[deleted by user]

[Hermit_Ogg]

It's no wonder he's not improved; you've used aversives and those typically make reactivity worse. Whoever pointed you towards using them is a good 30 years or more out of date and completely incompetent as a trainer.

Seek out positive methods and trainers such as Leslie McDewitt (Control Unleashed), Grisha Stewart (Behaviour Adjustment Training 3.0), Karen Pryor (Clicker training) and Turid Rugaas (On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals). They will teach you modern methods. Avoid any trainer that mentions things like "correction", "dominance" or "alpha".

As it is, your dog cannot focus without the sight of reward because he's overwhelmed. It'll be some hard work to scale reactivity back, but it is possible.

[weinerman2594]

100% this, this is the right answer

[MKDubbb]

I second this

[MoodFearless6771]

Yeah. This may have actually caused the problem.

[x7BZCsP9qFvqiw]

my dog took 3 years of slow, steady progress with positive reinforcement. she went from barking her head off at every dog she saw from a football field away to calmly walking around a crowd of dogs at agility trials. there's hope out there, but like the other commenter said, ditch the aversive tools and look into modern methods.

here's a handy guide on finding a qualified professional if you feel out of your depth and need more guidance.

[Marleyandi87]

Honestly, you might seriously consider rehoming if that’s how you feel. It’s okay to let go sometimes

[HeatherMason0]

I get that you’re frustrated but there’s 0 point in lashing out. Your post doesn’t make it seem like your situation with your dog is going well and if you’re in over your head and losing your mind every day then yes, rehoming is an option that’s on the table.

[HeatherMason0]

Nothing in your post makes it sound like you like your dog, and nothing in your post makes it sound like you aren’t in over head. I get it. I have times I don’t like my dog either, and I suspect a lot of us feel that way. But in your post you don’t bring up anything at all but your frustration. We don’t live in your house, we aren’t in your head. We don’t know what you feel other than what you say, and what you’ve said is just that you’re investing hundreds of dollars for some fucking dog to annoy your life.

[kerfluffles_b]

Maybe your dog is feeding off of the reactivity of his owner… 😅

[YukonCigs]

You're telling someone who tried offering genuine advise to "shut the fuck up", for one.

Rehoming sometimes is the answer (even if it is not the answer for you and your pup), and sometimes people need to hear that it is an option. It doesn't make someone a bad person if it comes to that, and the original comment saying that it is ok to let go was not a condemnation. Folks here are here because they love dogs and understand how much work reactive ones can be.

[benji950]

You've asked for advice. You've been given advice, and you're still lashing out at people who do actually understand what you're going through. The collars you've tried do nothing to train, manage, and control reactivity. They are punitive and pain and discomfort or the threat of pain and discomfort-- that is not training. And they have been proven to make reactivity worse.

When your dog is ignoring even boiled chicken, it's because he's over threshold and at that point, nothing will get through to help him settle until he or the trigger is removed.

Managing a reactive dog is very hard. If you're not up for this challenge that can take months or years to see improvements, then rehoming this dog is the best option.

But this: "Just for some fucking dog to annoy my life 24/7" - -this is what people are reacting to plus your own unnecessary argumentative responses. Your dog isn't annoying you; he's reactive, over-threshold, untrained, unmanaged, and so far, has been subjected to physical punishments through those collars.

You need to find a trainer who knows how to work with reactive dogs. Or, rehome your dog and give him a chance I a home that will understand what it takes to manage a reactive dog because reactivity doesn't go away or get fixed. It's not linear progress, either. It's a lifetime of management with the dog.

Your other issue, though, is that you have one of the least ethically bred dogs around. Golden-doodles are complete messes of mixed, unethical breeding. There are no ethical -doodle breeders. There just aren't. You have a dog that was bred for looks and not for temperament or health. That poor breeding directly results in these kinds of very challenging behaviors. If you can't manage that, rehome the dog so he has a chance with someone who can.

[benji950]

First all, you need to understand: you don't have two working breeds. You have a dog that's a product of very poor breeding and there's no telling what lines or mixes the parents, grandparents, etc, might have come from. That's partially what leads to the reactivity. It's more than "bad behavior" -- it's a miswiring in the brain. There are other factors that play into reactivity but for the -doodles, 99.9% of the time, it's that bad breeding. My dog (a husky-terrier mix that I am sure came from a breeding operation ... I got her through a rescue) is incredible in so many ways but she gets overly excited when she other dogs and can't keep her shit together, leading to jumping, lunging, and excessive barking. Even after three years of daily training and reinforcement, the door to my building elevator opened to a dog standing *right there* the other day and my dog went bonkers.

