My free Doggy Dan Podcast Show No.4 is available now. This blog will give you an overview of what is included in the podcast: Excited and aggressive dog greetings. (If you are not needing help with this topic then don’t worry, the topic you want is coming soon… just leave me a comment and let me know what you'd like me to cover, OK? )
So what's in this podcast…
This podcast looks at the very common issue of dogs meeting other dogs on the walk and being so excited barking, pulling and jumping that their behaviour looks anything but friendly. Very often there has been no aggression but your gut instinct tells you that all is not well and it would be wise to nip the behaviour in the bud. I couldn’t agree more. Prevention is better than cure and that's what this podcast is all about.
But first to that question…
Excitement or Aggression?
“So is my dog being aggressive or are they just excited?” This is the big question that many people are asking themselves, (and often me) as their dogs race up bounding and barking at dogs that they meet. The answer is not simply one or the other, and in most cases I would suggest it is a bit of both. As I explain in the podcast the more excited your dog is the more chance that their behaviour may be interpreted at aggressive or threatening and so the calmer your dog is the better your chances of a calm encounter.
What should I do when my dog is pulling and lunging
Inside the podcast I go through in detail your three options…
- Walk away – if your dog is way too excited
- Let them meet – if your dog is calmer than usual
- Calming your dog down, then make a decision – this is where the training comes in
It may sound a bit obvious but having those three options clear in your mind will give you some immediate direction as you approach a dog. Knowing what your options are helps you to select the right one which in turn will help you to achieve your goal.
An amazing journey for answers
I also look at one lady's quest to solve her dog's over-excited barking towards other dogs and how 4 different trainers had given 4 completely different solutions to this issue, none of which have brought her any joy. We look briefly at some of the unsuccessful approaches she has tried, what she has learnt from the 35 dog training books she has read and the fascinating insights that she has gained. This podcast is dedicated to her commitment to finding an answer!
Calming your dog down
The real key to success is understanding how to calm your dog down. Inside the podcast I explain how the following areas will help you achieve this.
- Practical tools and techniques – some of the methods that I use everyday for calming your dog down that are especially useful on the walk and at the park
- How being the pack leader at home will result in a completely different dog at the park (calmer!)
- The trick of calming an over excited dog and what you are trying to achieve when you are training them to be calm. (this is a very subtle point but is crucial for success and often overlooked.)
So if you are are wondering how to interpret and alter your dogs behavior as they approach other dogs then you have found the place. First listen to my free podcast and if you enjoy it and it all makes sense then I’d suggest you get straight onto solving the cause of the problem by checking out my training program, The Dog Calming Code.
Or, if you have a puppy, I encourage you to start with my Puppy Coach training program.
All the best, and enjoy your walks!
Cheers,
.
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks again for listening to the Show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.
Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them. The higher the ranking, the more people will discover this calm and gentle method of dog training.
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher to get it automatic updates.
60 Responses
my west highland terrier is nearly 3years old and since a puppy has always been very sub missive when seeing other dogs, which always looks very cute, 9 times out of 10 he will greet the dog nicely but on the odd occasions will be aggressive, how do i deal with that
Hi Linda,
Just by allowing your dog a little time and space when meeting strange dogs it can put him at ease. Many dogs feel a bit threatened if another dog rushes up to them and is a bit too pushy, so if you can protect him from this it will help. Also bear in mind the other dog’s behaviour a they may be giving off quite a threatening demeanour that has your dog react to defend himself. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com does cover this behaviour and shows you very clearly how to overcome it…maybe take a quick look…we have a FREE 3 Day trial…all the best Doggy Dan
Hi Dan i have a German shepherd male 1year and 6 months i rescure him he jumps and nibbles bits on kids what can i do to stop him
Hi Ofelia,
Supervising children when they are interacting with dogs is really important…even dogs that are familiar to them. This way you can make sure that they are both behaving appropriately and can intervene when things start to get a bit excited. If you can see that you dog’s excitement level is increasing then it would be better to intervene then before he starts to jump or nibble at your children. If you are consistent with doing this then your dog will learn how he is expected to behave and then he will start to use a little more self-control around your children. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com covers how to overcome these behaviours…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
You are explaining exactly what is happening with our 15mth old Aussie Shepard. She’s very relaxed in the condo but as soon as she is outside the building she is barking and lunging. She is a very sociable dog and isn’t like this towards hoomans. I think it has become a mixture of excited and aggression now. Also she’s seems to be like this around the building and is much more relaxed out walking and happy to meet dogs.
