# Barking at people



## Dash911

My male GSD is 5 months old and lately has started barking at my neighbors and any and all people when we're out on walks. Yesterday he started barking very aggressively at 2 young children. He's good with my 1 year old and 7 year old. How do I get this behavior to stop? Due to some financial things that came up, we had to take a break from training classes but plan on resuming in a few weeks. Any advice is appreciated.


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## dogma13

Handsome boy!He's just becoming suspicious of strangers and the barking is his way of keeping them away.Redirect him with treats or a favorite toy.Encourage him enthusiastically to focus on you.Eventually he will ignore the strangers.Be patient and consistent,this can take weeks or months.There is a lot of information on this site and you tube about reactive dogs that will help


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## little_paws

We are working on this with Kali now, she is almost 6 months. She barks at anyone who approaches us. Trainer keeps telling us to not punish her for barking at people as long as she doesn't react. It is embarrassing though and scares many people that walk by us! haha. We do bring treats along and redirect her attention on us. We have been commanding "sit" when she starts to bark or if I see someone ahead. It gives her something to do and she doesn't bark when she sits. Yes, it takes time and probably months before he will be desensitized to others, but be repetitive !!!! Every single time it happens, have him sit, if he doesn't sit, force his bottom down and give him a treat, toy or simply talk to him to get his attention.

GOOD luck!!!!


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## Mackinblack007

Beautiful dog, but is this really bad behavior? he is just gaurding his home, my dog has done the same since 8 weeks old.


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## Chip18

I just posted this advice last night. Nope it doesn't "directly" address the issue but the goal is to bring about a change in behaviour! It will do that and doing that "may" solve your problem? )

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/6666042-post11.html


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## Dash911

No, it's not really bad behavior, but I want to just be able to control it, especially around children. I don't want our neighbors and their kids to be afraid of him. I know he's just doing what he's meant to do, but he doesn't need to be barking at everything and anything ? thank you for all your advice!


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## gsdsar

Mackinblack007 said:


> Beautiful dog, but is this really bad behavior? he is just gaurding his home, my dog has done the same since 8 weeks old.



Yes. At this age it is not good behavior. Young puppies, 8weeks old should not see other people as threatening or scary. If they are its a sign of not good things. 

But most, truthfully almost all, GSD at about 5mo, go through this stage. Their natural protective instincts kick in, but they are not mature enough to understand it. So you get older pups that all of a sudden act like they are evil people hating dogs. 

Your pup is still looking to you for guidance. So my advice is to stay calm, and redirect him. And then go about your walk. No big deal. Don't make a giant deal of it. Teach your pup that you have things under control and that the kid on the skateboard is nothing to concern them selves with. 

My pup did the same thing. He even got his panties in a wad over a flower covered mailbox while on a walk. I stopped, got his attention with a hotdog, walked him to the EVIL mailbox, totally relaxed, no big deal and I sniffed the flowers and checked my phone, and he realized I was unfazed and came up to it and sniffed it. Then we moved off. Never looked at it again. 

With people it's a bit different. As you don't want him to escalate. So you need to interrupt the behavior before he goes off. Call his name the second the looks odd at someone, and move off in the opposite direction, talking happy but totally relaxed. No big deal. Rinse repeat. They do generally get over it if you don't stress and make a big deal out of it. But if you tense up, get anxious, then that travels down the leash and they think there is a reason to be nervous. 

Appropriate protective instincts don't generally show up until they are more mature. With some lines it's takes longer than others. 

My current boy was a bit "on edge" in certain instances until very recently. He would bark at my neighbor, people laughing an aisle away at PetSmart, but I noticed recently that he stopped. If we see my neighbor now, he just looks at him and then goes about his business. His brain is finally catching up. He is just over 2 yo. He is generally the friendliest of boys. It's really only been certain circumstances. But I am just now truly starting to see a brain. LOL.


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## Prager

Redirecting? Yes that is the today acceptable advice. 
BUT!!!Redirecting of attention to treats or any other kind of reward or toy play will make dog see it as a reward for his barking. *Thus it will make it worse.* 
Question to OP : what do you do if the dogs behaves this way and expresses undesired aggression?


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## David Taggart

He is barking because he wants to get some response from people. This sort of bark is not a bark of a protecting dog, that is a bark of frustrated dog, he cannot get closer. But, he shouldn't on his own initiative. Probably, he would bark at other dogs absolutely in the same manner. He barks because you broke with your classes. In order to stop it you should socialize him with people further, visit busy parks, walk him through your town centre on Saturday, etc. Would be more difficult with your neighbours. Whatever you do - they would be more interesting, because their visual image and smell tells him about unfinished business. You didn't tell us - what is their attitude towards your dog? Are they friendly? It could be better to socialize your dog with them if such thing is possible.


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## MadLab

I would ignore Dave taggarts posts as they seem to be computer generated material or a translation from another language. Not sure what language though.

In one weird sense he may be right though. Maybe the dog is frustrated in some way. Hard to know though.

I would exercise the dog in quiet areas and start researching dog behavior. Leash aggression is due to the dog but also the person holding the leash not knowing what they are doing. It develops over time unbeknown to the owner. Make sure the dogs leash is tight enough and he can't slip out of it. I like 2" thick collars set tightly under the dogs mouth, high on the neck towards the head. This gives you total control. Use leash pops to the side rather than pulling the dog back along his spine, to flick the dog out of distractions. Also use a short leash and don't let others walk the dog when he acts like this unless they know what they are doing.

Check Tyler Mutos clips on utube on leash control. Practice his place command etc. It is pretty simply but very effective. I would rather invest time into trainers like this rather than paying for classes, but socialising or meeting dogs in controlled environments is very beneficial. As too is trainers but there soes seem to be a lot of bad trainers out there.


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## MamaofLEO

MadLab said:


> I would exercise the dog in quiet areas and start researching dog behavior. Leash aggression is due to the dog but also the person holding the leash not knowing what they are doing. It develops over time unbeknown to the owner. Make sure the dogs leash is tight enough and he can't slip out of it. I like 2" thick collars set tightly under the dogs mouth, high on the neck towards the head. This gives you total control. *Use leash pops to the side rather than pulling the dog back along his spine, to flick the dog out of distractions.* Also use a short leash and don't let others walk the dog when he acts like this unless they know what they are doing.
> 
> Check Tyler Mutos clips on utube on leash control. Practice his place command etc. It is pretty simply but very effective. I would rather invest time into trainers like this rather than paying for classes, but socialising or meeting dogs in controlled environments is very beneficial. As too is trainers but there soes seem to be a lot of bad trainers out there.


