# Need advice...not getting anywhere with barking at other dogs



## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Hi,
My Isa is 11 months old. Background: She has been in weekly obedience classes since 4 months. We also work with a private trainer about twice a month. She used to go to the dog park until I got fed up with people bringing dogs who should never be in a park. She lives with 2 other dogs. We have play dates with a neighbor's 3 dogs several times a week. She also goes everywhere with me if dogs are allowed....some restaurants, hardware store, assisted living facility, state parks, vacations, etc. 

I feel like I have done everything I can to socialize her. And she if great with car travel, people, babies, toddlers, wheelchairs, bicycles, etc. 

However, if she sees a cat or dog (that she has not met before) she lunges and barks her head off. I don't think it is aggression, think just excitement. But it scares other people. Treats and toys will not get her attention. (Food is never a motivator for her....she rarely eats an entire meal) Nothing will distract her. The trainers have me do a leash correction (no response at all), give another command (she will sit or down but still bark). 

Out of frustration I tried a training collar. It seemed to work but you have to have collar on of course and fiddle with a remote. Should I continue with this? Use a bark collar? 

I'm at a loss. She took the good citizen's test (knowing she would not pass the part about walking by a strange dog...and she didn't). But all the other sections she was great!

This is the only issue we have with her.


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## The Packman (Jan 31, 2011)

No sarcasm meant...I think that is called _high prey drive._ It would seem to me that if a dog trainer can't help stop it, it can't be stoped.

Here's a good article: Problem of the Month: Prey Drive | Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan

It reminds of story about a woman who took her son to the doctor because he talked so loud. The first DR examine him and said he could find nothing wrong as did the next DR she took him to. So she takes her son to a third DR. He examines the child and says...madame there is nothing wrong with your son, what you have is a kid who talks loud because that is just the way he is.


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## Kaity (Nov 18, 2009)

Throw a bark on her. You don't have to fiddle with a remote. It goes automatically when the dog barks, make sure there are no other dogs that can set off the collar. Fiddling with remotes has it's pay off.


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

does she only do this while on leash? when she is off leash is she quiet and not barking? if this is done on leash only it could be leash frustration.. you can upp your treats to hamburger, steak, chicken, something she would never ever get and is higher value to her... carry a treat bag and make up some hamburgers (cooked) and break them into pieces into the treat bag and work with her every day on this.. the higher value treat should work.

some dogs get frustrated when on leash as they cant run away, cant run forward, cant be free per say to greet another dog... when off leash these type of dogs are usually perfect and you dont hear a peep out of them.

You can always try the book Control Unleashed, http://controlunleashed.net/ its an awesome book and might be able to help you


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## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Wow does this sound familiar! I have the same issue with my 10 month old GSD. Off leash he could care less, but on leash... oh boy! I tried a couple different collars & techniques and we got the best results using a prong collar together with "leave it" as we are walking by (they have to have a strong "leave it"). He's not over it completely, but he's improved 110%.


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks for the link Packman. Some good ideas there.

She is the same on or off leash. The only difference is that she can run to the other dog (as long as they are not giving her "stay away from me" signals). Once she gets to the other dog, she is very submissive and only wants to lick their faces. Of course she is more frustrated on leash though as she can't get to the other dog.

It is so funny that she remembers ones she has met before. For instance, the first day of a new group class, she enters the training area and barks her head off at all the other dogs, trying to get to them to sniff and lick. The next week she will enter and do some excited vocalizations but not bark. Let a new dog enter the class and she is back to barking at the newcomer.

Last night I took her downtown to an outdoor concert. Wasn't really interested in the concert but wanted to expose her to a rowdy, loud group and have other dogs present. The music, the drunk people, the strollers and the motorcycles didn't faze her. Of course when she spotted another dog, the barking began.....I would just walk her in a different direction and after out of sight, she would quiet. The funny thing was that there was a K9 unit there. When she saw that dog, Isa went wild barking.....and the K9 dog followed along with his own lunging and barking. The officer seemed really embarrassed he had trouble getting his under control too! Made me feel better than professional has difficulties at times too


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

The prong helped Rocket and I immensely. He too was not aggressive, just frustrated and excited. A few well-timed corrections and wow...what a difference. Also, if you are consistent and think in terms of the collar as a several months training, as they mature it will usually become non-existent.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

