Member Gene
MemberForum Replies Created
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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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Thanks, I never would have “thunk” it.
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Wow! I was just wondering for my own info if these puppies are bred from other service dogs so they know they have the temperament and smarts to succeed and how does that work? Do they work with them for a short time and return to mother or they bring the whole crew out for awhile? Why do they start so early?
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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.