Other dogs on our walk

[Sara & Trix]

I posted this in the Puppy Madness group, but it should have been posted here! Sorry to whoever gets this twice :)

I am starting to get a little frustrated.

Trix is almost 10 months and really starting to improve on her walks in terms of training her heeling and walk with me on a loose leash. When we meet other dogs on our walk, my little lady turns into the Tasmanian Devil. The other dog and owner see us approaching and I can tell they want to say hi - who wouldn't want to say hi to a cute doodle that is behaving so nicely on a leash...but then as soon as she sees they are approaching, she starts to bark and jump in excitement. No aggression, just total craziness and high pitched barks and wanting to jump and play. The other dog always has the same confused look on its face saying "what the hell is wrong with this dog?". I ALWAYS stay calm and try to have her sit and say hi, but by this point, the other owner is thinking "yeah, I'll just move along before your dog has a heart attack". Then we turn around to keep walking, and boom - she's back to being a perfect little lady.

Trix should be very well socialized by now since she has been going to daycare twice a week since she's 4 months old! I just don't know what to do. She's also about to start her level 3 obedience. I could always just change sides of the street until she is a little older, but I would rather find a way to fix this. Have any of you experienced this and managed to find a solution? Is it just an adolescent thing?

Thank you!

[Ron Carnes]

I use the "leave it" command and then a leash correction if needed. The "leave it" command is the best tool I have.

[Carol Brand]

I was just talking to Poodle owner about this same sort of thing.  In her case, when other dogs get riled up, her Poodle becomes reactive (I know not your issue... but).    Her problem was that she was encountering aggressive dogs on her walks.  This is what I wrote:

My whole philosophy is that my dog and I can not control the bad behavior of other dogs, but we can certainly control our own behavior.  We are above all that other nonsense.    When we encounter nasty dogs behind a fence, my Poodle's job is to pay attention to ME and keep on going.   If my Poodle is focused on me, looking up at me and trotting along nicely at a brisk clip then PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE TREAT (slipped down while we keep going).  If, however, my Poodle loses focus and starts barking or lunging then MY dog is in error and MY dog gets a correction usually via a leash pop.  This is where I like the prong collar because it gives an effective correction that gets my dog's attention.  

So, yes this is a training issue.   I guess my advice to you would be to strongly correct your dogs when it goes bananas.  Yes,  your dog is excited.  Yes that is normal especially for a young dog.  However, your dog does not have to give into those impulses.  Your Doodle's job is to focus on YOU not the other dog.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

There will be a lot of good advice coming your way.  I won't give any on training just wanted to say you do have an option to not greet at all.   It took me awhile to understand, " Only a mother can love my dog"  Meaning, not everyone really wants to meet us when we are out on a walk.

My trainer NEVER permits the dogs to greet each other.  No eye contact, no smelling.  At first, I thought this was strange, but now I know I have this option.  I do use this option more often than not as my dogs have gotten older. 

I just no longer want to meet the other dogs and go through all the drama.  I say hello to the owners, tell my dogs to leave it or watch me, or heel, and continue on my walk. 

[Adina P]

And with EACH of those (leave it, watch me, heel, etc) you had to train your dog to obey under distraction.  That's the key I think.  ANY command that any of us uses in those circumstances is no good unless it is properly trained and then trained with on-purpose distractions to proof the dog so you CAN use that command.  Otherwise any command might as well be saying to your dog "guess a number between 1 and 50!"

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yeah, I mentioned those commands because she said, "She's also about to start her level 3 obedience", so I thought some of these commands Trix may already be learning to master.

