Well...just a bit frustrated. I have to admit, just walking Benson these days is a real treat, he is so good, unless he has has the scent of a bitch in season, but that is manageable....but with Casper, another problem has reared it's head....and that is cyclists... I have to think of sooo many things on our walks...scanning ahead for dogs on lead, trying to get Casper into the walking area, keeping him calm and focussed until I can clip his lead off. To cap it all he bolted after a cyclist today! Barking at the poor man.. I am surprised the poor chap managed to stay on his bike. I certainly wouldn't appreciate it myself, I looked like I had no control whatsoever... Going to order the perfect fit harness and a double ended lead....feeling a bit despondent as I don't feel we have made much progress on the reactivity on lead, but to make matters worse another problem has reared it's ugly head!
Re: Now Cyclists... You're doing such a great job. Reactivity on lead is certainly a hard one, as it involves so many heightened emotions for the dog (and us). But you definitely will see progress over the long term. With the cyclist situation - do you know anyone with a bike who can help you out with some training? You can have Casper on lead, and the bike going by slowly and at a distance, back and forth. Reward for calm as the bike goes past. Gradually increase the speed of the bike, without it moving closer. Then have the bike move closer but drop the speed back again. You might need a number of sessions but you're aiming to have the bike go past fast and close and have Casper able to ignore it. Do you think you'd be able to set up that kind of situation for training?
Re: Now Cyclists... [quote author=Oberon link=topic=9875.msg143302#msg143302 date=1423772327] You're doing such a great job. Reactivity on lead is certainly a hard one, as it involves so many heightened emotions for the dog (and us). But you definitely will see progress over the long term. With the cyclist situation - do you know anyone with a bike who can help you out with some training? You can have Casper on lead, and the bike going by slowly and at a distance, back and forth. Reward for calm as the bike goes past. Gradually increase the speed of the bike, without it moving closer. Then have the bike move closer but drop the speed back again. You might need a number of sessions but you're aiming to have the bike go past fast and close and have Casper able to ignore it. Do you think you'd be able to set up that kind of situation for training? [/quote] Thank you Rachael...going to enlist our neighbour Pete, this weekend.. not sure when he was last on a bike though...but he could probably do with the exercise! We can use our driveway, and will send him up and down..just hope he doesn't fall off! On a fun note...have just taught Casper to play dead...only he does insist on being rather melodramatic and waving his legs in the air! ;D ;D
Re: Now Cyclists... Haha, sounds like a win-win to me ;D That's great about the playing dead - a fab party trick
Re: Now Cyclists... Oh no ;( If you need some kids to cycle near Casper let me know and I will enrol my godchildren they would love it Hope you are ok x
Re: Now Cyclists... This week we encountered a man riding his bike on the pavement (an offense according to the Highway Code), down the High Street of our town. It was early evening so still quite busy, but already dark. Some poor little terrier was attached to him by a lead desperately trying to keep up. The only stupid thing he didn't do was use a mobile phone whilst doing so. Molly and I took refuge in a shop doorway while the idiot passed.
Re: Now Cyclists... I know Charlie is not Casper...and your challenges are difficult and different. But the fake cyclist thing worked like a dream for Charlie...and the fake jogger...and the fake roller blader...and skateborder...he was a minor nightmare when he was younger. Didn't work for dummies though! ;D ;D ;D Best of luck with it, I'm sure you'll get there. And in the meantime...he barked at a bloke on a bike - ok, undesirable for sure, but hey, in terms of misbehaving pets I've seen worse, a lot worse....
Re: Now Cyclists... I find cyclists difficult. My dogs don't chase them, but they don't know not to get in front of them and the cyclists seem reluctant to slow down. If I spot the cyclist I put the pooches on their leads, but sometimes the cyclists seem to come out of nowhere!
Re: Now Cyclists... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9875.msg143353#msg143353 date=1423786489] I know Charlie is not Casper...and your challenges are difficult and different. But the fake cyclist thing worked like a dream for Charlie...and the fake jogger...and the fake roller blader...and skateborder...he was a minor nightmare when he was younger. Didn't work for dummies though! ;D ;D ;D Best of luck with it, I'm sure you'll get there. And in the meantime...he barked at a bloke on a bike - ok, undesirable for sure, but hey, in terms of misbehaving pets I've seen worse, a lot worse.... [/quote] Yes, for me that is reassuring, it is just barking, overexcited and over his threshold, so very difficult to distract him (impossible :)when the trigger is that close. It is odd that this behaviour has started recently, he has had exposure to cyclists previously and totally ignored them, so I am not sure why he is reacting to them now. I am sure there is a very good reason, and I am wondering if this is something to do with him being to some extent "shutdown" when he first arrived. It is funny really, sometimes I see a different, lovely almost puppy like expression to his face, which I think is how Casper should be...and I keep forgetting, it has only been 4 months.
Re: Now Cyclists... [quote author=Beanwood link=topic=9875.msg143296#msg143296 date=1423769870] AsI don't feel we have made much progress on the reactivity on lead, but to make matters worse another problem has reared it's ugly head! [/quote] Kate remember the awful time I was having with Dexter and his lead reactivity....he is brilliant now ...I even got past his nemesis the other day...another yellow lab surprisingly ( that dog was fixing his steely stare on another dog at the time though!) it was just massively intensive 'look at me' training that has got me this far....you've got the extra challenge of having the 2 dogs I know x Dexter has chased a couple of cars in the desert recently ....a behaviour that suddenley started from nowhere....the first time I was away and he was with Chris,the car stopped which is a good thing and a whole family baled out and started playing with him : not so good ??? When he's lifted his head up with interest when he's been with me I've just called him back and made him sit by me and used c & t while he's stayed by me looking at the car....weve got a way to go,he is sitting but he's still way too interested for my liking ...my point to that little aside was you aren't alone with things that just seem to start in an older dog ... .[quote author=Mollly link=topic=9875.msg143350#msg143350 date=1423784114] This week we encountered a man riding his bike on the pavement (an offense according to the Highway Code), down the High Street of our town. It was early evening so still quite busy, but already dark. Some poor little terrier was attached to him by a lead desperately trying to keep up. [/quote] Oh poor little thing :'( We live on what is called a 'Gated Community' a large part of the perimeter pavement is surfaced to double up as a running track ....NOT a bike track but cyclists still use it...I get a bit peeved at the expectation that because I have a dog I should give way to a cyclist and move into the road.....last weekend I was walking along on the pavement/running track and a cyclist came up behind me ,I didn't hear her but even if I had I still might not have been able to avoid her bike getting a slap from the bag of poo I was carrying ;D Lucky for her it wasn't one of the no frills nappy bags that my friend brought back for me from the UK ;D ;D ;D
Re: Now Cyclists... Rachael's idea sounds better than my technique.... I've tried a few things like trying to get Bonnie to wait till cyclist goes past; just using a "no jumping" command which works on walking people. But now my favourite technique is just to make myself more interesting than the cyclist. I must look like a loon bouncing around shouting "ooh, what's this, look at this, come see" ... and bouncing away in the other direction from the cyclist waving treats in the air! : ... it does work though!!
