Quote: Tracy Collins

This gradual (systematic) desensitization is one alternative. And the one that has the highest likelihood of success, IMO. "Flooding" is the other--in which you would place the dog in the situation that causes anxiety for as long as it takes for the dog to self-calm. Which could take hours or days. I've never tried this method because it seems antithetical to my idea of myself as my dog's protector (I'm supposed to be protecting dog from things that cause it fear, even if those fears are unfounded.) I offer it only to acknowledge that there are different methods for psychological desensitization.

But what doesn't work--at all--is to do it half way in between these extremes. To put a dog into a stress situation, allow the dog to stress, make a fuss (including offering treats) and then quickly retreating from the stressor are all good ways to make the dog MORE stressed. It is reinforcing to the dog that the cause of the stress was real and founded.

What's important to understand about both of the desensitizing techniques is that they both require the dog to figure it out. You can't DO anything to make your dog less stressed about something. That's an internal thing that only the dog can do. You simply have to set up situations that enable him to figure it out---either by systematic/gradual desensitization, or by flooding.

Nice post!


Just wanted to add that while flooding in the hands of a pro can maybe be a faster "fix," it can (and often does) worsen the situation. Planned desensitizing as described here doesn't.

I've worked with reactive dogs pretty often. IME, the systematic desensitizing Tracy talks about is Choice #1.

For my part, I am shocked at how readily my Trooper is coming to me whenever I call him (out front on public).

If I didn't know his prior behavior, I would simple disconnect the long line as he is readily returning to me.

My guess is that a few weeks at least of this (daily) success is in order.

When or IF you take the leash off do it in an enclosed area such as a tennis court, etc.

You also want to go back to being close to the dog when you do it without a leash.

have you worked it at different distances, different lengths of time and different distractions?
Distance, distractions and time are all thing that need to be proofed solid before the leash EVER comes off.

Yes, I think all that is very helpful and may miss responding to some of it specifically.

With the line, I am working at distances of just beyond arm's reach out to almost the full 50 feet of line, right to my property edge at the street or on either side.

It wasn't mentioned before, but even before the recent switch to carefully following Michael and getting help here, I was taking Trooper out front without a line under carefully controlled constraints, mainly two setups:

1) He loves to ride in the car and it is actually hard to STOP him from jumping into it if hatchback of my wife's car is open so when we are going to take him somewhere anyway, I will let him into the yard to potty, and we'll open the car as I call him. (We can do this a LOT better I think next time though.)

2) He is very good at not bolting through the door, so I will go out first, ensure that he sits inside, then partially blocking his path on the sidewalk from the front step, point to the porch just beside the door as I tell him to come out.

Then it's pretty easy to get him to do that, come just out the door, and site on the front step.

I can do this again, out about 6-8 feet and get a realiable come and stop with a sit.

It's iffy after than so, by this 2nd time, I hook him up unless we are going to use the "get in the car" trick above.

I will need to find somewhere enclosed (first without people & dogs) to work -- that will be a good generalization in any case.

When we get that working, we can seek out a small dog park.

Before the arthritis became should a nuisance we had good luck at a local "island river park" where there are gullies down to the water and we let him swim.

He loves to fetch, so throwing the ball out for him and semi-blocking his passage back up th

e gully was enough to keep him entertained for quite a while even with other dogs around.

Unfortunately the island is about a 1/2 mile long and eventually a "group of dogs" would go by up on the path, or someone would leave for the other end, and my connection to him would falter as he fell in with a pack, and we would have to walk down to the end with him.

I didn't mind the walk a couple of years ago, but now it is just too far to get down there quickly with him.

That will be a good final exam someday again -- maybe not soon.

Nice post and good work!

But "When we get that working, we can seek out a small dog park" worries me. This really isn't a good plan. (In fact, off-leash dog parks, IMO, are a terrible accident waiting to happen.)

http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=34116&page=1 (and there are many many thread that are similar ... "park" is a good search term, and then expand the date range).



BUT .... the edge of a parking lot outside a dog park (or a pet-supple store, a skate board park, a tennis court, etc.), with the dog on a line, can be a fine distraction-proofing spot (a bit later on).

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

BUT .... the edge of a parking lot outside a dog park (or a pet-supple store, a skate board park, a tennis court, etc.), with the dog on a line, can be a fine distraction-proofing spot (a bit later on).

This is so true. The only reason I visit the local dog park is to train with my dog outside of the fenced in area where he can see the other dogs but they can't interact with each other. It has really helped his proofing.

 Quote: Lee_Reicheld

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

BUT .... the edge of a parking lot outside a dog park (or a pet-supple store, a skate board park, a tennis court, etc.), with the dog on a line, can be a fine distraction-proofing spot (a bit later on).

This is so true. The only reason I visit the local dog park is to train with my dog outside of the fenced in area where he can see the other dogs but they can't interact with each other. It has really helped his proofing.

I have a "Downtown Dog" desensitizing class twice a year, and this is a big component.

Each dog learns (no matter how gradually and incrementally!) that s/he can focus on the owner/handler even in such conditions.

None of this is sudden, believe me! We start with the grass on the very edge of a lot, or outside the fence of a venue where I would not place the dog inside ....

EVERYTHING begins at a place where no dog reacts. NOTHING happens if any dog is unable to focus on his/her owner's basic ob work (with HV rewards).

I think it was Steve Strom who said "only at a point where the dog is able to focus on the work."

 Quote: Lee_Reicheld

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

BUT .... the edge of a parking lot outside a dog park (or a pet-supple store, a skate board park, a tennis court, etc.), with the dog on a line, can be a fine distraction-proofing spot (a bit later on).

This is so true. The only reason I visit the local dog park is to train with my dog outside of the fenced in area where he can see the other dogs but they can't interact with each other. It has really helped his proofing.

Billboard post!!

Well, we still have a LOT of work to do in the front yard when NO ONE is around.

Trooper can barely focus (at the moment) when there is no person or animal withing sight for two blocks in either direction.

Of course dogs are so scent dependent that likely he is "visualizing" every creature that visited our yard for the last couple of days.

We definitely get deer, probably coyotes, maybe raccoons, and certainly cats, dogs, people, and any number of small animals and birds.

My presumption is that this is the immediate and major difference between the front and back yard.

The backyard probably has birds, squirrels, cats and other small creatures visit mostly and likely in fewer numbers since we are fenced.

The front yard has so many other TYPES and such a higher QUANTITY of animals and associated smells.

Of course is somebody, especially with a dog walks by while he is out then he turns into a KANGAROO hopping (literally) with excitement.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

None of this is sudden, believe me! We start with the grass on the very edge of a lot, or outside the fence of a venue where I would not place the dog inside ....

EVERYTHING begins at a place where no dog reacts. NOTHING happens if any dog is unable to focus on his/her owner's basic ob work (with HV rewards).

I think it was Steve Strom who said "only at a point where the dog is able to focus on the work."

I'm pretty lucky in that my local dog park is inside of a larger county park. So there are huge open areas surrounding the fenced sections that is the dog park area (one for small dogs, one for big ones). So my dog and I can do OB training waaaaaay far away from the dog area on days where his attention is challenged, then we gradually decrease the distance.