started making her sit while the dog would go by and reward her for focusing on me or any calm response. However, when the dog is loose or runs at her from behind a fence there is no getting her to focus on me instead. I try walking her in the other direction or sometimes I have even offered lunch meat instead of the normal training treats, but she just does not want to respond. After our Shepard passed away we waited for a long time to get another dog and have recently adopted another puppy. The amazing thing is that they get along like they have lived together their whole lives. I am assuming that her response to strange dogs is some sort of fear response, but I am at a loss of what else to try with her. We have a lot of dogs in our small little towns and most are either tied up outside or are outside in their yards without a leash. I want to be able to exercise Maggie as I have been, but I don't want to put her or any other dogs in danger. Any help would be wonderful.
April and Maggie
Fixation on other dogs while walking
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: Fixation on other dogs while walking
We had similar issues. It's great that you are trying to get her to focus on you, not the other dog. It could be all in your timing. I think the important thing is that YOU see the trigger (the other dog) first, and get her attention on you before she sees the other dog. Then let her see, smell, lick at the treat, but don't give it to her til the other dog has passed. 
Good luck!
Good luck!Re: Fixation on other dogs while walking
I try to do that, sometimes successfully other times not so much. Yesterday was a perfect example. I was walking both my dogs and the next thing I know here comes this dog running towards us. I quickly tried to get them to sit, but it was just too late. I tried to stand in front of Maggie to block the other dog and protect mine, but she just pushed thru my legs trying to get to the other dog. It wasn't until that dog was long gone and we were about a block away that she finally settled down. I try really hard not to get frustrated with the behavior. I have never had a dog in the past that reacted that way to another dog, so it is very new to me. My other concern is that the newest of the two dogs, Lilly, is going to learn bad habits. Do you know of any treats that dogs just can't seem to resist? Maggie doesn't even really have a particular toy that she will shift her focus on.
April
April
Re: Fixation on other dogs while walking
zunie, your on the right track.
If your dog can't break it's attention from another dog to you there can be several reasons, your too close to the other dog, timing (you missed the window to break your dogs attention), your watch me isn't as strong as it needs to be (but being to close to a trigger can over ride a good watch me), your treat/reward isn't high value enough.
Distance. If you haven't already, you need to have some rough feel for how close a dog can be and your dog to stay calm. then you need to do your best to keep that distance. Once your dog is reacting to it's trigger it's too late to try and train your way out of that situation. Your dog isn't in a receptive emotional state to be trained.
Timing. this one is a hard one. you really have to clue into your dogs body language. While there are some "universal" dog body language signs you can learn, your dog is going have his own take on them. Possible things to look for is ears, body stiffness, going on "point", or just leaning forward on all 4 legs with a stiff body. tail barely waging or not at all but sticking up etc all possible signs of "danger"
Watch me. If you haven't worked on him focusing on you with no distractions, then adding low level distractions and increasing this until you can actually try this when a dog is involved, it won't work. most dogs will get excited over something, birds, cats, humans etc. but these other triggers are no where as intense as whatever it is they are reactive to. Or maybe your dog is reactive to more then dogs, but not to the same level. use these things to build on and instill the behavior you want to use when other dogs are around. my dog is reactive to dogs and to a lesser degree humans. I practice all the skills I want my dog to do when other dogs are around with humans. it does take a while to transfer, but it's easier to transfer that behavior then ask for it without a foundation when his primary trigger is right THERE.
Treats/rewards. These are going to need to be high value. which for most dogs means meat. I use chicken and hotdogs sometimes. smelly, tasty, special are all traits of a good treat. some dogs do prefer to lick things so tube of cheese or meat based baby food has been know to work too. I use mostly natural balance food rolls chopped into small chunks. they are smell, tasty and easy to get out of the treat pouch in a hurry. I only use them when out side on walks. You are going to need to experiment a bit to see what works for your dog. dry non meat store bought "training" treats just are not interesting enough. it's like offering a month old dry unsweetened chocolate cake without milk.
Loose dogs. I wouldn't bother with asking for a sit in the face of a loose dog just yet. Patricia McConnell in feisty Fido talks about an emergency sit/stay in this situation, but from your description I don't think your dog is ready to try that. Putting your self between the oncoming dog and your dog. ABSOLUTELY. NICE going. even if your dog doesn't cooperate, you did the right thing. some other things you can try is trowing some treats at the on coming dog. throwing some treats on the ground in front of your dog. telling the other dog to sit in the firmest voice you can. you could also carry and umbrella and pop it open in front of the on coming dog like a shield. just be sure you dog is desensitized to randomly opening umbrellas. If just being near a dog is scary, imagine how much scarier a lose on coming dog is, so asking for a sit might be way too much for your dog at this time. keep trying to keep your self between him and lose dog and try and leave the area without turning your back on the loose dog. that too is too much to ask if our dog is reacting.
when your dog goes into it's react mode, just do your best to get distance from whatever it was that set your dog off. trying to get him to look at you, sit etc at this stage under this situation won't work. so, keep trying to keep a safe distance between your dog and other dogs. try and keep your self between your dog and other dogs even just walking around. work on watch me or some other means to have him focus on you in no distraction areas, then build on that by trying it in low distraction areas and eventually when other dogs are around.