Hmmm, I don't know if flicking the pup with a leash is the best way to get a pup to be less aggressive. Leo had this problem and our trainer (positive training 100%) said to start out every 10-15 steps and give a higher value treat as he walks and praise him...then move to 25-30ish steps and treat (either sit for it or praise while walking with no pulling and jumping; Leo was a notorious jumper and puller) then onto 40 steps...eventually (actually @30 steps for us) you won't need treats (we keep them handy though, as we come across distractions like wildlife and people). Our trainer stated that if you want and aggressive pup, pup him with the leash or flick your finger in his side...we opted for positive, no physical correction. 

We walk on a 6 ft leash (we are upgrading? to a 15 ft. leash) with a flat collar (occasionally use our Martingale for re-training). 

Incidentally, I think David Taggart (on the board) has some great insights into puppy-hood and training. 


Good luck!


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## Prager

What is wrong with teaching the dog what "NO !" is and then use it in situations like this one. 
Problem solved. All this redirection of attention and more exposure and socialization ( I am not against socialization but that will not help here) and so on , is just a futile PC undertaking. I'd teach the dog what NO! is and then when the dog is doing something which he should not I use it. And dog stops. It is as simple as that. What am I missing here? Nobody ever talks here about good old "NO!"


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## Steve Strom

I'm assuming No would be followed by something physical to give it some significance, right? There's where the difficulty is, online.


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## MamaofLEO

Prager said:


> What is wrong with teaching the dog what "NO !" is and then use it in situations like this one.
> Problem solved. All this redirection of attention and more exposure and socialization ( I am not against socialization but that will not help here) and so on , is just a futile PC undertaking. I'd teach the dog what NO! is and then when the dog is doing something which he should not I use it. And dog stops. It is as simple as that. What am I missing here? Nobody ever talks here about good old "NO!"


We use "no" with Leo; of course "no" is reiterated in training. But hitting your dog with a leash (stated in above post) is not teaching the dog anything and reinforcing fear. Redirection, done correctly, is neither futile or "PC undertaking". What is wrong with fair, consistent reinforcement of positive actions (with, yes, using "no" as a verbal correction)?


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## Steve Strom

MamaofLEO said:


> We use "no" with Leo; of course "no" is reiterated in training. But hitting your dog with a leash (stated in above post) is not teaching the dog anything and reinforcing fear. Redirection, done correctly, is neither futile or "PC undertaking". What is wrong with fair, consistent reinforcement of positive actions (with, yes, using "no" as a verbal correction)?


You misread that Mama. He didn't say to hit the dog. Pop is a leash correction, he was saying don't pull him back.


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## MamaofLEO

Steve Strom said:


> You misread that Mama. He didn't say to hit the dog. Pop is a leash correction, he was saying don't pull him back.


I think I may have 

In my head, I was visualizing the excess leash being used to discipline...

leash pop---gotcha. Is it considered a "leash pop" if you lightly jiggle the leash (collar tags make noise) to distract?


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## Steve Strom

I wouldn't define it that way.


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## MadLab

A leash pop is simply a quick application of force down the leash or as I'm describing across the leash as if popping the leash from the side it would be approx at a right angle to the dogs spine. When the dog is focusing on distractions its head is looking straight at the distraction. Popping simply calls the dogs attention back. The alternative is pulling back against the strength of the dogs forward motion which it will ignore and develop opposition reflex and pull more away. It could be seen as a correction but really is a pop to let the dog know we are going this way or to focus on what we are doing. It's like if your falling asleep driving. Do you slap your self or give yourself a treat? You slapping yourself is not sadomasochism in that sense, it is common sense. 



> Leo had this problem and our trainer (positive training 100%) said to start out every 10-15 steps ....then onto 40 steps...eventually (actually @30 steps for us) you won't need treats


In theory, this is fine but it is out the window if the dog is barking at children or other distractions. I would not argue advantages of training techniques or care either way but will discuss issues that i feel are relevant. It is semantics if we agree on how to apply a 'pop' or feel that it is a 'slap'.

Is holding a dog back from running up barking to strangers a correction or a self correction, I don't know but i do feel it increases the dogs will to bark and to pull on the leash toward strangers. The theory of opposition reflex is used to give a dog drive but people end up doing it even when they don't want to as they don't understand the concept.

Any ways check out the Tyler Mutos channel as his leash technique is really positive only, even though he discusses corrections and there need in dog training. A hauling 90 pounds of dog is a mean beast if not under some form of discipline. 

I totally aggree that redirection is a valid form of training in these kind of situations but you need to be 2 steps ahead of the dog. I would use change of direction and turns to redirect the dog and only treat when the dog is focusing on you. If the dog is getting treats for very little then it will begin to ignore the treats when something more interesting comes along. The k9 instincts may kick in to guard you or your property. At that level the dog is ready to use force to guard or protect. That is the issue that you may face sooner or later with this kind of situation. That is why you need to research and get a game plan down and not just a simply redirection for a doggie treat, when the dog is on another plane altogether.


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## J-Boo

I have read/heard of a couple different approaches. If you're out for a walk and someone the dog might start acting this way towards is coming from the other direction, immediately turn around and walk in the opposite direction, being sure to give off good vibes, acting like this walk is the greatest thing in the world and there is absolutely nothing to be worried about. Hand in hand with this is making sure in all aspects of your interactions with Leo that he has faith in you as a leader, so that he can trust you know when to be worried about something or not.

Another technique is pretty much what others have said - use the "watch me" command, and if he looks away from them to look up at you, THEN reward him. The goal being for him to learn to pretty much ignore the others, they're no big deal.

Good luck!


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## Prager

Steve Strom said:


> I'm assuming No would be followed by something physical to give it some significance, right? There's where the difficulty is, online.


 Steve thank you for your post. It is a good one and it got me little angry. not at you but because it is true. 
Is this world so messed up that you can not say or god forbid use physical correction on a leash and appropriate collar. I mean they still sell chokers and pinch collars in Petsmart. Right ? So what is wrong with them. Nothing!. Is all this pussyfooting around with PC redirection of attention and socialization and all that minimally useful retraining used by people being afraid to go on internet and say that when you train the dog it is necessary to use a*ll psychological tools of training* which mainly include positive reinforcement , negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment and that positive punishment is a correction on the leash and choker or pinch collar preceded consistently with word NO or equivalent? Are you telling me that people instead of that are using wishy washy methods which really do not work at all but because they just cater to the PC public so that they don not faint when you correct the dog and thus people are wasting money on all these enlightened PC dog trainers and their PC methods and who will take your money but results are minimal at best but they look oh so smart and educated and humane ? But wait people are not just wasting money, but they are putting dogs down, and dumping them into dog pounds or worse into the desert, or the dogs are getting killed chasing cars and getting shot chasing wildlife and life stock? And that is humane? 

