# Dog walking~problems!!!!



## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Ok again problems walking Gordon! Ugh if he can't behave on a simple walk Ok well lets just say I am getting tired of trying to walk him and he's being obnoxious that's all. But I am no quitter haha!
The problem~ (I may have said stuff before but its not resolved) anyway I am frustrated right now!~ so we walk him on the harness type Halti which is nice for his type body his great big wide head and mouth it seems he needs the harness which we use with the black attach on top and below his belly type training leash which they recommend with the harness (the red one) anyway~ the problem lets get to it ~ He gets very aggravated when anyone rides past him on a bike or roller blades or has a skate board any type wheels ~What he does is he barks and does a lunge at the person riding this stuff ~ so the Halti does help. What we have been doing with him in this situation is we make him sit on the side of the walking area or in the grass away from the biker, as we watch from front and back while walking to see if anyone on these type wheels are coming. So if we see them we do the sit thing and he will at times be ok but not all the time meaning 75% of the time he goes into his crazy I want to get you and your riding device . Now what he would do is most likely nothing, but its getting disgusting to walk this dog when you don't know when the heck he's going to go into his rage his fit! Now we are also experiencing with Gordon, again when we walk past fences and their are dogs behind them he again will go berserk~ barking and pulling and lunging at the fence. UGH! Why cant he just walk past this and get over it?Or how the heck long does this take for him to get it right? Maybe he never will! If I am walking Roxi she will cry when she hears another dog, my other two dogs could care less they just walk! Now he seems to be weary of people when walking too. He doesn't do anything but you can just tell he tenses and he just isn't comfy around others. He is 1/2 sharpei (guard dog) and 1/2 pug. But all I want is for him to settle down with the wheels and the other dogs on walks. He has been walking since he was 8 weeks old . He is 3 and 7 months old. Is this a phase? I also know about having people strangers ride their bike by him. I took him to a bake area and this one kid did volunteer for me to ride by him where I had him sit and he did fine after around 5 attempts so for me it was ummm did he get use to the kid then sort of think that because he went back to his old ways of being aggressive with wheels after we took him on regular walks! Well, I am tired of his attitude, but I do admit I am not going to stop walking him even though now I see a few folk who have a little attitude about him on walks( I get they have it and they can if they like~not their problem, my problem!)~ and what happens also is people just want to pet him and he is not that type of dog. He just wants to be with us which makes it hard when yes I would love him to be that sweet little fluff ball he looks like, but looks are deceiving especially with him. He's great with us but not others! But,I am trying! Oh well people can be insensitive too 'eh! Any advice is well appreciated! I just want him to feel comfortable on walks ~~but then again so do I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wanted to add~ When Gordon was little he went to puppy classes, he has gone to places where he was around people petsmart, petco, the train stations, rides in cars, walks around horses ect. so socialized he really is. which is a reason I am not getting his offensiveness at this stage! Thanks!


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I had this problem with Shade when I got him. He would lunge at other dogs and things, and just about pull me off my feet. 

The best thing I ever taught the dogs was 'watch momma'. They have to lock eyes with me and refocus all their attention on me until I click and treat. So when Shade would start to go crazy at another dog or something, I would grab him, put him in a sit (sometimes it took force) and tell him 'watch momma'. He would have to look at me and not the other dog. It was hard for him and he would glance at me then glance at the distraction. Eventually he got better and better at it until I could finally walk both dogs together and could get them both to sit and 'watch momma' at the same time. Now he pretty much ignores all distractions. 

For the first 3 months, I would only walk Shade by himself so I could be sure and concentrate on his behavior problem without having to worry about Rocky, too.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

I need to walk him alone and try this method. When you say shade was distracted and you had to get him to listen that is exactly what I am going to have to do. seems anything moving now he's ooooh going to go at. I actually got back just now from a walk in a park area with him and I only took Roxi with him wow nice but the thing was no one was around haha! When I walk him here in the neighborhood well all he** breaks loose for him! and I need to bring treats. The three calorie ones. I use to but stopped (I need to watch his calorie intake haha) so 3 calorie treats, he can handle and he will listen better I know with the treats! Thanks for the info. I am reassured now he can get better! Just seems he went backwards there!