Hi Debra, I’m glad you found my Blog interesting.
Dogs can feel more protective closer to their home territory as the potential danger (other dogs) is far greater in their mind. Reacting towards other dog sis a very common issue and it’s something we help owners with all the time. If you’d like to learn a little more my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to calm things down…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
HI. I rescued a dog from a high kill shelter on his last day. They had no info to give me other than he had been locked in this high stress shelter for 10 days. We have now had him with us for four months. HHe is about one and a pit lab mix of sorts. Ive been putting your 5 golden rules in place, but he is still an overly excited dog. I still am struggling with having people over as he constantly jumps and mouths them. I will put him up and try again, but he just goes right back to it. He has a hard time getting into the relaxed mode. When we see dogs on our walk he whines and pulls and growls a bit, maybe its the frustration of not getting to them? But on the occasions Ive let them meet, he hackles and is way too energized. Or if its a small dog, he lays down, but is just looking at it. Ive been taking him to doggie daycare and as you can guess he is having trouble socializing, mostly with male dogs. He for the most part as for now likes the girl dogs that are his size. I’ve been trying to learn your techniques on your site, but I am struggling with him. I love him very much, but often find myself frustrated with the process. If you have any suggestions I would so greatly appreciate it! Thank you ever kindly
Hi Tiff,
There is no doubt that some dogs do need a little patience and time when working through their behaviour but the one thing that certainly helps is consistency on your part! If guests coming over is an issue then I would even think about having your dog on a leash and under your control so that you can calmly and immediately respond to his behaviour as soon as it happens. It will also mean that your guests feel comfortable, are able to ignore him until he calms down and you will be better placed to create new habits. You may be removing him from the room quite a lot initially but he will learn to use some self-control as long as you are consistent…and lots of practice always helps!
If you are out on a walk with him and there is another dog ahead then try giving him some space so that his excitement level stays lower and you are able to work with him. If he gets that excited/agitated that he loses focus on you then you are best moving him away to restore calm. The initial aim is to have him tolerate other dogs in view, rather than in close proximity…you can work towards that! Remember that there is a Forum for members on my membership website, where you can ask for help and guidance. It’s a great resource and one that is incredibly helpful in helping owners work through their dog’s behaviour. Keep up the great work…Doggy Dan
I have subscribed to your dog training and also purchased the “Stella the blue heeler” video.Your kind and wise methods have helped greatly with our fear aggressive Polly.
Because Polly loves to swim we hit on the idea of introducing her to “Rusty” , a friendly dog at a pool in the nearby river.We had Polly on a long line and wearing her muzzle .She could swim toward the other dog but we kept her just out of reach so she couldn’t attack as she usually tries to do. The water environment seemed to calm her. After the swim we were able to walk her reasonably close to Rusty and she relaxed and was happy to sniff the ground and explore,still on the long line. I am sharing this as it may be helpful to others who have a dog which shows extreme aggression towards other dogs, as does Polly.This experience was a real breakthrough and although we realise there will be setbacks at least we can see that there is hope for Polly, loveable in every other way.
Thankyou immensely,Dan for sharing your knowledge.
Hi Angela, thanks for sharing your experience!
