I adopted a 12yo JRT/Spaniel spayed female a few months ago. She has spent her life living in a remote area and not walked where there are other dogs. However she has lived with several dog including now with mine and is great with them although doesn't play. She seemed reactive the first few times we ran into other dogs and barked at them while on a walk but then a young GSD that some idiot in our neighborhood allows to run loose came running up and tried to play with her, she snapped at her. Last week a loose Golden ran up to her and scared her and she snapped and acted like she was going to bite it(all this is on leash).Now when she sees another dog she goes into attack mode. I walk her with my other dog (5yo lab) who is very dog friendly so don't want him to start reacting like she does plus hard to control her and correct her when I am walking two. Any advice welcomed. Thanks

What is going on there? Are dogs allowed to run loose, legally?

I would start reading up here on desensitizing, but I would also completely avoid taking my dog walking where there are loose dogs (whether by getting the loose dogs contained or by going elsewhere -- one or the other).

I can imagine how frustrating this is to you, just trying to exercise a somewhat reactive dog without uncontrolled dogs accosting you and triggering her reactivity!

Forget the squirt bottle! Look up desensitize and desensitizing here and work with her starting AT HOME, not starting in her trigger zone. Yes, if you need to, I agree with the value of taking two walks. Alternatively, you can walk where there are no dogs while you are working on focus and desensitizing with her. I don't want to re-type all the steps to desensitize a reactive dog, but you will not be sorry you undertook the work AWAY from her reactive zone, only gradually introducing the lightest of distraction. It's a process, but it's a process that gives you the most solid of results and a lot of side benefits.

If you have any trouble finding threads, post back and I'll dig 'em up.

 Quote: annhishmen

I felt like not tackling the problem but realized that will have to face it when we go to vet etc.

Kudos to you for adopting a frosty muzzle - very nice.

Your bond with this dog is only going to grow and be stronger BY working her through this issue - and you are going to learn so much in the process as well.

LISTEN TO LEERBURG FOLKS re this, Ann! Take the time to wade through the desensitization/leash reactivity threads (yes, one is mine!) THIS ADVICE WORKS!!! It took a few readings/experience for it to sink in for me but my new shelter youngster and I are making progress -real progress -now...

I have found that training a very solid sit has been the key for us. It gives her something to do while I take care of the situation. Plus I have found that it also helps because it is incompatible with hackling up and putting the weight forward, so my dog can't get the other dog all riled up by provoking.

I have never had much luck with "watch me" in this situation, though lots of people do so its worth keeping it in mind.

What I do is tell my dog to sit, and then I step forward towards the other dog and stamp my foot and tell the other dog "no!". Usually the other dog will pause and I keep moving toward them untill they retreat.

This situation is hard, but the more you stay with it the better it gets. The key is that it dosen't matter if the other dog is friendly, your dog has to know that you are in charge and that s/he is safe.

I "saved" my 80 pound GSD from two pomeranians at the park just a few weeks ago. People think I'm overreacting, but I don't care. My dog is far less dog reactive than she was this time last year, so I win!

It does work. Like anything else that teaches something valuable, its mainstay is the groundwork, which can't be hurried. But that groundwork has so many side benefits, as Barbara points out. It's a fast lane to deep bonding, IMO, as well as confidence for both human and dog.

 Quote: lauren jeffery

I have found that training a very solid sit has been the key for us. It gives her something to do while I take care of the situation. Plus I have found that it also helps because it is incompatible with hackling up and putting the weight forward, so my dog can't get the other dog all riled up by provoking.

I have never had much luck with "watch me" in this situation, though lots of people do so its worth keeping it in mind.

What I do is tell my dog to sit, and then I step forward towards the other dog and stamp my foot and tell the other dog "no!". Usually the other dog will pause and I keep moving toward them untill they retreat.

This situation is hard, but the more you stay with it the better it gets. The key is that it dosen't matter if the other dog is friendly, your dog has to know that you are in charge and that s/he is safe.

I "saved" my 80 pound GSD from two pomeranians at the park just a few weeks ago. People think I'm overreacting, but I don't care. My dog is far less dog reactive than she was this time last year, so I win!

Good post! And absolutely, when I/we say to work with focus and bulletproof basic ob outside the dog's reactive zone, what you did/do definitely falls into that category! For example, my dogs have a "behind me" command.

But we are far more likely to run across fence-fighters on a walk and barkers across the street, or dogs barking at mine through our own fence, so there is less need for me to disengage with my dog(s) and deal with the strange dog(s).

In most cases (that is, distracting but not uncontained dogs), the point is not so much exactly what you have the dog focused on instead of the big distraction (the other dog), but more that the dog is focused on YOU and what YOU are doing with him.


"I "saved" my 80 pound GSD from two pomeranians at the park just a few weeks ago. People think I'm overreacting, but I don't care. My dog is far less dog reactive than she was this time last year, so I win!"

Yep. You totally win! You did the work, and you are reaping the rewards.

Thanks!

I did do the desinsitizing work. I found it helpful for us to be off of our own turf. I did most of it at wollaston beach last summer. My girl is quite territorial, so I think having her out of her element helped. I worked that "sit" untill she would do it from a distance, with me behind her, with my back to her and from either side.

I do need to use corrections sometimes, but I have gotten it to where if I see any trouble coming simply telling her to sit is usually enough.

The benifits of engagement have been enornmous. You are so right in saying that desensitizing is worth doing. I have gotten her to where if we are playing and another dog approaches she will completely ignore them.

Unfortunately walking directly by on a short leash is still a nogo, but I'm sure we will get there someday.