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A while back my currently 7month old dog used to bark at other dogs. Then after some effort of training him to focus on me, he eventually started ignoring other dogs, or at most after a bark or two, he would leave it. I thought it was going well. He even started ignoring other dogs more than 10ft away.
Then suddenly between yesterday and today he has started barking / lunging at other dogs in my neighbourhood - no snarling, growling or baring of teeth. Just barking.
I purchased Turid Rugaas Barking book, and it seems to me it is excitement barking, because he so rarely gets to meet other dogs, and doesn’t get to actually play with any anymore.
I took him outside my neighbourhood to a different neighbourhood, where there were lots of street dogs (packs). He ignored most of them, despite persistent threatening and aggressive behavior on their part. He neither paid attention to them, nor did he back away. He tried to defuse by sniffing etc, and once it started getting old, he gave not more than two barks - and the packs would go away. No excessive barking or lunging by him, and no instructions by me. All him, behaving in a calm and well behaved manner, despite threatening behavior by street dogs. He was incredible.
But then there were some on leash pet dogs walking by, and he barked at them, even though they did nothing. Nothing excessive - just two barks, and he went back to sniffing.
So this seems to have something to do with leashes. I purchased “Feisty Fido” by Patricia McConnell, and although have not finished it yet, in the early pages she describes something similar to this. She also says there is a high rate of success in training away this behavior.
I believe it, simply because my dog did not react to the street dogs. He was calm, cool and collected, and deliberately defused situations, and when the other dogs carried on, with just a couple of barks, he told them in a calm manner to go away. (They did). No aggressive behavior.
but, I don’t live in other neighbourhoods. I live in my neighbourhood. In my neighbourhood he is barking and lunging at every opportunity. What can I do in the short term to get him to be calm?
- Why has my dog suddenly regressed? Till two days ago he was showing constant improvement. Was it just a bad day? Are bad days real or just an excuse by owners who have no other excuse?
I know many owners face this situation. Both books talk about this. So I believe eventually we will overcome this, just like we have overcome every previous challenge, through patience and consistency, and eventually applying the correct method.
but, as a human being, I am feeling stressed out, exactly like how both authors describe how owners feel. I know this is also not uncommon - since both owners are describing my feelings.
so my two questions are:
- How to get my puppy through the time between now, and him relearning how to focus on me instead of other dogs? So he does not stress out everyone in the vicinity.
- How not to get stressed or feel bad about this situation? Since it’s written about as a common problem, I should not feel demoralised, but honestly I do.
At home and in other places my dog is fantastic. It’s only in my neighbourhood he acts like this. He is getting enough exercise - if I dont force mandatory breaks while chasing balls, he would suddenly have to lie down and rest. So I carefully monitor his breathing / panting/ amount of tongue sticking out, as well as how fast he is chasing. We play a lot also. He is sleeping and eating properly. He is affectionate and obedient with regard to everything else.
Then suddenly between yesterday and today he has started barking / lunging at other dogs in my neighbourhood - no snarling, growling or baring of teeth. Just barking.
I purchased Turid Rugaas Barking book, and it seems to me it is excitement barking, because he so rarely gets to meet other dogs, and doesn’t get to actually play with any anymore.
I took him outside my neighbourhood to a different neighbourhood, where there were lots of street dogs (packs). He ignored most of them, despite persistent threatening and aggressive behavior on their part. He neither paid attention to them, nor did he back away. He tried to defuse by sniffing etc, and once it started getting old, he gave not more than two barks - and the packs would go away. No excessive barking or lunging by him, and no instructions by me. All him, behaving in a calm and well behaved manner, despite threatening behavior by street dogs. He was incredible.
But then there were some on leash pet dogs walking by, and he barked at them, even though they did nothing. Nothing excessive - just two barks, and he went back to sniffing.
So this seems to have something to do with leashes. I purchased “Feisty Fido” by Patricia McConnell, and although have not finished it yet, in the early pages she describes something similar to this. She also says there is a high rate of success in training away this behavior.
I believe it, simply because my dog did not react to the street dogs. He was calm, cool and collected, and deliberately defused situations, and when the other dogs carried on, with just a couple of barks, he told them in a calm manner to go away. (They did). No aggressive behavior.
but, I don’t live in other neighbourhoods. I live in my neighbourhood. In my neighbourhood he is barking and lunging at every opportunity. What can I do in the short term to get him to be calm?
- Why has my dog suddenly regressed? Till two days ago he was showing constant improvement. Was it just a bad day? Are bad days real or just an excuse by owners who have no other excuse?
I know many owners face this situation. Both books talk about this. So I believe eventually we will overcome this, just like we have overcome every previous challenge, through patience and consistency, and eventually applying the correct method.
but, as a human being, I am feeling stressed out, exactly like how both authors describe how owners feel. I know this is also not uncommon - since both owners are describing my feelings.
so my two questions are:
- How to get my puppy through the time between now, and him relearning how to focus on me instead of other dogs? So he does not stress out everyone in the vicinity.
- How not to get stressed or feel bad about this situation? Since it’s written about as a common problem, I should not feel demoralised, but honestly I do.
At home and in other places my dog is fantastic. It’s only in my neighbourhood he acts like this. He is getting enough exercise - if I dont force mandatory breaks while chasing balls, he would suddenly have to lie down and rest. So I carefully monitor his breathing / panting/ amount of tongue sticking out, as well as how fast he is chasing. We play a lot also. He is sleeping and eating properly. He is affectionate and obedient with regard to everything else.
