[Amy]

My GSD mix had a similar problem out on walks. She would put her nose to the ground and try to drag me along or dash off after whatever moved. I Eventually purchased a gentle leader. Robert does not recommend them but it worked for me. Now when my dog has a relapse and forgets that trying to drag me, despite getting corrected, is not acceptable I put the gentle leader back on. She is now 70lb and we live in a large city so there are always people and other dogs around when we go for a walk.

[Amy]

I just wanted to clarify that my other post was not about dogs getting excited in play and nipping while over excited, but where the dog clams you as theirs and they choose who gets to be near you or behaving as if they only need one human in their lives and all others beware.

[Amy]

I want you to understand that I am not a trainer. My experience might or might not apply to your dog, but I think it does. We received a female dog from a friend that soon after had 6 pups. One of the pups when it was around 6 to 9 Mo old, I cant remember for sure, it suddenly decided to be extremely attached to me. If I wasn’t home he was friendly with my husband but as soon as I came home he would lean away from him and look for me. With the slightest encouragement from me he would fight to get to me. Being a small dog we thought he would hurt himself jumping in a half hazard way out of my husbands arms. Needless to say, I discouraged the dog from attempting to get away from my husband.

One evening the dog was sleeping in my lap and my husband leaned over to me, coming close to the dog as well. My dog woke up and bit at him, just barely missing him. Now my husband was incline to believe that he startled the dog but that is not the case. I immediately reprimanded the dog as if it had attempted to bite me. During the weeks just before this event he also started to growl under his breath at neighborhood children, and from one day to the next occasion he lunged at one of them.

I watched a dog training video of another trainer ( about 12 years ago). He went into the home of a family where their dog was doing a similar thing. The trainer said that the one the dog “loved” had to take a stand and refuse to allow the dog to act that way. Absolutely refuse to accept the behavior. It would only escalate until someone was seriously injured if action was not taken.

I applied the same technique, As If My Dog tried to bite Me, to all occasions of grumbling, snapping, or lunging at anyone. It worked on him. I emphatically said (Don’t you dare bite me!) Believe me. I put feeling into the words. As if he attempted to attack me! A spoken growl that left no doubt that any attempt to bite at anyone was the same as the unpardonable offence of biting me.

My dog did not doubt that I considered his action as doing precisely that. Anyone that I accept in my presence is to be accepted and my dog could not make the decision for me.

As long as Riley wants your approval he should be able to learn that all those in your household are an extension of you, despite their size, if you take a stand and absolutely demand it. Unless the dog is brane damaged or severely abuses or some such extreme circumstance.

[Amy]

Riggan’s commands folow what I have seen in these videos. I use “with me” when I want my dog beside me but not a ridged “heel” and “this way” on a long line when I just want her to change direction. Instead of Riggan’s “lets go”.

Having your chosen “words” have only one meaning is best. once again according to the training guides.😊

[Amy]

I liked Bill’s recommendations but warn you that, when trying to copy Robert’s demonstration on interjecting misses, do not try to pull your hand away if or😉 when the dog gets it instead of missing the tug altogether. Thankfully my 6 month old large mutt, 40 lb. at the time, recognized that my hand was not supposed to be impaled on one of her canines. It also helped that I moved with her momentum so it pulled but didn’t tare any flesh. I just may not be coordinated who knows. I am not teaching bight work but just tug.

A consequence of her chomping into my hand, though I didn’t make a big deal of it other than stopping the play to doctor the hand, was that now she is very cautious when she goes for the tug.

It hasn’t stopped her from mouthing me when I physically go to move her when she doesn’t want to go where I have told her to go.

[Amy]

When I Read your comment on crating the dog for a period of time it made me smile while I remembered how my cat jumped into the area that I had portioned off for my dog with the dogs open crate as a barrier. My mix GSD was around 5mo old at the time. The cat was not happy but no cat fur flew.

The Cat always wanted the dogs attention but once she had it then she would get overwhelmed by the dogs energy.

Any way, this time the dog turned and chased the cat who instead of jumping over the crate she ran inside with the dog hot on her tail! The cat was not happy but no cat fur flew.

I am glad that I had already established, from the moment I brought the dog home at 8 weeks old, that the cat was mine and not to be bothered.

I know that the crate should not be use as a punishment but my pup from the moment she first saw the cat she wanted it. If she tried to get to the cat when she was out of her crate I would grab the leash and lead her back into the crate. She was only able to be semi-free if she didn’t bother the cat. This was not exactly fair because the cat usually instigated the interaction.