Well I am not afraid to say it. If you train the dog sit and down and even heel use -besides all other tools mentioned above- negative reinforcement (who ever needs to - look it up before you go ballistic and find out what negative reinforcement is). That, IF DONE CORRECTLY, and +&- obedience training will enable you to establish leadership position and then when the dog understands the command then praise it when it does well and correct it if it is screwing up. No room for sloppiness and error. That enables you to control your dog for rest of it's life and it will keep him out of danger and you out of court, and the dog will live with you happy and long life of mutual understanding and you will have less liability to pay and less innocent people will get bitten. It is a winner all around.
Do not listen to "evolved" and "enlightened " PC so called humane trainers who in their other job, keep orca whales (which is OK and humane I guess) in swimming pools that they are more humane with their clicker methods trying to fix overly aggressive dog who after you drain your wallet on dog training fees will bite you in the face anyway or attack a little child and thus finally they will tell you that the dog should be put down.
Remember positive only training *will not* enable you to establish leadership position over the dog which may be OK with some dogs, but not with others. Those "others" dogs need + & - training in order to be useful, happy, living and safe members of the society. So do not be afraid of corrections on a choker or pinch. They may save you a lot of trouble and your dog's life and some persons face or holes in the hand. Which is perfectly humane where I am from. JMO


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## Chip18

Prager said:


> Steve thank you for your post. It is a good one and it got me little angry. not at you but because it is true.
> Is this world so messed up that you can not say or god forbid use physical correction on a leash and appropriate collar. I mean they still sell chokers and pinch collars in Petsmart. Right ? So what is wrong with them. Nothing!. Is all this pussyfooting around with PC redirection of attention and socialization and all that minimally useful retraining used by people being afraid to go on internet and say that when you train the dog it is necessary to use a*ll psychological tools of training* which mainly include positive reinforcement , negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment and that positive punishment is a correction on the leash and choker or pinch collar preceded consistently with word NO or equivalent? Are you telling me that people instead of that are using wishy washy methods which really do not work at all but because they just cater to the PC public so that they don not faint when you correct the dog and thus people are wasting money on all these enlightened PC dog trainers and their PC methods and who will take your money but results are minimal at best but they look oh so smart and educated and humane ? But wait people are not just wasting money, but they are putting dogs down, and dumping them into dog pounds or worse into the desert, or the dogs are getting killed chasing cars and getting shot chasing wildlife and life stock? And that is humane?
> 
> Well I am not afraid to say it. If you train the dog sit and down and even heel use -besides all other tools mentioned above- negative reinforcement (who ever needs to - look it up before you go ballistic and find out what negative reinforcement is). That, IF DONE CORRECTLY, and +&- obedience training will enable you to establish leadership position and then when the dog understands the command then praise it when it does well and correct it if it is screwing up. No room for sloppiness and error. That enables you to control your dog for rest of it's life and it will keep him out of danger and you out of court, and the dog will live with you happy and long life of mutual understanding and you will have less liability to pay and less innocent people will get bitten. It is a winner all around.
> Do not listen to "evolved" and "enlightened " PC so called humane trainers who in their other job, keep orca whales (which is OK and humane I guess) in swimming pools that they are more humane with their clicker methods trying to fix overly aggressive dog who after you drain your wallet on dog training fees will bite you in the face anyway or attack a little child and thus finally they will tell you that the dog should be put down.
> Remember positive only training *will not* enable you to establish leadership position over the dog which may be OK with some dogs, but not with others. Those "others" dogs need + & - training in order to be useful, happy, living and safe members of the society. So do not be afraid of corrections on a choker or pinch. They may save you a lot of trouble and your dog's life and some persons face or holes in the hand. Which is perfectly humane where I am from. JMO


Wow dial it down. 

You sound like me when I first got on the "Boxer" board! By and large your not dealing with the "clicker" and "treats" crowd here! We might all use different methods and tools but by and large we get what your saying.


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## Jax08

There are things I'll shape and clicker train and there are things that I do not allow and shut down immediately. I've learned from my last dog to my latest, that going nuts at people and other dogs is to be shut down immediately. NO, this is NOT allowed. It took me once with a nylon choke. Shut it down. Now. Before it escalates.


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## Steve Strom

People wan't specifics Prager, not lectures on the 4 quadrants. I know some like to analyze everything, but it doesn't really tell you how much to choke them. That's the tough part, online.


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## Prager

Steve Strom said:


> People wan't specifics Prager, not lectures on the 4 quadrants. I know some like to analyze everything, but it doesn't really tell you how much to choke them. That's the tough part, online.


 Oh I do not talk about specifics until someone asks. 