This is waaaaaay too familiar. Stella (who will be 1 tomorrow) is the same. I have been to several trainers, and tried different things. Nothing seemed to work. I was about ready to try a prong. (I have nothing against them). But I decided to try one last trainer and I am reading Control Unleashed. The "Cujo" side of Stella is lessening. She still reacts to strange dogs but not as intensely and she can settle faster. Going back to that trainer in 2 weeks and working with Stella at a dog park. Should be interesting. Like your pup, Stella is not aggressive at all. (Try convincing other people of that! lol) Just excited, frustrated and possibly a little afraid. Have been doing a lot of focus work the past few weeks with her. I would definitely recommend the book Control Unleashed. Wish I had gotten it sooner. I figure if the focus/LAT doesn't do it, I can always get a prong.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

Also am going back to basic obedience with Stella. She has been through basic, advanced basic and even basic agility, but this new trainer suggested starting from the beginning at the new facility. The new place seems to be very knowledgeable about GSDs. One of the first things they plan on teaching Stella in the class is that even though GSDs seem to have a lot to say, not everyone wants to hear it!!!!


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

lol Katdog! Yes, they do have much to say. I bought the control unleashed book and have started reading it.

It irritates me (though I know it shouldn't) that people can have little yappy dogs who bark at other dogs and no one thinks a thing. 

The other day I had Isa out and met a woman with a little Yorkie....of course both hers and mine were barking. But she grabbed hers up in her arms like Isa was going to eat it, which of course excited Isa that much more!

It seems like with GSDs they don't even have to be barking to incite fear in some people. While walking her on vacation recently in a city, I met a jogger early one morning on an empty sidewalk. Isa was paying no attention to him, but the man threw himself up against a building and yelled "you better have that dog under control"! She was walking on a loose lead and much more interested in watching the garbage truck!!!

I guess I will just keep working with her and hope someday it clicks. May try the bark collar (could actually use it with my pit/boxer too). I have to keep telling myself not to start avoiding other dogs....it would be so easy to fall into that (just avoid the issue). But I want her to be able to go anywhere, be my constant companion and hopefully some day do therapy work.

My sweet girl is at my feet now totally unaware that in a couple hours she is going to have off lead time on 100 acres with her "cousin" a border collie! That will make her day!!!!!! (and mine too)


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

You don't need to avoid other dogs, but you do need to keep your distance from them, until Isa learns to control herself or redirect her drive onto you instead of the other dogs. 

You don't need the prong collar, or the correction collar. Your dog isn't really learning to control herself and remain calm when other dogs are around. All she's learning at the moment, is when she sees strange dogs she gets hurt. She may well change her emotion from wanting desperately to greet other dogs to becoming aggressive towards them, as she may associate the corrections with the other dogs. That's what happened with our dog - who was like yours - when we used corrections. It took us much longer to sort out the problem because of it. 

Prongs and corrections work for some dogs and not others - it depends on the dog and how reactive they are. 

I would definately get the book Control Unleashed and educate yourself about reactive dogs.

Does Isa understand 'leave it' and how to play tug and release on command. If not, take a look at these videos and get them both rock solid.





 




 
Does Isa still bark and pull when you go to see your neighbour and his dogs. If so, please have a go at this next time you go and see how you get on:

Put Isa on a flat collar or a harness, and keep her leash loose. When you're walking down the lane and she starts pulling and/or barking - just stop dead in your tracks and leave her to it - she will calm down and shut up (eventually) - when she does tell her how good she is and give her a real tasty treat (if she'll have one) - if she doesn't do well with treats, have a game of tug, or toss her a ball. 

Only when she's calm and makes no attempt to pull, carry on walking, telling her how good she, is if she remains calm. If she starts pulling and/or barking again, just repeat as above. 

Isa should learn that she is only allowed to go forward towards your neighbours dogs when she is calm. 

If that works, you can move on to getting her calm around strange dogs.

Can you let us know how it goes (if you decide to try it). 
__________
Sue


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I do not mean to disagree directly with Jake's mom. People find success in all sorts of manners, and we all should share those, as no single method is usually 100% with every dog. 

