Dog Owner Chat v4

[Imzadi83]

Aw, Happy Birthday Panic! That cake looks yummy.

[Marley.&.Me]

what do you guys think of Oppies progress in weight?

oppies weight from 10 weeks to about three weeks ago at 4 months.

he's turning 6 months on the 19th

[Miceforevee]

what do you guys think of Oppies progress in weight?

oppies weight from 10 weeks to about three weeks ago at 4 months.

he's turning 6 months on the 19th

Honestly he looks very healthy for his age, i usually like dogs that arent so slim but he looks really healthy. His also adorable he sort of looks like a staffy i have

[Miceforevee]

http://m.imgur.com/smHtKzS

I took Jasper to the dog park yesterday and today for a bit. Now that I've moved in into my new apartment with other dogs in the building, I've gotta work with Jasper to behave better around other dogs. He is leash aggressive which becomes a problem when I take him out. He acts up only when he sees people walking other dogs and he will start whining and if we are close enough he will turn and bite me. I don't believe he is actually aggressive toward other dogs and is fine seeing them off leash, just on leash is a problem. At the dog park I'm keeping him away from the gated area with the dogs and kneeling in front of him to calm him (he can see them but can't interact with them). I'm wondering if I do this a lot over time he will start to calm down? I want him to eventually go in and play with the other dogs but right now that seems too risky. He won't take treats, he doesn't care for them when out of the apartment so the only thing I can do is pet him to calm him down.

I dont think keeping him from the gated area and kneeling in front of him is gonna do too much [EDIT: id probably do this first for a few months and see how it goes though]. So if i was you id put him around dogs, seeing his aggressive with them something probably happened in the past making him scared. Im not saying to take him off the lead yet but maybe if someone you know has a dog that you can just put him near every now and then and getting them to play together might help. I hope this helps! ^-^

[Imzadi83]

http://m.imgur.com/smHtKzS

I took Jasper to the dog park yesterday and today for a bit. Now that I've moved in into my new apartment with other dogs in the building, I've gotta work with Jasper to behave better around other dogs. He is leash aggressive which becomes a problem when I take him out. He acts up only when he sees people walking other dogs and he will start whining and if we are close enough he will turn and bite me. I don't believe he is actually aggressive toward other dogs and is fine seeing them off leash, just on leash is a problem. At the dog park I'm keeping him away from the gated area with the dogs and kneeling in front of him to calm him (he can see them but can't interact with them). I'm wondering if I do this a lot over time he will start to calm down? I want him to eventually go in and play with the other dogs but right now that seems too risky. He won't take treats, he doesn't care for them when out of the apartment so the only thing I can do is pet him to calm him down.

If he won't take treats out of the apartment he is over threshold, either too excited or too scared. That or your treats aren't good enough. I'd try different treats and continue to offer them even if he won't take them. It sounds like you need to counter condition him around other dogs while on leash. Since he's biting though I'd recommend calling in a professional trainer, one who uses only positive reinforcement, to help.

[Wishful Thinking.]

I dont think keeping him from the gated area and kneeling in front of him is gonna do too much [EDIT: id probably do this first for a few months and see how it goes though]. So if i was you id put him around dogs, seeing his aggressive with them something probably happened in the past making him scared. Im not saying to take him off the lead yet but maybe if someone you know has a dog that you can just put him near every now and then and getting them to play together might help. I hope this helps! ^-^

I don't think he's aggressive with them, I think he just wants to play and is very excited. I do want to put him in with the other dogs (with a muzzle on to be safe) to make sure that is the case, however I'm unsure if the other dog owners would be okay with that. The other owners today didn't seem happy with me even being there outside the gated area with him. I figure they jumped to the conclusion he was aggressive even though he wasn't barking, growling, lunging or trying to bite me, all he did was whine. I don't have any friends or family that has dogs so the only way to have him around dogs is the dog park.

If he won't take treats out of the apartment he is over threshold, either too excited or too scared. That or your treats aren't good enough. I'd try different treats and continue to offer them even if he won't take them. It sounds like you need to counter condition him around other dogs while on leash. Since he's biting though I'd recommend calling in a professional trainer, one who uses only positive reinforcement, to help.

Too excited would be my guess, but everything pretty much excites him anyways. I was using real meat and cheese. Counter condition? How do I do that? I was thinking of finding a professional trainer but I don't know where I'd find one. I think the biting is just because he's excited so once he calms down I think the biting will go away.

