CLICKER TRAINING! Question...

[Giselle]

Is Joey fearful of large dogs?

My theory is that all dogs should be socialized with all dogs, in all shapes and sizes. If the dog is fearful or extremely prey driven, training should be done to bring the drives down to a fairly normal and manageable level. Of course, there are some instances in which the prey drive, fear, or aggression is very ingrained and can only be shaved back to a certain point. However, those cases are very few and far in between.

Try enrolling Joey into a puppy class. Most of the dogs in that class will not be more than 20-30 pounds. If he is fearful of large dogs, he's got to learn how to cope with his fear at one point. The more you seclude him from his triggers, the more severe the behavior will become =)

It's good that Joey's excited for training, but don't feed into it. Only treat him when he's calm. With "stay", you're promoting a calmer state of mind. If you give him a treat when his body is wriggling and barely staying in one spot, you're rewarding for his hyperactivity. Put him in a Down and do NOT treat until his body is still. You can even manually hold his collar in one spot. Remember: you get what you reward.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Giselle, yes he is extremely fearful of large dogs that he does not know. He shakes, tounge sticks out, he growls and sometimes "nips". It scares me for him. And when he does that, the other dog could turn and kill him.

He is only 2 pounds, and I dont think he will get any bigger. I always am very careful of him, with bigger dogs. I suffered a trauma years ago with a kitten of mine.... It got mauled by a larger dog that it grew up with. After that, and seeing how fast it happened, I am a very overprotective momma. It is wrong, and I know that, but those images are burnt into my brain, and all I can think of is that happening to Joey. I would lose my mind.

I did inquire about puppy classes, but since he is WAY past the age limit, the trainer would not let me join. But I guess I could look for others that are licensed in training... I know there are more than just one in my area.

UGH- Never knew a well behaved puppy was this stressful, wish they just came that way

[Giselle]

Was Joey socialized with larger dogs when he was a puppy?

Considering what happened with your cat, I can certainly understand why you yourself are so fearful, but do not convey these emotions to Joey and I would highly discourage seclusion. Secluding him from large dogs will not help him nor you. The only way to curb his fear is to confront it (positively, of course).

Don't feel bad! I've worked with several people with fear aggressive small dogs. For some reason, fear aggression seems more pervasive in the world of small dogs. However, there is plenty of help available. Knowing this about Joey, I would also recommend finding a behaviorist to help you with both basic obedience and his fear.

(P.S. Clickers are WONDERFUL with fearful dogs. I used 100% positive reinforcement w/ clickers on the aforementioned dogs, and the results were always very solid.)

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Thank you Giselle. I will look into a behaviorist locally.

I know it is wrong, I just freak out.

He was socialized, but not as much as I probably should have. From the moment I got him, I took him EVERYWHERE. And he met dogs, in petsmart and all of my neighbors have large dogs (goldens, rotties, and labs) but he has always been nippy with them, and as a baby (8-10 weeks maybe) he would get so scared he would hit the ground and urinate on himself. So of course, As bad as this is, I picked him up... It was so sad to see him so scared, and I reinforced him to act that way...

I will buy a clicker this weekend. I know I have seen them at PetSmart before. Thank you again! Kt and pups

[Giselle]

The best part about mistakes is that we learn and grow from them At least you recognize at what point and what you did that helped reinforce Joey's fear. That is a critical first step that most people forget or skip over.

You and Joey sound an awful lot like this lady's Maltese mix I helped. He was fearful as a puppy and his mom picked him up and soothed him whenever he showed fear or aggression. As a result, he was extremely stressed in new situations and had a 15 foot threshold. As soon as I came close than 15 feet, he would react. In a 1.5 hour session, though, that dog was within inches of both Giselle, Ivy, and me. And he didn't say a peep. So it CAN be done, and it can be done positively! Just gotta find a good trainer

FYI: SF SPCA graduates are usually some of the best in their trade, and there are a few in NC
http://www.sfspca.org/academy/referr...ml#other_state

[boomersooner]

I'm reading a book on clicker training right now as part of my homework in Boomer's class....I just started it, but it compares the clicker to the whistle that dolphin trainers use....you can use the clicker and it is an instant snapshot showing the dog the exact desired behavior.....Just learning myself, but it really makes sense now that I have a trainer that really explained it well...we used it in puppy kindergarten but I found it a hassle, but now I know more and have learned a few hints for handling it better.