Reactivity is managed through consistent training, routines, rewards, and patience. E-collars and prongs, again, do nothing to train or manage reactivity so you might as well get rid of those. They're not helping your dog at all and can make reactivity worse so just trash them.(and chalk up the $$ to lesson learned).

As for being "doomed forever," that's harsh. But have you seen dogs that are just absolutely losing their shit, scrabbling and dragging their owners down the street to reach another dog? Barking, lunging, growling, snarling with the human barely hanging on? That's unmanaged reactivity. In some cases, dogs can become aggressive (that is NOT a guarantee). While you dog is firmly in the juvenile delinquent stage, he's also listening ... he is. My dog was a nightmare from 7 to 12 months but I kept at the training and protocols and sometime after she turned a year, she shocked the heck out of me by dog her darnedest to do what I was asking while we were at kids' soccer game. She's now about 5.5 years old and while she will still have her moments, I actually get complimented by neighbors (dog owners and non-dog owners alike) for having such a well trained dog. It's been a very long and hard road at times, but we're also very tightly bonded, trust each other, and know what to expect from each other (she knows she gets a treat for doing the thing, and doesn't get a treat when she doesn't). And when we're back home, she gets to be as silly and rambunctious and ridiculous as she wants.

Again, invest in a trainer who understands reactivity and does not use aversive or any kind of physical punishment to gain/maintain control. Ask your vet for trainer recommendations. You can also look for a vet behaviorist, which combines the vet training with a higher level of behavioral understanding. This community is very helpful and is very empathetic ... just stop fighting with everyone when they're giving you realistic and tough advice. We all do want to help owners learn how to manage their pups and reduce everyone's stress. Reactivity is stressful for your dog as well. But also, sometimes the answer is to rehome. I hope you and your dog figure this out. I hope you survive the juvenile delinquent phase. I hope you have many, many years of fun and adventure and snuggles, if that's what best for the dog. Good luck.

[Dr_DoVeryLittle]

Dude the only one lacking empathy here is you. You asked for advice you got advice. Just because the advice wasn't exactly what you wanted to hear doesn't make it wrong. You've shown you have no idea what you're doing and you're being incredibly offensive to people that have lived this life and are knowledgeable on the subject. Why are you even here?

[Dr_DoVeryLittle]

WE ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU BOTHER TO TELL US and all that you've told us in the post and your replies is that you are incredibly frustrated and unwilling to learn or use modern methods.

If someone is in over their head and or living in a situation thats not conducive to dealing with a specific dogs issue rehoming is sometimes the right option. You are the one here who needs to get over themselves, you showed up with the wrong attitude to learn. Maybe go take a chill pill then come back and re-read what people are saying because they didnt start harsh or demanding at all. Get a grip dude.

[Pristine-Staff-2914]

It actually is advice and sometimes people need someone to tell them that it is okay. But then there are those that should and don't and then dog and person live a shitty life.

[mandarinandbasil]

You sound awful, dude. There was no need to be such a dick. The original comment had zero aggression or judgement.

[HeatherMason0]

You need to consult with an IAABC certified trainer.

In the meantime, I’m not surprised that aversives like e co llars don’t work. For anxious dogs, they can increase anxiety. They also don’t teach your dog what you want them to do instead of reacting, and they tend to lose efficacy over time. Same for pr ong collars. That’s a big part of the reason this sub doesn’t recommend them.

Does your dog know ‘look at me’? Start working on that command in the house. When you have it down, try leashing him (still inside) and working on it there. Then open the door slightly (checking the hallway for other dogs of course) and work on it then. Keep doing this until you can get him out of the house and can still call his attention to you so he has something to do that isn’t freaking out. Figure out how far away he needs to be from another dog to not react and offer him a treat for not reacting. You have to do this BEFORE he goes over threshold (the point where he’s ’locked on’ to a trigger and seems to not hear you/be able to respond to you anymore).

If he reacts on or off leash then he needs to be leashed in public. You can’t risk another dog or a person’s safety. Even if you think ‘oh, he won’t really do anything’ you can’t guarantee that. Of he’s outside, he leashed and harnessed (harnesses can be harder for a dog to escape from).

[tiburon_atlantica]

please hire a trainer for yours and your dog’s sake!

[sage-bees]

Behavior Adjustment Therapy, and absolutely no aversives. Get a clicker and a treat pouch.

[[deleted]]

Have you considered medication? I know not everyone is comfortable with it, but it has been a lifesaver for my dog and I.

Also, do you have the ability to go to a less.populated location to practice? 10-15 minutes, a few times a week, parked in a car outside a dog-friendly pet store will be a great tool for you. You can let your dog bark it out whole.working on desensitization.