Work with one dog at a time. I know this might double your work for a little while, but it's hard to focus on two dogs at the same time and keep things under control. so this might mean walking the dogs separately for a while.
lastly, try and find places you can go where there is little to no chance of running into another dog. even if this means getting into the car and driving there, it is worth it. even just 2 or 3 times a week can help give you and your dog a break and reduce both your stress levels. the higher your dogs stress and anxiety is the less he will respond to the counter conditioning.
If your dog can't break it's attention from another dog to you there can be several reasons, your too close to the other dog, timing (you missed the window to break your dogs attention), your watch me isn't as strong as it needs to be (but being to close to a trigger can over ride a good watch me), your treat/reward isn't high value enough.
Distance. If you haven't already, you need to have some rough feel for how close a dog can be and your dog to stay calm. then you need to do your best to keep that distance. Once your dog is reacting to it's trigger it's too late to try and train your way out of that situation. Your dog isn't in a receptive emotional state to be trained.
Timing. this one is a hard one. you really have to clue into your dogs body language. While there are some "universal" dog body language signs you can learn, your dog is going have his own take on them. Possible things to look for is ears, body stiffness, going on "point", or just leaning forward on all 4 legs with a stiff body. tail barely waging or not at all but sticking up etc all possible signs of "danger"
Watch me. If you haven't worked on him focusing on you with no distractions, then adding low level distractions and increasing this until you can actually try this when a dog is involved, it won't work. most dogs will get excited over something, birds, cats, humans etc. but these other triggers are no where as intense as whatever it is they are reactive to. Or maybe your dog is reactive to more then dogs, but not to the same level. use these things to build on and instill the behavior you want to use when other dogs are around. my dog is reactive to dogs and to a lesser degree humans. I practice all the skills I want my dog to do when other dogs are around with humans. it does take a while to transfer, but it's easier to transfer that behavior then ask for it without a foundation when his primary trigger is right THERE.
Treats/rewards. These are going to need to be high value. which for most dogs means meat. I use chicken and hotdogs sometimes. smelly, tasty, special are all traits of a good treat. some dogs do prefer to lick things so tube of cheese or meat based baby food has been know to work too. I use mostly natural balance food rolls chopped into small chunks. they are smell, tasty and easy to get out of the treat pouch in a hurry. I only use them when out side on walks. You are going to need to experiment a bit to see what works for your dog. dry non meat store bought "training" treats just are not interesting enough. it's like offering a month old dry unsweetened chocolate cake without milk.
Loose dogs. I wouldn't bother with asking for a sit in the face of a loose dog just yet. Patricia McConnell in feisty Fido talks about an emergency sit/stay in this situation, but from your description I don't think your dog is ready to try that. Putting your self between the oncoming dog and your dog. ABSOLUTELY. NICE going. even if your dog doesn't cooperate, you did the right thing. some other things you can try is trowing some treats at the on coming dog. throwing some treats on the ground in front of your dog. telling the other dog to sit in the firmest voice you can. you could also carry and umbrella and pop it open in front of the on coming dog like a shield. just be sure you dog is desensitized to randomly opening umbrellas. If just being near a dog is scary, imagine how much scarier a lose on coming dog is, so asking for a sit might be way too much for your dog at this time. keep trying to keep your self between him and lose dog and try and leave the area without turning your back on the loose dog. that too is too much to ask if our dog is reacting.
when your dog goes into it's react mode, just do your best to get distance from whatever it was that set your dog off. trying to get him to look at you, sit etc at this stage under this situation won't work. so, keep trying to keep a safe distance between your dog and other dogs. try and keep your self between your dog and other dogs even just walking around. work on watch me or some other means to have him focus on you in no distraction areas, then build on that by trying it in low distraction areas and eventually when other dogs are around.
Work with one dog at a time. I know this might double your work for a little while, but it's hard to focus on two dogs at the same time and keep things under control. so this might mean walking the dogs separately for a while.
lastly, try and find places you can go where there is little to no chance of running into another dog. even if this means getting into the car and driving there, it is worth it. even just 2 or 3 times a week can help give you and your dog a break and reduce both your stress levels. the higher your dogs stress and anxiety is the less he will respond to the counter conditioning.
Re: Fixation on other dogs while walking
Wow thanks that was a lot more information than I was planning on getting. I really want both my dogs to feel safe and secure with me or my child. I think also in my own selfish way I want people to look at her and see her as family pet and not as that "pit bull". If that makes any sense. We have always loved the "stronger" breed dogs whether pure bred or a great mutt. They seem to be the ones left over at the shelter a lot and they need love too. Thanks for the responses and for any future suggestions. I will take the advice and get to work on watching for the signals.
April
April
Re: Fixation on other dogs while walking
Hi April! I just wanted to tell you Maggie's a lucky dog to have you 
. I have the same problem as you - small town, lose dogs everywhere. The advice Jacksdad spelled out is excellent - I'm using most of it as I work with my dachshund, and it is really helping us. If there is anywhere you can drive to with a low risk of running into other dogs, it's worth it -- both Charley and I are really benefiting from this.
. I have the same problem as you - small town, lose dogs everywhere. The advice Jacksdad spelled out is excellent - I'm using most of it as I work with my dachshund, and it is really helping us. If there is anywhere you can drive to with a low risk of running into other dogs, it's worth it -- both Charley and I are really benefiting from this.