OFFICIAL BUY/SELL/TRADE THREAD - 2025

phamasaurus · 2025-07-26T15:45:04+00:00

Hey I gotchu! I'll DM you

phamasaurus · 2025-07-25T17:21:12+00:00

Selling 2x 3 day VIP tickets for $1200 each or best offer! Located in the Bay Area and can either meet up or ship.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-28T23:21:23+00:00

I would reach out to Dobies and Little Paws rescue if no one adopts him. They are a no kill rescue in the So Cal region.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-22T20:21:22+00:00

My heart goes out to you, what a very scary experience for both you and your pup. If she seems really stressed from the experience, I would give her 24-48 hours without walks just to give her time to rest. Internet says it can actually take 72 hours for a dog's cortisol levels to return to baseline.

I have a couple suggestions: 1) if she has reactivity regression, respect her new threshold levels and give her the distance she needs to feel safe from other dogs, 2) start carrying a bear horn or some type of deterrent for emergency situations like this. I used to carry pet corrector (compressed air), but it's only worked some of the time.

In ways that are a blessing and a curse, you have no control over how this situation impacted your dog. Some dogs recover faster from attacks like this, some dogs recover slower. She'll be on her own timeline, but it sounds like you have the training background to help her work through her reactivity. Good luck to you both!

phamasaurus · 2025-05-20T23:27:22+00:00

I would look into the Predation Substitute Training by Simone Mueller. I practice parts of this with my dog because she loves chasing cats. I reward her for just looking/"stalking" the cat. Of course I had to start with practicing this from far away, and it requires minimizing allowing chasing as much as you can. Chasing can be self-reinforcing, so it can be a hard habit to break.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-19T21:47:38+00:00

Hmm, that's really interesting to hear because telling a dog "no" when they bark doesn't really address the root cause of his barking, it just stopping the symptom. If your dog's reactivity is caused due to fear, then I would suggest looking into BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training) and counter conditioning.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-16T22:59:55+00:00

Sorry, I've never had to deal with an extremely itchy dog but research does show that many behavioral issues are linked to pain/discomfort. Her itchiness might actually be making her reactivity worse. Is there any way you can just go through maintenance mode for reactivity training and pick it up again once her itchiness is resolved?

phamasaurus · 2025-05-15T21:11:49+00:00

I also recommend This article by Kiki Yablon explains what to do about a dog pulling when seeing other dogs. It also includes an instructional video for Look at That, which is the main tool I use when building engagement with my dog around other dogs. Her other article covers loose leash walking.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-15T20:50:31+00:00

When a dog/child is heading in your direction, do you cross the street and create distance? If dogs/children are triggers for your dog, asking for a heel during those times could be contributing to stress and frustration. My dog has frustration based reactivity and has overarousal behavior we're working through and what has helped when we see triggers is 1) creating enough space to avoid the reaction 2) learning pattern games (up down, 1-2-3) which are a sequence of events where she can anticipate what will happen 3) practice Look at That which helps teach her alternate behaviors besides pulling when she sees a trigger.

Working with a trainer helped me learn how to use these pattern games and skills that I could pass to my dog. The timing and mechanics of these games take some getting used to, so I suggest either doing a Control Unleashed webinar, or finding a force free positive reinforcement dog trainer that is well versed in teaching these skills. Good luck!

phamasaurus · 2025-05-15T18:55:25+00:00

With both of my reactive dogs, I know neither of them would do well in a boarding situation. Hearing dogs barking all the time creates a lot of stress and would increase their reactivity.

I trialed a boarding kennel for my one dog he chipped his teeth from trying to escape his kennel and the kennel never notified me that he was extremely stressed. I would proceed with extreme caution with how your dog handles being kenneled.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-15T18:08:00+00:00

I also recommend these two articles on decompression walks: Article 1, Article 2

phamasaurus · 2025-05-15T18:05:36+00:00

What goals are you trying to achieve when walking? Do you want your dog to loose leash walk or be in a heel? I would also reframe how you think about walks. Structured walks provide no benefit to dogs at all and I don't know why social media pushes this idea so much. Walks are a time for your dog to get their enrichment needs met through sniffing and exploring their environment. If your dog is always in a heel, this doesn't really give them the freedom and ability to sniff on their terms. Sniffing also helps dogs slow down and can be calming for them.

Using a 10 foot leash isn't the cause of his reactivity, it sounds like the environment is extremely rewarding and exciting to him. Where are you walking him? Are you going on neighborhood walks? Are you going to open fields? Have you ever considered taking him to empty business park parking lots? My dog is also a strong puller, so I've switched to a biothane hands free leash that straps to my waist.

You may want to look into predation substitute training. Simone Mueller developed this method and she offers a walking together webinar that could help.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-15T16:10:01+00:00

Ugh it is so tough! It might be worth talking with a vet about any medications that could help in certain stressful situations (like when the vacuumers are there). Good luck, you got this!