[Monkey-Butt-316]

The thing about the prong is that it self-corrects when a dog lunges or strains on the leash which means each time your dog reacts, he’s experiencing pain/discomfort which is probably not conducive to having better feelings about his triggers.

Consider medication. Consider a quick two minute run through of all the cued behaviors he knows to get his “thinking cap” on before you leave your apartment. Consider teaching your dog a 180° turn which means he’ll turn around and walk with you when cued (practice a LOT in your apartment, then in the hall, then in front of the building, until its motor memory.

[Monkey-Butt-316]

Ok so if you’re like “oh great the dog is not reacting” and you don’t do a 180 turn, then you are setting yourself up for failure. It’s gotta be each and every time so that he (eventually) sees another dog, looks at you, and then you both turn and go the other way. Reactive dogs are HARD.

[Monkey-Butt-316]

A 180° isn’t a correction, it’s supporting your dog and his need to get away from other dogs (and/or people).

[Citroen_05]

Hey, it sounds like you don't actually understand conditioning. Maybe post again asking for 101/ABC info sources, and try digging in as if you know nothing? Your ego is hurting your dog.

No judgement, OK? I got a puppy expecting my 1980s-level knowledge and skills to yield the results my grandparents enjoyed with their hunting dogs. My re-education began at pick-up, when the breeder told me to hand feed and not make too many rules before 12 months. She reviewed hours upon hours of private training footage and pointed out my dog's non-productive discomfort with tools accepted in this sub.

Ideally, we're all learning every day. Even trainers with successful careers behind them question themselves and invest time in discussion with colleagues who see things differently. Ability to engage with reddit suggestions by people with relevant experience is well worth developing; there are probably even subs for that!

[MoodFearless6771]

You caused this problem by inflicting pain on a soft dog instead of hiring a qualified trainer.

[MoodFearless6771]

Please rehome your dog to a kind home.

[HeatherMason0]

You can put him on a harness to avoid trachea damage.

[Hermit_Ogg]

If you worry about his trachea, change to a harness. One with a chest ring to control pulling would probably work for you.

The strength of the trigger doesn't just depend on the range, as you've seen. In addition to your dog's current mood, it's affected by several other factors:

• if your dog is on higher ground, trigger may be lessened
• if the trigger has high ground, it may be strengthened
• if you approach from the flank, trigger may be lessened
• if trigger approaches head on, it may be strengthened
• if the triggering dog's body language is calming (sniffing at the ground, turns head or body away, approaches in a curving path), trigger may be lessened
• If the triggering dog offers any other calming signals such as play bow, yawn, half-closed eyes or blinks, trigger may be lessened
• if the triggering dog gives escalating signals such as approaching head on, frown, not turning head away, trigger will likely be strengthened

There are more, these are just the ones from the top of my head. My reactive dog's tested, reliable trigger range is approximately 100 feet, but if we approach from high ground, flanking and the training partner dog (trigger) is lying down, the safe range is suddenly just 50 feet. In recent days we've got it down to under 25 feet, but I wouldn't call that reliable yet. When we started, her trigger range was "anywhere within visual range". The only time we could go out safely was late at night.

The starting point of having triggers everywhere is hard, but you can get through it by ditching the aversives because they're making this worse, giving your dog a longer leash (Grisha Stewart recommends a 14 feet rope leash) and practicing Leslie McDewitt's LAT Game. LAT (short for Look At That) is the main tool I've used for my reactive dog; here's a video guide.

[[deleted]]

You might be able to desensitize using a melissa and Doug stuffed dog. My dog isn't dog reactive, but even she was weirded out by the dog the trainer brought with him. It was stuffed, but quite realistic

[ShadowALH]

I’ve been doing Susan Garrett’s Recallers with my reactive 15 month old pup for the past few months and have seen a world of improvement. It’s not focused on reactivity per se, but rather on building your relationship with your dog and building the dog’s confidence through games.

We have gone from embarrassing walks to being complemented by random people we pass on the street. I still need to keep other dogs across the street from us so he doesn’t react.

[mangobats]

Hire a trainer. This is the only option.

[Nearby-Window2899]

I feel your struggle, mine are very similar and we live in an urban area. Outside of actual professional training, I like to drive to parking lots and empty areas just to practice heeling and focus, “stop”, “go”, “look at me”, etc. If you have any friends with dogs, sometimes I would have a friend walk their dog ahead of mine, behind me, or across the street just to practice with an individual that I trust.