However-- if you are walking, and see another dog, and just wait until she calms down, several things can happen: the other party (and dog) usually continues walking past, and then away. In my experience, my dog wouldn't have calmed down at all, until they were gone. He could no more have made the association that calming down allowed him to move forward than if I randomly started walking. It would be the same. Plus, for us, no game of tug or food item AT ALL was IN ANY WAY more attractive than the dog. Also, there is NO WAY he would've kept a loose leash, so he would've been keeping it tight and tense for a long time. 

I also do not share the opinion that correcting will teach them that they will hurt when strange dogs appear. I am very CLEAR upon delivering the correction. My dog did (doesn't) not exhibit the barking at the very first sight, it was usually as we got closer. I was very careful to make the association between _his behavior and the correction. _No barking, no correction. I did not correct upon sight of another animal. I _only corrected if he started to exhibit the undesirable behavior, swiftly and unemotionally. _It worked amazingly fast. The important part is the delivery. 

Just food for thought.


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

I agree Rocket Dog, but the difference is, the OP has been working with a trainer and behaviourist. They have used leash corrections with Isa and it hasn't worked. 

This was the exact problem we had with our last dog. Three different trainers and a behaviourist gave up. Nothing at all diverted his attention from other dogs. We feel so guilty now about the punishment we dealt out. 

The only thing it changed was instead of him loving other dogs and wanting to pounce on them to play, he started to get aggressive towards them. 

Out of sheer frustation and years of trying just about everything else, and everyone giving up on our dog - we tried what I described - and it worked. Admitted our dog was an adult rescue - it shouldn't get to this stage with a dog owned from a puppy, especially when working with a trainer. 

I said corrections work with some dogs - not all. If corrections given at the correct time, along with a 'leave it' and redirection haven't worked the OP needs to try something else - not keep upping the level of punishment. 

Ideally Isa has been kept at a safe distance from other dogs while the OP worked on redirection either with treats, toys or collar corrections to get her attention. Only when she behaves at a distance should the distance be reduced. But I assume the trainer or behaviourist have already done this. I just know there was no such thing as a safe distance with our dog. 

The secret with what I described is to keep your distance, like you would with a fear aggressive dog. I didn't describe the next step, because I wanted to see how the OP got on trying it with the neighbour's dogs first. 

Rocket dog you have either misunderstood my post or I haven't explained it properly. I know treats, toys or whatever won't redirect a dog in the red zone of wanting to get to another dog, that's why you wait until they've started to calm down - the dog then redirects their frustation at not being able to get to the other dog, onto the tug, the ball, or the treat. The owner along with the tug or toy then becomes the outlet for the dogs prey drive, rather than the other dog or cat. 

They also learn that if they want to go closer to another dog, the only way they will be allowed to do so, is by staying calm. 

Whilst I agree that the odd leash correction does no harm to get a dogs attention, IMO when corrections become severe and shock and bark collars are used, it's then becoming abuse and it's a different matter completely. Dogs faced with that sort of punishment on seeing other dogs can turn aggressive, as they can associate the other dog with the punishment. If it's got to that stage the handling of the dog is incorrect. 

This dog is only 11 nonths old - still a pup.

I think it's probably wise for the OP to get a new trainer or behavourist. 
________
Sue


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)




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## Laney (Feb 12, 2012)

kitmcd said:


> Hi,
> My Isa is 11 months old. Background: She has been in weekly obedience classes since 4 months. We also work with a private trainer about twice a month. She used to go to the dog park until I got fed up with people bringing dogs who should never be in a park. She lives with 2 other dogs. We have play dates with a neighbor's 3 dogs several times a week. She also goes everywhere with me if dogs are allowed....some restaurants, hardware store, assisted living facility, state parks, vacations, etc.
> 
> I feel like I have done everything I can to socialize her. And she if great with car travel, people, babies, toddlers, wheelchairs, bicycles, etc.
> ...


