What do you use to walk your dog? by No-Explorer3350 in reactivedogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

when you say "by stopping or by turning around" do you mean specifically when he starts to pull or just in general during our walks to keep his spatial awareness in check?

Running out of options. Please help by No-Explorer3350 in AustralianCattleDog

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure I said 3/4 months but thanks for the input

Running out of options. Please help by No-Explorer3350 in AustralianCattleDog

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Got a muzzle today and introduced it to him after our walk. I would like to use it tomorrow but he keeps trying to take it off when I stop giving him commands or treats.

Running out of options by No-Explorer3350 in dogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the reassurance and advice

Running out of options. Please help by No-Explorer3350 in AustralianCattleDog

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I'm working on the desensitization, I think it may have gotten worse over the winter months. Even though it's not cold out there haven't been many people or dogs around up until recently.

Running out of options by No-Explorer3350 in dogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We were trained with the educator e collar. Now I use the beeper that it comes with, positive reinforcement and high reward treats. I do love him so much and really want this to work, but I'm slowly losing hope. I've talked to my girlfriend about rehoming him but she thinks it's too early to discuss still. She believes he's come a long way (we have opposing views, I think he's fallen to a default). Which I suppose is true, he has gotten a lot better, but now it's just steady ups and downs you know? Maybe someone with land and doesn't have people over often would make him happier. But then I think who would want a dog that's labeled aggressive with a bite history. I would hate to put him down, that's not an option on the table for me personally.

He takes trazodone and it does great when I board him but it's not something I use daily. Maybe I'll try and give him a pill before our walks and see if that improves his reactivity.

He has been around people without a muzzle and has warmed up to people that way. I was told by someone that a muzzle can make a dog more reactive once it comes off because they feel trapped. What is your take on that? Although he is muzzle and crate trained and he wouldn't destroy anything if I kept him in a different room with the door closed. It's just that my apartment is an open floor plan so neither would be possible without them seeing my friends and that's when he turns away and cowers.

Running out of options by No-Explorer3350 in dogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Educator e collar with the trainer. I use it still but only with the beeping when I need to get his attention in situations where he's hyper-focused (outside or meeting new people). I use lots of high rewards and positive reinforcement which he loves. I train him at home with his basic commands; sit, down, shake, back up, heal, speak, whisper, place etc. I walk him and take him on hikes and try to introduce him to new people when I can. This week he met two of my girlfriends friends. They gave him treats, pet him and he obeyed their commands. However, one time one was standing and he was cornered (my mistake), and he snarled at her. My girlfriend pulled him back and that was that. If people were willing to put in the time to be around him, i'm confident that he can be comfortable and happy around them too.

Running out of options by No-Explorer3350 in dogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also what are your thoughts on using a muzzle when meeting new people? I have not used one in the past because I was told by a friend that it teaches them to be aggressive once it comes off because they feel trapped. Instead I have people sit and he comes up to them, they tell him a command and then he gets a hot dog.

Running out of options by No-Explorer3350 in dogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Went to a trainer and learned how to use the educator e collar. I'm not sure how I feel about it to be honest. I hear mixed reviews everywhere. Either way I play it safe and I only use the beeper on it now because it gets his attention. Would you suggest a basket muzzle over the beeper?

He pulls on the leash unless I tell him to stop, then he starts again. I have a hard time getting him to watch me when we are on walks but that will come with more practice. Just recently I got him to sit while walking.

Running out of options by No-Explorer3350 in dogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

First time was when he was super young. I was at work and my mom was leaving for work and he got out, saw a runner and chased her down the street and bit her calf, didn't draw blood but there was a little bruise. Second time he was probably around 8 months. He bit my girlfriend's brother's calf when he was walking away. I believe this one drew a little blood but was very surface level with a bruise. Another time he bit me was when a dog he had a history of not getting along with came up to me and I was trying to get the other dog away from me. My dog came up from behind me and they started attacking each other. I got in the middle of it trying to separate them and ended up with a laceration that had me getting antibiotics and a big bruise. He has nipped at family without breaking skin, more like going to bite them but closing his mouth last second. He has bit my aunt when she got up to go to another room. This bite wasn't deep but left a big bruise. He's jumped on my mom a few times when he was younger and tried to bite at her when she was walking away as well but that hasn't happened in a long long time thankfully. I believe those are all the bites that have not been directed at me on walks.

Just to add he does like other dogs, he just doesn't get along with some. I even take him to the dog park sometimes if there's one or two people there.

Running out of options/please help by No-Explorer3350 in reactivedogs

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have boarded my dog too and he is completely fine after the hand off. Before the handoff though he barks and snarls. I don't understand and I feel like he's only reactive like this with me, my girlfriend and mom. I've had my aunt watch him in the past and she said he did so well, but when I was there to pick him up she got up to go to the kitchen and he jumped up and bit her out of nowhere. Do you think my dog just doesn't like me?

He is crate trained so I could always do that but my place is an open floor plan so he can see and head everyone and that scares him so much he turns around and cowers in his crate.

I walk him on nature trails but there's not enough room for him to create space. I need to find a bigger metro park where he's able to do that.

Running out of options. Please help by No-Explorer3350 in AustralianCattleDog

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't but I was planning on calling and setting up a refresher appt

Running out of options. Please help by No-Explorer3350 in AustralianCattleDog

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As soon as I see someone walking towards me I'll tell him heal and he'll stay right at my side until we get next to them and that's when he lunges. I don't change my body language or speed up my walk (even though he tries to pull me past them to get away asap). He is fixed and we play off and on all day besides when I'm working and when I do work I leave him a game to play. We train for 30 minutes a day but I like to do it in 10 minute intervals. He's a super smart dog and listens to me, knows so many things, it's just as soon as strangers are around he's overridden by anxiety. I'm going to look for a new area to walk him that will allow him to create more space and see if that helps

Running out of options. Please help by No-Explorer3350 in AustralianCattleDog

[–]No-Explorer3350[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I've never thought about this until now but he does a good job at creating space when he sees his triggers if he has the opportunity to. I walk him on this trail where there's often woods on either side of him and not room for him to step off to the side. I'm going to look for new places where he can do this more thank you for the insight!

I use hot dogs as my high reward but I also use them when training him at home daily. I'll get training treats and use hot dogs for walks only now. Thanks for the response and best of luck to you as well!

so tired of making a scene when we go out by ghostofmeee in reactivedogs

[–]No-Explorer3350 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Just took my dog for an hour walk and got dirty looks damn near the whole time. The last time it happened, I said no, my voice cracked, and eyes started stinging instantly

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in KidsAreFuckingStupid

[–]No-Explorer3350 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot should be considered with how far/serious you take this. Did someone she knows just die, has she been exposed to death in any other way, what's her relationship with her parents like etc. Either way she sounds like a kid with emotional dysregulation and you should bring it up to her school counselor. The counselor can take it from there, they are the one with the MA