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I carry the clicker and the bait bag on my belt. I use dried lamb lung and can break it into REALLY tiny pieces so that I can give him a lot of them while training without actually giving him a lot of calories (he's gotten kind of pudgy since I got him!). 

It did take a bit of work with Shade. He's kind of hard-headed and sometimes I would actually have to grab his harness and haul him backwards into a sit because he was lunging so much at the other dogs. But, he is very food oriented so the bait really worked well with him. 

Of course, now he's totally obsessed with me and follows me around from room to room! Maybe I used the 'watch momma" a bit too much!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Gidday Wagsy! What Chowder said does work. I have a bit of a reactive problem with my moron as well, but I've been working on the 'watch me' thing with mega treats, and it does work. Believe me, if I can do it, then you're in like Flynn!
Mol doesn't react to all dogs, just some, namely Labrador types, (she was beaten up by one once), or dogs that make eye contact and don't look away. Mol's a typical herder so she naturally does the eye stare thing, if I'm not careful.
Anyway, when I notice the eye stare thing is going on, or more hopefully, if I catch it early enough, or am on the ball enough to see a lab type coming, I take her off to the side away from the other dog, put myself between her and the other dog, say look at me, and if she does, start dishing out the treats, like 1 a second. If she won't look at me, then we walk further away and try again. 
It's a long, long, long, process, but even if you think your'e not getting anywhere at first, just keep trying. cheers big ears!


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## Tamara (Jul 17, 2011)

I was going to give exactly the same suggestion as Chowder. Teaching "watch" or "look" can come in very handy and carry treats. He can learn that good things happen when those bikes, skateboarders, etc. go by.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

When he behaves and sits down what is his reward? You need to use some tasty, smelly, high-reward treats (or whatever else motivates him). Sophie is (now I can start saying "was", actually!) leash reactive and also has problems with larger dogs (due to a particularly traumatizing incident). I started having her sit randomly on walks when there were no distractions and she was always rewarded. Then we moved on to doing it with the triggers there--at this point it was all a routine for her.

One thing that helped me in the beginning was bringing a treat I could hold onto while she chews (or just a large treat that takes some time to eat). By the time she finished eating the treat (or I let go), the scary thing had passed. Now I don't need to do that but it seriously helped.

I still have to be alert (her main issue is with cars and she still tugs if I don't notice them in time...but she no longer barks and lunges) but now sometimes when a car passes she'll actually turn and look at me (waiting for me to give the command so she gets food, ha).

I don't use a clicker (nothing against them, just not a tool I use with dogs for some reason) and it was really simple. I'm so glad I have a way to distract her in unexpected situations now, too.

(I hope this was coherent...it's past 4am and I worked all day, ha)

Edit: Oh, and I wanted to say that even though she's so much better now I always reward anyways. Chasing cars (and in your case, chasing people on wheels) is a dangerous enough behavior that I don't mind using treats all the time.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

My Aussie did the same thing, a sit and leave it command worked for me, took a long time though. I found that I would tense up because I knew he was going to misbehave, once I relaxed a little and let him understand what I wanted he changed. Sometimes it takes a little longer for the animal to understand what you want from him. Remember he speaks dog..lol So teach the command then use it "repetition" works..


