I posted this:

 Quote: angela burrell

Ok this makes good sense but I am still not 100% clear on the exact timing/method here.

1. Puppy sees other dog (or person, or cat, or whatever)
2. Puppy tenses/stares/hackles/barks or otherwise focuses on the distraction
3. I tell the puppy to sit, and he ignores me because he is too distracted, or we try to turn around and walk away but he keeps looking at the distraction.
4. I enforce the sit command by pushing his butt down, but the pup still doesn't look at me, because he is still "busy" being distracted. (Usually he pops back up). Or, I enforce walking away by pulling the leash, but he keeps looking back.

How do I get his attention? He is food motivated so he could be lured, but if that's incorrect because it would be a reward for inappropriate behaviour, then I'm at a loss. My dog is a bit younger than the OPs (6 months) but I'm sure its a similar thing?

In this thread: http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=134&Number=183755&Searchpage=1&Main=18485&topic=0&Search=true#Post183755
But since it was someone else's thread I'm going to start my own. I did get some good replies indicating my timing was off. However, I still can't seem to get it right.

So. Due to a few factors, my pup (6 months) has little exposure to strange dogs and people. I walked my pup last night on a walkway (riverfront) where we go all the time. This time, we had two occasions where other people passed walking their own dogs (all dogs were leashed).

Both times, I and my friend saw the other person/dog approaching before the puppy. So I had time to "get ready". I get the dog into a sit, but it's like the SECOND he sees the other dog I have lost control over him completely. He just WILL NOT focus on me and I can't get his attention back no matter what I do. The first time I lifted him up by his flat collar and turned him around and he just fought me, trying to keep his eyes on the other dog. The second time I had him sitting and I had to literally hold him down (force him) in the sit position until the other dog was well past. We weren't even that close, we moved well off the sidewalk/path.

He is not aggressive or anything, but just *intensely* interested in the other dog.

I have 3 other adult dogs in my home that he does not socialize with but shares crate space with (by this I mean his crate is in the same room with other crates), and he was with his littermates until 4 months old so he has a tendency to be "doggy", if that matters.

What I would like, is for him to sit or walk calmly and ignore the other dog or at least be controllable (as in, hold his sit position even if he has to act like he wants to break).

Any tips?

Are you really expecting a young pup to sit quietly while a distraction passes, when, as you have stated, that he has not been out and socialized that much?

I would be engaging the dog in some sort of movement to focus on you rather than trying to make him sit there.

Walk off the path, keep his attention on you with food by facing him and backing away and making it fun for him to follow you. Walk a figure eight, do some obedience that he know like, have him sit....reward....back up and have him follow you....reward, have him sit.....and so on. I am just now working on Em sitting quietly while Doug walks Rock past us. However, she goes everywhere with me, we walk, play and rest in all kinds of dofferent spots and we do all kinds of short sessions and I am gradually increasing "distraction". If she does get distracted, we go back to basics and work on things with no distraction.

Acclimating your dog to all kinds of environments is key, and since you say he does not get out that much, it is going to take you longer to get him to focus under distraction.

Angela, does your pup like squeeky toys?
I salvaged a squeeker from a chewed toy and I stick it in my pocket when we are out on walks. When I see a distraction in the making, I give a squeek, which immediately gets my pup's attention. I can then put her in a sit and reward with a treat; if she turns her head I squeek again and she will focus on me again. I try to position her so that she won't see the person or dog or whatever.
I don't even have to take it out of my pocket, I just squeek it through my pants.
Now, I doubt that it would work if she were really distracted by something, but it works well if I can get her attention before it gets to that...

To clarify: he does go out every day for at least 1/2 hour if not more, so he is really good now in new environments, parking lots, pet store, parks. I've been trying in the past 2 months to make up for his socializing, and we've really seen improvement in strange people, bicycles, cars, even fire trucks. It's just the strange dogs. We hardly ever see them because I refuse to take him to the dog park or a park where I know there might be an offleash dog.

You are correct, I guess, that expecting a puppy to sit quietly while another dog passes is quite a stretch. (duh)

So - here's what I forsee happening and questions I anticipate having.

I have tried luring with food. He's really more interested in the dog. So let's say we get off the path, use food and try getting him to jog around and follow me. And let's say he does follow me, sort of reluctantly, looking at the other dog the whole time. Should I bring him behind a building if there is one, to break his line of sight? Just pretend he's not looking at the other dog? Pop his collar?

Lynne, good idea. I'll try having a squeaky toy with me as well. Same questions as above, though.

Oh, if it wasn't so dark all the time. Then I could take a video of us. I tried and all you see is a black screen. I love to have people point out my mistakes - we all know it's not the dog.

I would not "lure" with the food, and you can utilize the squeaker as well.

If he is more interested in the other stuff, rather than the food, I would up the value of the food.

Boil a piece of chicken or roast and break it up into small pieces. Or use raw sirloin cut up into tiny pieces.....

Have the squeaker in one pocket and the food in both pockets.

Squeak the toy as you walk backwards away, when he follows the sound make it a BIG "YES" and reward. There is no reason you cannot incorporate whatever you need to in order to get, and maintain his focus on you.