Hello Everyone

[Lola Blundell]

My names Ryan, I'm 23 and live in the UK. More about my dog, her name is Lola, she is a 1 (soon to be 2) year old miniature Yorkshire Terrier.

I thought I would join the website to gain advise on how I can teach her new tricks and more importantly stop her barking at other dogs constantly. Also, I would eventually like to let her of the lead while taking her on walks.

This is the more recent picture of her. I'm looking a bit like a gimp in the picture so please ignore, the other person is my girlfriend who is paranoid about her nail colors in the photo.

 

[Dogster]

Welcome!!!!! We'd LOVE to see more pics of your dog!!!! If you're looking to teach tricks, you've come to the right place!!!!

About having your dog off-leash.... I don't think it's such a great idea....
If you live in the city, chances are that there are a couple of dog aggressive dogs out there. You wouldn't want your dog to "set them off", would you??? Your dog can also get hurt if she goes too far. This is just my opinion, please don't feel like you're obligated to listen to it.

Anyways, have fun on the site!!!!

 

[Lola Blundell]

Welcome!!!!! We'd LOVE to see more pics of your dog!!!! If you're looking to teach tricks, you've come to the right place!!!!

About having your dog off-leash.... I don't think it's such a great idea....
If you live in the city, chances are that there are a couple of dog aggressive dogs out there. You wouldn't want your dog to "set them off", would you??? Your dog can also get hurt if she goes too far. This is just my opinion, please don't feel like you're obligated to listen to it.

Anyways, have fun on the site!!!!

Thankyou, I appreciate your advice. I don't rarely bump into aggressive dogs. If anything its Lola being aggressive. I think she is either being protective or just does not like other 'bigger' dogs.

 

[MaryK]

Hi and Welcome to DTA. Lola is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!! Do post more pics please

She's a terrier and they can be very protective dogs. Very game too, size is irrelevant to them, big, small, in between doesn't matter they think they're a big dog! I wouldn't let her off during walks though, it only takes one dog aggressive dog, and the consequences can be ghastly.

Unless you're in a really safe place, keep her on her leash. Dogs actually do enjoy walking on their leashes with you, makes them feel safe and close to you. Just make sure she has plenty of off leash exercise in your garden or, as I said before, a really safe place.

Do you use a clicker for training? If you don't then I would strongly suggest you do, as they are wonderful for teaching all tricks. Dogs learn a lot faster with a clicker rather than just praise and treats.

 

[Lola Blundell]

Hi and Welcome to DTA. Lola is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!! Do post more pics please

She's a terrier and they can be very protective dogs. Very game too, size is irrelevant to them, big, small, in between doesn't matter they think they're a big dog! I wouldn't let her off during walks though, it only takes one dog aggressive dog, and the consequences can be ghastly.

Unless you're in a really safe place, keep her on her leash. Dogs actually do enjoy walking on their leashes with you, makes them feel safe and close to you. Just make sure she has plenty of off leash exercise in your garden or, as I said before, a really safe place.

Do you use a clicker for training? If you don't then I would strongly suggest you do, as they are wonderful for teaching all tricks. Dogs learn a lot faster with a clicker rather than just praise and treats.

I don't actually but I will now consider purchasing a clicker as it does sound like a great idea.

 

[MaryK]

Do please . I used just praise and treats but after changing to using the clicker/treats and also praise, don't become clinical and forget to verbally praise, I found my boys learned much faster. You can get them on e-bay, the cheapest piece of training equipment ever but the most valuable!

You'll find a thread on this site on clicker training and how to 'load/charge' the clicker.

http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/getting-started-with-a-clicker-for-newbies.5023/

Plus any videos by Kikopup are awesome. There are a lot on various threads here.

 

[Adrianna & Calvin]

Hi Ryan, and welcome.

I think there might be a million threads on here about dogs barking at other dogs [can anyone recall some good ones?]. To some extent it depends on why she is barking. If she is barking because she is truly afraid--this means that you can't distract her from barking, and she won't take treats if you offer them--then you need to work on teaching her that other dogs aren't anything to be afraid of. Does she ever get to meet other dogs? Does she behave normally with them?

 

[Lola Blundell]

Hi Ryan, and welcome.

I think there might be a million threads on here about dogs barking at other dogs [can anyone recall some good ones?]. To some extent it depends on why she is barking. If she is barking because she is truly afraid--this means that you can't distract her from barking, and she won't take treats if you offer them--then you need to work on teaching her that other dogs aren't anything to be afraid of. Does she ever get to meet other dogs? Does she behave normally with them?

Yes she behaves normal with dogs that she knows well or has been round for a bit. I think she just doesn't like other dogs. I really want her to stop the barking as she even goes for the dogs and I have to pull her back while she constantly tugs the lead to get at the other dogs.

 

[MaryK]

Yes she behaves normal with dogs that she knows well or has been round for a bit. I think she just doesn't like other dogs. I really want her to stop the barking as she even goes for the dogs and I have to pull her back while she constantly tugs the lead to get at the other dogs.

