Rong
Hi Robert, been watching your video for years and thanks for doing what you do. I have a question. How do you handle a dog with real food aggression? I have a one year old dog that I started him out as puppy, I hand feed him from day 1 and have been training him to wait for his food and add food to his bowl while he’s eating. It worked out well and I can approach him while he’s eating (used to). But recently we had an incident that he lounged at my leg as I approached up next to his bowl, it was a real bite that drew blood. Since that bite incident, my dog started guarding his food and would choke down whatever he can at soonest possible. He’s definitely ready for a fight if anyone try’s to stop him from eating. I started go back to the basics, hand feed and gradually add food to his bowl. Is there anything else I can do to help the situation? Thank you in advance.
Farrah
I need help. My 11 month rescue GSD chases her tail relentlessly! I know the first 6 months of her life were spent as an outdoor dog in Canadian winter with little interaction and wonder if this contributes.
She chases her tail relentlessly, anytime she is stimulated or excited she chases it and that seems to be playful. She seems to be chasing it more aggressively lately (primarily around food so I’m going to try hand feeding only) and anytime she spots it moving she pauses stalks it then barks and growls and chases it. A few weeks ago she bit it so hard blood splattered across the wall. Since then she hasn’t hit it that hard again so it must of been self correcting.
I don’t know what to do… do I redirect, do I correct I’m at a loss and it’s just getting worse.
We do 3x 5-15min training session a day and a 5km walk most days plus play so I feel like she is getting enough stimulation.
Joe D
My 1 yr. old gsd is suspicious on walks of some people and all dogs. She will keep an eye on the dogs but does not react unless they show aggression(barking/charging toward her). Should I correct her when she aggressively barks back at them in these situations? Or just ask her to lets go and continue moving? I do try to keep the leash loose but recently she was pulling toward them after they showed aggression from across the street. Thank You
Tom
Hi – my dog is not especially reactive on walks. However, if a scenario happens where another dog is not under control (either on leash but reactively barking / lunging, or off lead and rushing up to my dog) and as a result triggers my dog to react in response, is it fair to correct my dog (lead pop, negative marker etc) for my dogs reaction and for not remaining neutral, or is that unfair on my dog, because the other dog was the trigger and perhaps gave communication signals to my dog that warranted my dog to react in response
Tommy A
Halo cabralians.
In Norway ecollar aversion training is mandatory for off leach hunting dogs in most areas.
They are given a Zapp right when they establish eye contact with a sheep, I think this creates problems.
Every time the dogs sees a sheep an creates eye contact for the rest of his life he will not get a Zapp.
Won’t this overtime reverse the ecollar training?
I understand that waiting to the dog have physical contact with the sheep creates drive that can be very hard to get through. What is your take on this.
PS Northern breed sleddogs don’t get a sertificate to be safe around sheeps
Simone
How to correct a dog that bites. This ex shelter dog resource guards.i was hand feeding chicken .. He was not taking food where he normally will eat anything. He was not interested. I am assuming because he had an upset stomach was probably sick. He wouldn’t take the chicken so I walked away and gave it to another dog. Approached him again and offered chicken again and he couldn’t eat it. He tried. He licked it and wanted to eat it but he couldn’t and I went to walk away and he bit. I only did a verbal correction telling him no which he understands and then directed him to his crate.
Becky
Got a shelter dog a year ago that has fear issues with other dogs. A couple trainers have made him worse by trying to fix him in a short period of time. This dog will get diarrhea, excessively eat grass and his eyes become so red with the stress of training. He is very afraid of dogs although lives with my female and is fine. I have read your recommendation on fear aggressive dogs and have been taking it slow for the last 9 months with little improvement. At what point should I just accept him for the dog who he is and manage his exposure to other dogs. Have been using a prong and a slip lead.
Lois H
Robert, Thank you, thank you. Yesterday Maggie (2 1/2yo) and I were on our 6am desert walk. Suddenly she froze as we were coming out of a familiar wash. I looked up just as a coyote on a very nearby hill started howling. Then the unseen pack below started. It was just like a John Wayne movie. I called Maggie. She immediately came to me and we returned the way we came. She showed zero interest in going after the coyotes. I never even used the Ecollar. Thank you again for all the lesson that got her to this stage in her life.
Lisa K
I continue to work with a local training facility attending weekly classes. My 14 month old GSD is dog reactive. We are making progress in class with his ability to be around other dogs in class and I am learning when to redirect him before he fixates on a dog. The challenge I’m facing now is at home. If an animal – dog or other- comes on TV he will charge the TV, barking and jumping at the screen. How do I redirect him in this environment? I use an collar, but he can become so fixated on the animal he won’t respond. I can sometimes recall him away from the TV. Thank you! Lisa in Michigan.
