One year old and newly people reactive

Neo93 · 08-23-2011, 06:16 PM

Frieda has hit her one year old fear period with a vengeance. She is afraid of the neighbor's garbage bags, people on bikes, people on scooters or skateboards, people not on bikes that stop and look too long, kids, people that walk by that she doesn't know, people that walk by that she does know, and that REALLY REALLY SCARY brown mushroom that is growing in my neighbor's yard - not to mention the training center where we have out lessons.

She has been leash reactive since we got her at 7 months. We were slowly making progress - but now not only is she back to her original dog reactivity, she is growling and barking at people (never lunging at them, only at other dogs). She has always been leashed to me when my kiddos have guests over, but now she gets confined to my room - which neither of us is happy about, but I really cannot risk her getting excited and biting someone, especially a child. Just to clarify, she has never bitten anyone nor acted like she is attempting to, so I think she is all bark and no bite, but I'd rather not find out that I'm wrong the hard way.

She is a rescue, and I know (or at least have some strong suspicions) that she is the product of a BYB who had a, umm, suboptimal start in life. I know she has weak nerves and is fearful and that's just her - but what can I do to maximize what she's got to work with? We have a trainer who specializes in reactive dogs, and I thought we were progressing... but we're not even back to square one - we're at square minus 100. We've tried prong collars, ecollars, and her current NewTrix collar, which she actually seems to respond to the best.

She is also anxious all the time (won't focus, won't take treats, just retreats off to German Shepherd planet with glazed over eyes) if she is in an area that she doesn't know... which is really any area outside our little half mile long street with a culdesac.

I am considering trying Prozac and/or Xanax just to help with behavioral modification. Any input on that? Any suggestions for anything else we can try?

TIA!

e.rigby · 08-23-2011, 10:52 PM

I think it's best to work with your trainer. However, regardless... take it slow. Don't rush a fearful dog. Do trust building exercises in places she feels most comfortable and slowly move to places that cause a little bit of fear (but not too much). If she likes to play, incorporate a lot of games into your training! I've worked with a few fearful dogs that just shut down, it's best to avoid situations that cause them to shut down and work just outside their comfort zone.

As for medication, it could help... I had a client that used prozac (I think that's what she used) with her dog, she claimed it altered the dogs personality and made him zone out... so I think it just depends on your particular dog and how she handles the medication.

BowWowMeow · 08-23-2011, 11:16 PM

What kind of training is the trainer teaching you? Did the trainer suggest the prong and the e-collar? Both of those certainly could make the problem worse.

Have you tried any of the herbal calming aids?

It sounds to me like she is fear aggressive and that she is over her threshold a lot. It is not uncommon for fearful dogs to regress and/or get worse, especially as they mature. My Kai was like this. There is a WONDERFUL yahoo group called ShyK9s. I would join them right away.

Here is their FAQs: Shy Dogs: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
And here is the Yahoo group: shy-k9s : shy-k9s

There are also some great books. The first that comes to mind is "Click to Calm."

Neo93 · 08-24-2011, 09:13 AM

Both the prong and the e-collar were used by the previous trainer. Our current trainer does not use either one of them. We've tried DAP, lavender, and a couple other of the calming supplements sold at the pet store. Frieda also has a Thundershirt and a calming cap - I think the thundershirt helps , but the jury is still out on the calming cap.

I will look into the Yahoo group, thanks for the link.

onyx'girl · 08-24-2011, 09:18 AM

What are you feeding? I would look for a food with no grain and possibly a raw or homecooked diet will help some.
Maturity may help mellow Frieda. Onyx was at her worst during her 1-2 yr age, after she matured some, she was much better.

kiya · 08-24-2011, 09:23 AM

That yahoo group is great for information. I also learned about B.A.T. Behavioral Adjustment Training from the link that lead me to the yahoo group http://functionalrewards.com/BAT-basics.pdf Unfortunately you don't know what kind of socialization your dog was exposed to or not exposed to. You definately have to be careful with the leash reactivity, you don't want to make it worse. Finding your dogs threshold and working under the threshold is important.

**MaggieRoseLee** · 08-24-2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BowWowMeow

What kind of training is the trainer teaching you? Did the trainer suggest the prong and the e-collar? Both of those certainly could make the problem worse.