[Anade]

http://m.imgur.com/smHtKzS

I took Jasper to the dog park yesterday and today for a bit. Now that I've moved in into my new apartment with other dogs in the building, I've gotta work with Jasper to behave better around other dogs. He is leash aggressive which becomes a problem when I take him out. He acts up only when he sees people walking other dogs and he will start whining and if we are close enough he will turn and bite me. I don't believe he is actually aggressive toward other dogs and is fine seeing them off leash, just on leash is a problem. At the dog park I'm keeping him away from the gated area with the dogs and kneeling in front of him to calm him (he can see them but can't interact with them). I'm wondering if I do this a lot over time he will start to calm down? I want him to eventually go in and play with the other dogs but right now that seems too risky. He won't take treats, he doesn't care for them when out of the apartment so the only thing I can do is pet him to calm him down.

If he won't take treats out of the apartment he is over threshold, either too excited or too scared. That or your treats aren't good enough. I'd try different treats and continue to offer them even if he won't take them. It sounds like you need to counter condition him around other dogs while on leash. Since he's biting though I'd recommend calling in a professional trainer, one who uses only positive reinforcement, to help.

I agree with Imzadi, look for a professional trainer (what Jasper's doing sounds like redirected aggression, where he gets frustrated about being unable to get to the other dog and turns on you). Specifically, you want to find a trainer who has experience with reactive dogs. The fact that your pup is only reactive on-leash means that you have a much better chance of correcting it (which is good!). You can google dog trainers, but I like to suggest the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. They have a good search function, where you can search by area and specific types of training.

[Imzadi83]

If he won't take treats out of the apartment he is over threshold, either too excited or too scared. That or your treats aren't good enough. I'd try different treats and continue to offer them even if he won't take them. It sounds like you need to counter condition him around other dogs while on leash. Since he's biting though I'd recommend calling in a professional trainer, one who uses only positive reinforcement, to help.

Too excited would be my guess, but everything pretty much excites him anyways. I was using real meat and cheese. Counter condition? How do I do that? I was thinking of finding a professional trainer but I don't know where I'd find one. I think the biting is just because he's excited so once he calms down I think the biting will go away.[/quote]

The link Anade gave you is a great start in looking for a trainer. Also https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer?source=hpsb

Here are some training videos that may help you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-L2qtD7MQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY7JrteQBOQ

Essentially what you want to do in counter conditioning is build up a positive association between your dog and other dogs. When you see another dog, before your dog reacts you reward your dog for not reacting. If your dog does react you move him away from the situation calmly and next time try the exercise further away.

I would not allow a dog to be muzzled around other dogs that aren't muzzled. If some other dog starts a fight or redirects onto your dog your dog will be helpless to defend itself. Not only can it get hurt but it will build up a negative association of other dogs and cause your dog to become even more reactive.

Also I would not hang outside the fence of the dog park. Regardless of whether your dog is reacting because of fear or excitement, it's essentially flooding him which is a dangerous thing to do as it can traumatize him and make the situation worse. It's also not fair to the other dog owners. And if your dog is just excited to see other dogs then your just tormenting him with something you won't allow him to experience.

Even if you don't know another owner/dog pair you can work with a professional trainer will likely be able to help with that as well.

The treats you're offering are good, but clearly not working. I would try other treats (peanut butter in a squeeze tube, or a can of whipped cream for example) at home and see what your dog goes gaga over. If you find one, only use it for this training to up it's value. Maybe he would like freeze dried fruit/veggies, bread, popcorn, or some sardines? As long as it's not toxic to dogs feel free to get creative. In the meantime reward him with something else, praise, toys, etc. It can help to make a list off all the things your dog likes (petting, going for a walk, sniffing things outside, etc.) you may find more things you can use as a reward.

[bloodredsheep]

what do you guys think of Oppies progress in weight?

oppies weight from 10 weeks to about three weeks ago at 4 months.

he's turning 6 months on the 19th

Your oppie is at a healthy weight and has a nice tuck. very nice lil guy!

It is my sweet, sweet Panic's second birthday today!

Happy late birthday panic very lovely boy!

[maninkari]

Just popping in to say good morning. Pete's also in the picture but he's under the blanket, lol.