Stuart's Reactivity

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

    Most of you know of Stuart - our Goldendoodle, rescued from a puppy mill at 7 weeks, we got him from Adopt A Golden out of Atlanta at 8 wks.  He is the biggest love bug ever at 70 lbs and 2.5 yrs.  He is a shedder BIG time, a brother to Rooney and has severe allergies that require us to carry an Epi pen at all times.   Stuart walks best on his Easy Walk harness and has taken training classes (non lately I admit due to our travel schedule).  He was screened to attend doggie day care and has gone to 4 or 5 different ones - all without any problems.  He loves the dog park and gets along with other dogs wonderfully!  He loves all people, young, old, wheelchairs, nothing bothers hime.   Little kids adore him and he allows them to hang all over him - but Stuart has become more and more reactive on leash to other dogs on leash.  It started back 1.5 yrs ago when on a dark night, I was confronted by a man who was acting aggressive to me - Stuart placed himself in front of me and was barking like mad, it has pretty much been down hill from that point.  Was it a trigger?  

   Today was a GOOD day on our walk - we had treats at the ready and when we saw another dog approaching we would start the "Good boy Stuart - Leave it" talk while distracting with a treat.  A few times when he still was on "high alert" we put him in a "sit" to help with keeping his attention and I'm not proud - we will cross the street to help give Stuart "space".  We actually got in a good 3 mile walk, passed 8-10 dogs without a melt down!  Wow - I was so excited thinking we were making progress with my strategy of positive re-enforcement and treating.  THEN dh tells me he "flipped" Stuart twice yesterday in the park behind our condo when I wasn't there.  He told me Stuart lost it when he saw another dog (when I say lost it I mean 70lbs of jumping, twisting, lunging, barking, growling - CRAZY).  Now I don't know what to think.  Is this a bad thing?  He certainly was acting better today but . . . .     The boys used to be such a joy to walk and now not so much.  I've had a spinal fusion in my neck and a lunging dog causes me pain that lasts for days.  I love Stuart with all my heart and want what is best - I know Jane F is the expert here - what should we be doing?

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

I use the treat method with Bailey and a "Yes" command.  This makes her look at me when I say "yes" when we are walking by a child, or another dog or just when I want her attention while in a crowded place. 

Our trainer taught us to take a step, say "Yes" and then literally spit a treat in the dogs direction (gross I know).  But it does work.  After some practice (her catching treats and me spitting ), when I say yes, no matter the situation, Bailey looks at me expecting a treat to come flying her way LOL and I have her attention! 

I do feel like a Pez dispenser for dog treats but it gets her attention off the situation and onto me!

[Wendy and Myla]

Do you still spit the treats at her when you say "yes" or was that just to train her to look at you?  I just cannot imagine what people think when you spit a treat at Bailey in a crowded place! 

[DJ & Chance]

Jane,

This is such good advice. Thank you.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

oh wow, what a great post.  Quincy reacts to other dogs, but I think it is because he is still young and because he wants to play.  Still, he will go crazy to get at them if it is allowed.  I just started putting him in a sit, standing directly in front of him ,getting eye contact and giving him his treats.  I am going to start bringing high value treats, too.  If the other dog is being crazy or pulling the walker, I do go in the opposite direction. Even though my situation does not seem as severe, still helpful information.  thanks! 

and good luck with Stuart! 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Jane, the longer I have a doodle, the more I realize what socially complex dogs they are.  No matter how much training they have, they seem to constantly be "processing" life through their own eyes, more so than any other breed I've trained. In a couple of instances, where I was startled by someone and they were approaching me in a confined space, FInn has growled a warning.  If I'm really happy to see someone, Finn is happier. So I think Karen's right when she says they really tune into us. But I find new situations that I never expected come up and I have to keep finding creative ways to match his thinking. Here's a thought.  I don't know if that encounter was a trigger, but it sounds like Stuart learned that night that he had to, and could, step in to protect you!  Stuart took charge. That's a wonderful thing.   But now he's taking charge for other reasons. I can't tell from your post if Stuart is being aggressive OR he's excited and wants to play. I think making him sit, teaching him "leave it," "look" and changing direction when he has an outburst are all good.  I use a Gentle Leader on Finn and when he has it on, he KNOWS he's working. This didn't happen overnight - but I can and have walked him within a foot of a reactive dog and Finn on a loose leash walks right on, doesn't look right or left, so maybe you need a different tool.  Some here don't like Gentle Leaders but I found it a Godsend.  I have a friend with a larger doodle and he swears by a prong. I have a hard time walking Oscar without a prong but with it -- I never have to use it. One hint -- if you do change to a prong, or something else, use it for working sessions where you train or reinforce other commands so he associates the collar with overall obedience. JMO. For his CGC and Therapy Dog test, he worked without it and did a great job --but again, I'm convinced Finn, in his own mind tries to define "working" and "free" so we have to keep training.  I'll be interested to hear what Jane and others have to say. 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I've never wanted to use a prong or a training (buzzer & than zap) collar but would consider it.  Once back in Florida I will get back in with our trainer for additional help - I JUST WISH HE COULD SAY "MOM - THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING", then I could help him.  This entire situation has opened up my eyes to other dogs too - where before I'd be all "like can't that owner control their dog" - now I get the fact that not all of those owners are uncaring or failures - that many of them have dogs with some behavior issues.  

