[4dogs3cats]

I wanted to make a list of things I am going to speak to my behaviorist about. Its probably going to be a it embarrassing, but thats why I am taking the steps to fix it, right?

Kody

1. screams when he sees another dog.
2. screams and tears down the blind when he hears anything out the window.
3. pulls a LOT on leash to where I cant even pull back without hurting my hand.
4. Goes nuts when I leave home and cannot be crated due to howling.

Chance

1. Barks and lunges at other dogs while on leash
2. Seperation anxiety, in the crate
3. Tears apart the house, but is quiet as a mouse, when left out.

Things I have done.

Kody- I have tried bringing treats and making him work when we are on a walk and he sees a dog. I have tried picking him up, he screams louder. I have tried walking away with him, he gets mad because he knows the dog is there and screams more. i have tried making him sit BEFORE he SEES the dog.

I have tried crating him with a kong, with a chew-eez bone, with the tv on, with his crate by chances, with his crate away from chances. Each resulted in me getting called at work and threatened with eviction.

Currently we have a queen size mattress blocking out living room windows so he cant see out. Its working for now, but there is one little place where he can still see out. Id like for him to be able to watch people go by without going nuts, just watching.

I have tried a martingale with Kody to prevent him from getting out of his leash. I have tried leash pops. I have tried treats. I have tried turning around when he pulls, he just darts ahead of me and pulls that way.


Chance-

I havent tried much with him for fear of aggression, once he gets off leash and is able to approach the dog on his own, he is fine. But he barks at both people and dogs, and he stares them down. So this will be addressed first and foremost.

I have tried the TV on while he is in the crate. I have switche to a metal crate that he cant brak out of (hopefully) He now goes to doggy daycare, which I would like to only have to do once a week, just for fun, not because I need to.

Sorry so long, just needed to get my thoughts out.

[Elana55]

Let us know how it goes.. especially the indoors stuff.

As to the outdoors stuff, that sounds like Focus Issues.

And, if you walk away from another dog and Kody keep screaming.. just keep walking no matter what he does. Eventually he WILL stop.. it may take 14 miles the first time, but he really will stop at some point..

And.. if you turn and walk the other way and the dog runs ahead and starts pulling you IMMEDIATELY turn and walk in the other direction. You may go almost no p-lace for awhile.. just basck and forth.. but that is what you do. Your neighbors might think you are a little strange.. but being normal is highly over rated (and not common at all among dog owners!)

Have you ever tried a Gentle Leader on Kody for the leash pulling? Might be the ticket.

Anyway, let us know what they say!

[4dogs3cats]

Originally Posted by Elana55

Let us know how it goes.. especially the indoors stuff.

As to the outdoors stuff, that sounds like Focus Issues.

And, if you walk away from another dog and Kody keep screaming.. just keep walking no matter what he does. Eventually he WILL stop.. it may take 14 miles the first time, but he really will stop at some point..

And.. if you turn and walk the other way and the dog runs ahead and starts pulling you IMMEDIATELY turn and walk in the other direction. You may go almost no p-lace for awhile.. just basck and forth.. but that is what you do. Your neighbors might think you are a little strange.. but being normal is highly over rated (and not common at all among dog owners!)

Have you ever tried a Gentle Leader on Kody for the leash pulling? Might be the ticket.

Anyway, let us know what they say!

I havent done the gentle lead thing. We were working first with a martingale. Which works pretty good until he sees something he wants.

For instance: this is my apartment complex. I live under the pink dot. The blue path is our walking path most of the time. The blue dot is where we end up, the dog park. The green dot is where Kody starts whining and pulling. Before we get to the green dot, I make Kody sit, and I tell him "walk" but it still doesnt work. We hit the green dot and he pulls and pulls. I stop and make him sit over and over and we get there like 4 inches at a time. (Really confuses Chance BTW)

[Elana55]

Try doing this when you get to the Green Spot and he starts to pull.. Turn around 180 degrees and walk the other way.. and the minute he starts to pull to go BACK, turn 180 degrees and walk the other way. IOW's never allow him to pull... it will REALLY confuse Chance.. and it will look funny walking back and forth over the same 10 feet of ground.. but with peristance (and Beagles can be very persistant too) you may win this one. He will have to keep moving and he will be behind you more than ahaed of you.

By making him sit and then moving forward you are still going where he WANTS to go.

Dogs pull because they get it in their heads that they HAVE to pull to get you to go.

