[Julius]

Is there a board-and-train facility/trainer near you? A few months off with gradual exposure to stressful triggers and environment might be what you guys need.

[Kamil]

Unfortunately, there is no such service in my city. I live in Poland, where there are many different trainers, but what you’re describing sounds more like a dog boot camp. I wish there was something like that here.

[Jenifer]

Hi Kamil, I’m going to ask some additional questions because I think people need more context in order to help you. Did you get a trainer that can work with you one on one? What has been going better for you? What do you do in your training sessions? How about play, what do you do? Is he getting enough activity? Are you at home most of the time or is he alone all day? What do you use to control him? Is there anywhere you can go to get help or something else to do with him? Do you have a vehicle to drive him somewhere and avoid the street? What kind of job do you plan on giving him? Mal’s need a job, or most do.

I have a Belgian Sheepdog, 2 yrs old, and I’m still struggling with distractions while walking. The long lead Robert suggested has been the best thing so she get out in front of me but is she’s sees a deer she still goes wild. She’s so much better now but I live in a place with hardly anyone around.

[Kamil]

Hey Jenifer, I’m happy to be able to answer finally.

“Did you get a trainer that can work with you one on one?”

Yes, I did. We had six sessions, if I remember correctly, each lasting one hour. It stretched over almost a two-month period, between the third and fifth months of Sato’s life.

He was good with “tough dogs,” but I felt he didn’t address the issue properly. So I decided to learn as much as possible on my own, that’s how I got here. He suggested training Sato for few hours each day, for example, one hour in the morning and afternoon, plus another in the evening. After two months of this routine, it nearly ruined my relationship with Sato due to the frustration it caused. He believed that if Sato doesn’t go out for long enough, it will take him years to adjust to the world outside.

“What has been going better for you?”

Are you asking if I’m better off now or if I was during the time we trained with the trainer? Definitely now. My biggest fear is that I might be unknowingly causing greater harm to my dog by taking him to this area.

“What do you do in your training sessions? How about play, what do you do?”

15 minutes out there for a single session, basic obedience mixed with play. Lots of play. I don’t expect him to be perfect out there, but I’m still trying to exercise everything he knows. Sit, down, stay. If it’s calm enough, I also incorporate “sit-stay” and “down-stay. “Look at me”. “Go back”. Heavy focus on practicing recall and praising/rewarding him each time he listens. We’re exercising the understanding of commands, bridge words, and release. Also, I throw in some silly tricks he knows, because he likes to perform them. When it comes to playtime, I try to get him interested in tugging, but he doesn’t have a strong toy drive, so he’s not always engaged. He prefers to run around me with the toy rather than “fighting” for it.

When he’s not that interested, I use a ball, which he absolutely loves. However, I try to avoid using the ball too often because I want to engage in more active play to strengthen our bond. I think the ball has become an obsession for him, and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to use it as a safety tool. Using one obsession to distract from another doesn’t feel right. The ball has a stronger hold on him than anything else I can offer. I often use it to protect myself when unexpected dangers show up. It saves me every time we’re outside, it’s that strong of a motivator.

When something triggers him and he’s about to explode, I don’t just throw the ball at him. That would encourage bad behavior. Instead, I say “BALL.” This word grabs his attention, even in tough situations. I quickly move away from the danger while keeping the ball visible. Then, I ask him to sit or lie down and reward him for doing so. This way, he still has to earn the reward. I hope this is not a mistake…

“Is he getting enough activity? Are you at home most of the time or is he alone all day?”

It’s definitely not enough. He could run for hours, but I can’t provide that in this area. I never let him off the leash because I know what he’s capable of and how quickly he can bolt towards something, like a bike, for instance.

I’m trying to tire him out mentally with all the training and some nose work games indoors. He also has plenty of chew toys to keep him occupied. Since I’m working from home, I spend every day with him.

“What do you use to control him?”