Correction simulates the dominant dog's growl ( our NO!) and then bite on the dog's neck ( action of the pinch or choker) that is why it works it is natural and humane since that is what dogs do to each other all the time. 
How hard to correct the dog on a choker or pinch? First it must not be pull on the leash - that makes it worse. Dogs love to pull and be pulled on . So no pull. It must be snap starting from lose leash. Second is we have correction for not performing a obedience command WHICH THE DOG KNOWS(!!!) and another for misbehaving . Like during unwanted aggression. We can not correct the dog for command he does not know nor we teach dog through corrections what the command means. 
 Every correction starts with NO! ( or equivalent) that is counter intuitive to us since we tend to snap the leash first and then say NO! But we need to do it the other way. NO! and then snap. In that order . 
The correction on the leash is not based on strength as much as it is based on skill,and techniques it is a snap as if you would want to crack a whip. So even 86 years old Myrna with arthritis should be able to do it. Thus the correction is not punishing physically as much as by its suddenness.
Direction of the correction is best in the direction you want the dog's head to go. If you want down then snap is down, for sit snap is up and forward a and so on. 
There is also general correction which is directed across your chest when the dog is next to you. 
EVERY CORRECTION IS PRECEDED WITH WORD NO! or equivalent. 
How hard to correct? Only as hard as necessary but no less. No reminder mini corrections! If you correct then correct as if you mean it. If you get response from the dog then the correction was hard enough no need to go higher. Remember it's strength. If the dog does not respond then say NO! again and increase the intensity of the correction. Wishy washy remainder correction make a dog numb to corrections. Do not do it. After a while you will see how hard you need to correct the dog in order to get response. Remember it but escalate if necessary. There is a point if you would go past it then you would start injuring your dog. Thus do not escalate the intensity of correction but instead add 3 more correction in as fast as possible succession.
Ivan Balabanov goes as high as 4 quick corrections after NO! during bad behavior correction or "out" correction on a dog who does not want to out from bite. But that is a different issue. *You know correction worked if the dog responds to a command or during bad behavior correction the dog looks you in the eyes instead of on the target of his aggression or undesirable interest. *
Another important thing!
If you are correcting misbehaving then do not wait for the dog to display such misbehaving and then correct the dog. Read the dog and if possible correct the dog *before(!!!)* he turns aggressive . So for example if the dog is aggressive towards dogs and you go on a street and there is a dog, then this is how I would proceed. 
First i read my dog. When he sees the other dog and gives it "the look" I say NO! ( or equivalent) and snap on the leash back or across my chest 90* to the direction he looks. If the dog keep looking at the strange dog I escalate the correction and keep escalating until possible 4x correction a-la Ivan Balabanov. I will stop at any point to escalate moment the dog stops looking at the other dog and looks me in the eyes instead. 
Then I say Sit - down - sit- heel ( show my leadership position=I am in charge here) and make 180* "U" turn and walk away from the strange dog. 
*The mistakes people make *
1. wait for the dog to display aggression before they correct.
BIG MISTAKE . Always try to read the dog's intention and correct those(!!!!).It is easier, and no one gets hurt and it is more effective to correct what is in the bogs head then when 98 lb GSD displays his anger., 
2. instead snappy correction on the leash people employ tug of war. NO it is a snap. If you sweat doing this wrestling a dog back and forth you are doing probably wrong. I can efficiently do correction holding leash with my thumb and index finger of the left hand while the leash is anchored in my right hand. 
3. people do forget to say NO! or say it after the correction. It is imperative that you say NO! with deep voice first. Then snap. It is a escalation dog understands and it also conditions the dog to expect correction after they hear NO! which will pay off at a time when dog g is off leash. . Correction simulates the dominant dog's growl ( our NO!) and then bite on the dog's neck ( action of the pinch or choker) that is why it works it is natural and humane since that is what dogs do to each other all the time. Growl and then bite. 
4. when you are saying no do not plead with the dog in a cute voice . Say No! as if you mean it with deeper then your normal voice. 
5. NEVER  BE ANGRY when you are correcting your dog. If you feel anger in you then STOP! and sit down for a while or go home. Do not ever do anything with the dog when angry or him or at anything else kin your life!

Sorry for the book I have written but I hope it will help to some.


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## Prager

The good part of teaching the dog strong NO! is that it is versatile and it will work on any problem and misbehavior dog ever displays anywhere at any time . Thus we do not need to recondition each individual misbehaving and spend out time which could be used elsewhere and $$$ on a trainer telling us how to do it. Dog does something bad and you say NO! and since he is trained to work for you he will know not to do it since you just told him that you do not lie "that". It truly is as simple as that. All that other fancy stuff is nice and it may work on some dogs.... but...


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## David Taggart

Oh, dear... Poor little puppy! And everything he wants - to have a little bit of fun. He doesn't know what to do with these people and these children, they seem interesting to him, and he barks. Dogs somtimes are barking at strangers out of boredom, didn't you know? A period of emotional deficit after so much at dog training classes left a vacuum in his puppy soul.
Dogs live by expectations. What must he expect from these chidren? Food or ball play. And get used to it. Those dogs who got used to attention of other people ( any: casual glance, staring at him, shoo-ing him away, calling him, teasing him with a whistle, attracting by certain movements, stomping their foot, and so on) start to ignore the majority of tpeople because these dogs don't feel threatened. To say that the puppy's terrtorial instinct reveals itself - must be too early for that.


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## Jax08

I don't use No. At all. I let the correction speak for itself. I want the correction instantaneous, no delay. Your action created this result.


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## wick

dogma13 said:


> Handsome boy!He's just becoming suspicious of strangers and the barking is his way of keeping them away.Redirect him with treats or a favorite toy.Encourage him enthusiastically to focus on you.Eventually he will ignore the strangers.Be patient and consistent,this can take weeks or months.There is a lot of information on this site and you tube about reactive dogs that will help


Dogma, I have been using this on my puppy who is 4.5 months and he has stopped barking at strangers on walks. Did you need to use this technique? Did it work long term? So far it definitely worked for me but obviously he could start again at any point...I feel like he does different stuff every week


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## David Taggart

If you use treats or toys - your dog must be hungry for food or play, only then appearance of a stranger would be associated with pleasure. Walking your dog away or using your body language by turning your back to the object of disraction - saves only that particular moment, but there would be other "moments" when your dog would growl half an hour being dragged away, or your dissmissive posture wouldn't always make him turning his head to you. But always some cheaky kid would pop your way.


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## wick

David Taggart said:


> If you use treats or toys - your dog must be hungry for food or play, only then appearance of a stranger would be associated with pleasure. Walking your dog away or using your body language by turning your back to the object of disraction - saves only that particular moment, but there would be other "moments" when your dog would growl half an hour being dragged away, or your dissmissive posture wouldn't always make him turning his head to you. But always some cheaky kid would pop your way.


That is not true....at least as of right now. My puppy is rarely hungry on walks/ ever he is not a food driven dog and doesn't look for a treat anymore, he merely has begun ignoring the things because he learned what was expected when seeing those things. There will always be a chance that a dog will see something that it wants to go over to... but saying that they have to be hungry for food or play to listen to what is expected is saying that for the rest of our lives in order to sit he has to be hungry for food or play since that is how we teach them (which for some dogs is true but not most). Almost all people train their dogs habits we expect them to follow using treats or their play drive... that does not mean that they only do it for those things later in life. Another example: people use distraction with toys to cease biting in puppies... the puppy learns that it is supposed to chew on toys not hands... my dog puts a toy in his mouth when he wants a tummy rub not because he wants to play but because he has learned that I expect him to chew on the toy when tummy rubs are wanted....


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## David Taggart

We are talking about this particular situation only and no other. Your dog barked at people, my dogs barked at people, many GSD owners' dogs, Op's dog barks at people because of the dog's age - the majority of GSD puppies bark at strangers when they are 4-5 months old. They bark because they want some interaction with a stranger in order to find out what he/she like. By your dog's voice you must have noticed that the intonations are challenging intonations, that is his way to draw the most of attention of that stranger. What stops dogs wanting such attention? When they have it aplenty, every day or very often. Show dogs are far less agressive than those who don't visit dog shows, busy areas, constant physical contact with strangers and dogs make them well behaved. You don't need any commands if your dog doesn't want any attention. The story is different if a stranger wants your attentionwhen your dog is next to you and tries to approach you. OP described what her puppy does, but didn't tell what exactly those children or strangers were doing.


