Having owned dogs for many years I feel that I should be able to cope with this problem and should have it well under control by now.

I just cannot stop my one year old (Buddy) from barking at other dogs when I take him out. It doesn't matter how big or small they are, as soon as he spots them, he just becomes very vocal. It's really embarrassing and I have slowly turned into the sort of walker that used to irritate me :D - 'that silly woman, can't she keep her dog quiet ?'

In the house, though, Buddy is SO good, very loving, obedient and happy. At training classes he got on very well with all the dogs he met. It's just this seeing them along the road that he has trouble with.

Will it always be like this...??!!!

I'm far from an expert but I'd try putting some stones/coins in a can, everytime your dog starts barking at another dog drop the can on the ground, hopefully the noise will distract him.You could also do this with a large set of keys. Theoretically he should stop barking and look at the can, then you could distract him further by offering a treat.Hopefully the other dog will be well on its way by now.
Julie :)
Sorry it's not a solution more of a distraction.Hope everything works out

Hi joyce - i was just about to post a thread myself about the terrible walk i have just had with mine and saw your post - is he barking agressively or wanting to go meet/play kind of thing? does he bark at other dogs off lead or only on? as you probably know all of these things make a difference to the kind of advice you need :) I'm off to post my thread now as I don't know what to do next either!! I'm sure someone will be along to help soon! julie:)

Hi to both Julies.

I do all my walking around estate roads so it's all on the lead.
He doesn't bark aggressively, it's more like ' what do you think you're doing walking around here ? - I never saw you yesterday, get off back to where you came from'.

I haven't actually tried the stones in the can, but will give it a go. I already take so much stuff out with me that one more 'accessory' shouldn't make any difference !! :D Just need a coat with bigger pockets !

Joyce

hiya Joyce
we have a simailar problem with murph ,I sometimes use a jiff lemon filled with water !!
A quick squirt a sharp NO ! and a walk on command and it seems to be working ( slowly :D) )
( It's also very easy to conceal about your person !!!!!:D) )
Liz :)

Joyce,
Don't panic you are not a failure you are like the rest of us only human and not perfect. You sound like I felt a couple of months ago with Cava, I really thought I was useless. Then I thought it out and realised adolescence had arrived and we just had to work and live through it. My problem was that once he was off lead I might as well have been on another planet for all the attention he paid me. Also I realised that the problem had been creeping up and I had been avoiding it by doing lots of on lead walks, in a way we have the same problem but opposites.
What breed is Buddy? I don't have a lot of time to write now but will be back on tonight. Is he being aggressive with the barking? What would happen if you walked along with the other dog? We have a GSD at class that greets everyone by lunge and bark but I think deep down it is lack of socialisation as if you get closer she settles.
Please don't let it put you off Buddy or make you start dreading walks, have you stopped going to classes, try going back. The worst thing you can do is avoid other dogs as it will make the problem greater both in reality and in your mind. Chin up speak later
Anne

Just wondering do you take the same route each time? If so try another route that may help, because some dogs think that is their territory. Work on the watch me and treat at home and the leave it. Junior is bad for that, but we have been really working on the watch me and now he looks at me and I'll treat or praise, different all the time. Bring the favorite toy the minute you know your dog is even thinking about it offer the play or watch me , leave it or what ever works. Hope this was at least some help.

Thanks, Anne, you're right, I need to approach this a bit more methodically !

Buddy is a Lowchen - and quite a small one at that - approx 12". He has no problems when he actually meets other dogs, and like the GSD at your class, I'm pretty sure the problem stems from lack of socialisation at the critical time - even though he lived with the breeder's other dogs for his first 6 months he was never taken out on proper walks etc.

If we met loads of dogs every time we went out I might gradually be able to get him used to them but we only see the odd one or two each time. I really need about 20 'stooge' dogs to come walking towards us at steady intervals, but obviously that is not very practical :) I wish training classes did this sort of thing, I'm sure it would help a lot of people.

Joyce

HI Jouce

YOU mustn't feel a failure, we all get days when it goes wrong, and I'm sure even the most experienced people on the board have dogs who have them stumped from time to time, and they have to work out a solution to a problem they have never had before.

I do agree with the fact that Buddy probably sees the area you walk in as his "territory" - especially if he is allowed to scent mark and other dogs do the same, also agree with the person (sorry forgot who - was it Mudduydogs ..?) who made the very wise point that the advice you need does depend partly on the reasons for Buddy's behaviour and attitude. I am a great believer in trying to assess this, because if a dog is barking out of fear it will need a different approach to one who is a bit of a bossy wotsit :D

If as you say he was only used to the breeders dogs for his first months then he will have missed out on some serious socialising and will probably be worried by strange dogs and want to scare them off. If this is the case then in my view he willl need to learn to associate the approaching dogs with good things, toys etc as others have said, but yet not be rewarded for his actual barking, the timing may be pretty crucial. If you can "fix" him on a precious toy it will really help :)

If he's not too bad, could you teach a "Quiet" - and anticipate him as he is about to bark, then reward with lots of praise, sausage or toy for good behavour? I feel it is important to reeward the good as well as telling him or showing him what you don't want :) That way he will get the message even quicker(we hope!)

