broccolini
Well-Known Member
So you see a dog and person coming what do you do? How are you trying to correct her, do you give her a command like sit or no etc? Do you pull her back or do you give a correction to the side? Makes a big difference in which way you are holding the leash and how and when the correction is given. You also asked about training without praise or treats or harsh corrections, what do you think is a harsh correction?
When we are walking, I'll put her on the side opposite the approaching dog. I'll tell her 'leave it' and give her a sharp leash correction to the side as soon as soon I see her focusing too much on the other dog. Does that sound like what I should be doing? That generally works well and we can keep moving without too much drama. Making her sit does not work as well.
I try to find people walking dogs and follow them so she can get used to being near dogs and not having a negative reaction. She's fine following dogs. If there are other dogs in the pet store, I'll circle her around the outside isles and put her in a sit where she can see the dog. Again, just so she can practice being near a dog without reacting to it. The pet store people give her treats when she sits so that's some positive reinforcement for her. She will take treats from them in the store. Out on the sidewalk, she will not take them or will spit them out. So.
I think choking the dog is harsh. We use a martingale. I have it set to be uncomfortable but if I need to drag her away from something, it's not going to cut off her air. We do have to stop a lot and reposition it so it's high enough to be effective. She's pretty furry. I've tried a prong, it makes her worse. I mean, she can't pull toward the dog but her aggression level goes way up.
If she learns to ignore the dogs while we are up and moving, will that translate to ignoring them when we are sitting or standing still? Should I do something different if we are sitting down?
Is it enough for her to ignore them even though she still hates them? I'm really interested in why she acts the way she does.