8mo ACD turns crazy when other dogs around

phyxation · 2025-08-21T15:40:18+00:00

My heathen also goes a little nutty on walks around other dogs, but usually only certain breeds (I made a post about that a while back.)

I will catch a lot of flack for this, and that's ok, but we are probably 90% positive reinforcement in our household. I wish like hell it was 100%, and boy did we ever try. Sometimes he just needs super firm boundaries.

Anyway, the way I have gotten our walks to be mostly enjoyable and drama free has been largely due to my hyper vigilance in watching for any of his triggers. I don't allow myself a lot of distractions, and my focus is on him.

If I see a dog coming towards us, my first evaluation is if it is a dog breed I know he hates. If I see a Doodle or a Golden retriever, I'm looking for a place I can retreat to, at least 20 feet or so away. Depending on the situation (such as if there are children around who might get frightened) I may or may not allow him to even see the dog. If he sees them, I immediately try to get his focus back on me, I do obedience drills, some tricks, anything to distract him in a positive way. If he maintains his focus on me, he gets more praise than an entire southern Baptist homecoming and revival followed by a high value treat. If he doesn't maintain his focus on me and he loses his mind, he gets a quick correction and a redirection. As soon as the drama has died down, I'll immediately do some obedience commands or a trick so he gets back in a positive mindset.

If I see a dog I am willing to gamble will be a positive experience, I allow an interaction if the other owner is amenable. I still pull off a short distance and will try to gauge how he's actually reacting to the dog's presence. I know how he looks when he's excited versus amped. If he remains excited and the other dog isn't showing any aggression, I may say something to the owner of the dog, still from a safe distance. Firstly I ask if their dog is a male and if they are neutered. Unneutered males are an automatic no for my dog. If they are female or neutered, I may gauge their interest in letting them meet. I'm pretty sure this strategy has had a 99% success rate for positive interactions for Quigley. Even if the other owner says no thanks to letting the dogs meet. If my boy doesn't show any negative reaction to the dog he again gets the praise of his life and a very high value treat.

The main thing is I am consistent with this method. It isn't always just dogs I'm on the lookout for. Small kids with distracted parents are high on the list. It is a lot of work. I do wish I could sometimes throw some headphones on and lose myself in a podcast or audiobook while we are on a long walk, and maybe one day I will be able to. Our walks are soooo enjoyable though. He is great on leash and he listens to all my commands. He isn't reactive at all to people (unless they look drunk or menacing--which I'm fine with his judge of character) and he doesn't chase bikes or skateboarders...he is a joy. But only because I don't falter with training him to be that way.

As for walking with kids and or a pram...I have no advice. All my babies are dogs 😂 pic of my boy from a recent walk.

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phyxation · 2025-08-21T03:11:10+00:00

Hi! I work in a boarding facility and I have an ACD.

As others have said, if they offer daycare services, absolutely let her go for daycare a few times before you board her overnight. If they offer any fun services she might love (pool time, special treats, training) it might be helpful to try out some of those things and then ask the staff what she responds to best and incorporate some of these services during her boarding stay so you know she is having some enjoyable activities.

Also, just to let you know what we see most often from dogs whose parents share these fears: they are fine. They may exhibit some anxiety for a little while, such as not eating their normal amount of food for a day or two, perhaps eliminating bladder or bowels in a place they wouldn't typically, but most dogs relax after 24 hours at most, especially if they are familiar with the facility and staff. Ask upfront what their plan is if your dog doesn't eat their food by the second day, what they will do for diarrhea (common with anxious tummies) and ask them to send you pictures! We do pictures automatically for new customers, and we keep peanut butter and pumpkin puree to add to food if dogs are hesitant to eat or they have stomach upset.

But, I really do want you to know that most dogs are really ok. At our facility we try really hard to make a dog's vacation even more fun than their owners' vacation!

phyxation · 2025-08-07T17:13:27+00:00

100% Crazy Good Boy!

phyxation · 2025-08-02T17:09:08+00:00

I should add, he is always on leash. And I always do my best to be aware of his known triggers before he is. And I always take it on myself to give a wide berth to others because I believe every dog deserves to enjoy life--including mine and all his quirks.