You’ve actually done a really helpful thing for Stella here by allowing her to get used to a strange dog (Rusty) without feeling things are moving too fast for her…essentially you’ve given her time! When we walk our dogs in an area where they encounter a lot of other unfamiliar dogs, they don’t have the luxury of enough time to assess that other dog and work out if they are dangerous or not….especially if that dog has raced straight up to them at the park! By giving Stella the time and space to work out that Rusty wasn’t posing any danger to her, she was able to relax in his presence and not feel the need to protect herself. When bringing two dogs together for the first time I always advise owners that the first aim is to have the dogs be calm and relaxed in each others company, before they try a closer encounter. Well done on helping show Stella that not all dogs are to be feared….Best, Doggy Dan
Hi Doggy Dan. I’ve loved your website and I’ll be listening to your podcast on my way home from work today with interest. I just wanted to ask quickly….I have a 7yr old Male Maltese x Shihtzu who we adopted at 41/2 yrs old. He’d only lived with an old man and doesn’t know how to play with other dogs. That’s ok except we recently got a female Aussie Terrier x Shihtzu puppy and I think she’s picking up bad behaviours from him. She wants to play and he always growls/snarls and isn’t friendly at all with her. Then I take them on walks and she is awful. She is 6mths old currently. Will she ever get better with other dogs? He isn’t great with others – especially big dogs as he was attacked by a husky and has had collie dogs lunge at him snarling so he gets quite worked up when he sees them but he’s fine with the odd small dog. I avoid big dogs at all costs. But my puppy sees a dog comming and barks like mad and if they get close she goes crazy sounding like a ferral cat almost! It’s so embarrasing. I walk them seperately on weekends so that I can work with her to get her attention when dogs walk past to keep her calm. It works as she is focusing on me but when I’m walking them both it’s hard. I wish I could introduce her to the nice calm dogs that we find but she goes mad and gets worse when I pull her away and even worse if I pick her up! I’ve found a great doggy day care that they attended with dogs similar size and were fine with other dogs. Would this be helpful to help them get over their issues with other dogs or is there something else I can do. My walk times with them now are quite stressful and I’m walking really early in the morning now it’s hot to get around the lake before ‘peak hour’ hits with lots of other dogs walking around. It’s exhausting! Will she settle with time do you think? I follow your golden rules as much as possible – probably not the one where I should ignore them if she comes up to me. Should I be doing this more? She’s not good on the lead yet either. My older boy is better but I honestly put that down to him being older haha. Help! 🙂 Love your work!
Hi Renee,
You can absolutely improve things here with just a little practice and by giving both your dogs the right information. One of the things I say routinely is that dogs rarely just grow out of behaviours, they require you to teach them how to behave appropriately in whatever situation they may be struggling with. Its’ not complicated to do but it does require a change in your behaviour first. Initially working individually with each dog will allow you to see how they behave without the influence of the other and you can really focus on addressing their individual behaviour as well. Doggy Daycare centres can be great, if they are operated correctly, however I wouldn’t rely on them solving the behaviours for you as your dogs will see day care as a different scenario than going on a walk and encountering strange dogs. If you are familiar with the 5GR’s then my advice would be to really tighten up on each rule as they are equally important in overcoming behavioural issues. A lot of the behaviour you mention in your post are topics we cover in depth on my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com …and there are strategies about how to address individual behaviours there as well….maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
I’ve been listening to your podcasts, read you daily emails and am almost finished your ebook in preparation for getting our 4-legged family member, a 5-year old Breeder dog (Shih Tzu/Bichon mix). The dog is “laid back” and very loving. At the present time she uses a potty grate and has a doggy door for outside access. We want to transition her to doing her business outside. I was told she doesn’t like going out in bad weather and at present, she has the option of using the potty grate. Questions: would it be too stressful to slowly retrain her considering she doesn’t like to go out in bad weather and would it be confusing to have the potty grate in her exercise pen and consistently take her outside? Please and thank you….
As we get closer to her arrival (August this year) I’ll sign up for the membership. Will this issue be addressed on the website?
Hi,
You can certainly retrain a dog’s toileting habits, even at a more mature age, and the keys to success are being proactive and consistent when doing so. You need to be really involved in setting the new routine, taking your dog outside to toilet regularly so as to reinforce that new routine. I do have a section about toilet training older dogs on my membership website and its very similar to toilet training younger puppies really. There is a special offer on My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com …maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
My puppy is so bad lunging at our faces and just a brat. He is lab/Shepard cross. Will shecalm down, she us14 months old. I’d order your stuff but I don’t have a credit card, only debit.