Anyway good luck, he sounds a great little fella

Lindsay

Joyce,
Don't feel bad and don't give up hope. We've all been there. :)
I know I can speak for myself at least. :) My 'girls' are far from perfect. And I've worked with them for years :rolleyes: (sigh) :) I still have to 'maintain' their training constantly.
They whine at other dogs if I don't tell them to be quiet first. Samm will want to go play. Chienne will actually scream. They'll hush, but unless there's tons of dogs around, they won't relax. They'll go for months without problems and then whammo, something sets them off to bark or cry at other dogs nonstop despite my telling them to stop.

Chienne doesn't like other dogs and spends her time walking next to me. But on occasion she's seen another dog all the way across a field who catches her fancy and she's off like a jackrabbit. She'll be back, if I wait. She just decides meeting and greeting is her thing in life once or twice a year. :P I just have to be patient. :rolleyes:
My voice just doesn't carry that far against the wind and I feel stupid bellowing for nothing :P She's safe. If the dog doesn't like her, she's back ASAP! But that's only happened once in the years. Somehow she has some odd instinct about the 'strange' dog. They've both raced back to me. She's so delighted in her newfound courage and new friend :rolleyes: :)

They'll recall perfectly 20 times off lead, and then whammo, the 21st time...well, it's complete ignoring time from one or the other :P :)
For me, having dogs has been like this through the years. I accept it as normal. There's nothing that brings your ego right back down to earth as dogs :) :D :)
c'est la vie :)
So don't get discouraged and don't give up hope :) :)

<<< it's more like ' what do you think you're doing walking around here ? - I never saw you yesterday, get off back to where you came from'.>>>

May I ask if Buddy is allowed to 'mark his territory' along the route of your walks? If so, that increases the area of his 'turf' in his mind....from what you say, he doesn't sound aggressive to me...just maybe one of those 'big dogs' in little body types! ;) Not allowing him to sniff and mark along your walk may just stop him from barking at the odd dog or two that he perceives are on his turf!

<we've all been there> im STILL there !!! :D

Whenever Starr see's another dog in HER road, she goes mad. There is a westie in the flower shop opposite our house, and she goes mad. My two are always barking and palying etc, im supprised the neighbours across the road haven't complained yet :D

Seriously though Joyce, and Julie, don't give up hope as Toodles has said, you will get there in the end :D

NAtasha

My advice would be to attend a well run Dog Training class for control and socialisation combined. The instrucors can suggest techniques to use as well as your dog mixing with others of his kind and learning to behave around other dogs.

It really does help hearing that others have similar problems. I knew this was probably the case but reading about everyone's experiences makes a huge difference. As Sara says you have to accept that no-one has a perfect dog all the time.
Just to answer a few points - yes, he does scent mark but then so does my older dog and he has never been a barker outside. But I can see that there could be a connection, even though I do vary our walks. And yes I do think he is a big dog in a little body, Natasha :D

This is how I (try) to handle things at the moment - when we see another dog approaching I say 'good boy' as soon as I know he's seen it and while he's still quiet. When he barks, he looks at me to be told off, I say 'quiet Buddy' he stops for a second, then has another go. I know he's not being aggressive, just very vocal. Sometimes, though, when I'm feeling particularly weary, I'll just pick him up and cover his eyes before he spies the dog ! Is this pathetic or what !!?? But at least we avoid the barking.

Although I know that training classes do help with control and socialisation, I've never attended one that deals with this specific problem. When I used to take Buddy, he was one of the best behaved. But the very dogs he was fine with in the class would be the same ones he would bark at if he met them out on a walk :)

Joyce,
It could be that he's anxious when he's walking up to another dog. That 'bark' and then look to you is Chienne's way of asking if everything is copacetic. I tell her 'ok' and 'settle' then she's ok.

Covering your dog's eyes -- :D :D :D :D YEP, I've done that one with Samma :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D :P Can we say --- SQUIRRELS!!!!! Argh! But it does work in a pinch :)

Hmm, have you ever tried turning back, taking about 10 steps, then correcting towards your original direction? I've done that one. It releases some of the anxiety/stress towards an unknown situation and focuses the dog's attn. back on you.

