[Riggan]

Robert has posted some great videos on leash reactivity this year in the Join the Lesson series. You can find them by going to the Lessons tab and doing a search on “Leash Reactive” or use the “Categories” drop down on the Lessons page to select Join the Lesson. Then you can just scroll through all the lessons posted there to find ones of interest to you. Good luck!

[Riggan]

Char, I am going to answer your question indirectly. It is all related to fairness. Dogs can handle correction very well without it “crushing” them as long as it is delivered at a level appropriate to their temperament and with fairness and consistency. Some dogs are very soft (like my current dog), and a simple “No” is a very strong correction. Other dogs are harder and need a much firmer correction or tool such as a prong or e-collar. So first assess your dog’s temperament and how he responds when you correct him. If he ignores you or blows you off, your correction was not firm enough. If he cringes, cowers, or shuts down, you were way too firm and need to lighten up (or you are putting him in a position where you have to correct him way too much).

Next is the issue of fairness. It is not fair to correct a dog when he does not understand what you want him to do. Many people overestimate how well their dog understands basic obedience commands (sit, down, stay, come, etc). They think the dog “knows” the command when he is actually responding to physical or contextual cues. You can see how well the dog truly understands by trying some of the following (we’ll use “Sit” as an example). Does he sit when you:

• Tell him Sit with your back to him?
• Whisper the word Sit?
• Tell him Sit when you are standing behind him or in something other than the usual position you are in when training him?
• Tell him Sit when you are sitting on the sofa?
• Tell him Sit when you are in different rooms, in the garage, in the yard, at the park?
• Tell him Sit when you are laying on the floor?

If not, then he doesn’t really know what the word “Sit” means and you need to keep working on it. If he can’t do all these things in a calm environment, then it is not fair to expect him to respond when there are all kinds of excitement and distraction. If he truly does know what the command means in the context that your are using it, then it is quite possible that he is either testing you or simply doesn’t respect you enough to obey (which is quite possible with an 11 month old dog!). In this case, you MUST carry through with a correction and demand that he listen to you. How you do this goes back to your dog’s temperament, but in general I would not force him into a position. Your correction should be such that he complies, not that you have forced him.

If you find this happening frequently, then you need to consider that you may be moving too quickly. Training for distractions is done step by step, always with the idea of setting the dog up for success. Just because he knows “Sit” at home doesn’t mean he is ready to sit at a busy park with lots of other dogs, people throwing Frisbees, children screaming in the playground, etc. Find someplace much quieter where you can train and reward with abundant praise, treats, play, or whatever else is enjoyable for the dog. In general, I try to have at least 80-90% of my interactions with the dog positive, with only 10-20% corrections. If I need too many corrections, it means I am doing something wrong and need to reevaluate my training plan.

[Riggan]

I’d love to see some responses here as well! All the treats I have made have been hard, crunchy type treats. I’m looking for a recipe for soft training treats that the dog can easily gulp down. (If you want recipes for crunchy treats, let me know and I’ll post a few I have used.)

[Riggan]

Lance has been terrified of open spaces, especially parking lots. Tail goes tightly between his legs and all he can think about is running away. We’ve been following Roberts advice of very short exposures without feeding into his fear. We matter of factly go from the vehicle to the trailhead or field where he can explore and run (his favorite activities). I have gradually been noticing his tail coming out from between his legs, but yesterday he blew me away. We went to a new trail that is off a golf course, so it is a huge parking area with lots of cars there. He hopped out of the truck and was looking around, a bit tense and very alert, but we walked all the way across the lot to the trailhead without his tail ever dropping from its neutral position! When we returned from our hike, he was almost unconcerned about the parking lot! There is hope!

[Riggan]

Hi, Henry! Sounds like we got our dogs at about the same time. Lance is a 3yo GSD mix and was a bundle of fears when we got him. He would tuck tail and try to run when he saw a person, heard an unexpected noise, saw us carrying an object, and much more, so I understand what you are going through!

Robert helped me understand that fearful dogs fall into two categories, and you need to assess which one applies to your dog. Some dogs have learned from life that the world is a scary place, but have a basically sound disposition. Other dogs were born with a “nervy” temperament and are always on edge by nature. This is just who they are, although life, of course, then adds to their fears. The first type of dog is fearful is certain situations that can trigger their fears, but may be fine in other situations. The second type is always fearful. While there may be things you can do to help the “nervy” dog cope with life, you are probably not going to eliminate the fears. It is simply part of who she / he is. Recognizing this can help you avoid unrealistic expectations of the dog.

That said, here are some of the tools I have used (or am considering using) with Lance, who fortunately falls into the first category and has come a tremendous way in the time we have had him. There is still a long way to go, but we see improvement every day.

Structure! Can’t say enough about this for helping a dog to understand that they are now in a safe, fair, and secure environment. Be sure to watch Robert’s recent lecture on this at https://robertcabral.com/courses/what-is-structure/. Regular training with calmness and consistency is the best way to build a dog’s confidence. With Lance, I discovered it was very important to observe closely to find what is really motivating to the dog. He was shut down during all training due to harsh treatment in his past. A trainer helped me understand that the key of him was movement. Handing him a treat did nothing, but toss it in the air for him to catch or roll it on the ground for him to chase and you have a different dog. It’s hard to be stressed when jumping up in the air to catch a treat! You will need to find that “key” for your dog.

Find what your dog truly loves and then find ways to build on that. In our case, it was hiking on the trails in our area. We started on rarely used trails where he could slowly start learning that the occasional person was not the boogey-man, and the overall joy of being out was worth the short negative of a passing person.

