Quote: Judy Troiano

Rick,

Here's an example what I want to do which is similar to what you are saying...

1) I'm walking w/him on leash and a stranger walking toward us wants to stop and ask me directions, talk to me about GSDs, whatever. I want to train my dog to not be interested in that person. I want to train him to sit by my side and wait quietly while I have my conversation. I don't want him to stand up, bump the guy's hand with his nose and encourage an ear scratch. I want him to have no interest in the guy.

So maybe training him to a word under this type of scenario would in a sense explain to the dog that some people are to be ignored. If I use this command (always with a stranger) he should ultimately get it that the fun is with me, not the stranger and hopefully stop looking for their attention?!

2) Same scenario but the person walking toward me is a friend and someone he knows. This person can pet Gunnar. I tell him to sit (without the command in the above scenario) and I allow the person to pet him.

Judy, I think this will work take Gunnar on walks I use my dogs name if I want him to pay attention or alert him I just say “Iron” kinda of low, concerned and clam, make sure to have Gunnar on a leash and prong collar when you stop with a stranger shorten the leash to have him right by your side preferably in a down position on all fours by your side, correct him if he moves, if the stranger starts to pet Gunnar stop them say “ I had rather you not touch the dog” In fact what I say is to people just ignore him don’t touch or use eye to eye contact. for the first time or 2 don’t let Gunnar get board during the talk, if you see him not paying attention to you reposition him by your movement and command, make him pay attention to you and the stranger if this is not working then don’t leave him in the situation , leave and start over. My point is that Gunnar gets to be touched by who you say not Gunnar at least for now, and trust me Gunnar is reading you if you are a more social person then Gunnar will probably be more social because if loves and respects you as the pack leader he wants to be like you and beside you he wants to fit in.

I personally think the problem here is that people are misunderstanding the thread by some of your words to, when you say you want Gunnar to “Ignore people or strangers” that is not what you want, you want Gunnar to act more aloof and non-trusting of strangers, but trust me you don’t want Gunnar to Ignore any one make him pay attention to everyone and everything around you.

You sound like you have a lot of love for this boy and with lots of leadership, training and practice I think you will get what you want here and I would recommend ED’s “focus and drive”. Plus I want to state on this thread I am not a professional dog trainer but I have a very well trained dog and the way I got it was Professional training , Ed’s video’s very helpful but they are not for just watching once. This site of listening to a lot of ideas and weeding through to make a good choice for me and my buddy, and lots of practice everyday lots.

Good Luck

Judy, I just want to correct something I said about having Gunnar sit more behind you than in front of you.
If you've trained Gunnar to do an automatic sit while he's in heel position and you stop, don't start redirecting him to sit behind you.
That might just confuse what you've already taught him.
If you can, once he sits step just a teeny tiny bit in front of him. Just a bit so that your left leg is just in front of his legs. that way you're not totally blocking him but you still make it a bit harder for someone to just reach down and pet him because they have to kind of work around you a bit to get to him.

Rick, great idea about not letting Gunnar get bored while I'm chatting w/Mr. Stranger. I should know better, I raised 3 boys - all hell would break loose if they got bored!

Wendy, I'm glad you clarified that. By the way, when I walk him on leash where there many opportunities for people to be coming in my direction, he's almost always not heeling and we're at a relaxed, let's chill type of pace.

I usually put him in a heel when he's off leash and I see people coming w/ or w/o a dog. Really only done in my neighborhood but he does a nice heel if it's just a person passing. Even with a distraction like a dog he tries, bless his little heart. Why it's easy for me under these circumstances is because we're not conversing and there is an entire street between us. If there's a dog coming w/owner, it does become harder.

The dog distracts him enough that Gunnar changes the pace of the heel and will either speed up from me or slow down but he'll remain "heeling", or he'll try to turn his head to look again at the dog that just now passed him, still trying to heel .

A person by themselves, when I don't speak to them is of no interest to Gunnar. He's a gem.

But talk to me and Gunnar becomes some high drive, locked on this person as if they were prey type of dog - "Oh my God, Mom, he's talking to us. C'mon lets go kiss him and knock him over with our enthusiasm and desire to play. C'mon!! He's getting away!" !

So I will do what your saying if he's in a heel. Good point, nice catch.