( ps--love the command of guess a number between 1-50.  Ha Ha)

[Adina P]

I'm not sure obedience levels translate to much nowadays...(nowadays--as if I'm 80 years old and have been around a while).  Some obedience classes I know would have a dog heeling past distractions by week 4 of their so-called 'beginners' class.  Others take you through advanced before you're even able to walk a dog in a public place without lunging.  Can you tell I have a chip on my shoulder about obedience classes?  Basically I am seriously disappointed in them because ultimately the number of people who have graduated obedience but still have dogs that pull them around and lunge and are not decent on leash is evidence that most obedience classes aren't getting the job done.  It is way too easy to pass with a dog that isn't much different than it was at the start.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Chip or not, I have to agree with you. Now days, ( I'm not 80 but I feel that way some days), too many also call themselves a " Dog Trainer" or a " Dog Behaviorist" and they do nothing more than charge $ and hand out cookies to any dog who will sit.  I met a guy a few months back who called himself a "behaviorist".  During my background check I found he had done nothing more than molest a few boys a few years back.  He just Called Himself a Behaviorist and Charged Accordingly. I wonder if that is a crime?

Then there are those who attend class and NEVER do the work at home.  " Yes, my dog has training"  WTD?

Also, I think Obedience Class-Training Class-Dog Training-Positive Training-Correction Based... etc all get mixed into a lump but are not the same and do not have the same goals.

Just found a chip on my shoulder too. Hmmmm

[Sara & Trix]

I agree, it's a matter of showing up for class and you get to pass.  However, Trix did very well considering she was significantly younger than all the dogs in her classes.

[Carol Brand]

This is such a good point.  There is absolutely NO REASON that dogs have to meet and greet each other out in public.  I have to constantly put up with owners allowing their dogs to run up on Delilah when we are out.  It drives me crazy.   I don't know if these dogs are sick or aggressive or ????   Half the time these dogs have very poor social skills and they don't get Delilah's message to BACK OFF.  The last time this happened, it was with a homeless guy and a Pit Bull on long rope!  I had to jump in front of his dog and block its access.  No sir, I don't want your Pit Bull "visiting" my intact show dog. 

I'm happy to talk dogs with folks until the cows come home, but I'd like to do it while their dogs sit nicely waiting for us to finish our conversation.   I wish everyone would just keep their dogs to themselves. 

grump grump

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

My question would be....what do you do when she starts to bark and jump in excitement?  What type of training are you doing.....positive only, correction with positive reinforcement?  When you do correct her "bad decisions", how do you do that and what type of collar are you using?  My thought is that she's very excited and happy to see the other dogs, and that's normal....but if you want her to control that and just walk past calmly she will need motivation that is greater than the excitement itself.  That motivation for me is a collar correction...but that's the method I'm using.  Dealing with distractions is the "nuts and bolts" of training IMO.  I still struggle with that with one of my dogs, because we've had trouble finding a "motivator" stronger than his desire to react to the other dog.  It will be helpful to understand exactly what method you're using before being able to offer specific advice.  I also agree with others that there is absolutely no need to stop and greet other dogs....to be honest, I no longer even look at other dogs or their owners because I'm too focused on controlling MY Dood's behavior. 

[Sara & Trix]

If the other dog is on the other side of the street, she manages to sit and stay until it passes, but constantly fighting her own urge to jump and bark. I try to put her in a sit stay as soon as we see a dog in the distance coming our way (on our side of the street) - but it's like she just can't control herself.  I grab her flat collar if she gets out of her sit and make her get back into it.  She wears an Easy Walk harness, so it's hard to give a correction with the leash.  And in turn makes it hard if I lose my grip on her flat collar.  She hated the Halti, but perhaps I should try that again and get more control.

Sticking to not directly greeting dogs until she can manage to focus and control herslef consistantly when they are passing in the distance might be the best option.  It's going to be something I have to slowly work up to, I think.  Oddly enough, when other dogs are in their yards, even if they are barking and jumping, small treats and a heel command easily keeps her focus on the walk - so that's good!  

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Bailey wants to go crazy when she other dogs and people too...She has the attitude of look at me, look at me arn't I cute don't you want to pet me...wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.....It is cute but not so nice behavior.

 

When we are walking, as soon as she starts to focus on another dog or person, I give a leash correction with a stern no...and then the heel command.  I may have to repeat this several times til she gets it but it does work.  I don't worry about stopping to talk with other dog owners only becaue if she is not behaving then she can not have the reward of getting attention....that is unless she sits nicely and is behaving.