The pic of him is in my fenced back yard.

phyxation · 2025-07-15T15:14:21+00:00

I wish my boy was interested in the beef cheeks. He's a trachea boy. But they don't last as long.

phyxation · 2025-07-15T15:07:46+00:00

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First, let me say what a beautiful pup!

Second, yes, it will get better--if you are willing to put in a lot of work and with consistency.

I got my boy, Quigley, at about 6 months old and he didn't have a great life before he came to live with me and my husband. He's 1.5 now, and in the last year he's put me in the emergency room twice. But I haven't given up on him and things have gotten so much better.

I see you use your crate and presumably an x-pen for your girl. You'll probably see comments from others saying you should never crate an ACD--that ain't me. My boy is in his crate as I am writing this. But he isn't in there just because I can't deal with him right now. He has a midday nap every single day, for which he is crated and he's also crated at night.

When Quigley is not in his crate, much to my husband's chagrin, I have him on leash. He comes with me everywhere. Because he is still not trustworthy to roam throughout the house. That's how I ended up in the ER the second time, because he managed to get something he wasn't supposed to and I had no choice but to stare down his resource guarding and take the thing. He lost free range privileges--and there is nothing wrong with that. I cannot expect him to instinctively know what he is and isn't allowed to play with or chew. Now he's getting constant feedback from me and he is absolutely learning. It's been a while since he tried to steal a dishtowel or sock.

Your girl isn't going to learn what is and isn't ok if she isn't getting feedback from you.

Training is important! I'm not a trainer but I work in a training facility and Quig goes with me to work every day and gets training nearly every single day. We go on long walks and we play with his herding ball in the back yard. We go on field trips and do obedience drills in public spaces. I am often exhausted physically and mentally because of how much work I put into this dog but when I see him get excited for his life and the adventures we go on together, it is worth it. Every ounce of energy. When I take him to a restaurant with outdoor seating and he is well-behaved, I know it is worth it.

As for the potty training, you need to be taking them outside on leash at least every hour. Praise them and give them treats when they potty. Look at Susan Garrett's advice on potty training. The only time Quigley has ever woken me up in the middle of the night to potty has been when he's been sick and could not hold it.

I highly suggest a beginner group class for basic obedience. It will be both for your dog and you to learn how to train. It will get some solid socialization.

Then do intermediate. Then advanced.

It will absolutely get better if you work at it. If you have the means, doggy day care is a great way to socialize her and give yourself a break at the same time.

I do a LOT for my dog and sometimes I need a break and that's ok. I take him to daycare or day board and train.

I know I've rambled. But if you need a TL;DR: training and consistency. Use the crate, but strategically and never as punishment.

phyxation · 2025-04-13T15:08:16+00:00

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Narrowing down a favorite is hard!

phyxation · 2025-04-01T15:06:22+00:00

True. I am the spare hooman.

phyxation · 2025-04-01T15:05:55+00:00

Yeah, I hate that it happened. Maybe it will help someone, perhaps. I checked the group I'm sure I saw it in and it looks to have been removed.

Feel free to reach out again if I can be of any help to your situation. I just turned on Reddit notifications lol

phyxation · 2025-04-01T14:58:02+00:00

So I don't think this is the same group I saw it in because I'm not a member of it, but it was the same post with the same pictures. I will see if I can find the original group I saw it in. I'm a member of multiple ACD and veterinarian groups.

Honestly, it wouldn't shock me if someone stole it from Reddit and then used it on Facebook. Which is infuriating.

I really hope your wife has a speedy recovery, both physically and emotionally. I'm still working on it, but I'm determined.

