[nagdu] dog distraction, continued

[Danielle Sykora]

Hi all,

Some of you probably remember my previous posts concerning dog
distractions, but here's a quick summary for those who don't. Starting
some time in early spring, my dog started lunging and growling at dogs
while working after experiencing interfearance from off-leash dogs on
many occasions.

Working with him over the spring and summer, I got him to the point
where he no longer lunges, barks, or growls. On the other hand, he now
reacts to almost all dogs where he used to only have a problem with
dogs that were off-leash, behind invisible fences, or tied out on long
lines. His natural reaction is to pull harder when he sees another
dog, but he also often slows down or sits since that's what I
previously encouraged in order to give him food rewards. Thai doesn't
react to all dogs all the time and he can calmly sit and watch another
dog walk by, but he definitely reacts to the majority of dogs while
trying to walk past them. Because he stares at other dogs, wags his
tail curled over his back, and/or whines, I think the route of the
problem is anxiety from his past negative experiences. Some techniques
I've used are food rewards in the presence of other dogs (dogs =
food), obedience to focus his attention on me, and calming petting
while interrupting his sight line to the other dog. He also wears a
Halti so I have better control over his head.  Thai has improved
significantly, but I've essentially hit a plateau in training where I
don't know how to proceed. I'm probably going to contact the school
when I have some free time after midterms, but I'm hoping some of you
will have suggestions for overcoming my pup's anxiety in the meantime.

Danielle and Thai