Prong collar
Hello, I have a 10 month old pup who is very friendly and playful with other dogs and people. The problem is, he becomes overexcited when he sees another person/dog on our walks. If I do not let him greet the person/dog he becomes very frustrated and will start jumping up on me, biting my arms and sometimes the leash. Whenever I see another dog approaching us, I will walk the opposite direction or pull him to the side and ask for a "sit" and "watch me". Sometimes it works to distract him from going crazy but there are times where he just stands there fixated on the dog. There were even some incidents where I was able to redirect his attention to me using treats but as soon as I start walking again, he would start jumping and biting again. I don't know what else to do to help him deal with the frustration so that we could both enjoy our walks.
Prong collar
Jen
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...coupled with proper instruction on how to use it.
Whereabouts are you in Canada?
Sophie: Born July 28, 2014
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Ok so Step 1: get a Gentle Leader.
Step 2: When you try to redirect him by asking him to sit, reward with treat. As soon as you start walking (literally) BEFORE he misbehaves give another treat. And just continue walking along with letting him smell the treat first then let him make a couple steps with good behavior then give the treat. Keep doing that increasing the distance and prolonging time between treats. If you get into a situation where he's SO fixated on the dog that he's completely ignoring you then get hyped up. For example, say something like "Come on! Let's go!" and break into a light jog and quickly change direction back and forth so he's excited by you and focuses on YOU instead of the dog. Then ask to sit and give treat. Then walk with treats and vocal praise.
If the dog sees the other dog as the ultimate reward, you're going to have to use a maintenance tactic (like a gentle leader, a prong if that works better for you both and you know how to fit it and use it appropriately) so that he cannot pull you and not allow the dog to self-reward with other dogs or people. Also to keep you both safe.
He knows it's an option because it's been allowed in the past. He's probably having a tantrum not just because he wants to but because he cannot understand why sometimes he can and sometimes he can't. And, he's probably acted like this in the past and gotten his way. Not to mention it is now a habit and every time he acts this way, he is solidifying it. Some dogs stress up when the rules are not clear and bite, jump and bark out of frustration. "You let me do it last time! Why can't I do it now! How do I win!"
I would never let him approach other dogs or people on-leash. If you want him to be able to play with other dogs, do it in one certain place (your backyard, someone else's backyard, doggie daycare, etc.) and that's it and don't even leash him because he will fail. Over time, he'll learn that when he is X he does not visit other dogs but when he is Y he gets to play. Lots of repetition and consistency. He may also outgrow it if you provide strong boundaries between play/visit time and non-play/non-visit time. Unless he needs further socialization, there's no reason why he can't not be pet by strangers and play with strange dogs (as in, not your own dogs) for awhile. Labs and other typically social breeds without issues typically need to learn to control their impulses more than they need to learn to accept pets from strangers, especially after a certain age.
You also might want to work on leave it and impulse control as well as relationship building so that maybe at some point he can value you more than another dog or person. You can also work on desensitization around people and other dogs by taking a class with a good trainer. Some people eventually train a 'go visit' cue, as well.
I would not recommend a head collar for a leash reactive dog, I'm sorry. There has been reports of head and especially neck injuries with Gentle Leader and other head collar type collars, and would do nothing for training the issue.
I agree with the use of a properly fitted, and the user instructed on the use of, a prong collar. It would be used as a tool to break the bad habit of jumping, and biting at you, and nip this behavior in the bud. Training classes or a personal dog trainer might also be of use here too. Good luck!
Just google head collars (or gentle leader) neck injuries. There are 100's of articles, but the one I posted below has good information.
A dog that lunges and bites is not a candidate for a head collar. You may have had good luck with the head collar, but I still don't recommend them for anyone. Training collars are meant to be used for training, not long term use, just train the dog not to pull, yes, it does take work, but it is possible. Then use a regular flat buckle collar.
The head collar is also called a Halti collar or a halter training collar
The Head Collar, also called a Halti or a Halter Training Collar
There is a saying among wrestlers that, undoubtedly, has been recited and restated endlessly as it has been passed down continuously from one grappler to the next since ancient times, which is this: To control the head is to control the man. The head collar, also called a halti, works on much that same principle.
The head collar, which actually fits around your dog's skull rather than his neck, has a strap that runs around the animal's nose. That way, if your dog begins to pull against the lead, be it straight ahead, sideways, or any other direction, he will quickly discover what every wrestler learns the first day on the mat, that if his head can't go to some given location, then, the rest of him can't go there either.
That's the beauty of the head collar. When he is wearing a head collar, it takes very little strength for you turn your dog's head, and by so doing, you can restrain his movements without having to engage in the kind of tug-of-war that might ensue if the animal were wearing some standard variety of halter or collar.
The problem with the head collar is that when used over time, it can cause injury to your dog's neck.
Office workers often injure themselves by repeatedly craning their necks over to one side and holding it in that position as they cradle a telephone receiver between their head and shoulder, in order to free up their hands, so they can write down what is being said.
Bending your neck as you twist your head at an angle like that every once in a while won't hurt a thing, but if you do it often enough, then, beyond the slightest doubt, you will develop a painful, debilitating injury. The same thing can happen with a dog wearing a head collar.
Some dogs get in the habit of pulling against the head collar just as much as they can stand. The result is that they get in the habit of walking with their heads twisted at an awkward, unnatural angle for long periods at a stretch. They may even go for an entire lengthy walk with their heads drawn off to the side like that. The result can be the canine equivalent of an ergonomic neck injury, just like we see with human office workers.
If your dog responds to the head collar by walking with his head habitually twisted at an angle, you should immediately discontinue use of the device.
It is a great irony that the prong collar, which looks so cruel, is actually not at all harmful. While the head collar, that appears altogether benign, can so often be a source of significant injury. In the way of a slightly more sardonic observation, it is interesting to note how many people there are who do not hesitate to inflict serious injuries on their dogs as they punish them by twisting their necks with a head collar, who would never dream of punishing by way of a completely harmless nose chuck.
The head collar is not recommended for obedience training or any other serious work with your dog. Although, if you have a well behaved little dog who does not respond to the Halti by walking with his head twisted to the side, who you take out only in secure circumstances, then, you can probably make do with a head collar.
Mudlark (02-08-2017)
Having used one, I agree with the prong collar. I also agree the OP should be shown how to fit and use it, but it's not high-tech, 5 minutes of time from anyone that knows.
Annette47 (02-08-2017)
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