Disappointing!

[Liz & Koa]

Hi Laydybug,

Your pup sounds EXACTLY like my Koa and this person does not sound like a behaviorist (sp wrong, sorry), she sounds like a trainer WANT to be behaviorists. I feel a behaviorist would want to know why your dog reacts like he does and not give a correction. She would try the slow method as described here on this forum. I paid top dollar for a behaviorist and got the exact same advice. Oh, sure there are a few things everyone does different, but the basics are the same.

It's a stessfull situation, I know. I find that koa seems to do better if I put him in his crate away from people. He barks but no where near as much as when I put up baby gates and let him see people, but not get to them. Who new, I figured if he had access to his crate and two rooms, then he could come to the gate if he wanted or he could retreat, but he goes nuts. Barking, whining, which is new. He used to just bark and lunge, now he has added whining to the mix, and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not.

Keep up the good work and relax. As long as you love and take care to keep guest safe that's all you can do.

How is your pup with dogs outside? Koa barks at some and no reaction to others. He does go to daycare where there are about 50 dogs a day. He LOVES it. The staff there think I am nuts when I describe his behavior at home. Go figure!!

Liz

[ladybug1802]

Hi Liz

Oh thats really interesting.....and nice to know that other dogs behave like that behind a baby gate. I had assumed he would be OK behind there but like your dog, he seems to go more frantic!

Things have been goign good since I started this thread though....I have got him a crate in the corner of my living room which he adores! Ib have disconnected my doorbell, and am using a wireless one inside which he doesnt bat an eyelid at! I have been having my parents drop by, ring me from outside, and I put him in his crate and go open the door.....he barks when he hears the door open, but settles as soon as the people come and sit down! So all seems to be going well..and eventually I hope to have the doorbell, which will eventually go outside, as his cue to go into his crate, instead of him associating it with people coming in.

Oh and outside with other dogs he is great.....he doesnt like other dogs coming up to him if they are off lead and he is on lead, and he doesnt much like entire male dogs, but generally he loves other dogs!

[Liz & Koa]

That's great. Keep up the good work.

Liz

[Nettle]

If he is on lead, it is your responsibility to keep other dogs right away from him. The more you work on this, the more his confidence in you will grow, and with confidence comes co-operation and trust. Until you have that, you will not be able to get the best out of him because he feels you will not protect him and therefore he has to protect himself.

[ladybug1802]

Nettle...i DO keep dogs on lead away from him and he does trust me.....I was merely answering a question on what he is like with other dogs.

[Horace's Mum]

Just caught up a bit with this thread, and picked up on something I hadn't before. Horus would never tolerate being behind a baby gate with guests on the other side - he can't stand being in his crate when people are outside it, and he goes frantic when he is anywhere he can see people but not get to them. It is something I have always been working on, unlikely to change a lot because I think it stems from so much time in the rescue kennel with people walking past and staring at him, but I work around it. He has a crate in the van which he is perfectly happy in (he can't see out), so any guests that won't behave around him don't get to meet him. Guests who are ok with him come on, but I ask him to sit until they are sitting down, and then he can go over (unless he knows them, in which case he just has to let them in first before getting cuddles!!). If someone comes to the door, he is either behind another door or behind the baby gate, both of which I have managed to teach him to wait by, but if it takes too long then he will yelp because he wants to see who it is.

I suppose I just wanted to say I don't think it is that unusual to not like being behind a gate, and Horus is much better off lead next to me if he has to be in the room, but there are always ways around it. I have certainly come to the conclusion that it is far less stressful for both of us if he is out of the house completely when I have scared guests around. (He panics behind closed doors because he can't hear what is going on, so another room is out of the question).

[ladybug1802]

Ah thats interesting Horace's mum - thank you! I wonder if Dylan's concern being behind the baby gate stems back to the rescue centre and the pound he was at in Wales before that. Altho he does seem OK in his crate - but he seems to see that as his safe place and goes in there to sleep anyway!

Like you I have worked out what seems to work best for him and come to the conclusion that it is best to either shut him out of the way till guests are in or in his crate till they are in....it all seems to much for him to ask him to sit while they come in...you can almost see his brain explode and then he will lunge! But interestingly enough, when people leave, I have a piece of carpet at the far end of the hall, and I say 'carpet' and he goes and sits there while I open the door andthe guests leave! I feel very bad for initially getting some 'trainers' in who made it worse for a while and pushed things too far, but I have learnt from my mustakes and at least now know what works for him and what doesnt! 'Flooding' doesnt work!

[Mattie]

he can't stand being in his crate when people are outside it,

I can just see Horus with the guests in the crate and him outside looking in.

Both Horace's Mum and Ladybug have learnt to read their dogs and understand them, with this came the confidence to work with them instead of against. It is this knowlege they gained with their dogs that they have been able to tweak everything to suit them and their dogs.

It is posts like these that bring tears because of the hard work they have put in to help their dogs.

[ladybug1802]

Ah thanks Mattie! That made me feel so warm and fuzzy! I do feel very proud of him, and myself for finally getting there! It still is a work in progress but its so rewarding when you finally find what works and doesnt stress your dog out! And I have learnt so much and that is all down to Dylan (and you guys on here of course!), so i do owe him, and you guys, a lot!

[Horace's Mum]

Thanks a lot Mattie, I'm going to have that image in my head for the rest of the day now! I think a photo shop image might be coming up....

[Mattie]

Don't forget to let us see it as well.

[Nettle]

Thanks for the clarification, Ladybug - that's a good job you are doing there.