Hi Everyone,

Is it ok to use prong collar to correct for fear aggression or would a dominant collar be better? I am taking a group obedience class with my 8 month old shepherd and he is very scared at the class- when we first went 3 weeks ago he was really shaking and when we started heeling he had a couple dogs growl and bark at him so he started doing it back. Now its like he can just hear them barking behind him or whatever and he starts barking, whining, jumping and even nipping on me and he tries to find a way out (when we go by the doors or even the stage he tries to climb up on it) we are working in a grade school gymnasium. We do an exercise where we pass other dogs walking in a line and he growls and barks but is also trying to hide behind me when we are walking. He does fine at the stationary exercises around the other dogs but as soon as the heeling starts- yikes!! I've tried his prong but it almost seems to heighten his stress, i've tried the choke collar but it doesnt do anything but choke him - I thought maybe trying to re-focus him with treats but not sure that will work. The trainer says that when i heel this week not to use the word but just to move forward, I;m guessing hes thinking hes associating the word with bad stuff? By the time class his half way thru he is panting very fast like he is just overly stressed out

Any suggestions would be appreciated, I hate leaving class feeling worn out and frustrated which i;m sure my dog is feeling too

p.s. at the end of the last class when i was putting my coat on i turned around and he was actually sniffing with a boxer thats in the class- he was backing up from him but not acting aggressive- just a note if that would help

I would definitely try and re-focus or keep focus with the treats. The thing is, you do not want to let it escalate and then try to get him back with his attention on you.

Personally, I do not like "class" environment. I would work with him one on one and then slowly start to introduce distractions. Trying to "force" (for lack of a better word) him to behave is not the way to go.

If the prong escalates then I would stay away from using that or a DD collar until you try and correct the behavior with positive reinforcement and adding distractions slowly.

I do not like choke collars since incorrectly used or fitted on the dog, they can cause a lot of damage.

Carol,

You know my gut feeling has been that it doesnt seem totally right to put him through something that is stressing him out so badly but I joined the class I guess due to wanting to do "something" with him- being from Sunny california I'm having a hard time adjusting thru the winter months here and I also kinda feel like I started it now I better follow thru- I'm confused.... I will try treats this next class and maybe even try to work him with his flat collar? if it doesnt get any better maybe I should just tell the instructor that I feel its too much for him right now and keep working on my own for now, I just hope I'm not "ruining" him - I'm such a worry wart when it comes to my dogs

I don't think you will ruin him at all...

Just make sure that if you are not comfortable with something the Instructor wants you to do, it is absolutely okay to say no.

I find that a lot of people I work with do things with their pets because they are nervous or afraid to voice their concerns.

Using the food to keep him focused on you is a great way to get him through something like this. And if he starts up, just casually leave the area, and work with him at a distance to where he is comfortable and not acting out.

Once he is back to focusing on you, move a little closer and try it. If he is okay with that, stay there for a bit and then repeat. If he gets nervous, back away and get him back to being comfortable.

Would the instructor let you work him at a further distance from the rest of the group? Would it be possible to have him at a more comfortable distance? And slowly work up to being closer to the group? Gymnasiums are usually rather large, and depending how many are in the class, this could be possible. I don't think it is helping him to put him under that much stress. He sounds like he needs desensitizing, not pushing.

Kathy,

How many other dogs are there in class? How close do the other dogs walk? If it is fairly crowded (and it sounds like it is more crowd than your dog can handle), I would either ask to switch to a less crowded class, usually on a different day, or walk outside the circle/off the mat to put some distance between your dog and the other dogs.

Basically your dog doesn't trust the other dogs and he also doesn't think you will protect him. Try amping up your praise and encouragement, I mean really have a party when he does something correctly. He's probably frustrated and confused which is contributing to his fear. Right now he just doesn't understand what is going on or what you expect from him. Once he starts connecting words (your commands) with actions, he will start to feel more confident. You really need to let him know when he does something RIGHT.

When you are practising at home, do lots and LOTS of about-turns to teach him to focus on you. Then when you are in class, he will hopefully focus on you more than on the other dogs.

Edit: whoops! I was typing when you posted! We said the same thing!

He seems like a pretty easy going instructor and he knows I have trained dogs before so I will ask him if I could kinda "deviate" from the class and try a few different things although it is a very small gymnasium. We started with 26 dogs which was ridiculous and close quarters which probably didnt help either- he split the class in half due to this but there still isnt alot of extra room, thats a good idea though - maybe i could work in the middle doing some focus while the other dogs are heeling.

No worries!

Would that be considered positive reinforcement?

Angela,

I feel that you hit the nail on the head with what is going on with him in class, that to me is pretty much exactly how he is acting. Unsure, confused, scared, frustrated, not trusting me to save him and wanting the heck outta there So would you also think the prong collar is a bad idea right now as far as correcting him to not act out at the other dogs? I think I also start getting frustrated and not sure what to do (correct, not correct, scream, cryhaha that I probably am not helping the situation- who would think that dog training and understanding their behavior could be so confusing?

I would not be trying to correct him at this point, that is just me... disclaimer: I have not met you or your dog nor seen him work. I would try one more class with motivational methods. Try and get him to focus on you - any correction would be to get his attention back on you and away from the other dogs. I just tell my dog, "hey - you don't need to worry about that other dog. Look at mommy! Sit! GOOOD BOY!!!!"

This is assuming the instructor does not allow contact between the dogs and enforces it with the owners. And you are being diligent too. So there really IS no reason for the dog to worry. If your dog is actually being sniffed or touched by the other dogs, I'd think about finding another class/instructor.

EDIT: pracise practise practise your focus sessions at home, so your dog has already started to learn how to do this.