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## Prager

Jax08 said:


> I don't use No. At all. I let the correction speak for itself. I want the correction instantaneous, no delay. Your action created this result.


So what do you do if the dog is off leash?


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## Prager

David Taggart said:


> We are talking about this particular situation only and no other. Your dog barked at people, my dogs barked at people, many GSD owners' dogs, Op's dog barks at people because of the dog's age - the majority of GSD puppies bark at strangers when they are 4-5 months old. They bark because they want some interaction with a stranger in order to find out what he/she like. By your dog's voice you must have noticed that the intonations are challenging intonations, that is his way to draw the most of attention of that stranger. What stops dogs wanting such attention? When they have it aplenty, every day or very often. Show dogs are far less agressive than those who don't visit dog shows, busy areas, constant physical contact with strangers and dogs make them well behaved. You don't need any commands if your dog doesn't want any attention. The story is different if a stranger wants your attentionwhen your dog is next to you and tries to approach you. OP described what her puppy does, but didn't tell what exactly those children or strangers were doing.


 So you "do not need any commands" and just let him bark because that is what dogs do at that age and take him to shows every day and public places until his need for attention is satiated and then he stops? Is that how you deal with dog who barks his head off in public place and drives the handler and all people around up the wall? 
Sorry for being facetious. But that is what you are saying. Right?


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## Jax08

Prager said:


> So what do you do if the dog is off leash?


If my dogs are unruly and lunging and barking at people, why would they be off leash?

We were discussing the use of correction collars, were we not? If I'm going to issue a correction with a collar, I do not use NO at all. I let the correction stand for itself.


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## Chip18

Wow a lot of fuss for an issue I faced and solved with my Human Aggressive aggressive GSD with out much issue it would appear?? The first time I became aware "I" had a problem was when company came over. No barking, no lunging, just a cold hard stare and a low growl! I have only heard "that growl" twice with him in 8 years and both times he meant business! The first time I was horrified?? The second time I was grateful and surprised! "We" came under attack by "two" dogs and when I slipped on ice and was no longer able to defend him..he stepped up to defend me!!??

What I did was "Who Pets..." in the links, I posted, no corrections, no talking, we simply moved on and ignored with people and dogs. If I stopped to address someone I stepped in front of Rocky and spoke to them. He accepted this as the way it was! 

It was "not" a discussion it was simply the way it was! Move on and ignore! He has "Wobblers" so leash corrections were not an option! 

David Winners suggested to me a quick pop on the head with the loose end of the leash when I had "issues" with Rocky locking on to barking dogs behind a fence, if I stopped to talk to someone. That worked just fine! 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html

KISS principle in action my not work foreverone but it worked for me.


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## Prager

Jax08 said:


> If my dogs are unruly and lunging and barking at people, why would they be off leash?
> 
> We were discussing the use of correction collars, were we not? If I'm going to issue a correction with a collar, I do not use NO at all. I let the correction stand for itself.


I ask yet gain. What do you do if the dog is off leash and you need to correct him. Don't you say NO! or equivalent ? 
I teach my students that you need to teach what NO! from get go and mostly when the dog is on the leash. - As I described before . You said you do not use "NO!". So you peaked my curiosity and I am asking what do you use if the dog is off leash.
BTW I did not noticed that OP post is about on leash training.


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## Prager

Chip18 said:


> Wow a lot of fuss for an issue I faced and solved with my Human Aggressive aggressive GSD with out much issue it would appear?? The first time I became aware "I" had a problem was when company came over. No barking, no lunging, just a cold hard stare and a low growl! I have only heard "that growl" twice with him in 8 years and both times he meant business! The first time I was horrified?? The second time I was grateful and surprised! "We" came under attack by "two" dogs and when I slipped on ice and was no longer able to defend him..he stepped up to defend me!!??
> 
> What I did was "Who Pets..." in the links, I posted, no corrections, no talking, we simply moved on and ignored with people and dogs. If I stopped to address someone I stepped in front of Rocky and spoke to them. He accepted this as the way it was!
> 
> It was "not" a discussion it was simply the way it was! Move on and ignore! He has "Wobblers" so leash corrections were not an option!
> 
> David Winners suggested to me a quick pop on the head with the loose end of the leash when I had "issues" with Rocky locking on to barking dogs behind a fence, if I stopped to talk to someone. That worked just fine!
> 
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html
> 
> KISS principle in action my not work foreverone but it worked for me.


 I always use NO! or such before physical correction.I find it extremely important. That way I condition the dog to understands meaning of NO! and then NO! can stay by itself most of the time except when reconditioning the dog.


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## lawhyno

Dash911 said:


> My male GSD is 5 months old and lately has started barking at my neighbors and any and all people when we're out on walks. Yesterday he started barking very aggressively at 2 young children. He's good with my 1 year old and 7 year old. How do I get this behavior to stop? Due to some financial things that came up, we had to take a break from training classes but plan on resuming in a few weeks. Any advice is appreciated.


I know this type of dog very well. Sounds like a good dog to me  I've had a couple 2nd generation Mambo zPs line-bred males who were very suspicious towards strangers and barked at neighbors and kids just like your boy. Your dog is suspicious of people. He doesn't trust them. He feels threatened and that's okay. Some people (like myself) covet this. But here's how you handle it so he becomes social sound and not a liability: 

When you see the neighbor coming, keep your dog distracted with his favorite food or toy. So distracted that he keeps his attention on the "feel good" food or toy and off the person causing stress. He'll definitely still be aware of the guy. These types of "suspicious dogs" think a lot. They are aware. But you can sooth the stress with treats and use his drive to override the insecurity. 

Also, chances are that the kids and neighbors are moving or moving towards him. What I did is I took my dog to meet my friends. I asked my friends if they could stand still, avoid eye contact, and just allow the dog to sniff them. Every time my dog would sniff my friends, I'd reward him. He'll learn that contact with people is a good thing. 

From the sounds of it, I can tell you that it's very likely your dog will grow up to guard his property, house, yard, etc. If you don't want a guard dog then you need to socialize him consistently with guests. Bring people over, let him touch/sniff, then reward. 

He will most likely always be suspicious but you can decrease this greatly. 

