Kai

Hello everyone! My male is now three years old and has become more reserved and "introverted" so to speak. He gets along well with my female and other dogs that he knows. He is very caring and friendly with her but I still take the necessary precautions with them. His issue isn't with her but rather other dogs when on a leash.

Here's a little history. He has been bitten twice (not seriously) while on the leash over his three years. Both attacks coming from off leash dogs while being walked. I am not naive to the breed (even though mixed) and their behavior but I do believe these events have made him become insecure on the leash. Calm dogs never trigger this behavior in him and he will ignore them but the second a rowdy/vocal/or energetic dog comes around he can escalate to barking and growling.

I guess my question isn't how to remove the behavior because if he is DA to strange dogs then it is what it is. But I would like to train him a little more when it comes to ignoring those dogs. Lately I have been taking treats on our walks to practice "focus" which can work very well. I use a prong collar which works great when I correct him before he can escalate. I would love advice from others who have had the same issues and what you did. He has never displayed this when off leash, only on leash and so far will correct himself quickly when corrected.

Thank you!

TeamCourter

My boy is exactly the same way. I just stay calm and keep him focused on me. It took work, but it eventually got better and better. Eventually he learned that I will not let a dog into our space, and there is no need to react. I still have to keep a distance though, if a dog was to get in his space it would be on.

ames

took me a bit but Mel is able to ignore dogs when I keep him engaged. What positive training is trying to get him to associate good things (high value treats) with what he is reacting to, so they will see a dog, you treat to bring their attention back to you and they learn to associate dogs with getting treats. I will try to find a video that explains what I am talking about. Its hard because corrective vs positive is always widely debated on which works. I feel all dogs are different and what might work with one dog might not work for another.

__________________
"There are two temptations to which people fall prey with dogs. The first is to think that biology counts for everything. The second is to think it counts for nothing"
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― Maya Angelou

petquality

Could be you'll never fix it if he's been grabbed in the past. Good luck though.

Kai

Good to hear! I need to definitely reassure him that I will not let a dog get in his space. Thank you for the response.

Kai

I would love to see that video! Thank you. I am willing to try whatever is reasonable because I know all dogs are different. I think this might be a good method for him. Thank you Ames.

Kai

Does it count if both "attacks" we're from small little dogs with big egos? Lol they never really even caused a scratch but I think it was a factor in his behavior. I don't care to "fix" him but more so control him. Or give him reassurance that I will keep other dogs away.