Hi I’m new to this site I have 2 labradors - ex guide dogs My 11 year old - has developed a new habit which is throwing my confidence. With lockdown - my village has exploded with new dog owners who are not in control ! So my dog is seeing a lot of dogs lunging and barking and generally out of control - some with vicious tendencies. As he has never had any issues at all - so smart and just gorgeous in every way - now he is wanting to REACT - by pulling towards the other dog and barking back! He is 40kg and strong It’s thrown my confidence to say the least Now I’m just avoiding any dog I see coming ... just in case. I need help - do I just avoid these louts - find new walks ?
Hi there, and welcome to the forum How frustrating for you! I'd try and overcome this in two ways: Plan some very short walks you can take through the village, using routes where you can easily put a lot of space between you and other dog walkers (round a large green or recreation ground is a good place to start - drive there if necessary). Whenever you spot a dog with poor leash walking skills, keep far enough away that your boy isn't stimulated enough to respond, and whilst he is calm, feed treats to him until the other dog is gone. If he's clicker trained, you can also click the appearance of the other dog before you start feeding treats. Once he's learned a strong association between seeing other dogs on the lead and receiving treats from you, and he reliably turns his attention to you when he sees dogs far away, you can gradually practice over smaller distances from other dogs, and eventually with fewer treats. That is likely to work well if you can practice little and often, and gradually build up how much distraction he can ignore in favour of taking treats from you. So the second thing I'd also do is find some more peaceful places to take your main walk in the meantime. I hope that helps. Good luck!
Has your vet checked your dog's eyesight? He might be reacting because he is not sure where the noise is coming from. If okay, then follow Sarah's plan.
Thank you Yes eyesight checked However she mentioned senility / in which case he will have to go onto antidepressants It does make me wonder - because he looks at times confused
Thank you Very helpful ! It is equally about me regaining confidence ! Took him on a new walk - unfamiliar - not dogs he knows Keeping him on lead until response is good I also am now wondering if it is time to do separate walks - atm I walk both dogs together