Thank you
Hi Penny, as dogs age they hit a point where the behaviours are no longer puppy behaviours, and are most likely not going to disappear. I generally say that at around 7-8 months of age, if a dog is showing behavioural issues at that point then you need to start thinking about getting some training underway to help overcome the issue. Have a look at my previous blogs and YouTube videos as there is plenty of information there if you are unable to purchase my online training program. Hope that helps, Doggy Dan
Hi Dan, thank you so very much for all your emails, they have been very encouraging. I have as yet not been able to join the online dog training, have had to many commitments at moment. My rescue dog is beautiful and clever, so say most dog owners. Monty is a big strong dog and I am a small female, he is 9 months old and actually a little frightened, but it comes out as aggression as he will lung at joggers and dogs on walks, I have gone to the other side of the street if I see something coming our way that will set him off. I now have started taking him on walks on our property only and he is so good, knows all the commands as well as staying while I go out of the gate first. Hope to eventually take him out walking on the street again. He loves people and all our friends dogs when they visit. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Rosemary you’re more than welcome, it’s very likely that your dog Monty is starting to take charge, starting to make his own decisions including where he wants to go what he wants to do what’s dangerous and what’s not. To overcome this you really need a comprehensive training program such as http://www.TheOnlineDogTrainer.com
I am not sure if you could find a couple of hours, however that is all it takes to get started and it will only cost $1 using the three day trial. That way you can get started turning things around and you will soon start finding Monty is calmer, more relaxed, less reactive, and listening to you more. Then all the training you do will have much more impact. Hope that helps regards Doggy Dan
nice post
Thanks Rob, appreciate it, cheers Dan 🙂
great post
Thanks Robert! All the best…Doggy Dan
The link only shows your voice but no picture so can’t watch you on show 4
Hi Bernadette,
This is actually a podcast and so there is no video/picture available, it’s only an audio file. All the best….Doggy Dan
Thanks Doggy Dan.
Your podcast couldn’t have been timed better. I’m looking after a couple of dogs for a few weeks. Despite saying I couldn’t take them if they pull hard on leash. I was told they never pull. But one of them may run at dogs when she sees them so best avoided. I don’t think may was the right word! The big one, a Labrador does exactly what you describe and has pulled me over trying to get to other dogs, so now I’m really cautious. I have been walking or running in the opposite direction when I see a dog coming. I’m not sure I could crouch down to calm her and hold her back at the same time.
Thanks again for all your wonderful advise and tips.
You are welcome SJ, do be careful taking them both out together…it is so much easier to work with one at a time till they are trained…all the best. Dan
I can not believe how simple and effective this training is. Doggy Dan I have 3 Shitzus ,one i do not need to walk with a leash she is very calm and does Not bark, she needed not much for training. BUT the 2 boys use to bark constantly in the yard, car, and when we got to the dog park. Well they now hardly bark in the yard, are calming down in the car and at the park. THANK You Thank You I have more stories and will update you as we go
Hi Heather, yep…I guess you put in place the training at TheOnlineDogTrainer.com if so, then yes, its all pretty straight forward most of the time. Its the humans who have made it all so complicated! All the best and I look forward to hearing all your stories! cheers Dan
Hi Dan, thank you so much for this podcast. I have a *teenage* Chihuahua X Skye Terrier. She gets so excited at wanting to play and I think there is some fear in there too. Your advice will be put into practice today!!!!
I have been trawling the internet looking for advice on exercising dogs whilst on a mobility scooter. Can you advise as for safe methods and also etiquette etc.
Firstly:
I have found some info on leash attachments for the mobility scooter so that you are not driving the scooter with one hand. Which people continually abuse me for having my dog on a leash held in my left hand whilst driving the scooter with my right hand. My scooter is designed to be used ONE handed (not all scooters are I know!!!). This I strongly feel is safer than having a an attachment to the side of the scooter. I can email you photos if you would prefer. My question is what are your feelings on the matter for safety of dog, myself and other road users etc.