She may also be wanting to 'meet and greet' the other dogs, rather than not liking them.
Take her one step at a time. Use the clicker/treat and if you cannot get to click, then treat, treat, treat become an automatic treat dispenser when another dog comes into view.

At this point of time, I would play 'ninja' when you see other dogs. Cross the road, rather than a head on confrontation. Walk away, run if necessary. Dogs on a leash are quite another matter to dogs off leash. Different very subtle signals are sent, often unseen by us, which can be anything from 'hey wanna be friends' to 'you little weenie, I'll eat you for breakfast'.

How bad is the tugging? Does she totally 'zone out' on you? Or are you able to get treats into her? Is she leaping up and biting the lead? Or is it a straight tug towards the dog?

Also what kind of collar are you using? The clip one harnesses are very good and my boy just loves his Halti/Gentle Leader.

Do try to avoid situations which bring on the tug-of-war situation. This doesn't help either your dog or yourself.

When Ra Kismet had a very bad over reaction to other dogs, due to a dog attack, I had to, and still am, avoid dogs coming head on or from behind (even worse actually as that was the direction the attack came from). I treat him all the time, dog barks, I treat. It takes time but from beginning of August this year to present time, he can now once more, pass dogs behind fences with little if any reaction. Can see dogs ahead (quite a distance still) without reacting at all. Dogs other side of the street, head swing, but straight back to me for his treat.

I still do avoid head on wherever possible, this is the big one.

 

[running_dog]

Ryan - nice to have another UK inhabitant on here :-)

Here are a couple of threads that you might find useful:

Barking at other dogs
and
Help my dog goes crazy in public

I'm guessing from what you have said that maybe some leash walking tips would be helpful, to teach your dog impulse control quite apart from anything else, it isn't something I'm good at training but this video of kikopup's gives a great "how to" and explains how impulse control would help your dog.

A&C - Would not taking treats necessarily mean she is afraid? I'd think it would just mean that she is too stimulated to worry about food (and food isn't equally important to all dogs). It can take me 10 minutes walking/working when I walk into a squirrelly wood to get my dog to look at me and/or take even the juiciest treats... and that is an improvement that we've worked hard for. I guarantee that he has zero fear of squirrels :-)

 

[running_dog]

Dogs on a leash are quite another matter to dogs off leash.

Too true... we stagger along a leash tightrope trying to topple into neither out of control communication on the one hand nor inhibited communication on the other!

 

[Adrianna & Calvin]

It can take me 10 minutes walking/working when I walk into a squirrelly wood to get my dog to look at me and/or take even the juiciest treats... and that is an improvement that we've worked hard for.

Your bring out the best treats and your dog won't consume them? I don't mean that he will work for them, or give you good attention, but that s/he won't even scarf them down?

 

[running_dog]

Your bring out the best treats and your dog won't consume them? I don't mean that he will work for them, or give you good attention, but that s/he won't even scarf them down?

Correct. And bear in mind that these are treats that have most of the other dogs in the wood mugging me. If I put one of these treats in my dog's mouth he will spew it out.

Now I can and do get Zac to eat in a squirrelly wood, but I'd guess that took a lot more work than this Yorkie has had put in to it so far, so at this stage it would be impossible to know from preparedness-to-eat whether this is caused by fear, aggression or over excitement. All one could tell would be that something else is more important to that particular dog than food in that situation at that time.

 

[Adrianna & Calvin]

Hmm I agree that predation, what Zac's busy with in the woods, could cause food refusal but I think in the case of the little Yorkie barking at the big dogs, a fear-based aggression combined with being Too Close to the stimulus is much more likely. My point was to distinguish between a friendly dog who is barking because she wants to get up close to greet the other dog, and a dog who is trying to bark off the other dogs out of anxiety. Of course if she has other issues and is a dog who never takes treats outside, you can't use that 'test.'

 

[running_dog]

My point was to distinguish between a friendly dog who is barking because she wants to get up close

Personally I think it is far too simplistic a diagnostic test to say to someone who is thinking about remedying a dog behaviour problem that their dog is fear aggressive if it refuses food but it wants to play if it will eat or be distracted.

To me food refusal is an excellent measure of how fast a dog's mind is spinning but not what is causing it's mind to spin! But that is just my opinion and I have to revise my opinions almost every time I start walking with a new dog...

 

[Adrianna & Calvin]

Personally I think it is far too simplistic a diagnostic test to say to someone who is thinking about remedying a dog behaviour problem that their dog is fear aggressive if it refuses food but it wants to play if it will eat or be distracted.

I put 'test' in quotes because this is a welcome thread on a dog training board, not an evaluation by a credentialed in-home behaviorist Of course 'the big picture' includes lots of things, and if an animal were to get a true behavioral diagnosis, a single parameter wouldn't be used to evaluate such a complex behavior, and I appreciate you pointing that out. But I think giving treats a try is a great way to start to figure things out, and expected that the OP could post back on what happens when he does that, or what makes him think she is/isn't friendly, etc. That's all, there was no intention of creating a diagnostic hammer.