Discouraged but committed!

[jenn D]

Hi again everyone. Thank you for answering my other question about age of your therapy dog. I think coming in new to therapy work I assumed my dog had to be perfect from the get go. Ok so I am commited to working with Brisby toward the goal of pediatric therapy and i love all the insight on the "extras" it takes to work peds.
with that being said, this is a long road,it takes dedication and im a bit dissapointed (but wont give up!). Brisby does have an amazing temperment. Iknow I had mentioned in the other post my daughter is a leukemia survivor. Well my 5 year old son has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and sensory processing disorder. Because of my son Brisby handles people who have a odd gait, leg Braces and kids jumping on him/grabbing at him incredibly well. he doesnt balk at wheelchairs or crutches. He's done awesome in his puppy and basic obedience class. I take him regularly to Lowes, homedepot, petsmart, petco, my kids school, etc. I mean we go to stores 2-3 times a week and do training there.
Anyway, I have been training with a prong collar because that is what I have always used in initial training and Brisby being almost 11 months is 68 lbs. he's so good on the prong it's like I don't even need to make corrections anymore.
So silly me decided to go to our favorite, Lowes, today and I decided to try training with buckle only. He did great on sit stays and comes. But when it came to meeting strangers, he was all over them. Pulling at the leash to get to them, then jumping up on them when they would say "oh you're such a pretty boy" etc. ugh, I felt so deflated. He's pretty mellow except for the hello greeting part. I would have failed the CGC on the spot! Lol!

So I guess I'm hoping this will clear up with more training and time. Could any of this be that Brisby isn't even a year old yet? I really think he has great temperment but he just has this exuberance when he meets people he doesn't know. And believe me, we meet a lot of people.

Any thoughts?

Thank you for letting me vent.

[Winnie's Dad]

Try a Martingale collar, if that does not work, some therapy dog groups will let you use a Gentle Leader Easy Walk harness or head collar.  I still use the Easy Walk harness, I just like it.  If you go the head collar route, introduce it VERY slowly.

Try to get off the prong collar ASAP, but some people do an "in between" step of putting on two collars, and attaching the leash to the non-prong one.

[BG and Gavin]

Here was our progression:  prong collar, prong collar on dead ring, martingale, then flat collar.  The whole process took over a year and a half.  Jumping to greet is tough.  Gavin was always more prone to do it outside rather than inside.  It comes with maturity.  Hang in there, everything good takes time :)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

The jumping to greet was our biggest obstacle as well with Sophie and the reason we didn't test until she was 2.  In training AnnaBelle right now I've been working on the walking on a loose leash in a heel since she was old enough for her feet to touch the ground.  It is a long process.  She does great/pretty well when we are just working in the street in front of the house or walking around the block in the neighborhood.  However, out in public she pulls my arm off.  So many new things to see and experience.  So, when we go to training class  I switch to a training collar and continue to work with her around here and in some public places on her flat collar.  I'm determined she will be a flat collar girl.  I switched Sophie to a gentle leader when she was about 5 months and regretted it every day after that.  Just keep working and keep practicing.  If you at least get to the martingale or gentle leaders whether head halter or harness you can still test for therapy.  Doesn't have to be a flat collar from the start. 

[Kyoko]

I was suggested to use harness, so we switched from Martingale collar to  5 point harness. I was also recomended to avoid step in harness. I think his over excitement is the fact that he is still young...

[Kathy (Ellie & Oliver)]

I think that you are doing an amazing job of exposing your doodle to a variety of people and experiences. Many owners see a drastic change in their dog's behavior between 15 months and 2 years old. Our older dog's light bulb came on at 17 months, and our younger dog's behavior changed earlier. I agree with the other responses that there probably needs to a progression of collars. Going from a prong to to a flat collar is a big jump and can be quite a disaster. I use an Easy Walk Harness for therapy dog visits. I like it because the leash is connected in front of the chest and when residents pet him their hands don't get tangled in the leash. I wouldn't spend my money on any type of contraption that is put on their face to help stop pulling. Most dogs hate the thing and if allowed to be used for therapy visits, residents get the idea that the dog must be mean because to them it looks like a muzzle. If you continue with training classes and expose him to a variety of situations, you will most likely end up with a loving, well balanced dog. It takes a lot of work on the owner's part to help a dog be the best that he or she can be. You're on the right track! Dogs are like kids, you can't speed up maturity, but you can provide opportunities that will help them on their journey to growing up.

[Debbie A.]

I think it's just part of the breed!  My Tashi is 8 mos old and does jump up when she greets people!  She's just so happy to see them.  I have been making her sit when I see someone coming and have a short hold on the leash (I use a martingale collar - they're great and effective).  She still tries to jump up but I keep a tight hold on the leash and she gets the message.  She's getting better and better.  She passed her STAR Puppy and is now finishing up her CGC training.  I've just passed the on-line Pet Partner Handler course and Tashi and I won't get evaluated until she turns 1 year, next March.  I certainly hope we'll be ready.   Don't give up - these dogs are great for therapy and they have so much love to give. Good luck. 

[Debbie A.]

Sorry - just remembered, I don't believe metal collars are allowed in many healthcare settings.