A flat collar, and 2-meter-long leash. I tried longer ones but for some reason, he treats them like toys and immediately starts chewing on them and running around with the leash in his mouth. I’m too scared that he will bite through and run off.

“Is there anywhere you can go to get help or something else to do with him?”

“Do you have a vehicle to drive him somewhere and avoid the street?”

Sometimes, I take him in my car to a quiet place where I can train him a bit and then let him blow off steam by playing with a ball. I’m using a 10-meter-long leash for that.

I used to drive him somewhere every day, but every location is a big distance from us and he doesn’t calm down in the car very easily. So I had to get a carrier/transporter to the car. But he got too big for it and he’s not a fan. It’s a chore to make him get in there.

“What kind of job do you plan on giving him? Mal’s need a job, or most do.”

I can’t give him a job in the small apartment we live in right now. We’ll live in a much bigger one soon, and it will have a yard, but that’s at least a year away.

[Jenifer]

Hi Kamil, I have a Belgian Sheepdog, but she doesn’t have the intensity that your dog has but they are they are similar. She’s 2 now. I wouldn’t have survived without ball playing. It’s fine he’s obsessed with it and it will be the best thing you can do. I learned from this trainer Ivan Balabanov: https://academy.trainingwithoutconflict.com/chase-catch-2-0 . If you could find a trainer that is certified by Ivan, he has a list of them on his site. I’ve used two different trainers that I got from his website. Or ask Robert if he has some trainer recommendations. The breed is intense so obsessions is really drive and people who deal with this breed want that. Robert is training his Malinois now so might use him for information by asking questions every week. I do think you need help and hopefully find someone who can teach you. Find a dog sport for him to do. These dogs need jobs. I’d ask Robert what he does to give his puppy fun exercise.

Also Robert does have some lessons for retrieving also. He can play for a long time but actual training only for 15 min. I never really expect my dog to concentrate on training until she’s had some exercise first. I have deer in my neighborhood which is a huge distraction. You might ask Robert about what to use on him instead of a flat collar. I use a prong on my dog because of the deer. Robert has some on this site, but learn how to fit it properly. And buy the brand he suggests too. The others will fall apart. I also use a ecollar but I was trained on how to use it properly. I put it on her in case a deer comes by when I’m playing ball. My dog loves tug but it did take her a while to learn to love it.

He can’t really get enough exercise if you have him on a short leash. Did you go through Robert’s leash training videos? It helped me so much using a long lead.

To answer your questions:

Do I move out? If that’s possible to do, it would make it easier for you.
Do I go only very early in the morning and very late at night? Yes definitely do that.
Do I give it time? Live in the hope that he will get over all of it once he’s older? It won’t get better without teaching him how to do it better.

Good luck

academy.trainingwithoutconflict.com

Chase & Catch 2.0

Many dog trainers underestimate the importance of play in their training, however for Ivan, play is by far the most valuable motivational tool he uses.

[Alison]

Hi Kamil,

I’m sorry that walks are still torture, but it sounds as though Sato is doing much better. My very anxious/fearful lagotto, Enea, a genetic mess, was re-homed to me at 11 months because he’d become unmanageable for his elderly owners –“too energetic” and he was eating their house. They didn’t tell me about the anxiety/phobia of other dogs, which is the only real problem now, maybe they undervalued it! Anyhow, after almost 2 years of a dizzying million 180° turns, treats and praise for focusing attention on me, etc walks are MUCH better — he’s still hyperfocused on invisible monsters, but no hyperventilating, panic is very rare, and even if I have to call his attention to me a lot, he hears me and comes back to heel. We go to stores, bars, the open-air market etc. But

it takes A REALLY LONG TIME! So don’t despair. Enea didn’t actually start to calm down until adolescence was over, around a year and a half. If Sato goes nuts walking to the park, you maybe might try — doing nothing. Stand still like a rock and do not move on until he calms down. It’s a pain to stop every few paces, and people will think you are crazier than the dog, but if he wants to proceed, he’ll get the idea. And hopefully street noise and confusion will eventually just become a boring background.