Sounds like you are describing my dog EXACTLY (same age & training too!).
Anyways, I don't have a lot of experience with this (so thank you everyone for the advice)... but our agility trainer showed me something that really helped this week. 
He was barking his head off at the other dogs in the class during the down time and she used SprayShield Animal Deterrent Spray. First we used the command "quiet" and then if he didn't listen she sprayed it near him. I was amazed how well it worked. She had me keep it near by and if he barked I just sprayed a little on his butt (and it doesn't smell bad...kinda like lemon pledge). After 2 or 3 times I only had to show him the bottle and he stopped barking.
I'm not sure if it is the best training technique, but it seems to work so I thought I'd share. (Just don't spray it at the dog's face like the directions say to...this stuff it technically for attacks, so don't traumatize your doggy!). 
You can get it online pretty cheap or at some pet stores (I found it at ONE of the PetSmarts near us).
SprayShield Animal Deterrent Spray


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Jakesmom, I from the beginning I only allowed Rocket to approach dogs or any place that was exciting if he was calm. As he got older, though, and we'd see dogs suddenly around the corner or something, is when the barking began. Then the calming thing wouldn't work, and if we were out in a store or public, it was disturbing and I had to remove him, which was hard to keep the leash slack. In the initial post, the OP said they had NOT tried a prong. So leash corrections would be minimal at best probably. I agree a new trainer could be the ticket, but I still wouldn't discount the prong, if used _properly. _Rocket was only 10 months old or so when I started it on him. He just turned a year Friday. 

MRL, I LOVE that video!!


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

kitmcd said:


> I have to keep telling myself not to start avoiding other dogs....it would be so easy to fall into that (just avoid the issue). But I want her to be able to go anywhere, be my constant companion and hopefully some day do therapy work.


I know how easy it would be to go that route. I did it with my old newfie/lab mix when he was young and reactive. I regret it now as he can't be around other dogs at all. (although he has accepted Stella) I refuse to do this with Stella. I too want to be able to take her anywhere and not have to be on red alert. I know she is not at all aggressive in spite of her "cujo" display. When she gets to greet a dog she is soooooo submissive. So I too am determined to work on this for as long as it takes. 
How are you liking Control Unleashed?
And yea....those yappy little dogs....they sure do get away with a lot!


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks so much for all the replies. I will try to go through and answer some of the questions:

First, Isa does get excited when we walk to the neighbor's. I do the stop and wait until she is calm before allowing her to go on. One day I timed it and it took about 15 min to walk down the 50' driveway. Now she knows that routine and though she still gets excited (more pulling than barking), when I stop, she immediately sits....then we take about 3 steps on a loose leash, the pulling starts and we stop again. Again, a quick automatic sit, then we progress a little more. My neighbor just stands inside his gait and grins!

Rocketdog, same with Isa. Nothing and I mean nothing is more attractive than the other dog. I have carried meat, cheese, her favorite toy (which is withheld for special occasions), etc. 

Which leads me to the surprise game. While that method would have worked fantastic with my beagle and boxer, I have tried it several times with Isa (and even with the private trainer in attendance). I drop the treat and she either totally ignores or barely glances at it. The trainer was amazed that he couldn't redirect her attention with his special high value treats he brought with him...he called them "doggie crack" and said no other dog he has worked with has been able to resist!

I've not used the Spray Shield product. However the trainer we use in group class tried bitter apple with her in the same way...again no success. To test the effectiveness of the product with Isa (because she couldn't believe Isa wouldn't pay attention to it) she sprayed one of the toys Isa really liked with it and Isa just picked up the toy like nothing was on it!!!

I am enjoying Control Unleashed...about halfway through

I also worried that I wouldn't time my corrections right if I used a training collar. That is one reason I haven't gone that route yet. I'm not sure my reaction and coordination is good enough to get it right!

Yesterday when I took her to the wooded property to have off leash time, we arrived before my sister in law who was bringing her border collie. Isa started barking the moment she saw the dog (they don't see each other often). However, Isa was off leash and Mollie leaped out of car before I could get Isa back on leash. Isa immediately ran to Mollie barking, then when she reached her, quieted and dropped to the ground in a wriggly submissive posture. 

I do think her barking is totally frustration about not being able to get to the other dog. 

I will keep practicing with her. But Rocket is correct in what happens when out in public. Isa rarely gets to "meet" those dogs because I can't wait until she calms to let her greet in a mannerly way.....either I have to leave because she is upsetting other people (like when it happens in the lobby of my mother's retirement home) or the other owner leaves because they want to avoid the "crazy shepherd". I will say when I have met some other dog owners on trails, some have been very patient and allowed me to settle Isa then let the dogs greet....Isa did great on these occasions but it requires the other party to give me 5 or 10 minutes of their time.