I agree with everything Prager is suggesting but I try to avoid physical corrections on a 5 month old pup. I'll start using them once I feel they're mature enough and 5 months is usually much too young. Using 'NO' is valuable but some dogs (especially this young) are too wound up to hear 'NO'. Depends on the dog. Experiment and gauge for yourself.


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## Ellimaybel

Forgive me because I know I'm about to repeat things others have said. But I didn't want to read all the pages. I have one thing to point out. You can't fix people. In my dog's case the neighbors (on one side) and people passing by intentionally provoke him to bark at them. My adult neighbors will bark back at him. My good neighbors will bring their dog to the fence to say hello. Passerby's will stand there and egg him on or make threats. All this is within my own yard. We don't go many places but when we do I'm able to deal with him on a leash. As I know has been said, distraction is the key. Gunther and I went out the other day and people were using the private property across the street to run their dogs off leash. It was an immediate distraction for him. I now have a baggie of sliced up hot dogs in my freezer. Before we go out I place one next to his food bowl. That's his motivation to come back in. There's always one in my hand that makes him want to come to me immediately when I open my hand. This can very easily be incorporated into on leash walks. For the dog to already know what you have and know it's something he definitely wants is high motivation. Start out rewarding EVERYTHING. Every little hesitation before he barks, every time he glances at you in between or before barking, every little single thing. Then work on getting him to sit. Reward. Even if while he's sitting he's still focused and occasionally barking. 

I have a neighbor who walks their GSD past my house and Gunther barks. The owner rushes their dog by so that he never has time to react to Gunther barking. This works for them but I'm sure that didn't come overnight. I'm sure that neighbor went through a lot of frustration of teaching their dog to ignore distractions on walks. It can be done. It just takes work, time, and patience. It will take a while but when you reach that moment when your dog first does something you want, it's so rewarding!


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## Jax08

Prager said:


> I ask yet gain. What do you do if the dog is off leash and you need to correct him. Don't you say NO! or equivalent ?
> I teach my students that you need to teach what NO! from get go and mostly when the dog is on the leash. - As I described before . You said you do not use "NO!". So you peaked my curiosity and I am asking what do you use if the dog is off leash.
> BTW I did not noticed that OP post is about on leash training.


First, if my dogs are out of control or untrained, they aren't off leash. Period. I guess I assumed, since the OP's dog is not in control and not trained that the dog would be on a leash thus my statement.

Second, I do not use No. I did on my last dog and I think it's a waste of time. It's noise to them. The command became "No, Sit" instead of just Sit. I use a command. Whatever is appropriate. And their name to get their attention. Seger Here! Off! Jax Platz! Leave It! Let's Go! Some days it may be 'get your ass off that table right now!'. But as far as using No, as a regular part of training, I do not.

And since I have started doing this, I have noticed that I stay much calmer and don't get frustrated. As if the word "no", with it's negative meaning, works me up if I have to repeat it. Something to consider if you have a client with a volatile personality.

I have found this to make things much clearer for the dog. I say Sit. The dog does not.
1. Does the dog understand what I'm asking? 
No, then teach it better.
Yes, then correction follows.
I'm not going to say "Sit" "No!" "Sit" ever again.


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## Chip18

Prager said:


> I always use NO! or such before physical correction.I find it extremely important. That way I condition the dog to understands meaning ,of NO! and then NO! can stay by itself most of the time except when reconditioning the dog.


I do use "NO" and that works fine most of the time. But in situations that I consider critical, I will say "NO" once! And "my" dog not acting like a "fool' is situation critical for me.

Once a dogs, over the top, they are no longer interested in "listening!" Works out fine for me becasue, I'am no longer interested in repaeating myself, when I "know" my dog knows what I want. A quick pop on the head got his attention. He stopped "bouncing" looked at me and then stood quietly and politly by my side while the other dogs continued to bark in his face.


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## gsdsar

Thinking about it, I don't really use NO either. Maybe be at baby puppy stage, to get their attention. But not usually after that. 

I use commands they know, if they don't "obey" then they get a correction. My dogs are off leash a lot. But they are under control. If I, for once second, feel as if I am "losing" them,(they are slow to respond to a call or command), they go back on leash. 

A dog that is already hyped up, is going to jack up more if I am hollering at it. 

I think at most I use a "eh eh" and then redirect, especially for a baby. Babies have to be taught before they can be corrected. At least that's my opinion.


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## Prager

Jax08 said:


> First, if my dogs are out of control or untrained, they aren't off leash. Period. I guess I assumed, since the OP's dog is not in control and not trained that the dog would be on a leash thus my statement.
> 
> Second, I do not use No. I did on my last dog and I think it's a waste of time. It's noise to them. The command became "No, Sit" instead of just Sit. I use a command. Whatever is appropriate. And their name to get their attention. Seger Here! Off! Jax Platz! Leave It! Let's Go! Some days it may be 'get your ass off that table right now!'. But as far as using No, as a regular part of training, I do not.
> 
> And since I have started doing this, I have noticed that I stay much calmer and don't get frustrated. As if the word "no", with it's negative meaning, works me up if I have to repeat it. Something to consider if you have a client with a volatile personality.
> 
> I have found this to make things much clearer for the dog. I say Sit. The dog does not.
> 1. Does the dog understand what I'm asking?
> No, then teach it better.
> Yes, then correction follows.
> I'm not going to say "Sit" "No!" "Sit" ever again.


No offense but it seems that you are missing the reason why trainers like me are using the "NO!". I mean what ever works for you and is fine with you is fine with me. But here are my reasons for using NO! and I am only posting it because it seems to me that many people describing their correcting their dog's obedience or undesirable behavior never say that they told the dog 'NO!" or that they train their dog what NO! is . many people tell me I told him NO! but he just looks at me as if it does not know what it means. To je proto protoze ho musis nejdrive naucit co Ne! je. 
Gibberish? No Czech.  I translate from Czech. "That why because you did not first teach him what NO! is." and thus he does not understands you same way as the reader who does not speak Czech did not understood the words above. 
Here are my points to your post. 
1/ I absolutely never repeat the command . You do. That is a big mistake in training since then the dog learns that it can get away with misbehaving on first , 2nd , 3rd,...command or until you really escalate and often person needs to get pissed off and then, finally, the dog says 
o-oh I better listen now. 

