One thing about using aversive training for loose leash/heeling etc most everything after can be about the heeling and not the distractions. Curious about opinions on such thoughts..

 

I think this is sound advice!

Also, please look into buying Brenda Aloff's book "Aggression in Dogs". It will show you step-by-step proven methods that will help you not only manage, but modify your dogs reactive behavior. It is worth the small investment, the book is a wealth of knowledge and will give you some invaluable tools for working with your pup.

The above is what I wrote in the other thread regarding PawzK9's advice.
Just a question, when the dog is NOT in a reactive state, how are you teaching him to heel?

 

thanks, I thought I might've missed one. I've never been too picky about "heel." I'd been using the words "with me" as an attention-getting device (works ok except when very distracted), so recently I began saying "walk with me," guiding him into position, and giving him a treat. Now he has to walk at my left side for some random distance before he gets the treat, or sometimes no treat. I do praise him while he's walking nicely. If he starts to move out in front, usually a gentle tug on the leash brings him back, or a soft-spoken verbal reminder, or I reach over & tap him on the flank. I've found that harsher measures like popping the leash, or raising my voice are not more effective than what I described. I don't even bother slipping the leash around his neck anymore. He's really a pleasure to walk with. Until the evil Tucker takes over.

Interestingly, we have a westie, Scout (about 4 years old), with us on the first 20 minutes of the walk -- I'd never tried to teach him to heel, or even loose-leash walking -- ever since about day two of working with Tucker, he walks perfectly at heel now without being asked. Just picked it up on his own. When Tucker gets wound up, Scout barks at me but I can quiet him with just a quick "shhhh".

Butters would also get quite excited and start pulling when she sees another person or dog. THe only thing i've found that worked is I would crouch down, and call her name in a whisper, with a treat in my hand. As soon as she turns around to see what I'm doing, I praise her, and give her the treat. If she keeps looking at me after eating the treat, I praise and treat again.

I haven't had the chance to teach her to greet strangers politely but the other method is have a friend approach you, and every time he pulls, the friend must back up to the starting point. He will learn that only when he is sitting will the person approach him for a pet. He must be calmly sitting for the person to reach him, not excitedly sitting. This is hard to train when you don't have a friend to help you with this, but hopefully you can find friendly strangers who you can ask to not approach your dog for a pet until he's calmly sitting.

Funny, both the dogs, if they're barking at squirrels or something in the backyard, I get their attention by whispering their names, when yelling at 'em has no effect.

He's been pulling to meet people as well, but that has improved dramatically just in the past few days. When we meet strangers on the street, I tell 'em he's in training, and would they mind ignoring him until he settles down.

 

Butters would also get quite excited and start pulling when she sees another person or dog. THe only thing i've found that worked is I would crouch down, and call her name in a whisper, with a treat in my hand. As soon as she turns around to see what I'm doing, I praise her, and give her the treat. If she keeps looking at me after eating the treat, I praise and treat again.

I haven't had the chance to teach her to greet strangers politely but the other method is have a friend approach you, and every time he pulls, the friend must back up to the starting point. He will learn that only when he is sitting will the person approach him for a pet. He must be calmly sitting for the person to reach him, not excitedly sitting. This is hard to train when you don't have a friend to help you with this, but hopefully you can find friendly strangers who you can ask to not approach your dog for a pet until he's calmly sitting.

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Once he's in Amygdala Hijack, you can't easily train him. The idea is to train him with the tongue click or "walk with me" in a quiet area and then slowly with increasing distractions. When you're walking and you see a distraction, call him, "walk with me," before he escalates, and treat. Initially, he won't listen, but you may get a hesitation. And, in a few months, you may get better control.

You have to be alert with Ridgebacks, because they are sighthounds, very alert, quick, and energetic. They're an interesting contrast to Labs, who are very intelligent and observant, Or Pits who may be quick, but not as alert.

Rough example: 3 dogs walk into a bar ... A Ridgeback, a Lab, and a Pit are sleeping. A squirrel jumps out of a tree 100 yards away to sniff around a mailbox. The Ridgeback is up and running and 25 yards away by the time the Lab starts running. The Pit yawns then runs and passes the Lab. The squirrel freaks out, runs behind the mailbox, then hops on top. The Ridgeback following the squirrel but keeps running around the mailbox, now followed by the Pit. The Lab finally catches up, and runs the other direction around the mailbox to ambush the squirrel, who is watching safely from on top of the mailbox. The Lab looks up for some reason (smell?) and barks at the squirrel. The Pit barks, then looks up, then jumps up, nearly catching the squirrel, who runs down the mailbox and back to the tree. When the squirrel hits the ground, the Ridgeback just missing getting some tail-feathers, before the squirrel can run up the tree and chatter. The Pit does a standing jump, run up 10 feet into the tree, but the squirrel runs up another 20 feet to safety. No, I've never seen the three stooges together, but I have seen bits and pieces with individuals... to me the most amazing was the Lab, altho the instantaneous reactions of the Ridgeback of unbelievable. (And, everyone knows that Pits can climb trees )

BTW - I have been to Fort Woof. I live in SW Arlington, near the Parks Mall.

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Once he's in Amygdala Hijack, you can't easily train him. The idea is to train him with the tongue click or "walk with me" in a quiet area and then slowly with increasing distractions. When you're walking and you see a distraction, call him, "walk with me," before he escalates, and treat. Initially, he won't listen, but you may get a hesitation. And, in a few months, you may get better control.

BTW - I have been to Fort Woof. I live in SW Arlington, near the Parks Mall.

That makes sense. Last couple days I've been taking advantage of quiet streets at 6am & 8pm to really reinforce the calm walking and it's gotten noticeably better in just that short time.

I also discovered that he tenses up in anticipation at the houses where we know dogs might be seen at a gate -- no doubt I'd been doing the same. That gives me opportunity to practice staying calm and keep his attention. A series of little successes I hope will accumulate.

I guess the poor little guy just wasn't getting enough direction from his "pack leader."

I like your story. My guy could probably jump up onto the mailbox (he's good at jumping and seems to enjoy it). He is quick to notice animals, mostly cats & squirrels, but surprisingly not very vocal about 'em. I saw this pit at the dog park, he could make it at least 12 feet up a vertical tree trunk at a dead run.

I'm in NW Arl, near Lamar HS.

 

thanks. Help me out here, I don't want to start this process without having confidence in it. Tell me you've done it and it works, that'll help a whole lot.

Usually the first clue I have that a target is in visual range, is when his head perks up. Sometimes he goes from level 0 to level 10 instantaneously.

 

I've done something like that, but I have a Lab-mix, so he's not as alert. But I did lots of training in the yard where I had control over the distractions, then slowly went to places with incrementally more distractions. Plus, I had access to 3 parks - one in SW Arl down Cooper, the Dog Park in SE Arl near the dogpound (and library), and a neighborhood park that we walk to everyday. Anticipation is the key, but you need comparatively boring place initially.... maybe a schoolyard on the weekend and after hours?