You might try CBD or other natural anti-anxiety supplements. I did not have success with CBD treats, but every dog is different. I live with a nurse who has a strong natural medicine background, and will be trying some other natural supplements when I know Lance is going to be in a situation that pushes his buttons (such as going to the vet, or thunderstorms). I don’t expect miracles from these, but hope they might take just a little bit of the edge off.

You might also check out Dr. Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol. This is classical conditioning that has been extremely successful with many dogs. There are tons of links to it on the Internet, but here is one: https://www.caninebehaviorscience.com/relaxation-protocol/. You can either print the protocol out and follow it from there, or there are also both mp3 and video files available if you want some prompting so you can focus on your dog. The key is to realize that the mat training is NOT an obedience exercise, but is training “calm.”

This has been a very long post, but there are so many things that you can try. Keep us posted on how things are going, and remember what Robert always says: “Love the dog you have.” Good luck!

What is Structure

[Riggan]

What a lovely looking boy! Sounds like you are both blessed to have found each other. And what a blessing for his former owner! It sounds like Max was raised with plenty of love, even if without the material comforts and security. It must have been very difficult for his owner to give him up, but the fact that he let you have him for 1/2 of what he had been asking just goes to show the love he had for him and his gratitude that his dog would have a good home. I love stories with happy endings!

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I just found a doc in my files that has several recipes. Here are a couple.

Gourmet Dog Biscuits

(Eastern Goldfields Kennel Club)

12-16 oz. raw liver

1-1/2 lb. white flour

8 oz. Quaker Oats

3 bouillon cubes, meat or chicken flavored

about 1 c. water

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 tins (cookie sheets). Chop the liver finely, or put briefly in a blender. Mix flour and oats, crumble in the bouillon cubes, add eggs and the chopped liver. Add enough water to make a firm but slightly sticky dough. Spread evenly on the tins, about 1/2″ thick. Dip a small dog-biscuit cutter in flour before cutting out each portion. Bake 1 hour. Can be kept for about 2 weeks. (Also from SOAR, posted by Thora, note: store in refrigerator.)

Chevelle’s Favorite Liver Bait

(Usenet: Official Rec.Pets.Dogs.Misc Treat Cookbook)

1 lb. finely ground raw liver

1 c. flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 to 3 T. garlic salt

optional: eggs, cottage cheese, grated cheddar cheese or parmesan, oatmeal, other grains, grated carrots or apple, several cloves of crushed garlic instead of garlic salt

Mix together. Spread on a lightly greased piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. It is very thick — like wet concrete! Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When it is done, peel off the paper, break the liver into pieces, and then freeze in packages to fit your needs. This bait will keep without refrigeration for at least a week if it isn’t in the sun or extreme heat; it breaks up into tiny pieces using only your fingernails; it doesn’t go mushy; and dogs will do just about anything for just a crumb of it! It will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator; it can be frozen and refrozen numerous times, and it thaws in less than 5 minutes! To make a crunchy bait, bake until it looks like a biscuit. Freeze unused portions in sealed bags. Originally from ?, posted by Dixie Blake, 12/20/96, from the Official Rec.Pets.Dogs.Misc. Treat Cookbook. (Also from The DogPatch, posted by Kay Jackson, with 2 T. garlic salt and 1 T. garlic powder, all pureed in food processor, note: do not over bake or the brownies will crumble.)

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Icy Paws Frozen Homemade Dog Treats

(INTC/NTCI)

(2) 32-oz. tubs plain yogurt

(1) 6-oz. can tuna in water

2 tsp. garlic powder

(24) 3-oz. plastic (not paper) bathroom cups

Open yogurts. If they are full to the top, use a spoon to scoop out one bathroom cup. These will be frozen as plain yogurt. Put half of the can of tuna in each yogurt container. Add 1 tsp. garlic powder to each container. Mix each container thoroughly. Use a spoon to scoop the mixture into the cups. Place on tray and pop in freezer overnight. Makes approximately 24 treats. Can also use standard ice cube tray instead of plastic cups. When frozen, pop out and put in plastic bags or wrap in wax paper.

Posted by Jack and Amy Corrigan.

Variations: Natural Flea Prevention: mix in garlic powder, brewers yeast, and fennel seed

Veggie Delight: mix in cooked peas or other veggies

Chicken Icy Paws: used canned chicken instead of tuna

Potassium Boost: add in a mashed banana

[Riggan]

Sorry it took a while. I had to find it, and this week has been crazy.

Here is a hard treat recipe:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour2 eggs

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We went dogless for several years, but brought Lance home from the shelter in July of last year. It is a totally new experience for me. He is a 3yo GSD mix who had a tough start to life. He doesn’t know how to play, came with a lot of fear and trust issues, and sut down completely during any type of training. He has come a long way in 7 months, and it has been so much fun to see him learn how to be a dog. He has won the hearts of the entire household!

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Not sure why the first post got cut off, but here is the full post:

Sorry it took a while. I had to find it, and this week has been crazy.

Here is a hard treat recipe:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not the pie filling)
2 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2 inch thick roll. Cut into 1/2=inch pieces. (I actually rolled it into a sheet and then used a pizza cutter to cut it into tiny training treat size pieces.)

Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes (less for the training treat size).

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I’m going to try some recipes I found for softer treats, but not sure when I’ll have time. Maybe I’ll post them here and if someone else wants to try them, they can let us know how it goes!