Marion
I’m fluent in French & English. I’ve started training my new dog in English. But, I’d like to teach her French commands too. I worry that it’ll confuse her and hold her back in her training. She’s currently in Phase1 of training (luring). She’s 1.5-2 yo. She was my foster dog, and I adopted her. The “word” commands/marker she knows are “sit”, “to your bed”, “yes”, “no” & “free”. We are still working on “down” & “stand”. Recall is a whistle. Is it too early to start in French? How should I go about it? Does she need to be solid in English first and then move to French?
Kerry
Do you think the following technique is cruel and will attribute to further aggression? I was taught this training GSD’s from 8 yrs old (nearly 60 now!). Stationary position with dog at side (say group training) and your dog lip curls, growls – any body language that says things could kick off! Step in front of your dog, simultaneously checking with lead straight up and strong “No!”. Rewarding calmer behaviour following by some quick moving obedience, short turns, I.e obedience reminder. As a trainer I think of this as “positive discouragement” but have been berated for punishing and damaging.
Ryan A
I don’t have a controlled environment to expose my dogs to calmer dogs and train them. I’m surrounded by crazy dogs that will bark whenever they hear me open my house’s door, therefore making my dog anxious and reactive. They’ll lunge and bark to the other house where the dogs are barking.
How should I act here? Get closer to the dog barking and correct when needed? Or should I do something else?
V
My GSD Levi who recently turned 2yo has started resource guarding my husband and myself from our teenage son (Kyle) who has in the last year become taller than both of us. Generally Levi and Kyle have a great relationship, however the issues start whenever voices become raised either in anger or aggressive play – wrestling etc. Currently we simply stop these behaviors on our end and calm down, which immediately settles Levi down. However I don’t see this as a good long term answer and worry that this is just the beginning of worse problems, further we like goofing around. Any thoughts?
Gina
Hi Robert, I’m teaching my 3y/old AmStaff to run with me. We go first thing in the morning and do 15 mins a few times a week. At times he runs great by my side other times he will lag behind and I have to pull him along as I keep running. A few times he’s bit the leash. He has plenty of energy so I don’t think he’s tired I think he’s wanting to sniff and pee (he’s intact) on everything. When he lags he feels pressure at the end of the leash about 4-5ft from me is that okay or will it cause him not to run next to me? How would you correct biting the leash, just with a no and continue running?
Neil
Dear Robert,
Here’s a short video update on where Archie and I are at with the “hold” and “bring” —youtube.com/shorts/cwqeDA_f9n4?feature=share4 — I plan to tighten this up for a few days, and then try playing fetch. My goal is just to have smooth games of fetch with him, and I think we’ll be able to do that any day now. I’d appreciate any feedback and tips you may have.
By the way, I feel that teaching the hold has deepened my bond with my dog. It has been a really positive experience. I can’t thank you enough for your lessons and support.
Matthew
Thanks for answering my last question on kids and tug. I’ve just got a second identical tug in order to teach switch and eventual out. She does eventually drop the first to get the second live tug. The Problem I’m having is once she sees the second tug, her drive increases 50%, (she’s caught my hand a couple of times in the process of switching). I’ve been pausing the game getting her to sit and restarting once she’s chilled a bit. Is this the correct action? I like her high drive and confidence when playing. I think the out is going to be the key to a off switch with her.
Amir A
My 10.5 month old malinois is overall very well behaved but has been more reactive to other people and dogs since he turned 9.5 months old. Maybe this is a fear period he’ll get over? He is more reactive in the car but also on leash, especially in new environments, after sunset, and when I’m with my pregnant wife who he is very defensive of. You’ve mentioned before to use the bark collar in the car, however I am worried that it will cause him to be more high strung to those same stimuli when he’s not in the car. Do you think I should wait until it passes or introduce the bark collar? Thank you
Kristin M
Hi again, I have asked you a few questions about my new beligan puppy. But I also would like to ask you couple questions about ky 4yrs old rescue husky. I have fixed alot if her behavioral problems from when I first got her. But how do I fix her escaping out of the backyard without supervision? Fix her tearing up trash? And fix her wanting to mark her pee in my living room, even though she is house broken? These her 3 behaviors I have struggled on breaking her of since I got her at 1 1/2yrs old. I have tried everything I can think of, and nothing seems to break her of these 3habits of hers.
Ilana
I have a malinois 2 years old female, she is really good working we do agility, but from some time now that the reward is not as often (she was starting so she got the reward fast) she goes away gets to her crate and doesn’t respond to comands that didn’t happen but now she does it every training, does like 10 jumps and leaves to her crate no meter if I have food or toy, how can I make her stay at the field with me and don’t go for a rest when she feels like it ? And how you remember all the commands to not confused the dog?