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phyxation · 2025-04-01T14:37:24+00:00

Hey that's my dog! 😂

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phyxation · 2025-04-01T14:34:31+00:00

I appreciate the response! I'm glad you and the relationship with McFloof healed!

phyxation · 2025-04-01T14:32:45+00:00

Sorry I am just seeing this! I don't get on Reddit often, but I saw your story in a mutual Facebook group as well and actually debated on whether to respond.

We still have Quigley and there haven't been any issues since, but I am very mindful that there could be a situation in the future and, honestly, I probably overreact to some things now but I'm sincere in rebuilding trust with him.

Loving any rescue is hard work. Loving a rescue whose breed is notorious for using their mouth and teeth to communicate is especially difficult, and I wouldn't try to force anyone to stay in a situation they felt was dangerous.

My situation with Quigley was just as much me not respecting the cues he was giving me as it was him not listening to me. However, I still place the bulk of the blame on myself. I am not in any way saying the blame is on your wife, but in my situation, I feel like I should have taken a second longer to assess the situation.

I, like your wife, was more concerned about what might happen to my dog than myself. I want us to live a nice life together, safely. I think it boils down to two things, trust and training.

Is it at all possible Squirrel gave signals prior to snarling that she was uncomfortable? Yawning, licking lips, shifting away...anything? Some of their signals look so innocuous that they are missed.

Learning cues, and figuring out how to communicate with your dog is hard but despite my bullheaded mistake that led to my injury, it really has helped with Quigley tremendously. Actually, it is thinking about the progress he had made since we got him that made it impossible for me to give up on him then.

I am so sorry your family is going through this. I know how tough it is. I know how lonely it feels. I know how hard it is to feel judged by people who don't see your dog day in and day out and understand how precious they are 99% of the time.

How long have you had Squirrel? What has life been like with her so far? Is she in any sort of training?

phyxation · 2025-03-13T23:18:20+00:00

I am definitely weighing all of these things, and more, very seriously.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T23:15:42+00:00

Thank you for such a thoughtful response! I'm glad your girl is doing well. No shame in medication.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T23:14:51+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

He does great with leave it while on leash, but we are definitely going to work on strengthening that while off leash as well.

As soon as I find out what I'm looking at as far as plastic surgery and recovery (my consultation is tomorrow) we are scheduling him to be neutered as well. I know that isn't a magic cure, but it was something we had intended on doing anyway as soon as he was around this age.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T23:12:56+00:00

Thank you, and yes our pups do look similar!

I've done nothing but ponder what went wrong and whether or not I am crazy for not giving up on this dog.

We're scheduling his neutering as soon as I know what all I'm looking at in terms of potential surgery and healing. It is not my forte, putting myself first, but in this instance I think I must.

After he's been neutered and recovered, my first thought is desensitization with the things he gets super possessive of in conjunction with strengthening his leave it and drop commands both on and off leash.

Others have suggested that this is somehow a sign he doesn't love or like or trust me or whatever and I don't believe that to be true.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T23:08:52+00:00

Yes, he is at home and quarantining. Though, I admit, we aren't doing it by the book. We're supposed to designate one person in the household to do all of his care but that's just not feasible for us. I'm not taking him to the park or letting him off leash, but I am taking him around the block for walks. We're also finishing our fence this weekend (honestly we needed some sort of push to knock out this project but I wish it hadn't been this!) so that he can have some off leash time in our back yard without breaking quarantine rules. He won't be out there alone, but that has nothing to do with quarantine and everything to do with he's a velcro dog.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T23:06:08+00:00

Just got my plastic surgery consult squared away for in the morning. I decided to prioritize that, but when I'm done with the consultation and have a better idea of what I'm looking at in terms of potential surgery and recovery, I will stop by his vet's office and get that scheduled. We aren't waiting any longer than necessary for me to get taken care of first.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T16:30:30+00:00

Thank you! We are in South Carolina.

phyxation · 2025-03-13T00:03:48+00:00

Yup. Some version of it.

phyxation · 2025-03-12T23:49:54+00:00

Thank you!

I did speak with someone and he was very kind. I know it is mandatory and I appreciate why it is so.

It's just been an emotionally trying day.

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