Do you think a lab should not go and greet the other fellows ? I am always puzzled when I see all those poor guys/gals trailing next to their owners without any signs of natural behaviour. Am I wrong ?
I don't think any dog should run up to another without knowing that dog first, and having agreed with the owner that it's OK they greet. So your dog should be able to walk past any other. Of course, it's great if you have a sociable Lab that they are able to play with other dogs, but that should be done on the say-so of the owners, not the dog. For unknown dogs, you don't know if they have aggression issues, or if they're injured, or in recovery. Even for dogs you do know, something might have happened since you last saw them. From an owner's point of view, it's very rude for someone to let their dog to approach mine without checking it's OK first, not to mention it's potentially dangerous. Of course, our dogs aren't robots and there are always times when they may have a digression, especially early on in their training. But the owner should be actively training them that they only get to say hi when released to do so.
Can someone give me a quick condensed version of how you get your dog to ignore another one? Maisy is very friendly and is naturally curious of others, I dont want to suppress this behaviour but it would be easier for me if she didnt want to say hello to everyone.
When they are little pups I get them to sit and look at me using lots of treats. At home I teach the ‘look at me’ (cue ‘look’) with high value treats. Once they have it really solid I say ‘look’ as we are approaching a dog then treat if he ignores it. No comment if he doesn’t. High value treats for good work - our pups fail if they have dog distraction .
This typo always makes me smile - once your dog can heal, they'll make you a fortune as a TV evangelist. I don't think that teaching your dog to heel (or heal!) past distractions is necessarily the key here. Teaching them not to engage with another dog until you release them to do so is more important. I don't want to have to have my dog walk to heel every time another dog appears, or be keeping an eye out for other dogs so I can call them to heel. I want them to see anther dog and look to me to see if they can say hi or not. It can be a big ask for a sociable dog, and I certainly don't profess that I'm 100% there with mine, but even my hugely sociable puppy (1 year old) who rarely sees other dogs is getting there. I just work on focus exercises around other dogs, on lead where necessary, and teaching tat being with me is more valuable. And, where it's appropriate, I use a release to "say hi" as a reward for not engaging in the first instance.
I must admit I’m really struggling with this at the moment (for some reason she has regressed) because I won’t let Mabel say hi to other dogs when on the lead purely on the basis of the terrible time I had when she had a total of 7 months restricted lead exercise over two years. She unfortunately has other ideas and wants to interact with every single dog she sees. If she was a human I know she would be the one dancing on the tables knocking shots back. Joking apart I really want her to have some self control and feel that she has plenty of off lead exercise in which she can play. She has never been a run in your face kind of dog and is super polite but the lead turns her into a bit of a pain if I’m truthful. The trainer I go to has given me a few things to try which are slowly working but I’m finding some other owners far from helpful, like the guy yesterday who said “well that’s one way to do it, bribing your dog”. I’m trying LAT or an alternative cue such as sit depending on the situation. I do think it is down to personal preference though and I have had plenty of owners ask me first if they can interact on lead, and politely walk on when I say sorry it’s not an option.
OMG doesn't that make you fume! A comment based on ignorance of course, but very irritating at the time. Have you been doing LAT for long? I've found with Cassie that it's gradually falling into place, but still work to do meeting other dogs. I'm so happy with my new training class which, finally, really addresses this in a very structured and supportive way.
I'm finally getting there with Lucky - who used to bark and lunge out of excitement when there was a dog 50m away. Now he can usually walk past other dogs, sometimes he doesn't even looking at them and is totally calm. Through trial and error, I found that if I thought he couldn't do it, stopping, asking for a sit and playing Look At That was the best plan. Because if we were walking forwards, he'd lunge towards the other dog. When I did walk past the other dog, he would he'd get a treat every two steps, and I ask him to walk on the side of me furthest from the other dog, and try to make the distance between them as big as possible. Now, I adjust it depending on how interested he is in the other dog. If he is calm, then he gets a reward after we have passed the other dog. If he seems excited, I ask him to sit and wait or give more regular rewards while walking past. Sometimes he does get to say hello on lead, because it's hard to control all situations, and other dog owners, but this is probably less than once a week.
@selina27 yes it makes me fume, I’ve learnt not to comment now. His dog walks beautifully by his side although I can’t help thinking it’s because he is a massive slow snuffly bull dog. Poor boy my heart always goes out to those poor dogs who just don’t seem to be able to breath properly. I’ve been doing LAT seriously now for about 6 months and I agree it does seem to begin to fall into place. Mabel will even offer the behaviour at times when I’m not expecting it. It’s just trying to keep her under the threshold that is so difficult. I also find the change in seasons so challenging she is just so finely tuned to the environment.
Thanks everyone, there is some really useful info there, I will put the LAT into practise as soon as I can. Maisy has had diarrhoea and been sick this morning, although only the once, so we are taking it easy today. Maybe we will go out later this afternoon and try it, meanwhile I will do a bit of training of it indoors. Treats will have to be plain cooked chicken for her tummy - I am sure she won't mind that!
Yes this is very similar to my experience. Interesting about the change in season -- I can't say I've seen that, but definitely the weather conditions make a difference, I'll have to more observant about the seasons.
It is hard not letting other people get to you. I got off the train the other day with Maisy and she was doing her usual morning sniff at all the rubbish left on the station - takeaway boxes, chicken bones, chips, chewing gum etc. pretty disgusting stuff, I was pulling her away and doing the old 'leave it' routine. One guy was there and commented on how she had grown, then said - "still no obedience I see!" Well just you try telling a lab puppy that fried chicken is not the most important thing in the world right now! Anyway, she has been obedient since the first day I got her and taught her to sit, so stick that in your pipe Mr ignorant!! Sorry, bit of a rant but you know what I mean.
Yes,isn't it? A few months ago when I was in the middle of some strife with Cassie a woman with two dachshunds on leads walked up to me and said "I really think you should take your dog to school" before she'd finished her sentence one of her dogs growled, barked and launched itself at Cassie's neck! Funnily enough the woman suddenly saw someone behind me who she just had to speak too!
@Shaz82 rant away I had a different guy yesterday accuse me of bribing my dog. I just saw red and told him “actually it’s called clicker training and it’s a positive way to train your dog”. Then I said a couple of other things that I couldn’t really remember but the look on his face meant I was odd and perhaps slightly deranged.
Oh everyone knows your dog better than you don't they? And not saying that all sausage dogs have attitude but Maisy was attacked by one and there are another two near us who are really viscious too. And there is also a lady who has a Jack Russell who is adorable (the dog that is, not her), but she came over to Maisy and her lab friend who were playing very rough and tumble, stayed with us with her dog off lead then complained that they were too rough for her dog! Well why come over then love? Some people - argh!
