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Location: UK
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5,551
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Originally Posted by
Carla0305
....About 3 weeks ago this large spaniel type dog has joined our training class and constantly barks and lunges at winston. In the most recent class winston decided he had enough and now reacts. He will never instigate it.
To be honest, Winston's behaviour is fair enough but of course you don't want him to be practising it
I think it is up to the trainer to help you work on this within this environment BUT she needs to make it easy for you both.
For example do you all sit in the same places each week, and how are the seats arranged? I'd ensure you are placed well away with preferably a good distance between you, and also a good supply of extra tasty food treats to help with training - use really special stuff for this.
Ensure the other dog cannot eyeball yours - this is not alwalys noticed even by trainers, but you can ensure this doesn't happen by keeping your boy turned away from the other dog whilst he is kicking off
Whilst out walking twice this week we have come across 2 springers, winston has growled and barked at them even though they were on the other side of the road.
He's starting to "generalise" - the next step may be to do this with all dogs, or all medium size dogs of the same colour... hence the importance of setting up the environment so that he cannot practice.
My trainer is aware of the other dogs behaviour and emailed me after the first session saying she was aware he was a bit of a problem and would be dealing with it approriately. I'd never had an issue before as we just ignored it and got on with our own work. But now I feel it's having an adverse effect on my usually stupidly soppy lump.
If it continues for one more session, with no improvement or knowledgeable help for your dog/situatoin, I'd leave, yes. It is not worth messing up your dog, which it *could* do. It might not, but it's not worth the risk IMO.
If you see spaniel type dogs out and about, have tasty food ready and generously give to your boy (do not get so close that he reacts..) and stop the food when the other dogs go past/move away. This will help him to build good assocations with dogs that look like this dog.
Wys
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