BTW have you worked on heel at all? This is a good time to do that. As Kody comes along side you after you have made a turn (and so he is trying to pass you) when he gets at your side at heel position, click and treat. IOW's he will at some point be in heel position.. start rewarding him whenever he is there (even at the dog park, in the house.. anywhere at all). The object (of course) is to teach him to heel so he will not be pulling on the leash, will be next to you and will be focused on you (looking at your face) looking/hoping for the next treat. Oh yeah.. and use really GOOD treats.. something he would normally kill for. And the rate of reqward and clicking at first needs to be REALLY FAST (lots of food.. lots and lots.. LOL).

You have the behaviorist coming ANYWAY. If you can lick a few of these on your own b4 hand, it is less stuff they have to spend time on (and your money! LOL).

[4dogs3cats]

Elana tell ya what, I'll buy the 200.00 plane ticket if YOU come out here and work with us haha. I will tryt his. its better for Kody to work with positive reinforcement anyway. You get that clicker out and he will do anything. i recently started using hot dogs. the dogs love them, but my poor floor is getting drooled all over. chance will get big long stringys hanging down when I'm working with Kody

[Elana55]

Hahaha... I have been surfing Southwest Airline's site and am waiting until they let you book in the fall... Right now August is the limit. Phoenix is a hub so you fly in to Phoenix and then drive from there. I did this last spring with my Mom (she was 80 then and always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, so she finally DID).

If Kody will work for bits of Hotdog you probably have this licked.. (drooled?) without even know it! You might try the hot dog and clicker on Chance, too. Get him to look at your face, click and reward. Move this to the great out doors and then when he will do that regularly, add a command like "Look at ME!"

When he will look at your face on command, see if he will do it when someone comes along that he would normally bark at while on leash. If you persist, he may decide looking at you is a LOT more rewarding (hot dog rewarding) than stressing over someone/thing while on leash outside.

If you don't like a behavior, the object is to replace the objectionable behavior with one that you like. Focusing on you/the handler is usually a good replacement behavior.

Yesterday I had guests for dinner. All that work on Atka finally PAID off. She did not jump on anyone. She sat and allowed people to pet her and pawed twice which ended up with them ignoring her. She went outdoors off leash with someone not-me and did what they asked her to. She showed off her box work, obedience work and tricks (like opening and closing doors) without losing focus. Yes, we were home but she did GREAT and it was a LONG time coming.

You can get what you want from Kody and Chance if you persist. Nothing worth doing comes real easy!

[Annamarie]

you could also try going to the dogpark first, or changing your route somehow. also try days where you walk right by the dogpark without going in.

[4dogs3cats]

Originally Posted by Elana55

Hahaha... I have been surfing Southwest Airline's site and am waiting until they let you book in the fall... Right now August is the limit. Phoenix is a hub so you fly in to Phoenix and then drive from there. I did this last spring with my Mom (she was 80 then and always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, so she finally DID).

If Kody will work for bits of Hotdog you probably have this licked.. (drooled?) without even know it! You might try the hot dog and clicker on Chance, too. Get him to look at your face, click and reward. Move this to the great out doors and then when he will do that regularly, add a command like "Look at ME!"

When he will look at your face on command, see if he will do it when someone comes along that he would normally bark at while on leash. If you persist, he may decide looking at you is a LOT more rewarding (hot dog rewarding) than stressing over someone/thing while on leash outside.

If you don't like a behavior, the object is to replace the objectionable behavior with one that you like. Focusing on you/the handler is usually a good replacement behavior.

Yesterday I had guests for dinner. All that work on Atka finally PAID off. She did not jump on anyone. She sat and allowed people to pet her and pawed twice which ended up with them ignoring her. She went outdoors off leash with someone not-me and did what they asked her to. She showed off her box work, obedience work and tricks (like opening and closing doors) without losing focus. Yes, we were home but she did GREAT and it was a LONG time coming.

You can get what you want from Kody and Chance if you persist. Nothing worth doing comes real easy!

Yeah southwest is way cheap! Awesome for Atka! I will def work with hotdogs outside. And eventually move up to him being able to greet people without screaming.

Originally Posted by Annamarie

you could also try going to the dogpark first, or changing your route somehow. also try days where you walk right by the dogpark without going in.

Ohhhh good idea. i change my route sometimes, but any time we near the dog park, they know they're going. I'm gonna bring them past it daily, and mix it up so they never know when theyre going.