I have been posting recently on Jethro's improved responses to his reactive triggers out on the walk: dogs, squirrels, cats, raccoons, deer, and even skunks. But a new issue has cropped up and I have to re-focus training on this new distraction: people.

We have had a lot of people coming and going from our property during the renovation. Jethro will usually give an alert bark, and then, when we come and reassure him and tell him it is OKAY then he settles down and continues to watch the front gate. We appreciate his duty because we are mostly working around the side of the house and in the basement and we don't want any random people coming through the front gate.

Lately he has become reactive to the old ladies who comb the recycling for returnable bottles. They usually are carrying a large plastic bag that makes the distinctive sound of bottles and cans clanking. At first he was upset if they were going through our recycling at curbside on garbage day, but now he gets upset if he sees them out on our walks and they are on the same side of the street as we are. I have been taking evasive action.

Worse, though, is his reactivity to pedestrians when we are out on our walks. At first this was reserved for single men, after dark, particularly if they had a hoody on. If we give a wide berth he is fine, but if they are on the same side of the street and we have to share the sidewalk, he is not reliable.

Now his reactivity to pedestrians has escalated to any adult, male or female, day or night. If they are on the same side of the street as we are, he is likely to react, if we don't take steps to distract him.

Admittedly, I have been distracted myself with renovations and pure physical exhaustion, so I have been mostly avoiding possible problems by circling wide and keeping our distance. I haven't been training for pedestrian non-reactivity specifically, the way I have with dogs, etc.

This morning was the last straw. I had both dogs out for an early morning pee/play. Jethro was on his 30' lead. We live in a traffic calmed neighbourhood, so it is a good place to practice voice commands. I had let Jethro sniff ahead of me, and I was organizing Skipper for a moment when a man exited through a side gate behind us and coughed. Without a pause, Jethro went on the attack, charging up to him barking. I barely got his leash tightened before he reached the man. The man stood still, and I told Jethro to Leave It and then basically hauled his @ss back to me. I was very upset. The man said, "He's all bark," and went on his way. I was shaking, I had so much adrenaline coursing through me.

We were only 1/2 a block from home, so I frog marched Jethro home, right up into his crate and I have left him there while I consider my next moves.

I realize I have to start specific training for non-reactive responses to pedestrians. I have a plan for that. I'm also thinking I need to go back to tethering him in the house, keeping him in his crate when he is not under direct supervision. He gets walked 3 - 4 times a day, I am careful to try to meet his needs for exercise and stimulation.

I don't know. I am so frustrated and tired of the mental and emotional energy it takes to keep this dog out of trouble. I love him, and I love hanging out with him. But... sheesh. I feel very disheartened this morning and exhausted with the effort.

What's been working with Pisa, has been deprivation, I have also done a lot of restructuring back to pretending were on a work schedule. And a ton of obedience work.

I should add the deprivation has helped on focus, which is helping her to focus on me as opposed to what she's reactive towards.



Edited by Dave Owen (02/24/2012 01:15 PM)
Edit reason: Added focus

Ugh..I don't have any advice, but I feel for you. It's a shame when someone/thing you love so much is such a pain in the a$$!!

My dog is dog reactive, he's a little Aussie and a total wimp and a danger to no one, but it's still unbelievably frustrating and exhausting. I had a doberman before him that we had to put down because he was really bad. I feel for you.

Jon

"Jethro was on his 30' lead. We live in a traffic calmed neighbourhood, so it is a good place to practice voice commands. I had let Jethro sniff ahead of me ..."


It seems NOT to be a good place for this, though.

This dog probably would never be 30' (or 10') from me in public unless I had a 360-degree view of the entire area.

I know how easy it is to talk ourselves into getting ahead of what the dog's reactive range is and how much or how little we have to rely on containment and management, but it's not productive. It opens the dog up to having his triggers fired and it completely sets back our own calm, stand-tall presence.

" I haven't been training for pedestrian non-reactivity specifically, the way I have with dogs, etc."

Then he's not ready for the distance and lack of control he was allowed.

I sure hope I don't sound confrontational or negative, because what I'm trying to get across is that this was nothing more than getting way ahead of yourself, and it's fixable.


The subject line tells me that you know the answer: Back to ground work?

 Quote: Dave Owen

What's been working with Pisa, has been deprivation, I have also done a lot of restructuring back to pretending were on a work schedule. And a ton of obedience work.