Secondly:
Any other general advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Louise
Hi Louise,
you are most welcome for the podcast, glad you enjoyed it. My suggestion is this…you sound like a very practical, sensible person, so I would keep doing what you are doing… Weigh up each situation as it comes, then make your own decision, and ignore what people think…of course thats easier said than done and we are always told to think about how it appears etc etc…But honestly… Sometimes its best to stick with what you believe and be happy doing it! Somebody said to me something which made me smile… They said… “No matter what you do, you can be sure you will offend somebody!” I think its kind of true!!! Have a great day, Dan… P.S Have you checked out http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com yet? I think you will enjoy it if you liked the podcast…
Hi Doggy Dan
I have a 1 year old Jack Russell and I have kennel trained him for most of the 10 months I have had him. I left him out when he was a puppy and he would tear up my house, furniture, walls & carpet. I figure now that he is a year old I would give him a little time out of his crate when I leave and see how he does. He did great for a while and now I noticed he is eatting and taking chunks out of my wood floors. I really don’t want to kennel him again. I’m gone for 8-10 hours a day and he gets out for just an hr on my lunch break. Should I crate him again or is there something I can do to stop him from eatting my house?
Hi Carrie,
sorry to hear of your dramas. It sounds like your dog may have S.A separation anxiety…basically if its not just boredom or lack of exercise then its very likely S.A so its not a training thing or a “just leave a bone down” (This can make it worse) rather this is a leadership issue where the dogs worries about YOU when they are left alone, there is a simple solution that I cover off inside http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com which will sort it out. Basically when you establish yourself as the pack leader you are free to come and go as you please and your dog won’t worry…Take the $1 trial and I think you’ll love it…pretty simple to sort out when you know how…cheers Dan
Found your podcast very interesting as I have Dobe who has been lunging and barking at other dogs when on lead. I have your DVD so am implementing that but when he lunges he is so strong he has pulled me over. He quickly calms when dog has gone. he is 16mths old so his teenage bit is kicking in.Thank you for all your advice I am in uk so things here a bit different as regards prong collars and e collars. Have to say you talk the most sense.
Thanks for your kind words Doris. I was recently in the UK…travelling from Heathrow – Tunbridge Wells – Plymouth – Cornwall – Stonehenge – Oxford – Newcastle – Fort William and Ben Nevis!!! What a trip! So I saw a lot of dogs, including a lot of Border Terries for some reason. I think you will find that things calm down so long as you stick to the training. With the walking make sure you are taking it slowly when you start off… All the best, Dan
I appreciate all the tips and explanations. They help immensely in understanding how to approach the range of behaviors that I deal with. I plan to keep listening. Thank you very much.
Thanks Marion, glad they make sense…Take care, Dan
I listened to your #4 podcast attentively. The information I needed was buried in a plethora of anecdotes and superfluous natter, You could have shortened the podcast to about 3 minutes and still have given listeners the essential information for calming their dogs. Most dog owners are already aware of their pets’ unwanted behaviour and are simply seeking solutions. Please be brief and rapidly cut to the chase in your next podcast. By the way, I did find your instructions for modifying my dog’s unwanted habits valuable.
Hi Pakamac, thanks for your feedback, glad you found the instructions valuable, even if you found them to be buried. Some people learn by having things slowly explained, in several different ways, several times… other people do learn much quicker… Like just give me it in a nutshell!
All the best, Dan 🙂
I have 2 / 7 mo puppies bro/sis i wanted to keep the male but out of 4 lit. These are the only 2 that lived n didnt have heart to seperate. But they are holy terrior they stay inside ive tried to train some luck they sit in house they come n potty on newspapers but when i leave they are bad n chew everything constantly want to eat when open door try everything to escape when they do there like greyhounds on the track wont comeuntil they want they check in every few min then go what can i do because they are getting to big never no problems w dogs all my life.
