i have had a few socialisation problems with my vizsla which are coming along nicely and she is so much better than she was.

i put her on the lead to walk past a dog so i have full control of her and am able to praise her when she is good. but over the last 2 weeks she has started lunging at the dogs as we go past which is really unlike her. she is really scared of dogs. she also barks when she does it and this starts my other dog of. basically it is really embarissing when it happens and i am at a lost of why it has started to happen after a year of really good work with her.

even if i put her in a sit she will  get up (which is really unusual as i have a finish command for when she is allowed and she used to be really good.).

basically what i want to ask is 1. any suggestions on how i can stop it as i don't want it to become a habit and 2. the only thing i have changed is the fact that i am now walking her in a harness instead of a head collar - do you think this could be the cause of it starting (ie the harness is making her feel more confident)

any suggestions would be great (apart  from any stupid ones about e collars)

thanks in advance

anna

Yes, harnesses can make a dog more confident (Ttouch uses body wraps which help with confidence issues), a halter or head collar also gives you more control over the dogs head, so you have the power to turn her head away from the perceived threat.  I have to say I wonder if by using a headcollar in the past, you have been managing the problem rather than solving it - your girl hasn't learnt any coping stratagies to deal with her fears, she's just learnt she HAS to walk past other dogs with you in control of where he head is pointing.

I'd also suggest she's getting up from a sit because she's feeling vulnerable and wants to be able to 'fight or flight'.

If she were my dog, I'd be walking both dogs seperatly, and working on socialisation with other dogs at a controlled distance rather than forcing her to take them on in close proximity.

we have been doing loads of coaping stratagies with her. and wear ever possible i don't walk close to dogs at all. it is very hard to avoid all dogs at a distance in london tho.
the reason why i ask her to sit is because when ever she sees a dog far away she comes to me and sits by my side and looks for a treat. we have tried many stratagies to help her think about something else rather than the dog but she doesn't feel confident doing a watch me as she hates making eye contact.

the other thing i meant to say is that she only used to wear a head collar on lead and when meeting dogs in the park i only use her collar as she wears a muzzle as a precaution.

she is not completly unsociallised as  she has many doggie friends that she will happily walk and play with no problem it is just new dogs that pose a problem with her.
she also will go up to dogs and sniff them but if they turn around she immediately sits on her tail and shys away. the problem is - she never gives a warning growl and some times she is brill with dogs and other times she just snaps - hense the muzzle as a precaution.

i used to walk the dogs seperately but the problem came that to give them good enough walks i would have to be walking for 6hrs a day - which is quite rediculous. also my other dog is noise phobic so will not come out after it gets dark as she thinks there will be fireworks she also on walks tries to run home.

i am at aloss really cos i don't know what i have done wrong - everyone always tells me that i am brilliant with them and i am just worried that their problems are all my fault.

also when i do walk her past other dogs i never pulled her head away from looking at them - only if she got into a stare with them.

i hope some one can help  me cos my walks are really not very enjoyable at the moment

anna

Hi Anna

It sounds like she is very unsure of strange dogs, for whatever reason.  For this reason, although it is good that she has doggy friends, you also need to practise with strange dogs around.  And not just one or two, because then they will be a novelty.  You need something like a parade of strange dogs to go past her, so that eventually she realises (becomes habituated) to the fact that they are not a threat.

The strange dogs should be at a distance she is comfortable with, and that she shows no reaction at, to begin with.  You should click and treat that "comfortableness".  Repeat many times.

Then they would parade by at a slightly closer distance.  If she remains comfortable, click and treat.   Repeat many times.

The rules might be hard for you to follow if you live in London though - because while you're going through this slow desensitisation to other dogs, you should not let another strange dog get closer to her than the distance you have previously trained her to be comfortable at.  Does that make any sense?  For example, if she is fine with lots of strange dogs at about 20 metres away, walking past her, and then you walk on a pavement and come across a dog 2 metres away, which she is scared or aggressive of - then you will have undone all your good work.

Plus it's not exactly easy to set up parades of dogs.  One way might be to take her to some open shows, if they are held outside in a spacious country-ish area - enter her, so that you are "allowed" into the show area, but don't go in the ring, obviously.  Then you can spend the day standing at very slowly decreasing distances away from the rings, observing the other dogs, and clicking and treating constantly for calm, unafraid, unaggressive behaviour. 

By the way, I would literally carry a whole load of incredibly tasty treats, and if you meet a dog and she is fine with it and not aggressive (or afraid), click, draw her away slightly by the lead and give her LOADS of treats.  Remember to draw away from the other dog's reach or you could have a food fight on your hands!

Another suggestion is to take her on one of the Kay Lawrence courses - clicker and positive reinforcement only, although no prior experience necessary.  Kay has a course specifically for dogs which have problems relating to other dogs.  Not necessarily aggressive, but possibly afraid or undersocialised etc.  It is called the "Progressive Social Development" course, and is held over one-day, 9-5.  I've just checked her website to give you a link to it, but they've changed a few things round and I can't see it listed there anymore, so you might want to email them and ask about it.

Here is the link to their website: <a class='url' href='http://www.learningaboutdogs.com/acatalog/shop.html'>http://www.learningaboutdogs.com/acatalog/shop.html</a>

Thanks for your reply it has been really helpful. i have taken her on a "growl class" course hich has really helped and i am using most of the techniques that you have given.
i have just started doing ringcraft with her and she behaved impecibaly with all the dogs. i am going to start taking her to someopen shows and see how she goes. it is hard setting up a parade of dogs as you have said. all of what you have said has been really helpful in reminding me of what to do - i was just a bit puzzled as to why a new behaviour has popped up when she has been doing so well.

i will try and take her to some shows and stay there longer than neccessary so that she sees loads of dogs.

thanks again for all your help and hopefully we may see some inprovement in the next couple of months.
i think i will start walking with a head collar again just for more control.
the other thing with clicking and treating is that she has a muzzle on so to give a treat i have to give it by turning her head and giving it through the side which is not great when you want to continue to click and treat throughout the dog beiing near her.

thanks again
anna