As I said, we've all been there. :) So don't give up hope, just change tactics :) It's like having a bag o'tricks handy. If one method doesn't work, try another. On a different day, that first method would work. I know my girls aren't always the same every day :rolleyes: --- the moody bitches :) :D :) So I have to occasionally 'adjust for fire' :)
toodles

Good morning Joyce
you made me laugh >I pick up the dog and cover her eyes <
(I have visions of people with all sizes and shapes of dogs trying to carry them with their eyes covered !!--' Don't look Ethel ' :D
just a thought -have you tried ignoring him?
Not even acknowleding that he's spied the other dog
This is a problem that I am working on aswell- the class that I attend the chap says 'on all accounts keep walking ,the minute you change your step or stop to correct the dog -he has had a result which encourages the behaviour .
like I say I'm working on this too ,let me know how you get on ;)
Liz

Hi Liz,
I think your 'chap' while meaning well, isn't quite realizing how sensitive dogs are. By the very fact that we're 'noticing' another person/dog, our body reacts. Even attempting to keep the same step in our walk --- causes change just because it has become conscious effort. :)
We've tensed up ever so slightly-- ergo, the realization by the dog that something has changed. I don't think we even notice the change, but it happens :rolleyes: I don't think there's any prevention for it, since we do it when we're not accompanied by dogs. I do it because of balance and vision focus. :)

Still, it's a good idea... just realize though, that body talk tells on you no matter what :) :) :P :) :) "Act cool, man" :P

morning Sara
thats the point I was trying to make ( obviously not very well) ;)
Liz

:) :) :) G'morning Liz :) :) :)

Just thinking out loud here, not directed at Liz ;) ... please bear with me ;)
Ok, dog 1 has noticed another dog approaching. Dog 2 is calm or excited, doesn't matter which. It's dog 1 that is your concern. He whines, then barks.

The eagerness is mounting up to meet with the other dog. His behavior could escalate or stay the same, regardless, it's not what the owner desires the dog to do.

If owner turns around suddenly and walks in the other direction...isn't she doing the opposite of dog1 wants to do?

---confusion, startlement, oh... Dog1 wants to look behind him to see where possible buddy/enemy is. Owner doesn't allow it by keeping on walking. When dog 1 becomes calm, she turns back in the original direction.

Starts over again with the same process, rinse, repeat ;) :P

My question is:.... wouldn't Dog1 eventually realize that the only way he's going to get what he wants (to meet) is to behave normally and quietly?
I look at this 'method' of madness as introducing the dog to stress, when he reacts, releasing that stress by making him back off until he can handle it...similar to water boiling and releasing steam.
oh well. jmho :)

I think I need to devote more time to sorting this out. I always seem to be working against the clock trying to fit in dog walking, work, domestic things etc.

Perhaps if I spend some time walking Buddy on his own at the weekend, actually looking for other dogs rather than avoiding them, I can concentrate on trying different things and seeing what might work. In the early days he used to bark at the first people he saw when we left the house, which I'm pretty sure was excitement, but I have managed to get him out of this habit. So hopefully, armed with all the advice from here, I will get this sorted, as well !

You've all been really helpful - thanks

Joyce

Joyce,
I just emailed you concerning the other 'matter'... let me know if you don't get it soon and I'll resend :) :)

I think it it interesting that Buddy looks to you, Joyce, after he has barked - imho it's simply because he knows he has a reaction from you - and it could even be that which keeps him going!!!

If you as his owner were taken out of the equation, I wonder if he would still bark at approaching dogs..? Hmm, more things to mull over!! :D

John Fisher used to tie a dog up to a strong hook, and when the dog barked at an approaching dog, the owners turned their backs or walked away. As soon as the dog stopped barking, he was rewarded with the owners attention, praise, game, treat, or whatever is the dog's personal jackpot of overflowing happiness :)

He often noticed an extinction burst, which is where many will naturally give up; where the dog barks more and more and goes bananas!!! Owners 100% ignorted the dog. After this, the dog would accept that no matter how much he barked, the approaching dog did not go away.

I guess Buddy's reward is maybe this -do other dog owners cross over, does the dog seem to Buddy to eventually go away? HIs reward in his canine perception may also be that he feels he has done a good job and also got a reaction from you. If you can work out his "reward" it may help too.

Please do keep your chin up and feel that there IS a solution, it's just a matter of what suits you and Buddy, and also what you can practically manage to do.

Lindsay

Thanks, Lindsay. You could be right, maybe Buddy likes to get some kind of reaction from me.

Also, although in the house he is not a dominant dog, when we're out he does tend to adopt a 'leader of the pack' type of attitude. So maybe he sees it as part of his job to look after me and his big brother !

Sara, hubby has just confirmed that your e-mail has arrived. I will reply to you this evening.

Thanks a lot

Joyce