Quote: michael hubert

and none of my clients have ever had any neck problems when using a correction coller, ever. seems now adays people are trying to get too fast results when training, nothing happens over night, training takes time, respect and distration work takes time.

The thread is getting hijacked into what collars are best.

My suggestions were based on a regular flat collar.

Let's not get into chokes (for or against) and totally derail the thread. Thanks.

new thread?

 Quote: michael hubert

new thread?

A new topic. This one is "Does this sound like dog/animal aggression?" and is addressing the O.P. (original post).

A discussion of pros and cons of choke collars is a hijack.

Thank you all for opening my eyes. I just realized after reading your responses that although Kodee seems to know I'm in charge at home, he is challenging me when we are out away from our house among the higher level of distractions. He challenges me at home on occassion, but not nearly as often or with as much determination.

I should clarify something I said earlier, too. I am stepping in front of Kodee as soon as he notices the other dog, and his ears perk up. I'm not waiting until he's barking, etc. However, obviously the method I'm using isn't working. I'm just prolonging the amount of time he's exposed to the dog, and making things worse. I will definitely take your advice and work more with him around distractions, doing a very quick leash correction as soon as I see him notice the other animal, and keep going calmly. I think I am escalating his behavior by the way I'm reacting (basically in my head I'm thinking "Oh, crap, dog up ahead") and I'm sure he's escalating as a result. I just didn't see it until I read some of the responses from you.

As always, thanks for being so insightful, guys!

try to remember to stay calm,when your nervous or excited your dog sences that and will respond to it

Hey Kori, I think your misunderstanding what Randy is saying. The bottom line for actual dog aggression comes down to obedience. Absolute Obedience. Leave it means leave it. When you find re-directing or de-sensitizing doesnt work the only thing left is him minding you. Timing on corrections for this can be tough and it can be hard to give a physical correction and remain calm. Here's something else you may consider. Make sitting and looking to your face his favorite thing to do.Reward, reward,reward,reward. It's easier to keep his attention when other dogs pass because he's doing something he likes and if he doesnt the correction is a calm lifting like Ed shows with the D.D. collar. This way you correct for breaking a command and you reward for following the command. Once he's solid on this you can start adding in some heeling, in the beginning away from the distraction. Let me know if I didnt explain this very well, I've got a little sun stroke today. And I know this isnt a lot of help for a cgc but not every is right for that test. I could just see my dog yanking an 80yr old woman to the ground trying to introduce himself to the neutral dog. His obedience is good, but his manners,,,,well...

Kori,

As usual the feedback from the forum is excellent. And now for my 2 cents.

No. I do not think what you are seeing is dog/animal aggression. Based on his age and antics I would call what you are seeing with dogs "a good offense is the best defense" in other words he is unsure of himself and you and what he should do thus posturing. A lot of this has to do with maturing as well as where he is with his training.

Randy's question of does he understand "No" is very valid. Correcting when he doesn't get it is unfair and I don't think he gets it at all when he is outside.

Welcome to the world of "Mutton head adolescense" from 100% perfectly trained pup to if I only had a brain. Don't worry though, all the foundation work you have done is still in there it is just being over ruled by the work of maturing.

To me it seems there has been a break down of communication in bringing his training from a controlled environment to real life situations. I think you have moved too fast. Easily corrected; go back to square one and take it step by step building slowly to introducing distractions. I try to limit physical corrections as much as possible; because I am usually at fault for my dog's behavior so why should he pay the consequences?

That being said it is very slow going on the improvement side of things minus the physical corrections but I was not in a rush with my dog so when he began to act like your boy when he hit 13 months old; it took about until he was 2 1/2 to see it all come together.

As far as the cat thing I would put that down to frustrated prey drive.

Please don't ask your mother to not bring her dog when she comes to visit. She recently lost her husband, think of her dog as her therapy dog. IMO it's your house and who you welcome is up to you not the dog. In other words "too bad Kodee"

I would probably make up some reason why she should keep her pup tethered to her, such as it is part of the therapy dog training to teach Kodee to remain calm in a crate around a leashed dog or even tell her the bonding benefits of having her dog tethered to her at all times. Diplomacy will serve you and Kodee well

One more thing don't over analyze. You mention Kodee's behavior of acting the way he does outside as a challenge....I'm not so sure I agree with you...now if he knew what was expected and understood it perfectly, well yeah that's a challenge but I don't think that is the case here.

And most importantly Kori: this too will pass. Happy training.

 Quote: sheila buckley

One more thing don't over analyze. You mention Kodee's behavior of acting the way he does outside as a challenge....I'm not so sure I agree with you...now if he knew what was expected and understood it perfectly, well yeah that's a challenge but I don't think that is the case here.

Great post Sheila - I agree with the above wholeheartedly. As an over-analyzer myself, I know how easy it is to fall into days of questioning over an incident that left me feeling out of control. Chalk it up to the human condition, but when dealing with dogs, a lot of that stressed thinking is completely unproductive. I have all the respect for dog owners wanting to "educate" themselves on their dog's behavior, but in a case like this, the solution is to immediately turn the focus on working WITH the dog, not reacting against it.

Kori, you got a lot of great advise here - note that the best of it had nothing to do with a discussion on actual dog aggression, but rather building your relationship with Kodee so that he A. respects you under all circumstances, B. understands the commands that you're asking of him, and C. honors those commands in a timely fashion, even under distraction. Adolescence is a pisser, but stopping at every snag to critically ponder his motivation will only delay your training - it's time for you to switch gears and go back a few steps to build up your working relationship in a more focused way. Kodee has a super base to work from, you're just going to need to adjust with him as he matures. This will likely be the first issue of many to come...

Cheers,
~Natalya

I'm in total agreement with Sheila and Natalya. Between the ages of one and two, my dog's nickname was "Bucket-Head". It's frustrating and daunting to have a dog that can be so reactive. My dog would fire up over joggers, bikes, cars, deer, cats, ATV's, and ESPECIALLY other dogs. My dog is 98 pounds. I tried a Zen approach: When we were out walking and he started wigging out to get to whatever, I would just stop in my tracks. When whatever it was passed, I would call him back to heel, mark and reward, and then move on. I did it all quietly, confidently and with purpose. We were not going to move until I had his full attention. I went this route because corrections escalated my guy to a nasty degree and it was making things worse instead of better. I didn't have the physical strength to manage him with a DD collar. It took patience but the 'Zen' approach worked like a charm:-). I think if you have a reactive dog, the less reactive you are, the less likely things are to escalate. Think Zen:-) I will admit the reactiveness to dogs hung on the longest, and finally only would manifest as a high-pitched whine while he otherwise worked well. Thanks to advice from here, that doesn't even happen anymore. I also think a frustrated prey drive may contribute, and maybe a need for more exercise. I taught my guy to play Frisbee and now I make it a point to work him hard this way every day. He's a much happier guy.
All will be well....just don't worry about tests to come, it only leaves you feeling pressured to perform and that will translate to Kodee. One thing at a time, and remember to be patient:-)