Where to focus for the dog reactive dog?

[Shamas mom]

Shamas is coming along with his dog reactivity. The trainer has had him working on LAM/LAT and he's good at it in controlled environments...but the moment you add stimuli he still falls apart.

I'm wondering if he'd benefit more from some basic handling? Mainly HEEL, which I've never succesfully taught him? Now that dogs are out and about again, I've been using a simple "Thisway" and redirecting him each time he nears threshold and it's going well. Since most dogs he's going to meet will NOT be in controlled environments....and he missed most of Feb,Mar due to the trainer getting a job training for movie dogs.....I feel like he's not prepared for the spring's influx of dogs on the street. Perhaps having the ability to attend me on the leash would help more than the LAM game???

 

[Atemas]

When I sense Red is going to over react to an approaching dog, I run my hand down her lead with my left hand and hold a fistful of treats over her nose, saying ‘this way’ and leading her on quickly. If she manages that successfully, she gets the treats and I find myself saying ‘good choice’!!! Some dogs (usually the small yappy ones) really set her off and we still get the odd lunge. There is one particular dog, I try to avoid - we came across her unexpectedly last evening - Red did quite well but still lunged. It’s a work in progress but the focus is on my hand with the treats.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

I'll be interested what others say, particularly @snowbunny . In addition to what you are already doing, the game she described a few months ago - sorry, can't remember the name - that involved doing quick turns has been very helpful to me. Most dogs Carbon can now pass without an issue (he's very keen on getting his treat for 'See the puppy'), however sometimes another dog appears in a tight situation and I just know a quick 360 is the best strategy. He also loves when we practice turns and angles just for the heck of it - a lot more fun than a plain heel.

And then sometimes it's just 'treat on the nose and get past the scary dog on the street' time. No, it's not ideal, but if I can't turn him away and think he may go for another dog, it's better to stick that treat on his nose and barrel on past than risk him having a growly episode.

Continuing to get Shamas to focus on you (Look at Me) as a true default would probably take precedence over focusing on a heel. I notice with Carbon that if he really is watching me while were walking, he's stuck to my side in a tight heel anyway. When his attention drifts away and he starts to get further from me (so at the end of the lead), lately I've tried just waiting him out and then marking when his head turns back my way. This has meant that he's effectively 'checking in' on lead (something he already knows off lead). I've just been doing this a couple weeks, but I notice the 'brain drift' moments are getting fewer, his focus on me is getting better and his loose leash walking is improving.

I'm not a trainer though and as I've discovered the past month, I'm still pretty clueless about all this! These are just a few things that seem to be working for Carbon lately.

 

[Anne123]

When it is possible I use scatter...I throw a few little treats on the ground so that he is occupied finding the treats and the other dog will walk by without Finn reacting to him. Sometimes I am too late and the other dog too close. I use then LAT with a high value treat. Sometimes this works, other times not...

 

[snowbunny]

And then sometimes it's just 'treat on the nose and get past the scary dog on the street' time. No, it's not ideal, but if I can't turn him away and think he may go for another dog, it's better to stick that treat on his nose and barrel on past than risk him having a growly episode.

I disagree about it not being ideal - it's absolutely ideal!

Here's the thing, there's a big difference between training/therapy and management. The therapy side of it is about making your dog feel better about the thing he currently feels icky about. You do that when you have control of the environment.
When you do not have control of the environment, you are in management territory, and that means having a selection of well-rehearsed strategies for getting out the other side, preferably without a reaction.
For me, these include doing about turns ( A to B ), feet up (on an object or on me), slow scatter feeding, hand targeting, and all sorts of others. As a last resort, he has a middle position where I can hold his collar with both hands so that I have him under control while the other person sorts out their dog.

Teaching your dog to look at you will not make him feel better about the trigger. Do you feel better about something you're worried about if you're not allowed to look at it? Probably not. However, if you can use that as a tactic to "get out of Dodge", then it is a very useful management tool to have in the moment.

Also remember that when you are using food as a tool for counter-conditioning, the food should not be contingent on behaviour. You are trying to fix the emotions, not the behaviour.

 

[Shamas mom]

I disagree about it not being ideal - it's absolutely ideal!

Here's the thing, there's a big difference between training/therapy and management. The therapy side of it is about making your dog feel better about the thing he currently feels icky about. You do that when you have control of the environment.
When you do not have control of the environment, you are in management territory, and that means having a selection of well-rehearsed strategies for getting out the other side, preferably without a reaction.
For me, these include doing about turns ( A to B ), feet up (on an object or on me), slow scatter feeding, hand targeting, and all sorts of others. As a last resort, he has a middle position where I can hold his collar with both hands so that I have him under control while the other person sorts out their dog.

Teaching your dog to look at you will not make him feel better about the trigger. Do you feel better about something you're worried about if you're not allowed to look at it? Probably not. However, if you can use that as a tactic to "get out of Dodge", then it is a very useful management tool to have in the moment.

Also remember that when you are using food as a tool for counter-conditioning, the food should not be contingent on behaviour. You are trying to fix the emotions, not the behaviour.

The about turn is the thing we're working on with now- Shamas seems to like this option. Just a twitch of the lead and quiet "this way"
There's a new dog across the street, and the owner has taken to sitting out front with her. As she's a calm old lady, she's perfect for Shamas to practice with. She rarely even acknowledges him. If he shows any discomfort whatsoever, we simply turn about and make distance. Then I have him sit, LAM and treat. He gets a YES! and treat for any time he looks at her and back at me. Then, when he looks relaxed again, we will start over, walking towards home(the dog is between home and his favorite sniffy place)If he tenses, we repeat process.

It seems to take about 3 tries to get TO the tracks, and about 1/2 hour to get home. But Shamas isn't willing to change his walking route and I feel like this is good for him