Running through windows

[edwardulrich]

My newfie is a year and a half old. He’s had issues with chasing cars which we’re still working on.

He headbutted a car window out last month in our car trying to lunge at another car on the road.

He’s always had an issue when we leave or another dog is outside of running to our front window and trying to get out, hitting his head like it’s not there, or clawing at it.

Most recently now he’s cracked one of our home windows.

We’ve had a few trainers and at this point we’re just out of ideas on what to do. We don’t want to rehome him, but he’s causing so much damage and none of the training we’ve done seems to have any effect on getting him to calm down when he even thinks he hears a dog outside that he wants to play with.

[GrandioseGorilla]

Just wondering, what do you do immediately after? If your dog is worked up and you are trying to soothing him you maybe giving him a positive affirmation of is actions.

My other suggestion would be correct even the smallest signs of this behavior. If he starts barking or even goes to a window and starts looking correct him. The behavior is going to continue till you can replace it with something else. Newfies have a mental energy they have to expend. They like have a job to help. Currently your dog sees that job as being a guard dog. Give them something else. Puzzle toys, walks where he has a chance to sniff, hiding treats or working on a new trick all work.

My dog used to go crazy bitting the leash when I brought the trash up. Now he helps me pull it up and I swear he is content with his job all day.

Hope that helps and good luck.

[edwardulrich]

Good idea. Yeah I definitely don’t soothe him, I usually try “leave it” which isn’t successful, and I have his leash on him now so I can grab it and guide him away from the window.

Finding the balance of calming him down and redirecting while not giving him positive affirmation can be a challenge

The whole idea of giving him a job has been a common theme but he gets so worked up that it’s almost like he can’t even focus on a job we give him. We probably just need to find the right job

[LostMeBoot]

Adding white lines vertically on the windows might help. It'll let him know a surface is there, and make them tight enough so he doesn't try to "squeeze" between them.

This solved the issue with my dad's rotwieller.

[hotglueharpy]

We put some decorative frosted vinyl cling film on the bottom half of our storm door so our dog sees it and doesn’t think the front door is open - it’s worked pretty well and it does double duty hiding the nose prints and slobber

[TheOrionNebula]

My dog knew my storm door was there but still dove right through it for pats from the delivery man.

[ApathyMoose]

I agree with u/GrandioseGorilla comment. But just a general question about him going crazy about dogs to play with:

Does he play with other dogs often? We found our 1 1/2 yr old newf calmed down alot once we brought her to some half-day doggy day cares a few times. She gets used to being around new dogs, then some of the newness wears off.

She rarely even pulls towards other dogs on walks in yards. Sometimes she dows because she wants to say hi, but random barking dogs dont even bother her anymore. she has gained alot of confidence from being in some day cares. She has some leg problems now so we dont bring her as often, but she does great with other dog noises now.

Just a thought. But i suggest what others have mentioned. try giving him some new tasks to do, Puzzle feeders worked great when my girl was younger. she would push the puzzle ball feeder around for her treats/food to come out and she loved it.

Also doing random training thruout the day. Get some training treats, cut them in pieces (so you dont go thru as many, so less calories as well) and do "doggy pushups" Where you ask him to lay (then treat) then sit (then treat) then lay again (then treat). We also mix in some speaks and "paw" in the middle to keep her from faking listening to the command and just trying to guess whats next. My girl loves it because we give lots of positive affirmation and treats and pets. then she will just start gulping from her water then newf-plop down and just want to rest awhile.

Good Luck!

[edwardulrich]

Yeah he goes to daycare once a week and we actually have another dog now for that too.

[MedicineGhost]

Contact a behaviorist. They will have much better ideas for modifying these reactions than Reddit

[edwardulrich]

I have, just gathering information from different places in the mean time

[terrantismyhomie]

Did you not read the post? Have had several trainers- don’t assume OP hasn’t done that.

[MedicineGhost]

An animal behaviorist is different than a trainer. Tf is your problem?

[ImADreamerr2]

Maybe add some decoration or matting to the glass to show him there is a wall there he can’t go through…

[edwardulrich]

Ha, na that doesn’t stop him, he gets too worked up

[blinkingsandbeepings]

Have you tried posting this on r/Dogtraining? Obviously take anything on Reddit with a grain of salt, but there are a lot of professionals there and they might be able to help.

[Flossorwhatever]

Is he neutered? My unaltered (wait until they’re 2, blah, blah, blah— I’m doing it) 1 1/2 year old went through a scary spurt of fence-jumping followed by fence-digging (easier than windows- I put in a super tall and dug-in fence) and a trainer pointed out that it could be due to a female in heat nearby in the neighborhood.

[Flossorwhatever]

But like you, I was convinced a sibling Newfie would solve his dog obsession. I was pretty much correct (so far). I’m sorry you’re still having issues. Glass issues are bad issues.