Have you tried any of the herbal calming aids?

It sounds to me like she is fear aggressive and that she is over her threshold a lot. It is not uncommon for fearful dogs to regress and/or get worse, especially as they mature. My Kai was like this. There is a WONDERFUL yahoo group called ShyK9s. I would join them right away.

Here is their FAQs: Shy Dogs: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
And here is the Yahoo group: shy-k9s : shy-k9s

There are also some great books. The first that comes to mind is "Click to Calm."

Neo93, PLEASE CHECK THOSE LINKS..

Fearful dogs can't be pronged or e-collared into behaving. Harsh corrections (and for a fearful dog, harsh can be pretty mild for other dogs) ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE!

You need to get your dog out of the OH MY GOSH BRAIN FREEZE part of it's brain, and back into the 'huh, what's mom doing?' frame of mind. Clicker training is ideal for this!

Also, due to all the issues, how much are you able to exercise your dog to exhaustion? Because ALL issues get worse when we can't really get out dogs out to exercise. Swimming, running, hiking. All calming and soothing ways to wear out the body and REST THE BRAIN!

Our dogs can't go around in a state of high alarm without something snapping, so you need to find a way to deal with the 'alarm' to get into a calmer state of mind.

Clicker training DOES work. Unfortunately, it's a new thing we handlers have to learn and it's easier for some people to just throw up their hands and say it's too hard for THEM. Geez, we expect our dogs to learn something right away but get so frustrated WE quit when we have a new skill to learn?

Look how the clicker helps this ABUSED mule!

An Abused Mule Responds to Clicker Training - YouTube

Here's a site with a bunch of intro clicker info (it's not just for puppies)

Intro to Clicker Training (perfect for puppies!)

And once you do buckle down and learn the clicker, look how you can help your dog!

You Tube

Neo93 · 08-25-2011, 05:19 PM

We are doing clicker training with the current trainer as well as starting her reactive dog class next month.

It is hard to find ways to exercise Frieda to exhaustion without her getting so far over her threshold that exercising looses its benefits. We have a fenced back yard, but it isn't huge, and she needs more than just chasing tennis balls in the yard. There is a local park with mountain bike trails that was pretty deserted over the summer, and we used that a lot. However, as it cools off I know we will start to encounter more traffic there. After all, only mad dogs, Englishmen, and reactive GSD owners go out in the midday sun in GA in the middle of summer LOL. We are doing some basic K9 Nosework as well. It is difficult to find dog-friendly areas for exercise that don't have any other dogs around - any suggestions for getting out excess energy without going over her threshold? In an oddly bizarre twist, Frieda has always done well at doggy day care, and I send her one day a week for socialization as well as exercise.

Onyxgirl, we were feeding Blue Buffalo puppy and are transitioning to TOTW salmon. I think both of those are grain free?

08-23-2011, 06:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
Neo93 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 77	One year old and newly people reactive Frieda has hit her one year old fear period with a vengeance. She is afraid of the neighbor's garbage bags, people on bikes, people on scooters or skateboards, people not on bikes that stop and look too long, kids, people that walk by that she doesn't know, people that walk by that she does know, and that REALLY REALLY SCARY brown mushroom that is growing in my neighbor's yard - not to mention the training center where we have out lessons. She has been leash reactive since we got her at 7 months. We were slowly making progress - but now not only is she back to her original dog reactivity, she is growling and barking at people (never lunging at them, only at other dogs). She has always been leashed to me when my kiddos have guests over, but now she gets confined to my room - which neither of us is happy about, but I really cannot risk her getting excited and biting someone, especially a child. Just to clarify, she has never bitten anyone nor acted like she is attempting to, so I think she is all bark and no bite, but I'd rather not find out that I'm wrong the hard way. She is a rescue, and I know (or at least have some strong suspicions) that she is the product of a BYB who had a, umm, suboptimal start in life. I know she has weak nerves and is fearful and that's just her - but what can I do to maximize what she's got to work with? We have a trainer who specializes in reactive dogs, and I thought we were progressing... but we're not even back to square one - we're at square minus 100. We've tried prong collars, ecollars, and her current NewTrix collar, which she actually seems to respond to the best. She is also anxious all the time (won't focus, won't take treats, just retreats off to German Shepherd planet with glazed over eyes) if she is in an area that she doesn't know... which is really any area outside our little half mile long street with a culdesac. I am considering trying Prozac and/or Xanax just to help with behavioral modification. Any input on that? Any suggestions for anything else we can try? TIA!