[Kamil]

It seems like I can finally reply. I couldn’t write a single response in the past few days. The website wouldn’t allow it

[Kamil]

Yes, I’m living a nightmare. Sometimes I prefer not to go with him at all rather than risk losing the patience. I need to be in an absolutely perfect headspace to go.
I’m glad you’ve reached this point with Enea; it’s comforting to know that someone has actually achieved this. I can imagine how much work and patience went into this.

“It takes time.” That’s my last hope, honestly. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing. However, I can’t shake the fear of making the problem worse each day just by living where I do.
So discouraging to work hard only to end the session with him being like “f you man, I’m going for that car/person/whatever”. Each time. Like I’m just nothing in his eyes.

I’m sorry for the sad tone, it’s just tough and only keeps on getting tougher.

[Jenifer]

I got notification that your replied but I can’t see it for some reason

[Kamil]

Yes, it didn’t work. I tried multiple times.

[Katrin]

Hello,
I can only think of two solutions. Either you find a way to distract him from these stimuli and get past them without constant negative experiences. In my opinion, it would be crucial to offer your distraction before he shows undesirable behavior! Destract him untill you reach a place were training can start. E.g. “Futtertreiben” Food-luring often works well if it is started before the stimuli appears, Attach the dog’s nose to a tube of food paste or one of those food deodorant rollers just before you step out the door. As he is not very food driven, try some cracy stuff: canned cat food, fresh tribe, fried bacon…) .

Or it might really be a good idea to think about moving. Maybee move just for a period of time untill the training becomes more solid?

Behavioral training is always riddled with setbacks and failures, that is unavoidable. But if almost every walk is linked to undesirable behavior, then it will be very difficult to achieve an improvement.

[Brian]

Maybe extend the end of your training and do some training in the house. Some reps on things the dog has down pat after you have gone back in the house to help end your sessions on a positive note. After implimenting this for a while, this may have the additional benefit of conditioning the dog to be excited to go back inside because he has some more fun ahead of her. As far as the walk, maybe more distractions away from the distractions. By that, I mean get the dog focused on something that drives the dog. Toy or treat to help motivate the dog to move with you lots of praise for correct behavior. I would try to spend time in a calmer environment. This advise is coming from a novice, so if my advise sucks, that’s why. Lol. Good luck.

[osama]

I’m very new to this, so this is not advice, it’s just me thinking out loud.
What I would try is to break down the issue into smaller, manageable sections. I’m assuming your dog likes to play on the playground behind the building. Use that.

At the door, before you leave, while the door is closed, do some engagement, like eye contact training. Then open the door and do the same. Then go a step outside on a short leash and do the same. If he starts reacting, go back inside immediately as a correction and start over. Take him back outside after he has calmed down and ask him to sit. If he reacts, go back inside. etc. Next time, do 2 steps, then 3.

imh you can’t fix this at once , you have to ease into it by taking baby steps

[Alison]

Hi Kamil, If I remember right, Sato is right in the middle of the hormonal storms of adolescence? Lots of high-energy dogs suddenly go crazy at that age –hormones, excitement, fear periods, etc. It’s hard but you must persist! And relax on the walks. Only reward calm. Keep him under threshold. Everything Jenifer advised below is spot-on. Yes, better to go out for now when there are fewer people around. Yes, Ball is a lifesaver! After trying various collars on Enea I now just use a chain choke collar (for security in case he suddenly panics and pulls back, also for instant communication and instant release). Prongs are illegal here in Italy, and anyway people on this site discouraged me from using one with a dog who’s already anxious. Since Sato is doing better where you train, you could SLOWLY introduce distractions at a distance — a friend with a stable dog, or on a bike. You might check out BAT https://grishastewart.com/bat-overview/ ; though I think she makes a simple thing sound complicated, it’s basically what most trainers do to desensitize a dog.