training question, HELP please

[Corinna and Krimmi]

Hey everyone, wondering if someone can give me some training tips for my 7 month old aussiedoodle Krimmi.
Ok so here is the problem. When I take him for a walk he is great. Walks nicely on the leash, when he does start acting goofy (biting the leash and jumping around etc) I do some obedience to get his mind working, heeling, sitting etc and he is great. BUT when he sees another dog everything goes out the window. He pulls on the leash, barks, jumps up and growls and bites at the leash. Basically just freaks out. I know the growling and biting at the leash is frustration at me because I won't let him play with the other dog. (He loves other dogs though they usually growl at him because he gets so wild when playing) The people think I got some vicious dog and I usually get dirty looks. Not that I really care but I definitely need to get that behaviour under control. I have tried to make him sit, just walk by, correct him, nothing works. I can tell he is really peeved at me and the growling and snarling is meant for me. Not nice. He did this with people as well when he was younger but that stage has now passed. HELP!

[Corinna and Krimmi]

Hi Nancy, thanks for your quick reply. I do take him to obedience classes and he is fine with the dogs there. He gets a bit excited at first but will sit beside them in a box and stay and do all kinds of crazy things that when you see him acting up on our walks wouldn't think he was capable of doing. I don't get it. We take him to work and the neighbour has an older Lab who he sees a couple of times a week. There too he is fine. That dog just roams loose and Krimmi is on a leash, he will pull to seem him but they are fine together.
He has not been neutered yet. We will be doing that in a few month. This extreme behaviour is fairly new so I will definitely be discussing this with the instructor when we go to "school" tomorrow. It is so bizzare. He is on the hyper side but can definitely calm down when he chooses.

[Corinna and Krimmi]

I guess the site was down for a while and my post got deleted, anyways, Krimmi is just over 7 month old. He comes to work with us. My husband takes him in at 5:30 and when he gets the shift ready the staff play ball with him in the huge warehouse. (they all love him) By the time I get in at 8:30 he is pretty tired from running around and lounges in our office for the rest of the morning. I may take him out for a pee break. At lunch we take him for a walk around the field (our office is out in the country) Go home by 4:30
Go for a walk after dinner or later in the evening and play in the yard. I think he gets enough exercise?
He loves to play fetch with our daughter although he is reluctant to release the ball, rather play tug of war lol Don't get me wrong. He has come along way and is so much better behaved. He was constantly play nipping at our 8 ear old and me but very rarely does that now but this behaviour on our walks makes me a little nervous. We have had dogs in the past but this shaggy guy is giving me a run for the money lol. Thanks again for everyones input

[03pilqobzlvp7]

Another good book is "The Art of Raising a Puppy." I just sent someone else a message about it regarding their discipline tactics when it comes to aggressive behavior, growling, anything that might escalate to unfriendly... I'll paste it below:
grab them by either side of their head (the scruff of the neck) and raise them up (front legs off the ground) so they are looking you in the eyes (you bend down also) and very sternly say 'NO.' You should hold this position until they are uncomfortable but maintain eye contact as long as possible. An alternative was also suggested for treating aggressive behavior is to slap them under the chin. It should be hard enough to make them whine a little. I know this sounds harsh. It's only supposed to be used when their behavior is really inappropriate. I hope this helps. That book is a really good resource.

[03pilqobzlvp7]

Just to be clear, I prefer not to use these methods unless the behavior looks like it's going to start harming other dogs/people. I like the idea of getting him a little warn out. Maybe early walks when not many people are around and lots of socialization. Letting my play with other dogs that might show him how to behave is a great idea.

[Corinna and Krimmi]

Hi Sara, Thanks for the info. I will definitely look into the books you and Nancy suggested. I am just at a loss. He has always been a "hard" puppy. I do the lifting up off the ground with a stern "Knock it off" Have gotten quite a few looks from people on the street but it has worked. But when he gets like that I can't even get a hold of him to do that. It's like something in his brain just snaps.

[Kathy Wilson]

If you have access to the Animal Planet on TV, watch It's Me Or the Dog. Victoria Stillwell, the trainer, is excellent and has worked with several who have dogs that do what you describe Krimmi doing. She gets dogs that formerly lunged, barked and growled to walk peacefully even when other dogs pass by. Last week she had exactly that situation and first she turned the dog so he couldn't easily look at the other dogs, even placing herself between the dog she was working with and the other dogs. It took alot of work and repetition but it finally worked. Another time, if the dog began pulling, growling, etc, she turned and walked the dog the other way. Eventually the dog gets the idea and stops the wrong behavior. One dog she worked with was a fully grown Great Dane....not easy to handle. Anyway give her a try if you can.

[Corinna and Krimmi]

I really like that show and watch it whenever I happen to catch it. I have to say that Krimmi has gotten sooooo much better in the last month. We have been working hard and it is starting to pay off. He still pulls and gives the odd bark when we pass another dog but nothing like what he used to do.

[Kathy Wilson]

Corinna, that's super! I just love that show! I'm thinking I'm going to begin recording it so that I am ready when my puppy arrives. I also love Matthew Margolies.....can't remember what his show is called but he's so gentle and still he gets great results. I want to be that kind of companion to my dog.