Member Gene
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RELAX. First day everything is new and mysterious including you. She may not be comfortable with the leash. I would start leaving the leash on around the house under supervision. When taking her out for now, I would carry her outside then set her down so she isn’t already upset by the time she gets outside.
I never had this experience with a puppy but with older dogs that were spooky. They would go almost a whole day before relieving themselves. After a long walk they didn’t go then when back in the house they would go. I caught on the dog was so worked up he didn’t go, then when I brought her in it was like thank God that’s over and go on the floor.
So I would have them in for just about 5 minutes let them relax then back out and they would go. Took a while but they came around. You probably can’t do that with the elevator. I would bring her back and put her on those puppy pads if necessary. However, give it a few more days to get used to the surroundings. Also go to Costco and stock up on paper towels.
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So when she starts to nip I would grab her by the back of her neck and also the collar and just stand there. No interaction/correction do not move. It takes a while especially the first few times but she will become bored and look for something else that interests her on the walk. Sometimes they will give a warning that they are about to get rowdy. She may turn and look at you while on the walk and turn away then turn back again. This to me means get ready for a go around. I always have a treat bag with me, when they look at me especially the second time it’s “Heh” and I have a treat ready to give when they come back to me. I try and catch before they get stupid. I do not give a treat to release.
Another option might be to dip some cotton balls in vinegar and dab your shoes, pants I never tried this but I know they hate the smell and people have used cotton balls dipped in vinegar to spread around their flower gardens to deter digging.
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You can also try the vids on “loose leash walking” of and I think there are a couple of “follow me”.
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So this situation has come up in conversations before. It is sometimes hard to find a person with a balanced dog to work with and perform the exercise as done in the videos. You can do your part of the video it’s just that you are working with a moving target. Keep working on obedience at home.
When you are out you have to read him and catch him before he goes off. They go into what I call “LaLa” land and there isn’t much you can do until he calms down. Have him sit as the other dog approaches, you will be able to tell if he is going to break. Ears will go up, chest will stick out, you can see/just feel the tension mounting. Then “Lets go” turn in the opposite direction maybe 5/7 steps and return “Sit”. Also you can approach dogs that are behind a fence and perform the same exercise and get closer each time. We use this at the shelter for some of our more exuberant tenants.
You didn’t say how old. If he is past the puppy stage it will take longer. You have a lot of dog and he might have a high prey drive. This is where the obedience comes in, “Down,” “Stay,” and if a couple little walk by he might not like it but he remains obedient. Also with the fence work when I get close enough I will give both treats.
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You have to go back and watch the lesson again, I would think you would know better.
That is really great for 15 weeks.
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Yeah, I think you are right, I would have to go back and go thru the lessons. My thoughts are with the e collar you are say 15/20 ft away on a long line and when he lunges at man, woman or child he doesn’t know YOU are correcting him. The dog will start to associate these people with a painful/negative experience every time he encounters them. I think you want to use a prong collar if necessary. When the distractions approach the dog gets a “Sit” for example. If you think he is going to break the sit you can move him to relieve the pressure (movement relieves pressure that’s from the Big Guy, not me.) After you have moved him he gets a “Sit” if he doesn’t sit he gets corrected. You want the dog to feel he is being corrected for not obeying the “sit” command, he is being corrected by you. He doesn’t associate the correction with the people or another dog for that matter.
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So #3, Ed is correct. The crate is his time out as well as yours. Turn up the TV. However, if you feel it may be too much for him I MIGHT cover top and one side if you think it makes him more comfortable. You indicated “toys”, one bone or a kong that is it. The crate is where he goes to do nothing.
#2) 3 to 4… 10/15 minutes is fine. You indicated that you are doing fetch and tug, that is his walk. I would cut back on the tug/fetch or the walk. I’m thinking 1/2 hour close to a mile, I think too much.
#1) You are probably not going to “train” the owners. If you think there are just too many dogs running around sometimes you just have to get in your car and take a short drive and get in a more calm environment. However, I might use the walk to socialize rather than train. This is just my two cents, but you indicated that you live in a dog dense/friendly area. If I know my dog wants to play and you know which dogs in your area are well balance/socialized I would let them have at it, especially if the owner is into it. Rule of thumb 10 to 15 minutes of play fighting, jumping around etc equals 1hr walk.
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Stay with this site, there a large number of people that have Malinois puppies,dogs that have been thru these issues before. They will help you thru the wonderful wilderness of the dog world. You can also submit the question at AMA.
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In your post you stated that he would run away if he could but when leashed he lunges towards the other dogs. So I might think that his actions are out of fear rather than all out aggression. There are a few videos on the site relating to leash reactivity. I wouldn’t jump into the use of the e-collar at this age and/or until you find out what the real issue is. In these videos the dogs are NOT corrected, just “lets go” turn away few steps, return. Sometimes it is hard to find someone to work with that has a well balanced dog. Robert addressed this issue recently in AMA. Sometimes you just have to find some dogs around the neighbor in the yard that will approach and see how he does. I use the fence all the time at the shelter as only experienced volunteers are aloud to do certain things with the dogs. When by myself it is approach the fence both dogs get treats, approach the next fence the same, same, same. I am desensitizing him, letting him know that when ever there are dogs around good things happen. You can also use the leash reactivity on a walk. It is not as good as the technique portrayed in the video but you use what you have.
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Usually I think the females are a bit more subdued especially if the male is not fixed. I don’t know what your planning to do with the dog as far as activities go. When the time comes to get the pup if he/she is just to be a family dog you want to make sure you are getting a lower drive pup as compared to a working line dog, or a working line that you are sure has a lower drive. Stay with the site as there are many people here that have more experience than me with the breed. The 3 basic commands are 1) Stay 2) Come 3) Leave It. These are life savers for the dog. The commands will come after a couple months of luring and shaping. I would also submit this question to the Ask Me Anything segment and get Robert’s opinion.