Quote:
Originally Posted by Caledon
Congratulations!
What training methods did you use to achieve this?
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We actually worked with both the head trainer at our local obedience club and a animal behaviorist at different times.
Both gave us pretty much the same advice. Watch him like a hawk and try to read his body language and catch him BEFORE he hit the peak and barked and lunged. Redirect him and walk him away from the other dog, get his attention back to me, give him a series of obedience commands and treat him once he is back to me. Then if we can walk him back toward the other dog (if he is still available) and repeat.
The big key was anticipating his behavior and breaking his concentration on the other dog before he went off. that does really seem to be a true key along with the idea of profuse praise and a treat once he is back and off the other dog.
BTW, I did have a small disagreement with the trainer who tried to tell me this was "fear aggression". Baron has not been afraid of anything in his entire life - strange noise or object he would be at the end of the lead trying to get to it to investigate it - most curious dog that we have ever had. But the point was - no matter the cause is that this approach does seem to be working with him.
Not perfect and we still have work to do, but there has been some real progress.