Hi all i`m hoping that someone can give me a bit of advice.
My dog is around the year old mark and we`ve had her about 3 months now, she`s been very good at learning things so far and we`ve managed to sort out most of her problems but there is one thing that we can`t seem to solve so i`m hoping that someone here can offer some advice.
When we take her for walks at night she`s taken to running up to people and barking at them, this started when there were groups of youths hanging around and is getting worse she used to go up to people and look at them and wag her tail to say hello and often she gets a quick pat as she`s very friendly.
However she now seems to want to go and bark at everyone, she`s particularly bad at night in the dark and i like to walk her off lead in open fields where i can but we almost always seem to encounter groups of older kids and this sets her off.
I think that she seems to pick up that i feel a bit nervous and this may be leading her to think that she`s warning people off but now she`s doing it all the more.
When i`ve spoken to people when i`m out and explained things they`re usually fine but i really want her to stop doing this, some people have tried to help by talking to her when she does it put if they reach out to pat her she backs away barking and seems really defensive, i can stop her by making sure she has a toy to keep her occupied or by putting her on her lead but i don`t really want to do this all the time i want to know how to stop it happening in the first place.
Hope someone can help. :confused:

Have you watched the dog shows on TV? They give good tips:

http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/

http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/I/itsmeorthedog/index.html

Take some treats with you and teach him to come back to you when called. Get his attention off the people hes wanting to bark at and once hes come back to you or isnt bothering them give him a treat, he'll soon learn coming back to you or being quiet gets him a treat. After a while you won't need to have treats...

Ive never had a dog but thats what Id try if I were you.

Is it friendly, excitable barking? Or is it always the defensive barking?
What breed of dog is she?
What do you do when she does this?

Cesar Millan is a load of old cobblers and I would not recommend bothering with anything he has to say. One dog was fatally injured whilst at his 'rehab centre' and several owners have been bitten by following his advice.

You already know when it's happening which is a big bonus, now figure out what you're doing as a response to it, and what she finds most reinforcing - some dogs prefer food, some a toy and some (few) their owners praise.

You need to gently desensitise her to them, (NOT flood her like CM would) this consists of staying some way off on a loose lead from a group youths - at a distance that she's comfortable with and rewarding her for good, quiet behaviour.
VERY gradually move closer to them - it'd really help if you knew anyone of this age group who you could meet on a regular basis as it would most likely take more than one session.
Only ever push her as far as she can cope with - she has to be comfortable with the situation you're putting her in and be able to stay quiet.

Little by little get her used to being closer to them and eventually try giving them a ball to throw or a treat to throw to her without her having to go close to them.

If this is excitable barking, talking to her will make her worse because she's getting attention and if its defensive, talking will probably put her even more on edge. She doesn't want to be talked to - find something she does want and aim to get these groups of youths to provide it in order for her to associate them with being reinforcing.

Sorry this is so quick, we're putting a film on but contact me if you want more info!

Thankyou Lottie!
Pm sent

Totally agree with Lottie's advice and CM fills me with horror he should not have a show on television :rant:

Is Dog Borstal any good?

Dog Borstal is sort of border line... there's some real rubbish on their sometimes, what's most worrying is the way the general public interpret it.

Dog Borstal trainers rely a lot on aversives which is fine if that's how you want to train your dog but personally I'd rather train a positive way, it has less possible negative side effects than aversive training.

The problem with any TV dog trainer is it looks like one method suits all and it doesn't. It also looks like it all happens very quickly whereas a real behaviour modification programme would take time if done properly. People rush it and it doesn't work or worse, it makes the dog far worse.

Hiya i have a problem with one of mine dogs, i have 4 shih tzu's, she is the oldest, she is 5, the problem is when i have been out and arrive home they hear the car pull up and she continues to bark, and still bark when i walk through the door, she sees who i am, and continues.

If any one is at home, and i come home on my own, they pick her up and she dosnt bark. Can anyone tell why she does this and what can be done please.

shihtzumad...

