LouDog is almost 4, very kind and easygoing. He plays at the park off leash fine (although mostly with females and smaller dogs, he leaves the males alone). We do all the patience training with food, leash, toys, etc. But on walks (leashed) as soon as he spots a dog he starts- he stiffens and lays down seemingly wanting to play. But if it’s a male or anything bigger than him, he all of a sudden LUNGES and we have to hold him down with the leash. He growls and barks like a madman. People are freaking out and so I am. I don’t know what to do. He weighs 50kilo (he’s way too muscular) so I’m really struggling. I’ve tried the treat thing so he focuses on other things but he has absolutely no interest when he sees another dog. I think he just wants to meet them because he usually quiets if they walk up and let him meet but when he reacts like this nobody wants to meet, understandably. It’s a nightmare walking him and the smaller town we live in let’s just say most people now cross the street when they see us(which doesn’t stop him. He’s very kind with any dog he does meet but very sketchy about other males. Please help I’ve tried everything- info from the vet the trainer tips on Labradorsite etc but he shuts out everything except the other dog so nothing helps. And he’s so strong that I actually get pulled across the road if he really pulls I can’t get him to walk by my side either he’s always up ahead because he’s so busy with hi a nose in the ground. I’ve ruined my shoulder from his pulling and also spent way too much on training class which never helps once we’re out on our own. And now he’s 4. I’m EXHAUSTED.
He’s not neutered because they don’t do that in this country unless health issues (cancer etc)- they say now I could try because of his behavior but he’s 4 so I don’t think it will do anything and it costs $1,000...
Do you have a front clip harness to help with the pulling? Or even a head harness? I've never used one myself but a few people I know swear by them and it's no good being dragged around by your dog, things are only going to get worse. Neutering certainly didn't help my dog's behaviour so I wouldn't go down that route without some serious research. If there's an element of fear in his behaviour it could make the problem worse and you can't stick em back on!
Hi there. You could look into Denise Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and check out their online courses. You can sign up as a bronze member for $65. You can do them from your home no matter where you reside in the world. There is one class in particular called “Management for Reactive Dogs” and tackles pretty much everything you mentioned above. The instructor is great and shows you several tools to get yourself out of this situation or better yet, prevent it in the first place. It’s a management course so it’s not going to necessarily change the behavior or fix it but it will hopefully help you feel more confident about taking walks with your dog! They also have webinars, self study courses, etc. on leash reactivity that are relatively inexpensive compared to a private trainer. If you aren’t interested in more training, I would perhaps just try walking at different times of the day or really getting his energy out in the house (fetch) etc. before attempting a walk. Maybe even drive to a remote area where you know you’ll have plenty of distance between your dog and any potential triggers?
Neutering won’t help this in fact might make things worse, he could become more reactive as sometimes it can make them more fearful. Neutering only helps sexualised behaviour. Have you tried obedience classes for a good time span ? Training weekly around distractions helps develop focus with owner no end. It helped us in a similar situation no end. Unless you train around distractions nothing will be proofed when you get out into the real world. It took us a long time though but worth it. I don’t think your labs behaviour it that unusual for the breed. We had a class with 4 the same !
This makes me feel better knowing we are not the only ones! I’ve been nervous he’s got something mean stirring but perhaps not! I’ll continue to try. I’m just so exhausted
I think you probably need to see if you can find a CBATI in your area to arrange some BAT set-ups: https://grishastewart.com At the very least, do purchase Grisha Stewart's BAT 2.0 book from Amazon and you can purchase her DVDs from her website and stream them to your computer The first step is ensuring you feel physically in control of your dog, though. If you already have a front-clip harness and even that is not giving you sufficient control, then you might be one of the few people who would benefit from using a head collar alongside a front clip harness - with a double ended leash clipped to both head collar and harness, so you can use more of one or the other depending on the situation. I prefer the Dogmatic head collar - because it doesn't tighten around the dog's muzzle (which causes discomfort for dogs).
Our Friends Sammoyed reacts the same way. He is a sweet friendly dog, except when he is on a leash, or in a car, and sees another dog. Then he goes crazy barking and pulling on the leash. He si difficult to control on leash when he sees another dog, other than his own friends. Off leash he is fine with other dogs.