I will keep you posted and keep the suggestions coming. Thanks so much. A wonderful community here!

Oh, forgot to answer another question. We do practice leave it and she is generally very good with that. Of course since she is not much interested in food I can drop treats all around her on the floor and tell her to "wait" and it is no problem. But leave it works well with her with contraband (like shoes and toilet paper) We do practice "take" and "drop" while playing tug and she is very good with it.

I keep telling myself to take it slow and not expect too much too fast. But I so want her to be able to go to a sidewalk cafe and sit quietly with other dogs there or passing by. Right now, we still do it but it is so much like when I had toddlers acting up....I often have to leave with her and have someone else bring my food to the car!!!!


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

My puppy has similar issue. I didn't read through all the posts, so excuse me if I repeat something. While I'm waiting to meet up with my trainer, this is what I found is working. 

I sit her down way before the other dog gets to close (more than 10 ft away, or as soon I spot the dog approaching). Then I block her view to the other dog with my body and facing her start doing the focus thing. She stares at me, gets a treat. When the other dog gets really close, she may start peeking around me, etc. I'll adjust my body depending on how she's trying to peek and call her name, start waving my hand with the treat in front of her to get her attention back. This only works for me if I can get the dog to sit down before the other dog approaches, or I'll be in trouble. Once she sits, its just a matter of me blocking her view of the other dog and getting her to focus on the treat in front of her. Dropping the treat may be too hard for a dog that's too interested in the other dog since the treat is not easily in her line of sight. It wouldn't work for my dog either. My puppy has improved to the point that I only now needs to do this when we have to share a narrow trail or side walk with another dog. When I do this, I'm standing very close in front of her. When waving the treat, it's at her eye level, few inches away from her and I treat (and mark) as fast as I can whenever I can get her to not look at the other dog. However, whenever I have a choice to avoid sharing the same 3 ft wide sidewalk or trail path with another dog I would do it until she doesn't need to be managed this way.


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## wbmills (Jun 12, 2012)

My dog had same reaction to another dog but I don't think he would have gone submissive if he reached it so I guess it is a different trigger than yours. My dog got so excited at the site of another dog he actually jumped up and down on his hind legs (named him Rue as in Kangaroo). 

I eventually found the same technique Bear L describes of blocking his site with my body and refocusing his attention on me. Also, with Rue, the intensity of his reaction was directly proportional to the distance from the other dog. I used this to train him a few feet at a time until he got to where he can pass by another dog with no more than raised eyebrows.


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

kitmcd said:


> First, Isa does get excited when we walk to the neighbor's. I do the stop and wait until she is calm before allowing her to go on. One day I timed it and it took about 15 min to walk down the 50' driveway. Now she knows that routine and though she still gets excited (more pulling than barking), when I stop, she immediately sits....then we take about 3 steps on a loose leash, the pulling starts and we stop again. Again, a quick automatic sit, then we progress a little more. My neighbor just stands inside his gait and grins!


I would do the following: The first time she pulls towards the neighbours - you stop - she calms down and sits - I would then allow her to walk toward the neighbour, but the second she goes to pull again, turn around and walk her back to the start of the driveway. 

Repeat - if she behaves exactly the same - take her home. I know it's a pain but if you want to solve this you need to be patient. 

We did this several times a day, for several days, just to be able to get to our local common in peace (200 yds). Our dog didn't pull, unless he actually saw another dog, but he screamed blue murder in anticipation of seeing one.

I would also try redirecting her frustration onto the tug rather than making her sit. There's no point in keep repeating things that aren't working. 

Has the behaviourist worked with your dog at a distance from other dogs. If not, I would look for another behaviourist, with experience of over excitable dogs. 
__________
Sue


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

My .02 worth: I have had to work through this as well. Engagement training helped a lot but did not solve the problem 100%. Part of it was my dog's immaturity coupled with some reactive aggression. What I had to do was increase the severity of my corrections by a factor of about 5. He just was not responding to the level that I was using. I had to go to a very high level of corrections for aggression coupled with constant engagment and praise for proper behavior. This has moved us way forward. I have even received complements from other dog walkers during our walks because he is behaving so much better. One thing to keep in mind though is that I did not up the level of correction until he was a little older (around a year) because I realized that part of the problem was immaturity.

