# My dog is not respectful of "personal space".



## Myra (Aug 22, 2009)

<span style="color: #3366FF"> </span> My 10 month old has had training, knows all the come,heel,sit,down,off,drop it commands. On leash she is okay until she sees another person or any kind of animal - she begins to pull and does not heed to command - there have been a few biting/growling matches with other dogs walking by. She is currently using a Martingale. Our trainer suggested using a "shock collar!". Looking to get some other opinions.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Is it exciteable "I WANT to PLAY with the puppy!!" behavior or aggressive?

If you see another dog coming, you can put her in a sit and work on her focusing on you.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

a shock collar for that? I would suggest a prong collar for the next step up maybe if you can't get results with what Aubie said. 

Work on the Leave It command. That works well with Jax and brings her focus back to me or at least she will look but knows not to touch.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Hey, I've got one of those!







Seriously, this is eager-enthusiastic. It seems scary when there may be a growl or so, but that's oftentimes "barrier frustration": She's possibly thinking "Hey! 'Nother doggie over there! I wanna come PLAY wiff you! Right NOW! Yipiee- ! Huh? Wha? I'm on a leash so I _can't_?? AAARRGGHHHH!!!! Tannntrummmm-city, here I come!"









Absolutely ask for a sit and focus when you see another dog. or a down! Give her a job, so she will anticipate this when a dog comes along on walks. Bring treats or a toy, whatever her fave reward may be. Work on the "focus" part of this at home, when there are no distractions or other dogs around, in your quiet livingroom.

Hang in there,







10 months is a reeeeally distractable, excitable age! It will ideally get better.







You will need to work with her a bit, but this hopefully will get better with work and maturity. Also, 10 months is adolesence, a very teenagery age, where they pretend they forget all they have learned, have selective deafness, and, like, are waaayyy too cool to,







like, you know, listen to Mom.







I've got one of those! Hang in there!


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Get a prong collar and make sure you fit it correctly. Here's a link that shows how they should fit - snug!
http://leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm

Then, let me add, a dog will pull on any collar, the trick with a prong is to anticipate or upon first tug, give a quick, slight jerk - a quick flick of your wrist will do it. It will get your dogs attention without causing more than momentary discomfort.

The other thing that helps is a quick flick and then reverse direction. Redirects the dog's attention to you and your movements.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I would do a simple about face with the collar you currently use until her attention is back on you. About face and walk briskly to disengage her brain and then when she is calm turn back around the direction you were going in (towards the dog/people). Once she looses her focus turn back around. It is a dizzying method but she learns that to go forward she has to focus on YOU not her surroundings. No need IMO for a shock collar or a pinch. I would also give her a verbal cue that you are changing directions at first like "lets go" or something instead of just turning and jerking her.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

I agree totally with Ruq! This is not about getting a tougher tool, but about using a method to communicate with her and change her anticipation of what will follow in this situation.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

To add to Ruq words, which I believe there is the best methods in this circumtances. If you are not really sur of what you are doing with the pinch collar you can make excitation into agression, frustration into "I feel pain every time I see a dog". Amaruqs methos will not give your dog an useful lesson in all circumstances, but also has no side effects.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

When Anton was very reactive on walks I used a wide agitation collar and did exactly what Ruq described. Tell me about being dizzy from turning around LOL A prong collar was hyping him up to no end, I don't even think it was considered a correction but just the opposite, encouragement.

I still like to use the agitation collar and 'turn around' is a valid command in our walk vocabulary.


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## LouCastle (Sep 25, 2006)

I’m not sure what this issue has to do with "personal space." I'm also not sure why a dog must constantly pay attention to its handler when distractions show up. I do know that the Ecollar is a great tool to get a dog to do simple, reliable OB. I highly recommend them used per my articles HERE.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

If this is fear based aggression correction will only worsen it. However it sounds like barrier frustration and excitement and not fear based aggression.

Prongs can work 2 ways on this and I have seen both. The prong can ramp the dog up into more excitement or cause a dog to become aggressive with other dogs as every time it seems a dog it receives an uncomfortable correction. Ruq's method works to thwart the behavior but in reality does not teach the dog not to perform the behavior. 

I would first insure you are not setting this up in the dog by tensing up or getting 'mushy' when you see other dogs or people. If you are sure you are approaching confidently then you next need to work on teaching better behavior in distractions by using her commands and highly rewarding the behavior while the distractor is further away and low level. Use the turn around and get out of dodge method for the times when she is not listening or too distracted to pay you any heed.

You can also start playing a game with her. Let her look and reward the look wile the distractor is further away and she can be sucessful. As soon as she looks mark her with a happy "Yes" and give her a treat. When she hears your mark and gets the reward she will begin making positive associations and the look becomes a leave it as she begins to automatically look at her distractor and then check back in with you. Over time you can close the distance. This game is described in detail in Leslie McDevitt's book "Control Unleashed".

You always want to have a few tricks in your bag. The look game is one, turn around and go is another. Another one I have used a lot is simply start tossing food on the ground as you approach and keep at it until you re passed the distractor. Use small treat that are very tasty and of course do not toss them by the handful but rather a piece at a time a few feet in front of her so you can keep moving. 

Another thing..... don't yell, do not over react as this is seen by her as a reason to react negatively. Always smile, be upbeat, keep moving. You can move in an arc around the distractor.

One question for you.... do you have expectations that she should greet all dogs and people that you meet on walks? If yes, this may actually set up tension and excitement in her and make it harder for her. I used to have those expectations of my dog because I thought it would make her like other dogs. In actually the requirement to meet all dogs (and people) that we meet on walks really created stress and my dog would act out in distance increasing behavior (bark/lunge) due to stress and not true aggression. As soon as I realized that and quit expecting that on walks she quit reacting. 

If you do chose an ecollar, please follow Lou's advice. I am not keen on them but have used one under a professional's guidance. we are fortunate to have Lou here as he is a pro with them.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

> Quote: I would first insure you are not setting this up in the dog by tensing up or getting 'mushy' when you see other dogs or people.


While I don't get mushy, I do use a fun tone, much like our play tone and say "Do you see those people?" What are those people doing?" type of banter when we come up to people. Once we pass them she gets a "good girl!" Since I make it sound fun not only does she pay attention to me (since I'm sounding all fun) it eases her mind of coming up to strangers.


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## meisha98 (Aug 27, 2008)

Try using leave it and keep on walking by people and other dogs for a while. Once she realizes she doesn't meet and greet everyone, she may calm down on her own. My Lainey is overly friendly this way and that is how it was addressed in our obedience class. Once they know leave it and how to walk properly, it shouldn't be such a struggle to just walk. Lainey got so she can ignore people and/or dogs going by. I say "leave it" and we keep going. I think some people actually appreciate knowing they aren't going to get jumped at or on. Are they offended because I don't necessarily want my dog to meet them? I doubt it.


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## Myra (Aug 22, 2009)

<span style='font-family: Georgia'> </span> <span style='font-size: 11pt'> </span> 
Thank you for the tips all, much appreciated!

Brightelf I am so relieved to have found someone who has the same issues. You described my girl so perfectly...lol!

I have been working on the sit and "off" - she is too busy panting and pulling to care!

I am hanging in. At home she is just a big baby.

We are starting more training in a group setting on Sept 26th. I did not find the private training was working for us.

This is the first time I had a dog of my own. I am very happy I chose a German Shepherd.


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## Myra (Aug 22, 2009)

<span style='font-family: Georgia'> </span> <span style='font-size: 11pt'> </span> 
Yes, that is a great idea, make it fun!


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