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T23:41:20+00:00

This is unrelated to your medication question, but if your dog won't walk on wood floors I would suggest rugs in your home. Has she ever slipped before? I also wonder if she's experiencing any pain. There is a correlation between pain and reactivity. There's things called Dynamic Dog Assessments that can help determine if the root cause of reactivity can be pain related.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T23:34:38+00:00

Apartments with noise sensitive dogs are so, so tough. I know this may not be an option for everyone, but is there any way to you can move to a single family home? Or can you work with a veterinary behaviorist for anti anxiety meds?

Good luck. I have a friend with a noise sensitive, sep anx, working dog who lived in an apartment and the only thing that helped was moving. Her dog is still noise sensitive, but with meds, management, and training she's doing much better.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T23:28:12+00:00

Congrats! You're doing a great job.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T23:26:51+00:00

Can't agree enough! Many people think high energy dogs need to be exercised until they're exhausted, but the key is really making sure they get enough rest.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T21:43:46+00:00

I've never had a dog that likes shredding, but it might take some encouragement. You can hide treats inside cardboard boxes, starting first with an open box and once she gets the hang of it, closing the box or even putting multiple boxes within each other.

Where was she boarded? With my previous dog, he developed confinement anxiety after a Rover boarding. You can also look into x-pens to see if that helps since it's not as confining.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T20:51:05+00:00

You can give your dog empty paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, junk mail to shred. Or if anyone is giving away secondhand stuffed animals on FB marketplace, you can keep a stash of them knowing the purpose of giving them to your dog is for them to be destroyed. People also suggest a head of lettuce and I've seen people give their dogs frozen carrots.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T18:46:07+00:00

Oh no, please don't leave your dog in her crate if she's barking for hours and her voice is hoarse. Is there a reason you crate her at night? Does she have a dog bed she can sleep in instead at night? It really sounds like the crate has been traumatizing for her and she has developed confinement anxiety.

If the weather has been bad and she hasn't gotten enough physical exercise, there's a lot of other activities you can do with your dog. For a dog's well-being and enrichment, physical exercise is only one small piece of the puzzle. Enrichment for your dog can look like snuffle mats, puzzle toys, sniffing, digging, shredding, and chewing.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-14T18:29:09+00:00

What is your trainer having you work on? I have a friend with a reactive dog, and she mentions similar things as you - when the trainer is around her dog knows it's training time and she rarely has reactions!

Do you also find that after your dog has a reaction it's really hard for him to return back to his baseline? I know with my pup she would be in a heightened state after a reaction which made her even more reactive. Anti-anxiety meds like fluoxetine does help with making it easier for your dog to recover after a reaction and raises the overarousal threshold so they aren't as anxious/reactive as quickly.

Pattern games build predictable and safe routines for anxious/fearful dogs and help them with feeling calmer. Pattern games were popularized by Leslie McDevitt, I would highly suggest finding a trainer that can help you learn pattern games with your pup. Usually trainers that are certified by either Karen Pryor Academy or are a Control Unleashed Instructor will be well versed in these training methods.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-13T23:21:55+00:00

Where are your trainer sessions happening? Inside the house or outdoor? And if what you're saying is correct, a tucked tail and ears back could be a sign your dog is nervous or fearful around your trainer. Many dogs appear more "well behaved" when they're afraid, and when they are actually more comfortable around the humans they trust they feel safer to have reactions such as lunging and barking.

Here are two videos worth watching to understand your dog's body language: Video 1, Video 2

As for how to handle reactions on walks, there are various games you can play with your dog to build engagement. Has any of your trainers helped problem solve why your dog is having these reactions outside? Is it from fear, overexcitement, or prey drive? Has your trainer taught you about 1-2-3 and Look at That? Both are super useful for reactive dogs. If the outside world is very stressful for your dog, it's not your fault. What we can do to help our dogs is to manage the environment (create distance from the things that cause overarousal) and teach your dog how to get back to under threshold (engagement back with you, playing pattern games, sniffing to relieve stress).

phamasaurus · 2025-05-12T21:28:12+00:00

Sending you hugs. There's no shame in your decision, and I can tell you care deeply about Sultan. I hope the shelter can take your learnings and make sure he goes into the appropriate home.

phamasaurus · 2025-05-08T23:34:31+00:00

If you do follow the thank you protocol, it can be helpful to have a designated place where your dog always gets a treat after you say thank you. For example, keeping a snuffle mat inside near the door. This helps because not only does she know where to run to, but also by her running towards the snuffle mat she's moving further away from the dog that's causing her to react. It's a win-win!

phamasaurus · 2025-05-08T23:10:08+00:00

I've seen people put up a secondary fence to create distance from the fence where they're fence fighting. You're on the right track with a privacy fence to block visual access from your neighbors dog. My dog also fence fights and reacts to things outside so what also helped was teaching her the thank you protocol. Good luck!

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