dog training!! ahhh!!

i love dogsey and really enjoy reading every ones opinions only one thing i'm confused about? things that are taught to me by trainers i'm getting different opinions on?? i have been told not to keep my dog aggressive dog away from other dogs and he is much less reactive now, with positive training methods, and been told here i may be "flooding" him.... i have been told and done a lot of work with toys, tuggy's games when dogs are around..and then someone tells me there dog got toy obsessed and was damaged as the owner panicked? it gets scary what is ok to do?? any opinions??

it might be me that you are referring to regarding a toy obsessed dog and a panicking owner.

i realised soon after taking on my collie, that if any dog came near him he would act aggressively. much of this was brought on by him having his toy, which he loves dearly, with him. i found that by not taking his toy, but watching him intently, i could avoid nasty situations by allowing him to say hi, but recognising he would only tolerate a tiny amount of interaction.

almost as soon as he'd been approached, i would praise him and call him away. it worked for dylan.

please take advice from a professional dog trainer regarding your dog. i tell you mine and dylans story, just so you can see it can be done. but i don't know your dog or your story.

good luck, you can do it!

thanks that puts my mind at rest, i hold sams toy so he really concentrates on it to hold his concentration until the dog goes past then as soon as the dog is gone he gets the toy, this was done because of the stress sickness (no food treats), it sometimes works, most of the time not!! then i heard your story and freaked!! it would do me in to be responsible for him growing to be damaged. this is why i love dogsey!! you'll always find someone to tell you you'll get there in the end xxxxxx

Hi,

You'll definitely get there in the end - it just takes time and patience - 2 things I think you have plenty of.

All GSDs are very intelligentr (aside from mine it would seem) and if you can see the rezults from positive training and allowing him to socialise and interact with other dogs, then this is clearly helping him overcome his aggressions towards him.

If you were to "flood" him then you'd be putting him in a situation where he was backed into a corner (maybe literally depending on the situation) and forcing him to deasl with something that you know he's not comfortable with. This could push him to his pimits where he would either come out fighting or would just give up.

It's clear to me thatyou haven't done this and I think if you continue as you ahve been, keep speaking to trainers and aksing questions, keep getting the opinions of others on this board and you and your GSD will be fine.

You'll find you'll have one of the closest, most living and trusting relationships anyone could wish to have.

Good luck with your training.

Laura xx

firstly, poor you and your dog. i am there too and i know how stressful it is for both of you

i think one thing that can happen is if every time there is something your dog is going to get stressed at you whip out the toy or food and then the dog becomes stressed it will begin to associate the reward with being stressed and be looking for the attack

if possible it is best to do the distraction and give the reward at a distance where the dog is still calm and then leave without them having to interact with the dog at all

over time the distance your dog can be calm around other dogs increases

i totaly know you cannot always control every situation, sometimes other dogs just appear
in that situation i just try and stay calm, if i can move away a bit without dragging a fixated dog, if not warn the other owner my dog is not friendly, stand still, wait till my dog has calmed down enough to give me attention and then reward her for being calm

i have had mia about six months now
on good days she amazes me by pulling and crying to get over to see and play with strange dogs

on bad days i am squinting into the distance to see what has stressed her

luckly i have found that she is becoming agility obsessed so slowly i can introduce her to dogs around agility equipment and she is calmer

My opinion is that there are as many opinions as there are dog trainers. Not because they`re all being awkward, but because your dog and you are living creatures with a unique package of reactions, experiences, strengths and weaknesses.

I tried a fair few people before I found one whose method was appropriate to my dog. But I also found some who were well-meaning but out of their depth, some who were useless and one who made it worse.
However, I also read a lot of books, and did a lot of research, and I think in the end it comes down to you and what you feel is best for your dog. You are her biggest asset and champion. You know her better than anyone else in the world. Ultimately, it`s going to be you who has to make the choices about what to do - and possibly mix and match approaches if needed.
All the rest of us can do is say what has worked before and wish you luck.

BTW - if anyone says with confidence they can `cure` your dog, especially if they haven`t worked with her, run a mile!

yup exactly what c&d said
it really goes for training your dogs for anything
no matter how great the trainer you know your dog and hos it tends to react to things

if something sounds wrong for your dog walk away

thank you xxx i can relate to every thing you all say, i really appreciate all the advice which i will be using! i have been doing what you suggested in my last thread c&d and getting my friends over with their older, calmer dogs and because i know they wont hurt him (i am so sure sam wouldn't actually bite, he just looks awful when he barks and lunges, all teeth and fur) that gives me confidence and the situation is contolled and calm and we walk together. benmcfuzzylugs thats why i love dogsey! at one time i thought i was on my own with this and no one could possibly understand, talking to you makes me realise i'm not and you are so right, one day makes you so proud, the next not so much!
Stumpywop,thanks for clearing up flooding for me, you made it much clearer, if it takes all the time in the world i'm gonna keep working on him...but as for patience....with sam i have loads, with other dog owners round my way hardly any!!! xxxxxxxx