What's your reaction to her barking? The best way to deal with it is to completely ignore her until she stops - however long it takes, don't give her any recognition at all.
When she stops barking, then you can fuss her, if she starts again, stand up and ignore her.

She's doing it because she's excited and she's probably been reinforced for it by you fussing her while she's been barking at some point.

If she's been reinforced a lot, she'll have built up a reinforcement history which means the extinction of the behaviour (ignoring it) may take a little longer than expected but stick with it.

Dogs are pretty simple, they repeat behaviours they find rewarding, they don't repeat behaviours that get them nowhere. So make the unwanted behaviour unrewarding and make sure it gets her nowhere (NOBODY in the house pay her attention), and make the good behaviour when it finally emerges, rewarding.

thanks lotti, i will defo try it, when she is barking i tell her to shut up and ignore her, she gets no fuss, thanks :)

Don't even talk to her, don't acknowledge her at all... as though you can't hear her.

Even telling her to shut up is attention in some form. :) Good luck, let me know how you get on!

thank you lotti will let you no

My dog has been know to drive groups of youngsters up trees in terror! he's calmed down now, and I knew he didnt mean any harm, but boy he can be scary when he wants to.

The fact is though, he does that becuase he thinks they are a threat, hands in pockets, hoods up, even people sneezing if its dark. He was much worse when we first got him, and over time he has learnt to interpret more subtly. In fact I often talk with groups of young people because he's a bully cross and they like to interact and ask questions. He is always on his toes and ready to warn them off though, so I have to be very confident and careful.

You need patience, lots of it and persistence. Also if people are nice about it you dont have such a big problem. Are you maybe a bit nervous in case your dog bites someone? Just remember if a dog wants to bite you it will, if its floating around in front of you/them barking then it doesnt want to bite it wants to warn. Same with horses if a flying hoof just skims your head, thats not a near miss, its a warning shot. They tend to say exactly what they mean.

Sounds like a really nice dog. Dont do anything to stress or confuse. Work with what you've got. He/she stops eventually and is not really attacking anyone. I agree a good recall will help and it makes them feel more secure once they learn it. The leash can make them feel safer too, but that depends on your dog (mines a big coward really so he likes to go on it when pressured). You could be right as well, if you are nervous she will quickly pick up on it. Maybe a cheery hallo to everyone you see, and a few exchanged words, whilst just ignoring her will let her see that the situation is under control and you are fine (probaly followed by a recall once you've learned it). If you feel threatened she will know, and a cheery exchange could make you all feel happier. Also you could try walking in full daylight or complete darkness, some animals find twighlight very exciting/stressfull as its the main hunting period in the wild and their instincts will prevail.

Oh and use positives as much as possible, I can honestly say I have used a negative action only twice to train my dog, that was a muzzle and a cold water spray - each use once or twice to make the situation clear and then never again. I dont smack or anything else, but I do use sausage (dried from pet shop) jerky, pate on bits of biscuit (this works wonders but not very portable) doggie chocs and letting him carry his toy for a while, and lots of pats, smiles, and nice words. Your dog sounds too nice to be reprimanded. Lottie will have lots of specific advice I'm sure.

Why not let us know how you get on anyway? Good luck and stay cool, give your dog a lead by being brave and confident and you'll be half way there.

What a lovely reply, thanks for all your advice and suggestions.
Lottie has sent me several pm`s and has been very helpful.

Our monster is getting better but still has a long way to go, she`s definitely picking up my nervousness and this is making her behave the way that she is and also now she`s starting to grow she`s very bouncy which will frighten some people until she tries to lick them to death if she gets close enough lol
I`ve been looking for a suitable whistle but i`ve not found one yet, i`ll maybe get chance to look later on this week and see if this helps.

i`ll keep you updated on the progress.:thumbsup:

How old is your dog G?

i watch the dog whisperer on one of the freeview channels, he covers alsorts of dog behaviour, hes pretty good