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Dylan - Next Behaviour To Tackle


Abby

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Okay, so Dylan's endless barking at me is really improving now, so I think it's time to consider the next little 'issue'. Sorry for the long post - stick with me :flowers:

 

Him and Clive have a bumpy relationship, mostly very happy with each other, but at times they clash and I think it will be so for a while longer at least while they finish any left-over teenagerishness.

 

But, Dylan has got into the habit out on walks of barking in Clive's face. We think he's trying to get him to play, as he does this more often after he's been playing with other dogs and is excited - though sometimes he does it from the beginning of a walk. Problem is, he's being very rude with it, very in Clive's face, and it's not on. A couple of weeks ago they had a fight when Clive had had enough of this.

 

Currently we are putting him on the lead for a short time out when he does it in an attempt to head it off, and while this works in the short term (i.e. maybe three time outs and he gets the message on that walk), it doesn't seem to have a lasting effect (he will do it again later in the walk and on the next walk). He looses his concentration and hearing when he's doing this, so its hard to get him to focus on us.

 

I'm thinking at the moment its a mixture of frustration and excitement. We don't have any toys out on walks now due to squabbles over them (the boys compete too hard) but some days I take Dylan out seperately just for some kong chasing. This is lovely as it is his favourite thing and great exercise for him, but makes him want it on every walk, which I think in turn makes him frustrated on joint walks where he doesn't get the kong, so he trys to get Clive to play as described. Btw they do play really well on walks to, including chasing. Depends on their mood (well, Clive's really). I think Dylan gets bored on walks with no toys - he's not the commited sniffer that Clive is.

 

Any ideas of how to tackle this behaviour very gratefully received (btw I don't do any aversives :flowers: )

 

Abby

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Maybe its the name? My Dylan barks at me lots and also barks in other dogs faces.

 

Does Dylan only do it to Clive or to other dogs?

 

Sorry i don't have any real advice but i can tell you how i deal with it.

 

He learning to play quite nicely (he has fear agressive and no manners) but anytime he starts shouting right in another dogs face to get them to play i say enough and put him on his normal lead and move him away from the other dog(s). I do a few sits and downs or whatever and then once he's calm he can go back on his long line to play.

 

It seems (in his case) to be purely overexcitedness and a lack of being able to ask dogs to play nicely.

 

Sorry that wasn't very helpful was it :rolleyes:

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Actually that was reually helpful just becasue it sounds exactly like our Dylan. He's only every done it to one dog apart from Clive, and that was a dog we were walking as well, but we had him on the lead to start with and that is when Dylan did it. As soon as we let this dog off, Dylan left him be.

 

I like the idea of not only putting him on the lead but distracting him with some commands, will give that a go.

 

I'm sure its a mixtureu of excitement and frustration because he's worse when he's had a run around with other dogs that are more his speed. On the otheru hand, he and Clive had a greuat play this morning, chasing each other, so I know they can do it :rolleyes:

 

THanks

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Alfie does exactly the same thing with Pixie. She just stands there, staring into the distance, with a look that says 'I'm ignoring you :whistle: '. If she persists, he tries to grab one of her back legs. I usually bark at him then and he stops :blush02: It's totally a game for him and he's desperate for a game of chase.

 

Alfie is like Jemimap's Dylan. He has fear agression. He just shouts at other dogs from a distance so it's a case of distraction techniques, getting him back on the lead, then walking over and chatting to the other owners. He's fine when meeting the other dog is enforced.

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Sophie does this to Morse. She barks in his face until he runs so she can chase him. Normally Morse is up for a game and will run, but if he isn't he'll just stand there with Sophie barking in his ear (see the strip of pics in my signature for an illustration). He will tell her off, but only very occasionally. Generally if we think Sophie is bothering Morse we distract her with buscuits - the time it takes her to eat them tends to give her time to calm down. She also sometimes goes back on lead for a bit of a calm down if she is too over the top.

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