[nick.chislett]

Hi everyone, new to the forum, we have a lockdown puppy who is 11 month old. He was neutered a month ago, he lives with two young kids, and his temperament is amazing, the poor dog gets allot of attention. The issue we have is his total lack of recall and abidance on the lead. When we are out walking when he sees another dog 8/10 he feels the need to bark bark and bark, his bark is like a lion and people look upon us as what are you doing with that vicious dog with young children. Does anyone recommend a training program we can follow to bring this young mut back under control? We did take him to the local dog training school, but it was rather wasted as the other dogs where way too much for him. Treats don’t seem to bribe him, he seems to be in his own world at his own pace and decisions.

Any guidance would be appreciated.


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[Lillith]

For the reactivity around other dogs, I would suggest reading through this thread for reactive dogs. Whether the reactivity be from fear, frustration, or excitement, the process for achieving a calm dog is pretty much the same. The thread has some information on how to get started counter conditioning.

A lack of recall isn't uncommon for a young dog, but in reality some dogs just never achieve a really reliable recall. What have you done to train a recall so far? It seems simple, but it's actually one of the more difficult commands to get right because you're competing with the environment and distractions for your dog's attention! You should start training in a boring location, and gradually proof the command in more distracting environments. You will want to use the most excellent of treats, such as cheese or deli meat, to really make responding to the recall rewarding.

If you live in a more urban area, there might be training programs designed specifically for dog reactive dogs. They generally start with each dog behind a barrier so they can't see the other dogs, which makes listening to their owner easier. A beginning obedience class might be beneficial, too, if the trainer can allow you to be behind a barrier to block your dog's view of other dogs. Whatever you choose, choose a positive reinforcement trainer who does not use punishments or force to get your dog to do what you want.