Hi Julie,
sorry to hear of your dramas. It sounds like you just need steering in the right direction here with your dogs behaviour…basically its not a training thing such as ‘sit/down/no!’ (This can make it worse) rather this is a leadership issue where the dogs are confused about who it is that leades their pack and keeps everyone in order….Basically when you establish yourself as the pack leader your dogs will start to relax and understand that they need to follow your lead…Take the $1 trial and I think you’ll love it…pretty simple to sort out when you know how…cheers Dan
Hi, I have a 13 wk old male Boston Terrier. I decided on a Boston Terrier because I read they are good dogs to have for 1st time dog parents and good family pets. Good for children & elderly. He loves to bite our hands. We have tried yelping to let him know it hurts. It worked for a bit then he started to bite harder. We tried redirecting with toys and treats, again worked foe a bit, but now he tries to jump over the toy toget to our hand. We tried ignoring him, but then he finds our shoes, bed cover, electronic wires to chew on so we have to hold him to settle him down. Also, he is now barking and growling at us when we try to pick him when he starts biiting. I love my bevo, but his constant biting is making my husband upset. We have been spending a lot of time outside with him because if not, he will bite and/ or poop inside the house even if we just brought him in after pottying outside. Texas summers are hot and I really need Bevo to settle down so we can enjoy his company.
Hi Abigail, mouthing and biting is a really common issue with young puppies! Responding calmly & consistently, and not adding energy to the situation, is really important in encouraging a puppy to use more self-control. If your puppy is mouthing/biting, and you are finding that offering a distraction only makes him more excited, then I would go straight to Time-Out. He may need quite a few before he understands what the consequence is for so be sure to stick with it!
I’m not sure if you are a member on my membership website (TheOnlineDogTrainer.com) but we do cover this issue in detail…as well as lots of other great information about raising happy and well behaved puppies! We also have a Form where you can ask for help or guidance any time you need it…..maybe take a quick look…it’s a $1USD trial for 3 days…All the Best, Doggy Dan
Hi Doggy Dan, Before I sign on, I need you to clarify something you said on the audio blog. If I heard you right you said that dogs outgrow the aggressive behavior by eighteen months. My dog is almost ten and gets hysterical when he sees another dog, also when someone knocks on the front door, but that’s another story. Is he an exception to the rule? Thanks, Kathryn
Hi Karen,
The behaviours that you mention are very common in dogs of any age and we do very clearly show owners how to overcome these issues on my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com…if you wanted to maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
Great info. Going to join your online site. Thanks.
Awsome Cheryl… Enjoy 🙂
My 18 wk mastiff/pit puppy is generally very good and we are following the 5 rules (getting better at it all the time) but she is large and can easily get things off the kitchen counter. I try to not tempt her but want to know how to teach her it is not ok.
Hi there Pam,
I would keep the surfaces clear when she is young and you are in the Training Phase…Then if you see her jump up pop her into timeout…
This worked so well with my dog named Jack…He could look into the dishes on the counter when we got him but now he NEVER steals things 🙂
Best, Dan
Hi Doggy Dan.
My male Malamute Cody, who’s also a rescue doggy, wants to eat other dogs when we’re out walking. If they’re on the other side of the road, it’s usually their action which makes him react, but if they’re passing close to him, he’d attack if I didn’t have him restrained! He had been attacked by a Staffy one day, which afterwards made this aggression worse!
He also “grumbles” at certain people, and I haven’t got a clue who he likes and who he doesn’t like? I recon their attitude towards HIM makes him react this way? He’s a beautiful boy, and I really want him to feel comfortable living with us! Please help.
Much thanks.
Ruth. x
Hi Ruth, thanks for your email… I understand that you feel its THEIR attitude towards HIM however I think you’ll find that its actually not “ALL”” the other dogs but actually HIS attitude and energy that is creating the situation. After all, I’ve been walking my pack of dogs for years, past thousands of dogs and almost NEVER gotten a funny reaction from any. So what you’ll find is that even though you cant see it, he is actually giving of vibes /energy/ body language which is challenging/ dominant/ threatening / scaring / scared or something that triggers the other dogs. Thats why I love what I do…because the method that I use removes that energy so he wont attract that negative energy from other dogs. Once again its all about first becoming the pack leader so that your dog can chill out. I worked with a German Shepherd yesterday who was trying to attack my dog Jack. Jack did nothing, he was just chilling…but this other dog was protecting / dominant / and fearful all at the same time. When the lady becomes the pack leader she will be walking a different dog down the street. Check out my site http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com and follow the training… All the best, Dan
Hi Doggy Dan,
My dog acts very strange around other dogs. When he sees them he approaches calmly but after greeting them he begins to bark and lunge. What is the problem? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
Thank you!