2/ "NO!" is versatile and means stop what ever  you'r doing or do what you were told. Since it is a simple word the dog learns it really fast and we do not need to say:"Seger Here! Off! Jax Platz! Leave It! Let's Go! Some days it may be 'get your ass off that table right now!'.......... ". There absolutely is no diarrhea of repetition of commands or in the dog's mind doubt of what I want. 
If the dog wants to get aggressive at another dog what do you do? You tell him:" Hey Seger. dont you dare to be agrressive at that dog accross the street!"? or idfthe dog wants to chase a rabbit you tell him: Seger dont' you dare to chase that poos little bunny!"? 
Well I just say.* "NO!"* which he was told before thoroughly and we have understanding. Dog behaves, I am happy, he is happy that I am happy and I praise him ans we are on our happy merry way. 

3/ And I do not get upset when I say "No!" like people who have to say sit , sit!, sit!!! seeet!!!!!! seeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dog responds to my cal NO! instead and I do not pop a vein in my eye.
* 
Not training and using NO! is like driving car without brakes. *
Anyhow that is the way I do it.


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## Jax08

:rofl: I'm not missing anything. I don't care why you say No. You asked me why I didn't and I explained. Not the other way around. I have an excellent trainer so don't feel the need to defend myself. 

You do what you gotta do. 
*
To me, training and using NO! is like slamming on your brakes for a leaf every 5 minutes.*


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## Prager

Jax08 said:


> :rofl: I'm not missing anything. I don't care why you say No. You asked me why I didn't and I explained. Not the other way around. I have an excellent trainer so don't feel the need to defend myself.
> 
> You do what you gotta do.
> *
> To me, training and using NO! is like slamming on your brakes for a leaf every 5 minutes.*


Oh, well  ... I am so sorry that I have mistook this for discussion about training.


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## Jax08

Don't be snarky. You asked why I did something, then told me I was all wrong (though I'm sure you never tried not using No) and that I don't understand blah blah blah. I have a total grasp on how you use "No" and why. I don't like it. Very simple. I don't have to like it and I don't have to use it. It's not the only way.

Made comments such as


> If the dog wants to get aggressive at another dog what do you do? You tell him:" Hey Seger. dont you dare to be agrressive at that dog accross the street!"? or idfthe dog wants to chase a rabbit you tell him: Seger dont' you dare to chase that poos little bunny!"?


That's not a discussion. That's not a discussion on your end at all. That's assuming your way is the only way. That's assuming that I have no idea how to train a dog. That's implying that I'm some kind of idiot that baby talks their dog.

That's not a discussion. You don't want a discussion. You want a platform. You can have it. I'm confident in what I do. 

Now, back to the OP. I've stated what I do and why. I hope you find something useful in there.


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## Reef LeDoux

*Im not a trainer.. just working on the same situation*

I can only say what seems to be working for me. 
First to clarify I NEVER let my GSD off leash outside our fenced in yard (or dog park).
Reef is now almost 7 months and at 6 months he started barking and lunging at everything we past on walks. Humans, dogs, bike riders, skate boarders. So I have been walking him more often and when I see something coming towards us I make sure "I" have his attention and keep it. If he starts to look at the distraction I say NO and snap my fingers talking to him. Good Heal, Good Boy etc.. 
Only once a dog was laying in its own front yard off leash with the owner near by doing yard work. Reef became Crazy pulling, leaping and growling. 
I put him in a sit and told him NO everytime he looked at the other dog. Once he calmed down I walked back the way we came not passing the dog.
I believ in time he will ignore a dog like that and we can pass by.


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## Jax08

Reef LeDoux said:


> I can only say what seems to be working for me.



This line is so important. It's really about what works for you and works for your dog. Find a method, be consistent.


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## Chip18

Prager said:


> o-oh I better listen now.
> 
> 2/ "NO!" is versatile and means stop what ever  you'r doing or do what you were told. Since it is a simple word the dog learns it really fast and we do not need to say:


OK, right there is why Rocky got leash popped! 

That is how I use "NO." "NO" is how I taught my Boxer to chase Rabbits to the North, Mountains and not South, towards the Hwy! Rabbits move fast and so do Boxers, you only have time to say "NO" to a chase if the dog is off leash in the desert.

It worked for that and 'Rocky" knew what 'NO"meant. But on that barking dog occasion... he just did not care! So a leash pop on the head it was.


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## Jax08

Ok I lied. Not on purpose but I lied.

I do use No. I just didn't realize I was doing it. Still not in training. I do not preface a correction with No. That is true. I still think it just becomes noise when used that way.

But when we were walking tonight and Seger went to mark a mailbox, I said "No!". So apparently I use it in everyday life as THE correction for simple things without thinking about it. So I can't say I never say No!


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## Chip18

Jax08 said:


> Ok I lied. Not on purpose but I lied.
> 
> I do use No. I just didn't realize I was doing it. Still not in training. I do not preface a correction with No. That is true. I still think it just becomes noise when used that way.
> 
> But when we were walking tonight and Seger went to mark a mailbox, I said "No!". So apparently I use it in everyday life as THE correction for simple things without thinking about it. So I can't say I never say No!


Aww there you go! 

Prager may have a long way of getting at the point but he did make a couple of us, fess up as it were! 

For me saying* "Struddell don't chase rabbits towards the hwy because..." *Was "not" an option! Saying "NO" which did indeed mean* "stop, what you're doing...right freaking now worked!"*


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## Jax08

Whatever works for you.

Prager - my post was to you. To late to edit.


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## Prager

Jax08 said:


> Don't be snarky. You asked why I did something, then told me I was all wrong (though I'm sure you never tried not using No) and that I don't understand blah blah blah. I have a total grasp on how you use "No" and why. I don't like it. Very simple. I don't have to like it and I don't have to use it. It's not the only way.
> 
> Made comments such as
> 
> That's not a discussion. That's not a discussion on your end at all. That's assuming your way is the only way. That's assuming that I have no idea how to train a dog. That's implying that I'm some kind of idiot that baby talks their dog.
> 
> That's not a discussion. You don't want a discussion. You want a platform. You can have it. I'm confident in what I do.
> 
> Now, back to the OP. I've stated what I do and why. I hope you find something useful in there.


So the discussion is only when i agree with you? I asked you a question. That is OK to ask question. Isn't it?


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## Prager

Reef LeDoux said:


> I can only say what seems to be working for me.
> First to clarify I NEVER let my GSD off leash outside our fenced in yard (or dog park).
> Reef is now almost 7 months and at 6 months he started barking and lunging at everything we past on walks. Humans, dogs, bike riders, skate boarders. So I have been walking him more often and when I see something coming towards us I make sure "I" have his attention and keep it. If he starts to look at the distraction I say NO and snap my fingers talking to him. Good Heal, Good Boy etc..
> Only once a dog was laying in its own front yard off leash with the owner near by doing yard work. Reef became Crazy pulling, leaping and growling.
> I put him in a sit and told him NO everytime he looked at the other dog. Once he calmed down I walked back the way we came not passing the dog.
> I believ in time he will ignore a dog like that and we can pass by.