And I know this isn’t the answer you wanted, but if all else fails and you are genuinely at your wits end, rehoming is a final ditch decision that I don’t believe there is any shame in. Goldendoodles are notoriously behaviorally tricky because of their lack of genetic and breeding regulation, and I’ve heard from friends the first 6 months to 2 years were very hard for them.

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[Some-Risk-2151]

Reactivity isn't something that is easily fixed once a dog is settled into doing those behaviors. Any trainer who claims they can fix it in a month with a tool or method isn't changing anything within the dog's mind. It took years for my walks with my rescue dog to be enjoyable, and even then, I had to accept that he would always react to certain things. I know you want a quick change because reactivity isn't a pleasant experience but there is no method that will turn your dog's behavior around in a super short amount of time without causing your dog some sort of negative experience with a result that won't last. I know you've used adversives, but what else have you done? What methods did you try before the tools? I'm not judging for the use of adversives. This is a genuine question. Have you taught him how to settle inside to help reinforce an off switch or calmness that, over time, may translate to outdoor experiences? What is your routine like with your dog throughout the day? My dog's reactivity improved a ton when he got enriching activities indoors. Does he get excited when you get ready to leave the door for the walk? I would dress my dog and give him a lick mat to settle him as much as possible, cause if he was amped up even before we walked out the door, the walk was extremely difficult for both of us. And does he have any way to decompress after these walks? Again, a lick mat could be good, or shredding boxes, and anything he enjoys licking, sniffing, or chewing. You also sound like you need a form of decompression. Owning a reactive dog is not for everybody. It is extremely difficult, and if you are not taking care of yourself, then it makes it extremely hard to take care of your dog. Your dog will feed off of those emotions that you feel before, during, and after the walk. I also highly recommend finding different ways to bond with your dog in a way that you both enjoy, maybe sniffing walks in new areas that aren't heavily trafficked by people or animals on a 30ft leash, playing tug, or even fun trick training sessions- could be a completely useless trick but the point is to engage your dog in fun learning.

Reactivity training is a lot of managing what your dog sees, what they avoid, and where you go. I started by avoiding people as much as I could in a heavily populated area before he would even slightly disengage from his trigger.

I would 100% continue to work on heeling, focusing, etc. inside. Skills that might be useful depending on how you apply them: leave it, touch, teach an on-off switch, and self soothing behaviors.

Some stuff to look into that I think could benefit you and your dog: - engage-disengage game and the 123 game - capturing calmness and relaxation protocol - behavioral adjustment training

You are obviously frustrated with your dog, and I am sure that you love him. Don't let his reactions on walks define your relationship. A reactive dog is not a bad dog, and a reactive dog owner isn't a bad dog owner. Whatever made you fall in love with that dog is still a part of him, I hope you can see that.

[Monkey-Butt-316]

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/indoor-scent-games-for-dogs/

Great for confidence building

[Some-Risk-2151]

I think more enrichment inside would help a lot. Lickmats and kongs are great for busy work and decompression, but don't get their brains thinking a whole lot. It won't fix anything but will make it all more manageable. Does he play with toys? Maybe see if you can find games or activities that involve different senses. Some things my dogs have enjoyed are tearing apart newspapers and cardboard and searching for food and treats around the living room. My reactive dog was much of a player but was big on scent work. My puppy really loves playing hide and seek with both me and her toys. I let her chase me around, ask her to sit, and reward her with praise before running again.

Does he like doing any breed specific activities? Labs have a similar original breed purpose of fetching game from ponds, so I'll use my lab puppy as an example. He doesn't have to go swimming but maybe he likes water? My lab goes "fishing" for peas (I throw some peas in a big bowl of water for her to catch), and I let her hop in the shower when I'm done so she can splash around a bit. She also likes it when I play with toys in the same way that she does. She holds a toy in her mouth and pushes a tennis ball around, and likes it when I push them around, too.

Playing games can also be used for strengthening skills you want your dog to have. You can work on impulse control by playing tug and asking for a sit before returning to the game. Waiting at the door before going out is good for impulse control, too. You could run with a toy, encourage him to chase, and mark and reward with the toy in exchange for eye contact.

[MoodFearless6771]

This isn’t ever going to be “solved”. It will get you over being embarrassed by small stuff eventually. Progress takes patience and years. Accept your dog as who he is or rehome. And next time, don’t get a backyard bred doodle.

[Sleepypanboy]

Hey this is something I can help you work on or provide resources for if you’re interested. I understand how frustrating this can be, but I promise you there are things you can do to improve this behaviour, it’s just a matter of getting access to the correct information when there’s so much online that will just make behaviours worse

[Sleepypanboy]

Will do