[F, Calla & Luca]

My dogs have worn their prongs for years now and they don,t mind them a bit. In fact I had the dogs at a dog fest earlier today and Calla's collar was on inside out. So no prongs at all realIy. I realized when I took it off. Neither she, by any change in behavior, nor I realized it while walking about among people and dogs.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Here is something interesting - when we put the harness on Stuart - he tries to walk away and hide - once you are putting it on him he hangs his head down - but once the darn thing is on - he is fine with it.  It is like he hates that it goes over his head.  

Also Stuart originally started out with all this as being Crazy HAPPY - like "oh look I want to go play with that dog" - but it has slowly turned into "oh look I want to go all murderous on that dog".  Todays' walk was so nice till I learned dh had alpha  rolled him BUT HE DID NOT hold him down by the neck.  It does make me wonder if he thinks he must protect us :(    a stressful job for a dog.  

Jane F are going to be spending time on the Doodle cruise talking over our options - with a big ol drink in hand!!!!

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

I'm having the same issues with Monty. It started after he turned two, out of the blue. He passed his therapy dog certification in March of 2012 and started being reactive a month later. It's just the weirdest thing, just like you say. He is totally fine off leash, we go to a dog park every day.

I called our trainer immediately and went in for an evaluation. The trainer brought her scavenger dog that is reactive to other dogs...guess what... Monty never reacted. He completely avoided the other dog. So our trainer never saw him being bent out of shape. 

I've never done the roll on him (he's 90 lbs). Instead, we are walking with the prong collar one again and I have a clicker and treats with me at all times. If we are on a trail and see a dog walking our way, we get off the trail and I click and treat as the dog passes by.

It's just so hard when you want to walk both of them. If we are all together and Monty starts to go unglued, Auggie starts barking at the other dog as well for no reason. So I started walking them one by one when I can.

Just like you said, Monty starts the craziness with a little whine...like he wants to get to the other dog to sniff and play. But he does not play with other dogs at a dog park anymore. He is very excitable and impatient. He might be okay with dogs that are smaller than him, but if we meet a boxer, a husky, or just a big black dog, he just comes unglued if I don't catch it in time.

It's just so frustrating to know that your dog is a lover and yet behaves in this strangely insecure way when on leash.

You might want to also check out a book by Patricia McConnell "Feisty Fido", but contacting your trainer should work just fine. Jane also gave you tremendous amount of information. I just wish it was easy to turn our lover boys to what they were as puppies. You are not alone.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Thank you so much for posting this, Jane. I am so grateful to read the responses. We moved not quite two months ago and about a week later Owen began being reactive to other dogs. We go to the beach and everything is fine and dandy and then a dog will just set Owen's teeth on edge or something and he gets super huffy. He has not started a fight yet, but he has had the lunging, snarling, growling, barking, snapping thing going. I am now keeping a short leash on him at the beach. I take him out into the water to fetch and keep an eye on the sand for approaching dogs. I can grab his leash before he can get to another dog. Obviously that's the wrong method. We called about a trainer but her lowest fee was $2000. We have had company staying with us steadily since July 9. We arrived here July 3. There has only been one week we have been alone. This household chaos is not conducive to finding a trainer or working carefully with Owen. Today he was great at the beach. Then as we walked to the car we passed a boxer on a leash and Owen lunged. They didn't engage but I was very upset...not relaxed, not happy and not laughing. Much work to be done here.

Who is taking care of Stuart and Rooney while you are on the cruise?

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Hm, might be all the change that it's getting to Owen. Who knows. The trainer fee is just CRAZY! There is something about boxers that must be setting doodles off.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

What is is about Boxers and Doodles?  Ned reacts to Boxers also.  Ned began reacting sometimes on leash when (he must have known) our old lab mix became ill and coincidently he was just over two.  Ned 'protects' the pack.  He NEVER has a reaction on leash when he is without our other dogs.  Ned's reactiveness is more growling and once in a while a lunge so, in the scheme of things, mild. Plus, of course, Ned is a smaller guy and easily controllable.  What totally works for us is having the dogs sit and watch the other dogs go by - even if the other dog is barking and growling.  Our 'training' problem is that Clancy will NOT back down if challenged.  This has only happened with Pits and only off leash. He will let the Pit put him down but then he pops back up and gets in the Pit's face - no bark, no growl, just in his face. I am afraid to stick my hand in and pull him back by the collar because I am afraid that I will startle him and then cause something else.    I agree with Adrianne about having him checked for the fully thyroid panel and Lyme's disease.