 Corcection by redirection of attention by distraction will not work in strong type distractions. I would warn you to be complacent and think that it will. teaching the dog to ignore another dog is one think and stop him form doing something unexpected band wrong for which you did not train is another. I keep reading and watching YouTume videos how to through training and conditioning stop a dog to chase , dog and then rabbit, and than chicken and then car and then how not to get into garbage, and attack neighbors kid and on and on and yady yady yady da. 
All those methods are legit psychologically. but there is just not enough time in the dog's or your life to train this way for all eventualities and non is smart enough to figure out what the dog is going to do wrong next. 
If you trained No ! backed by physical correction on leash where the correction is strong enough, then the dog will learn what NO! is and it will universally stop him to do what ever he does which is endangering him or you or others regardless what it is. JMO>


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## MadLab

> If you trained No ! backed by physical correction on leash where the correction is strong enough, then the dog will learn what NO! is and *it will universally stop him to do what ever he does* which is endangering him or you or others regardless what it is. JMO>


I wish this was true but I know it is not. Once a dog is off leash, he knows he is off leash and you need a new set of rules to deal with dog bolting after live stock or wild animals or whatever.

To have control over dog off leash it needs to be trained of leash. You can have some impact teaching on leash or a long leash but it does not guarantee anything. 



> If you trained No ! backed by physical correction on leash where the correction is strong enough


You don't want the dog cowering either or always expecting a yank to the neck. The dog will lean away from you if the corrections are too much too.


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## llombardo

We are taking class and all the pups were about 4-6 months when it started. For the first two-three classes about 7 out of 9 were barking and lunging at each other including Apollo. I was not going down that road with a pup. The trainer knew that a couple of the dogs set off the rest. So I worked on focus and eh eh together. By week four Apollo reacted maybe once, a noticeable difference. Last week, not at all. I don't let him focus on any of the dogs that are reacting. We have a strong leave it and watch me. There are still 3 dogs in the class with issue but Apollo now ignores them. A couple dogs have even ran up to him while he was in a down and I was able to keep him focused on me. Sometimes I use eh eh when his eyes start to wander then I follow it with a watch. If you watch the dogs closely you can see what they are going to do and the goal is to stop it before it happens. It's pretty hard to bring them back during a barking and lunging episode.


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## Prager

MadLab said:


> I wish this was true but I know it is not. Once a dog is off leash, he knows he is off leash and you need a new set of rules to deal with dog bolting after live stock or wild animals or whatever.
> 
> To have control over dog off leash it needs to be trained of leash. You can have some impact teaching on leash or a long leash but it does not guarantee anything.
> 
> 
> You don't want the dog cowering either or always expecting a yank to the neck. The dog will lean away from you if the corrections are too much too.


Madlab. Not so. Training is not McDonald's and you can not have it rather way. You need to go through hundreds of repetition, that is a nature of conditioning part of the training and that is a part of the training of any command including NO!. You can not train this off leash or w long line since dogs are not stupid and can tell the difference . The dog must never be given a chance not to respond to the command or to misbehave without the consequence of the correction. 
After the conditioning is in effect then the dog does not need to be on leash since the respond is automatic and bypasses any reasoning and decision making. You right in one thing nothing is 100% of course and there are no guarantee. But in my experience this is your best chance to get response. ( Or you have better suggestions besides saying that it does notwork even so it worked for me for 47 years) 
Same way as the Pavlov's dog will drool in anticipation of the food, the same way the dog will anticipate the correction after word NO! and also will respond. The important part is that the trained correction must be strong enough to be stronger then the stimulus the dog is dealing with. This principle is part of any operand and classical conditioning according to Pavlov and Skinner and it does work. 
Your note : _You don't want the dog cowering either or always expecting a yank to the neck. The dog will lean away from you if the corrections are too much too._
This is one of the arguments which shows lack of understanding of conditioning training. FYI: The dog will not be "cowering " since "yank on the neck" as you colorfully and with disgust describe it, is not expected by the dog unless s/he hears "NO!" first. Same as Pavlov's dog is not walking around drooling all the time in expectation of the food. That he does not do unless he hears the bell first. And that is what this type of training is all about.


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## Prager

llombardo said:


> We are taking class and all the pups were about 4-6 months when it started. For the first two-three classes about 7 out of 9 were barking and lunging at each other including Apollo. I was not going down that road with a pup. The trainer knew that a couple of the dogs set off the rest. So I worked on focus and eh eh together. By week four Apollo reacted maybe once, a noticeable difference. Last week, not at all. I don't let him focus on any of the dogs that are reacting. We have a strong leave it and watch me. There are still 3 dogs in the class with issue but Apollo now ignores them. A couple dogs have even ran up to him while he was in a down and I was able to keep him focused on me. Sometimes I use eh eh when his eyes start to wander then I follow it with a watch. If you watch the dogs closely you can see what they are going to do and the goal is to stop it before it happens. It's pretty hard to bring them back during a barking and lunging episode.


 This is very good. but if I may I would suggest that you are consistent in your negative. Instead using different think like "leave it" and then different one; like eh-eh. I would suggest that you are consistent and use always the same one. Also consider that it is hard to yell after the dog in hot pursuit of squirrel "eh-eh!" thus I would suggest more universal negative. Like NO! or German Phui!


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## Prager

I would also like to make again one suggestion if I may. I always try to correct the dog BEFORE s/he commences the hot pursuit of the squirrel or such or display undesired aggression towards a dog or person. Learn to read the dog's body language and facial expressions and correct him for it's intention to chase or fight before he actually does so.After the dog is in full blown inappropriate action ( like chase or aggression) then it is exceedingly difficult to correct him. That way the dog "thinks" that you know what he thinks and s/he does not even "go there" even in in his mind and if he does not go there in his mind then he will not also start "anything"we do not want him to start either. That is what I call training of the brain in difference of training of the body- like in sit and down and speak....


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## MadLab

Prager, I have a question for you.

Say a potential client of yours wants you to train his dog to sit, stand, lie down, recall, and speak on command. Simply maneuvers. The condition the client places on you is the dog must be trained off leash at all times. 

Would you accept the challenge, or dogmatically declare , it is not possible, even after 47 years of experience to train a dog with no leash?


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