Why some people don't see progress with reactive dogs

[jacksdad]

I realize this really does fit better in the Article section, and if need be I can make a post there too about this. However, because there are so many requests for help with dogs that react to other dogs and/or humans either just when they are close by or while on leash walking that I wanted this to be seen and not "lost" in the article section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwnSdvHI ... ata_player

Nothing new here in reality, but it backs up one of the critical pieces of advice given out here, make your dog feel safe, deal with scary for them. I share this because it's nice to have something to back up and document the advice from "anonymous" people on the internet.

[runlikethewind]

Yes very good. I wanted to listen to more after it had finished!!

[Erica]

Very nicely explained!

[emmabeth]

Excellent - boy do I want to go to a seminar with her! Thanks for that Jacksdad

[Ari_RR]

Great stuff, Thanks. Need to find the follow-up on safety aspect..

[Po'ele]

Excellent! I also listened to the 2nd video she posted. My interpretation is that I shouldn't force my dog to interact with other dogs. I took him to 'small breed playtime' at Petco today and he sat behind me in a corner. The trainer forced him into the middle so as to be more interactive with another dog. Luckily, there was only one other dog there today. My dog was very happy to walk up and down the isles of the store sniffing (he especially liked the parakeets ), but did not want to be in the enclosure with the other dog, in fact he managed to escape through a hole in the enclosure. I'm thinking I will not subject him to the forced socialization again. I was only hoping to get him to overcome his snarking at another dog when we come across other walkers. He loves people, just not interested in interacting with other dogs.

[jacksdad]

Great stuff, Thanks. Need to find the follow-up on safety aspect..

unfortunately, Suzanne doesn't not appear to have published a lot of work. I will keep looking and poking around for anything I can find.

But in a nut shell the safety aspect...simply don't force your dog to be closer to scary than it can handle. AND when scary forces it's self too close, YOU deal with it for your dog.


Po'ele, you are correct. let your dog decide when and if it feels ready. our goal should be calm in the presents of X, NOT interacting. interacting is a bonus that some dogs achieve, but not all. And some dogs, even though they are not scared, don't care for interacting with other dogs. Also many dogs also without a history of fear as they get older they get the more selective they become about which dogs if at all they interact with.

[Po'ele]

Thank you for supporting my thoughts. I think Po'ele is happier being a people dog so I don't want to stress him.

[ClareMarsh]

Wow, both videos were fab. The calming the fearful dog one would be a good link for people who come on here asking if comforting their dog when they are scared will make them worse as she explains it so well. I love her people analogies

[minkee]

These are great. The first 'good' dog book I read was by Suzanne Clothier - her Bones would Rain from the Sky book. It really opened my eyes and I'm very grateful for her, it, and it being recommended on my puppy trainer's website!

[MPbandmom]

The analogy was really very eye opening. I had a concept of the fear thing and that dogs need to feel safe to improve reactive behaviors, but the imagery of the gun to the head added to the rewards, made the whole concept much more clear to me.

Thanks for sharing Jacksdad!

[Po'ele]

I found Suzanne's website helpful. Lots of great articles: http://www.suzanneclothier.com/the-arti ... -behind-it

[dog2]

I also wanted to hear more after the clip had finished.
now a question(i,m good at questions not so good at answers)if you are unsure if your dog is not liking other dogs because of fear or not do you first of all try the desensitisation giving him a treat each time you see a dog and then if that doesnt work(how long do you give it is another question)then come to the conclusion it is fear?
then what do you do about it if it is fear?maybe that was the part of the clip afterwards if so i would love to hear it.

[Nettle]

It's always fear, and it takes as long as it takes. Some dogs are never fully desensitised to strange dogs, and indeed that is wisdom, because a proportion of strange dogs do threaten.

You teach your dog that you will deal with the situation, and so they transfer that responsibility to you. As they trust YOU, they become less fearful, but your job is always to be worthy of that trust by always protecting them.

You know those people who tell you wasps are fine, if you don't annoy them they don't annoy you, don't worry about the wasp - if it sat on your arm and stung you, you wouldn't be impressed with that advice. But if someone said Oh there's a wasp, let's go over here, take this £100, next time you saw a wasp, you'd be wanting to get another £100 once you were safely away. Over time, you'd be needing to get less distance between you and the wasp, and looking forward to your wodge of cash.

It's important that the owner assesses strange dogs from their dog's point of view, and commits to protecting them.

[dog2]

have just been reading more suzanne clothier and she says about body language with reactive dogs ..and the body behaviour of the dog i was fostering was as she describes not fearful but aggressive as in wanting to get to the other dog pulling towards it and snarling barking not turning away and trying to hide.so is that still fear?
also i was reading about redirected aggression and he has that also as when he couldnt get to the dog in question maybe it was behind a fence or on a lead he would then 'attack' his lead or go for my feet.in the home if we had to tell him to get off the furniture or whatever he would then get very mouthy and his eyes would change appearance to a menacing look.the people who had him after he left me(they gave him up after a couple of days)told him off for going for their friends dog and the man bent down to him and wagged his finger whereupon the dog jumped up and grazed the mans face it would have been worse if the man hadnt jumped up out of the way.He has now been deemed not for homing with children incase a child were to have to tell him to get down or whatever.