Hi guys, sorry for being quiet over the last few months, lots going on! I really need some advice on how to deal with a problem I am having with Maisie. About 3 weeks ago we were walking in the woods and Maisie was attacked by a Collie. It was an awful experience and very frightening for both her and me. She was not hurt, but has become very reactive to dogs that she does not know, very submissive and is barking/growling at other dogs on lead. I didn't have a problem with her barking at dogs before this incident and it seems to be escalating. She has also become over reactive to kids, kids on bikes, even worse kids wearing helmets , etc, etc. All the things that we have worked on in the past now seem to be bothering her. To make matters worse, she has a very deep bark and growl that does sound very aggressive, not very lady like at all ! She seems more reactive to dogs that she sees at a distance rather than face to face. We have just come back from a holiday in Cornwall and while away the barking, etc, became very apparent! Every dog on the beach was either barked or growled at if it was on a lead and a distance away from us. If it wasn't on a lead and they came over to us she became very submissive to most dogs. I also noticed that the few dogs that she did greet growled at her and she became even more submissive, almost as if she was giving off signals to say she was scared? We had a lovely walk this morning, bumping into dogs that we know and she had a good play with them, but on this afternoons walk, we turned a corner and she saw a man with two dogs on lead and started madly barking and growling at them, hackles up. I explained to the owner that she is not aggressive and as I approached him she was still barking and the other dog was barking like mad , but the barking changed to "woofing" and both showed signs of wanting to play! Did I do the right thing to approach the owner? We left and along came two dogs that we have met before (but don't know well) and Maisie immediately cowered down to them. We made a fuss of her and the other dogs and she then walked happily by them. What to do? What would be the best way of approaching this problem? Feeling at a bit of a loss
Hello there Well, there seems to be quite a few things going on, not just dogs but kids etc. While I think it would be easy to give you tips, it sound like really, you could do with some on the ground help. If only to figure out what's going on, and help you come up with a plan. I'd look for a good trainer, perhaps with access to other dogs - either via a controlled class, or dogs that can be part of a 121 - or a good communications class. Have a good search round to see what's available to you. Best of luck with it.
Agree with Julie; working with a trainer will probably get the best results - maybe starting with some 1-2-1 sessions. But it seems pretty clear that the nasty fright with the collie was the catalyst for her barking and growling. Until you can find a good trainer, I would try to remain really calm when she sees other dogs, and try to get her attention on you with the use of really high value treats. Praise and reward her for looking at you rather than the other dog. With time she will probably start feeling less worried and reactive. You might find that doing training with her - Gundog work, agility, fly ball, or man trailing for instance - will help build her confidence and help her regain her trust in being together with other dogs. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Thank you Julie and Karen. I've been given the details of a new trainer and she comes highly recommended, so I'm hoping she will be able to help. Rewarding her for focusing on me is definitely something we can do in the meantime. Man trailing sounds interesting, I've just been reading about it!
Hi Debs, Chepi has had a few instances of doing this with other dogs and then they both go on to play happily. She hasn't growled but barked - assertively - which was a bit unnerving. I am still trying to figure it out. I call her back and reward for returning. But I would be interested to hear how you get on.
