Hello. I adopted Jordan, an almost 5yr old Dobe about three months ago. We certainly have our share of problems, most of them probably my fault. One problem is that I've never handled a dog with such a personality difference indoors vs. outdoors. Indoors, he is a very submissive dog. He has even submissivly urniated three times. Twice when I was verbally correcting him, and once for no apparent reason. (I just got home from work and was in a good mood). Outdoors, even with a prong he is on the edge of control when a dog or other animal is around. He has managed to break free from me three or four times, and the last time he captured a skunk. I think this will make him want to try that more. I should point out that I am a petite young woman. I'm confused: I feel that I am overcorrecting indoors and not correcting hard enough outdoors (even though the prong routinely breaks skin), and I can't seem to find the proper balence. I've been told that this is actually common, but as I said, I've never run into it before. Any advice? Thanks.

Stevi you might want to check your prong collar it is not meant to "break skin". I am a fairly good sized guy and I have never broken skin and I have given my dogs some fairly hard corrections.

You might want to try an e-collar.

Check that prong collar!

Then videotape yourself and your dog both indoors and outdoors. Look for changes in your posture, tone, volume, tension, movements, porportion of training to rest/other activity aand leash handling. I do not want to offend, but it could be handler error - and I've made these mistakes myself!

With a properly sized, properly fit prong collar, the dog should be in your absolute perfect control. But since he's already been desensitized to pulling against it, I recommend getting the small link size. They are easier for me to fit, put on and remove, and when fit correctly the dog can't bend the links - not unless his skin is stronger than metal!

Put your dog's regular leash on and handle it as you always do. But also put on a lightweight long safety line - 50 ft or so. Tie it to a tree or porch. Everytime your dog escapes, it is getting rewarded grandly for it's bad and dangerous behavior. So it is key to prevent it from happening until offleash obedience is solid.

Is your dog attentive in this situation? If yes, train as you do indoors. If not, it's another quick training issue - easy to fix!

Hmm, I had a nice long reply...wonder where it went?

Thanks for replying. Yes, it is handler error, and I should have made that more clear in my post. I am also looking for a trainer to help. I just don't want to make things any worse until then.

Good idea about the videotape, I'll have to see if I can get a camera from somewhere. I feel much more relaxed indoors, and 99% of the time, Jordan doesn't have a problem with my correction level.

Now, I do tense up when I take Jordan out. I have a mental map of our route that has where all the dogs are, and where the outdoor cats and critters tend to be.

The prong is a 3mm quick release from leerburg. It fits as in the photos here, and has 6 actual prong links in it. He's yelped twice before with it on. It breaks the skin just enough to scab over, not in any gaping wounds.

For leash pulling and critters, I refocus his attention and use a quick pop on the collar if needed. For dogs, I try to do the same, but generally need to apply multiple harder corrections. Several times I've even had to go as far as hanging him with the collar. I know you're not supposed to do that, but it was that or lose him.

It was suggested (via email, so I don't want to name anyone) by a respected member here whom I described Jordan's reactions to, that the prong was jazzing him up more around other dogs and I should try the dominant dog collar instead.

My last German Shepherd was like that he would lose his mind every time I tensed up around a dog or even a person, and I always tensed up around dogs as I knew he would lose his mind (can you say vicious cycle).

The e-collar really worked well with this since my only physical action for a correction was the push of a button.
For my money the e-collar is the most humane collar going. It really does not hurt (I shocked myself on all the levels much to the amusement of my wife and kids). Anyway that is how I have and would go.

If the collar is fit correctly, you can purchase or make rubber caps for the ends of the prongs.

Heck, if you were all tense, I'd rather run away and chase critters too.

This is situation to use excessively positive training to keep your dog's focus. With his focus, you'll have more opportunities to praise him than to correct him, giving him and go a positive session.

You will have to read him to make sure you don't push him too far to the point where you have to use the collar, but leave the collar on for control just in case.

Get some of his favorite treats, food, toys etc. Attach the leash while indoors and get him going crazy for something - steak, hot dogs, ball etc. The while playing and treating calmly go outside - just 5 feet from your door. Keep him crazy for his rewards for 5 seconds, bring him in and take a break.

If you have his focus for 5 second, then you can get it for 6 seconds. If you can get it for 6 seconds, then you can get it for 7. Etc. Work in very very very short "sessions" with short indoor rest inbetween.

After you work up to a little positive focus outdoors and can get him to sit, down and heel, it would be a good time to do some compulsion-based work on maintaining his attention and then move to a long line.

More than you need to train your dog that you can be fun outside, you need to train yourself to relax outside!

Last night's walk went well. Of course, I timed it so that we would go out after the other dogs were in and before most of the critters came out. He went by dogs barking in the yard and a bunny w/o much trouble, and I staid nice and relaxed. <big sigh of relief> Even practiced OB in the street while dogs were barking. Of course, I couldn't help but notice the new rottie or forget that most of the time Jordan is fine, until he isn't...
One step at a time...

Editting time is short...don't know why the fonts are different...no special meaning intended by that.