Quote: liz thomson

... I knew Gus was strong, but that "fight or flight" instict sure does make him unstoppable!! Lesson learned. But if I was on foot and the same thing happened, I have a hard time believing that the situation would have had a different outcome. ...

Yes, that's certainly a good point.

But two free hands and no bike to dismount might help. (And might not; I do understand.)

I have learned (slowly - duh) that even carrying anything while walking with a dog on each side is bad for me.

I cannot operate well with a leash AND a bag or something in my hand.

Now I have the poop-bags in my pocket, and anything else I need, if it doesn't fit into a pocket, has to be in a cross-over shoulder bag or a fanny-pack.

Sounds a little silly, but I've learned that I need my hands free except for the leashes. And I am not walking fearful dogs.

JMO..... NOT criticism; just sharing experiences.

Connie,

I have a prong and a Dogtra 1700. I've learned to have one hand on the least and the other on the remote.

Actually, he's getting better. If the other dog is just laying in his yard and doesn't do anything other than look, a couple of "no"s can get him under control. But if the other dog charges, it's e-collar time.

There is a house on a corner with a fenced yard (cyclone fence). The family that lives there has a female lab. If the dog is in the yard she charges the fence and I have to nick Hans to control him. Hans tries to turn into her and go after her. If she isn't in the yard, he keeps looking over that way while we pass. I'll tell him "no" and he looks forward again, but then sneaks a peak and gets another "no". The funny thing is, when this is happening, walking by and the lab isn't outside, Hans tries to speed up. It's as if he knows he's going to lose control if she comes out and "come on Rich, let's get out of here!"

I liken it to walking faster to get through the food court when my wife and I are at the mall

Liz,

Don't be too hard on yourself. You made a mistake, but it's how you deal with it now that counts.

I'd follow the advice given so far and forgo the bike.
Get him to focus on you with a good 'heel' and reward if necessary with a fave treat. If he pulls away, pop in a correction.
The important thing is not to worry when you get near the house, else he will pick up on your nerves.

I've seen Cesar do the bike thing with hyper dogs that need built up energy draining, but not fearful ones. Not sure if we got those episodes here. I've not seen him do it with a fearful big dog.

Don't dwell on it, be positive and you'll be fine

Rob

 Quote: Rob Bruce

Don't dwell on it, be positive and you'll be fine

Rob

EXCELLENT advice. :>

I know, dwelling is not good, so I'm not dwelling. I'm moving on, thanks in large part to the great advice I get on this forum!

The Dog Whisperer episode I'm thinking of in particular was with some kind of rescued greyhound mix, I think. He lived with a single man in an urban area and was afraid of everything... fire hydrants, his own reflection in big store windows, the drainage grates in the sidewalk, the concrete itself!! Cesar had the dog pull the man on rollerskates, and the dog seemed to have a blast.

This is obviously one of those situations where I saw something that worked for someone else, thought I'd give it a try, and it didn't go well..... pure trial-and-error, highlighted by my inexperience and ignorence ;-)

Thanks everyone, for your great advice and encouragement :-)

 Quote: Liz Thomson

I know, dwelling is not good, so I'm not dwelling. I'm moving on, thanks in large part to the great advice I get on this forum!

The Dog Whisperer episode I'm thinking of in particular was with some kind of rescued greyhound mix, I think. He lived with a single man in an urban area and was afraid of everything... fire hydrants, his own reflection in big store windows, the drainage grates in the sidewalk, the concrete itself!! Cesar had the dog pull the man on rollerskates, and the dog seemed to have a blast.

This is obviously one of those situations where I saw something that worked for someone else, thought I'd give it a try, and it didn't go well..... pure trial-and-error, highlighted by my inexperience and ignorence ;-)

Thanks everyone, for your great advice and encouragement :-)

Oh, yeah, that Weimaraner, right? Yep, he sure got in the zone when he flew past everything that used to scare him to death!

Liz, was it a Weimeraner? http://www.copyright-free-pictures.org.uk/dog-breeds/weimeraner.jpg

I have heard of this episode. I don't have cable so I haven't seen it.

But I think you can work through this episode with your dog. Just take it in stride, it is a hurdle/distraction that you can overcome together - which will only improve your training in the long run.

Oh yeah, I think it was a Weimeraner, now that you mention it! Somewhat similar sleek body shape, I just remembered wrong.

It finally stopped raining yesterday, so I was finally able to take Gus out for our first desensitizing session after "The Christmas Incident" :-) ....we took the truck, not the bike ;-)

There didn't seem to be any significant changes in how he behaved, except that he was pulling more on the leash.... Whenever we see a stranger, I'll heel him a couple steps toward the stranger, praise with his favorite liver treats, then about-face and walk away. This is when he pulls, as we walk away from the stranger. I assume it's because he's worried about the stranger and wants to get away more quickly, because he also usually looks behind him to keep an eye on the stranger. I have been attempting to correct this behavior with a "no" or "slow" and a pop on the leash (he wears a prong colar) when he doesn't listen, but it wasn't getting through to him yesterday.

Should I instead use the "watch me" game as we about-face and walk away, and praise and treat when he gives me his attention? Or is that somehow mitigating the positive association I'm trying to get him to make with strangers?

Well, now that I think about it, if turning his back on a stranger is just as scary for him as confronting them face-to-face, then obviously I have to help him create a positive association in both instances.....

Liz,

I'd be worried that turning him away from strangers would intensify his fear of them.

I think the liver treats are a good idea, but have you tried just getting him to sit and watch whilst the stranger passes? Then maybe building up to walking past?

Maybe the sit and watch is the way to start, rewarding when he looks at you and correcting when he looks away. But then keep walking in the direction you were going.
If you walk confidently past them, he should settle down soon.

Good luck