Hi Anna, there are a few things that could be going through your dogs mind! A little bit of fear, over protection or excitement could be happening. Here is what I would suggest…Firstly ensuring that your dog listens to you as the one making the decisions is key (becoming the pack leader…for this you can check out my website http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com) Then the next part is simply showing your dog what you are after…so simply putting a line/ leash on your dog and walking him around for 30 seconds to calm him down should do the trick. Its sounds simple however focusing on what you want is key and staying calm at the same time. All the best, Dan
My boy Jett is exactly the same as Rachel’s Dog Ellen in that he is mostly extremely well behaved, heels on leash, great with people and very gentle with children, and will play for hours with the dog next door, but with some dogs we pass when walking (not all) he lunges and barks like a mad dog. It did seem to me that it started with excitement but certainly no one else who seen it thinks its not aggression and he’s certainly managed to terrify a couple of people. I really want to understand his behaviour better. Ive taken him to obedience training, agility, tried walking quickly past, stopping and making him drop till he calms down, using treats, ignoring him, but nothing worked. He is a kelpie cross, 4 yrs old and also from a shelter, and I love him dearly, but this makes me not want to walk him.
Hi Cheryl,
I think that this podcast was made just for you 🙂 It is a great example of what I am talking about, with time it can turn into a snap and an ugly situation. Best to get on top of it now when it is just excitement. I would check out the pack leader section in the website and use the tools there to calm him down for his next meeting 🙂 regards Dan
Hi Doggy Dan,
Our dog Ellen is a 7 year old Australian cattle dog from the shelter.She is not aggressive to people or kids. She walks on a leash very nicely at heel too. But when she meets another dog she gets all aggressive. Do yoy have any ideas as to why she does this? Another strange thing about this is that there is this one dog in our neighborhood that she really likes to visit with.
Thanks so much,
Hi Rachel,
I wish I could read dogs minds but I can’t and so I would be pretending if I said I knew exactly what she was thinking. That said however I am sure that it is most likely the case that she is fearful of the other dogs and the dog she really likes she has decided through experience that there is no danger. Very often dogs and people create a fear which is not real. The solution is to become the pack leader and then show her calmly and conistently that there really is no danger. Hope that helps clear up the mystery…Like I say – I wish I could read dogs minds ! – Best, Doggy Dan
My daughters dog …….the when she takes him for a walk or to the dog park he is very aggressive. Manly with male dogs.and very ugly towards her bf also!!!
Hi Laura, it sounds like your daughter has a lot on her plate. I think you will find that so much of the solution is what is going on inside the house. Become the pack leader first. Then you will have an easier dog to control outside, once you have made some changes. All the best, Dan
Hi, I’ve no problem with aggressive behaviour from my Fox/Jack Russellx bitch, but I do have trouble with her bolting through the outside doors as soon as they’re opened. One day I’m sure she’s going to skittle me! How can I get her to stop? I’ve tried sit/wait/come, but repeated efforts are not producing consistency. I believe her underlying problem is separation anxiety, as she shadows me everywhere, to the point that it’s a bit annoying as she treads on the back of my jandals or gets between my legs. Help!
Hi there Lorna, a way to train her out of the running away and not behaving as you want it to keep control of her on a long line, this allows you to give her some freedom whilst stopping her from getting into trouble. I show you how to use one inside my webiste http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com which is where I suggest you go asap! Inside the website it will also show you how to become the pack leader which will help your dear dog switch off and relax rather than following you and keeping an eye on you 24/7. It is stressful for dogs in this position and frustrating for owners. Take a look at the site, it is only a $1 trial however I think you will find much that helps you out. There is also a Separation Anxiety section…which will deal with the real cause of your problem. Its all in there, http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com all the best, Dan