08-23-2011, 10:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
e.rigby Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 498	I think it's best to work with your trainer. However, regardless... take it slow. Don't rush a fearful dog. Do trust building exercises in places she feels most comfortable and slowly move to places that cause a little bit of fear (but not too much). If she likes to play, incorporate a lot of games into your training! I've worked with a few fearful dogs that just shut down, it's best to avoid situations that cause them to shut down and work just outside their comfort zone. As for medication, it could help... I had a client that used prozac (I think that's what she used) with her dog, she claimed it altered the dogs personality and made him zone out... so I think it just depends on your particular dog and how she handles the medication. __________________ Virgil, CGC - GSD Tara, Reagan, Madison, and Jefferson - Aussies Socrates - the cat The birds: Dante - CAG / Sammie - Blue fronted Amazon / Gavin - TAG / Nero and Sunshine - Budgies

08-23-2011, 11:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
BowWowMeow Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 14,792	What kind of training is the trainer teaching you? Did the trainer suggest the prong and the e-collar? Both of those certainly could make the problem worse. Have you tried any of the herbal calming aids? It sounds to me like she is fear aggressive and that she is over her threshold a lot. It is not uncommon for fearful dogs to regress and/or get worse, especially as they mature. My Kai was like this. There is a WONDERFUL yahoo group called ShyK9s. I would join them right away. Here is their FAQs: Shy Dogs: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions And here is the Yahoo group: shy-k9s : shy-k9s There are also some great books. The first that comes to mind is "Click to Calm." __________________ Ruth & the 4 Legged Rescue Gang Rafi the malaroo http://www.dogster.com/dogs/693238 Gio & Varda, the krazy kittens ....In my heart: Cleo Kitty Chama Kai Basu Massie

08-24-2011, 09:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,596	What are you feeding? I would look for a food with no grain and possibly a raw or homecooked diet will help some. Maturity may help mellow Frieda. Onyx was at her worst during her 1-2 yr age, after she matured some, she was much better. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

08-24-2011, 09:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
kiya Elite Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,900	That yahoo group is great for information. I also learned about B.A.T. Behavioral Adjustment Training from the link that lead me to the yahoo group http://functionalrewards.com/BAT-basics.pdf Unfortunately you don't know what kind of socialization your dog was exposed to or not exposed to. You definately have to be careful with the leash reactivity, you don't want to make it worse. Finding your dogs threshold and working under the threshold is important. __________________ Carolyn Apache - Shiloh Shepherd 12/15/02 Kiya - Shiloh Shepherd 5/15/04 Lakota - WGSD 1/13/10

08-24-2011, 09:13 AM	#4 (permalink)
Neo93 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 77	Both the prong and the e-collar were used by the previous trainer. Our current trainer does not use either one of them. We've tried DAP, lavender, and a couple other of the calming supplements sold at the pet store. Frieda also has a Thundershirt and a calming cap - I think the thundershirt helps , but the jury is still out on the calming cap. I will look into the Yahoo group, thanks for the link.

08-25-2011, 05:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
Neo93 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 77	We are doing clicker training with the current trainer as well as starting her reactive dog class next month. It is hard to find ways to exercise Frieda to exhaustion without her getting so far over her threshold that exercising looses its benefits. We have a fenced back yard, but it isn't huge, and she needs more than just chasing tennis balls in the yard. There is a local park with mountain bike trails that was pretty deserted over the summer, and we used that a lot. However, as it cools off I know we will start to encounter more traffic there. After all, only mad dogs, Englishmen, and reactive GSD owners go out in the midday sun in GA in the middle of summer LOL. We are doing some basic K9 Nosework as well. It is difficult to find dog-friendly areas for exercise that don't have any other dogs around - any suggestions for getting out excess energy without going over her threshold? In an oddly bizarre twist, Frieda has always done well at doggy day care, and I send her one day a week for socialization as well as exercise. Onyxgirl, we were feeding Blue Buffalo puppy and are transitioning to TOTW salmon. I think both of those are grain free?

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