I should add the deprivation has helped on focus, which is helping her to focus on me as opposed to what she's reactive towards.

Depriving what? I'm not understanding. Also, what is a work schedule?

Sorry. Maybe it's just Friday. LOL

 Quote: Jenny Arntzen

... This morning was the last straw.

You have done way too much good work to allow yourself a feeling of being defeated or overwhelmed.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Dave Owen

What's been working with Pisa, has been deprivation, I have also done a lot of restructuring back to pretending were on a work schedule. And a ton of obedience work.

I should add the deprivation has helped on focus, which is helping her to focus on me as opposed to what she's reactive towards.

Depriving what? I'm not understanding. Also, what is a work schedule?

Sorry. Maybe it's just Friday. LOL

I m confused too. You don't mean to isolate the dog in his crate if he's acting up, right?
I don't think the dog will get the connection that he's being punished for acting up outside.
Wouldn't it be more productive to work through the problem and work on it instead of depriving him of something?

Jenny....I understand your frustration. Sometimes it seems like we think we're right where we want to be with aggression and having control of it and it rears it's ugly little head again.

I find if i let things slide, even for just a little bit with Tucker he starts to get the wrong idea and his old tendencies creep in. So it's a daily thing now. I don't let anything slide.

Going back to square one for this issue sounds like the right route. If he's not acting out inside, IMO I don't think tethering inside is required. But outside is a different story because that seems to be where Jethro thinks he has to up his ante.

I don't think it's that he doesn't see you as the leader, but he might think you're slipping in that category because (as you have already said) you have been distracted. I've seen a few people on here say that if the dog doesn't feel you are playing your role, they will try to step into it or will take advantage of it.


DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED!!! lol...breath.

Has your routine changed because of all the extra things you have on your plate right now? Are they getting the same amount of exercise, time with you etc etc?

On reflection, I think maybe Dave was talking about focusing the dog more on himself (on Dave) by being the source of all things good.... that is, establishing himself as being of more crucial interest than his dog's triggers.

Language and terminology can really be a bear in dog-training!



But anyway, not to get too far off topic, QUOTE: "I don't think it's that he doesn't see you as the leader, but he might think you're slipping in that category because (as you have already said) you have been distracted. I've seen a few people on here say that if the dog doesn't feel you are playing your role, they will try to step into it or will take advantage of it. ... DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED!!! lol...breath. ... Has your routine changed because of all the extra things you have on your plate right now? Are they getting the same amount of exercise, time with you etc etc?"

Like Wendy, I really think these are the issues, and these are little setbacks that affect us all at one time or another. I've learned over the years that "starting over" in the sense that Wendy means it is never a bad thing. It's not a defeat. Rather, it's a strengthening of everything we've already done; our goals come back into focus and so do the strides we've already made.

exatcly Connie!

It is not a reflection on your dog training abilities at all Jen.

We all falter...get sidetracked...get busy etc etc...
and things fall by the wayside.

Some dogs see this as an opportunity...and will take it.
Or they may even see it as you being too distracted to do the job properly, so they feel the need to step up to the plate and make sure things are properly protected.
if that makes any sense????
and before anyone jumps on me, i don't mean protected as in the dog was "protecting". But more that he saw that Jen wasn't noticing the guy so he decided to "notice" him.

 Quote: Wendy Lefebvre

It is not a reflection on your dog training abilities at all Jen.

We all falter...get sidetracked...get busy etc etc...
and things fall by the wayside.

Some dogs see this as an opportunity...and will take it.
Or they may even see it as you being too distracted to do the job properly, so they feel the need to step up to the plate and make sure things are properly protected.
if that makes any sense????
and before anyone jumps on me, i don't mean protected as in the dog was "protecting". But more that he saw that Jen wasn't noticing the guy so he decided to "notice" him.

I totally understood. "Some dogs see this as an opportunity... and will take it. Or they may even see it as you being too distracted to do the job properly, so they feel the need to step up to the plate .... "

This can be a good reminder, particularly with a reactive (or even just pushy, looking for a crack in the pack's control) dog, to stand tall, be in charge, don't let that pack leader mantle slip -- because the dog needs this.

We need this too!


We need not to let the dog get into trouble, reactivity notwithstanding. "... he's not ready for the distance and lack of control he was allowed."

Reactive or not reactive, shy, aggressive, fearful, pushy .... we need to remember who's in charge.