Good luck! it gets better.


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## Zeeva (Aug 10, 2010)

Most people may hate this idea but I used a shock collar to curb my huskies high prey drive. same as your Isa's--if a dog, cat or bunny came by he'd bark his head off and lounge. and then he'd pull me toward the dog, cat or bunny. nearly got in several fights with other dogs that way. now he ignores them. i don't even put a shock collar on him anymore and he knows not to bother. it may be because he's afraid of the shock which isn't exactly what you want. you want the dog to find higher value in other things (like a treat or a look at me). but in the end i HAD a full blown off the leash husky and GS. but i guess it's animal specific? because he doesn't ignore squirrels. these are new critters to him since i moved. i trained both my husky and my GS to be off leash and come when called even if they see another dog, bunny or cat using a shock collar. if you have further questions PM me. also ask your trainer about it  

i mean no offense by offering this advice. i may be wrong but it worked well for me in the past...


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Yes, the trainer has worked with her at a distance from other dogs. And the closer, the more reaction...just like everyone else has said. But as I said before, if she actually gets close enough to sniff then she settles right down.

Today in the car she saw several dogs from the car and went crazy barking. It's really hard to correct her while driving and it's not like I can stop in the middle of the road.

I did anticipate this today and had "high value" treats in the front with me. I tried to distract her with those and she would just let them fall from her mouth to the floor. I tell you, food is absolutely no motivation with her. 

If she wasn't so darned perfect in every other way, she would be driving me crazy!


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks Robk and Zeeva. Have to run right now but will get back with you!


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I agree with robk (in fact my first post said as much  )
I think you'll find with maturity and consistent training the problem takes care of itself.


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

kitmcd said:


> Yes, the trainer has worked with her at a distance from other dogs. And the closer, the more reaction...just like everyone else has said. But as I said before, if she actually gets close enough to sniff then she settles right down.
> 
> It takes time - she needs to keep her enthusiasm under control. Get her obedience solid at a distance, and when she remains calm consistantly, move slightly closer. One step at a time and you'll get there. Each step closer becomes a triumph. If ever she looks like she's going to put up a performance, either give a leash correction and a 'leave it' before she has chance to, or move further away.
> 
> ...


With the benefit of hindsight, I realise that our dog needed an outlet for all his pent up frustation. Have you tried him in a sport, such as herding, trieball, flyball, agility, etc.?

I think I'd also cut down on the play dates. Make her sit or down at a safe distance and just ignore or correct the pulling and barking. I know she'll keep it up for ages - but she will eventually calm down - then you can really praise her, so she understands what you expect from her, and she may even take treats when calm. 

Or when you meet for a play date, take her off away from the other dogs, but still within view of them. Enlist the help of a friend and play fetch. One of you hold her on a long leash and the other throw the ball. Or play hide and seek or chase. 

Just some suggestions. 
________
Sue


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

> With the benefit of hindsight, I realise that our dog needed an outlet for all his pent up frustation. Have you tried him in a sport, such as herding, trieball, flyball, agility, etc.?


Tuesday evening at obedience class I asked my trainer about this. There are no clubs locally but an agility one about an hour away. I may try to contact them. Plus am trying to contact an old friend who used to do agility (and may still). If nothing else, I may be able to entice or hire her to do some work with Isa and me. 

I do think she would like herding. No one seems to know how to find anything like that around here. The reason I think she would like it is that when I am trying to call one of my older dogs and they are not listening, Isa rounds them up all the while nipping at their heels and small barks. She thinks she is doing a great service, however the 10 yo boxer and the 11 yo beagle don't think much of it 

Tuesday night at class, there was not a peep out of her. No new dogs in class. 

Today I had her at my mother's retirement home. No other dogs around and she did fantastic. Very quietly sat and let several residents and staff pet her. Plus no reaction when the little man with a scooter almost ran us over!

She has such great potential if we just can get through this barking!


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

Jakesmom, her crate will not fit in car unless collapsed, but I've never heard of calming cap....will look that up!


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

You'll get there, she'll calm down as she matures - hopefully. She sounds such a lovely dog. 

Hope you can get into the agility. Shame about the herding - I wish we could have done something like that. 

Good luck
________
Sue


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