Hi, I am new to the forum and would like some advice on a problem that I have with my puppy. Kayos will be a year old tomorrow. She is a spayed female GSD, working bred. She has been well socialized to people and strange things and fairly well socialized to other dogs. We moved recently and it took me a few months to meet some dog people and join a training club. We finally established a play group and met today for the first time. Although Kayos barked and appeared a bit timid at first she played very well and had a good time. So, I am hoping to up her social life with other friendly dogs. She has been to 2 puppy classes simultaneously at 10 weeks of age, and to several basic obedience classes, the most recent only to work around other dogs. She enjoys playing with her dog buddies and is very friendly once she meets the other dog. But, she has to bark and lunge first. I believe this is a leash frustration issue and she lacks self control. I am having a hard time keeping her close enough to my side to work with her on a sit and watch to build self control. She gets fired up and excited and pays no mind. I really chose not to use a prong collar or choke collar. I have them but really do not want to use them on this dog at this time.

She has learned all her obedience commands and we are working with a clicker. I do submit that the clicker is not very effective for this self control issue and I probably need to try another tack on this one. Any ideas?

When the reward of the bad behavior outweights the rewards you can offer to encourage the correct behavior, you need to find a better motivator IMO. The prong collar works nicely.

If you are not using a prong or a choke collar what are you using when you need to correct your dog for improper behavior?

If you are using some of the "PC" collars with your dog you are just making an attempt to prevent an action, not punish the bad behavior.

Have you tried working her at a greater distance from the other dog(s)? I'm assuming that they are leashed as well, and not being allowed to run up to her while she is leashed?

I LOVE the clicker, but the only way you'll get thru this with clicker training is by following Lisa's suggestions and back WAY off. To a distance that you do still have control and the 'reward' you are giving for the good behavior is worth more than the 'reward' your dog gives itself when it's barking/lunging and going to the other dogs. AND I have found that in situations like this it can take quite alot of time, and in the mean time my general training around distractions (other dogs) is on serious hold for the month(s?) while I work this out. Added to that, I know I have been almost jerked off my feet by my dogs being pigheaded, and me getting injured is also not on my approved daily 'fun things to do' list.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I would go to a trainer who used the prong collar so you purchase the correct one, size it properly (it does NOT slide over the dogs head) and learn a proper and TIMELY correction. I found that in a less than 10 min session, my dog no longer pulled and was PAYING ATTENTION to the person on the end of the leash. Rather than ignoring me entirely and going about their business with me just a minor irritating annoyance pestering them from having their way.

If you dont want to use a prong collar or choke what about giving the dog time outs where you hold its collar and make it sit away from the action for about 30 seconds or to where the dog visibly calms down? Or what about one of those rolled leather collars that put more pressure on the neck when being pulled than a flat collar? IMO the prong collar is like magic and it will work, i use it on my siberian and I only use a level 2 correction on him, gets the point accross, stops the behavior. And I noticed that after a good correction the next day I put on his flat collar and the unwanted behavior does not continue.