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

I wish I could personally thank all of you for the GREAT and yes I mean GREAT comments. Getting Lamb lung seems like a great treat and I need to get my dehydrator back from my son!Thanks Chowder great idea! Mollywoppy, Thanks for the advice, I really do need the reassurance and that other dogs go through these phases and I am going to keep walking him no matter what that trying is hard but I will do it!Maybe I should change my name to Wags the conquer! Because Oh yes I will conquer this doggy! Tamara, the watch look I need to get on this and I will and so good is this advice! Swolek, I liked that first question~what is his reward actually I stopped carrying (which I do have) the treat bag so he gets nothing but a command sit and there is no anything for him so yes I do need to refill (lamb lung) my treat bag! That was a great question!I sort of feel bad as you say no tasty anything for being good ok that's stopping today filling well I don't have lambs lung yet and I need my dehydrator which I will get back but I have the three calorie treats so this for now he loves them will work!Your message was very coherent ! Thank you for the advice I will use it! Chocx2, gee Gordon does know the leave it command so this is a good thing then to use! Ha love the speaks dog, cute have to think like that when walking! 
AGAIN THANKYOU ALL! I do really do appreciate the reply's and yes I am going to use these tools and even though its drizzly out there I am sure it will get hot a muggy and clear up taking Gordon for his walk and I am going to around the neighborhood today seems this is where he gets feisty! Going to use all the tricks posted! I know he will get better! (well I hope he does hmmmm I am a little leery but "eh he will) Thanks again:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:


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## danecolor (Nov 22, 2010)

if you do not want to bother with the dehydrator, Merrick sells "Texas Hold'ems Lamb Lung Dog Treats." they are made in the US and the only ingredient is lamb lung. i buy them at the Phydeaux pet store but you can order them online if you do not have them in any of your pet stores. these are the training treats we use with Riley because they break up into small pieces so easily.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Awww, I was going to tell her that Danecolor! Yeah, thats exactly what I use too, a bag last's for absolutely ages as you can break them into teeny, tiny pieces, smaller than your finger nail. Plus dogs seem to really like them. Warning though, make sure you empty your pockets as they really stink if they go through the wash.


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Primal sells a dehydrated lamb lung treat, too, so that's another option depending on what brands you have available . I get the Primal ones because they're sold locally. They're one of my favorite treats to use for training along with Bravo! Trail Mix and Zuke's.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Thank you guys for the tips on the lamb lung! I am actually now since I wont be seeing my son for a bit going to buy them. Thanks again! I really didnt know they sold them! THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

sounds like your dog needs some training
and socializing. i read where you did train and
socialize as a pup. did you work on it everyday?
find a trainer and start socializing and training.
work on it everyday. work in sessions. have many sessions
during the course of a day. i train in short sessions.
each session last 5 to 10 minutes. i get up a hour to 1&1/2
hours early to train before i go to work. my GF does the samething.
train, train, train and socialize, socialize, socialize.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

doggiedad said:


> sounds like your dog needs some training
> and socializing. i read where you did train and
> socialize as a pup. did you work on it everyday?
> find a trainer and start socializing and training.
> ...


From what I know and read here I think he's pretty socialized, he's just wheels reactive. I need to work on the watch me and give him the treats. as far now as I have been doing this he is actually starting to be very good with this lamb treat and the watch me rule. Only been doing it a short while and it will take a lot to get him I am sure doing it correctly but he knows the treat bag now haha! So so far so good with all the wonderful tips I have been given! But he has been in the classes and socializing I don't know how much more that what he is doing he can get! He goes everywhere and is always around different people so others not much more in that area I can do! My kids and hubby and I work with him yep everyday! So he's just hating those folks with the wheels a lot haha! And we have had volunteers now who have ridden by him a few times with their bikes, which is so nice of them! But we will keep up with the work! In time I keep saying In time!!!!!!


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

I got the lamb lung well I dont think they are lung but lamb jerky treast at the mom and pop pet store they referred me to these REALMEATTREATS.COM by Bitz. I think they are great! Thankyou guys for telling me about these lamb treats. Gordon is going crazy over them well along with three other pups here and he really is doing a bit better with them on walks. Can't thank you guys enough!


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I was going to say the same thing as others. If he gets too anxious not being able to look at the 'thing' that makes him crazy, you can also train a 'look at that' and when he looks back at you click and treat (with something extra tasty) I have been using beef lately cooked not raw with my reactive boy...he loves it!


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