Using distance for desensitisation

[Dawnspell]

I've been working for quite a while now on desensitising Jasper to certain things, mainly woofing at children, by finding his threshold point before he starts barking and rewarding for not barking.

Since he ran off the other week after getting the scent of a bitch in season, towards the end of a walk I've been finding somewhere to sit and doing basic focus training such as sits, down, give paw etc. He is very dog orientated wanting to play and say hello not bark and I stand no chance of anything I ask him to do being done if one is close by. Which is why he still gets walked on a long line on the beach

This morning we found a spot, he came up on the bench with me and was doing sits etc. Then caught sight of a dog and that was it his focus was gone. Now they say to keep reducing the distance as they become desensitised to each situation. This is a photo of the distance I'm up against. See the patch of beach in the distance? That's where he saw 2 dogs

[zeta1454]

I think with some dogs it can just be a question of accepting they are never going to be as reliable in every situation as you hope, especially breeds like schnauzers (and affenpinschers even more so) who have a mind of their own much of the time
Some of our dogs are pretty good at focus and recall for super tasty treats but with one or two we just know they are never going to respond to us unless they want to and it us just about managing situations, as you say, using a long line on the beach or (with a couple of ours) keeping them well back with distractions when other dogs are passing near.

Love the photo in context - that is so funny

[GoEmGo]

Monty is also very dog orientated. He's great off-lead in the park and his recall is getting so much better, but the moment a fellow canine enters his sightline, he's gone! He bolts. Nothing can bring him back. He just has to go and say hello! He has a penchant for westies too - we have a lot in our area and they are all lovely playful little things who adore Monty. I'm not sure I'll ever be any match for the allure of another dog!

[Dawnspell]

I take a different high value treat everyday. Today it was juicy roast beef could have been a lump of chalk the amount of interest he showed

Weird thing is at home he shows the same level of focus when learning something as he does for dogs etc when out. He knows nose targeting as "Touch" but sometimes does it with his paw. So I thought I'd teach him paw targeting this week as a separate command by getting him to touch a plastic disc with a paw. 4 sessions of around 5 mins and he's nailed it. He even does it with either his right or left paw

[Oscar 12345]

This made me smile Alison, my brilliance as a trainer really shows up when I am at home with Otto. I remember a trainer once saying to me that I had to make myself as interesting as sheep poo with Otto. It's so true, I couldn't compete with Otto's fascination of dogs when he was so young and he just hadn't experienced enough of them yet. I swear a year or so ago I could have been holding a whole roasted warm chicken dripping with juices in front of Otto but if dog too close he ain't interested. He's 3, it's just a wonderful age for him, he is so much more mature, I have never given a dog so much training and attention and it is all paying off now. He will still be very interested in some dogs and it will most likely be the ones that I think are inappropriate for him to get up and close to like large intact males but there are loads he will just ignore and of course he loves all girls. Just continue to mix it up, quiet places, busy places and let him get up and close to any dog that you think is appropriate. I kept a daily log of our walks, my situation was probably different to yours in that Otto reacted very very badly to all dogs so I was desperate to understand which dogs where ok, which breed, gender, age even colour, Made a note of every dog he met, what was the reaction, recorded the name so that I could always tell him who it was he was seeing on a walk. I don't know whether the suprelorin helped or put us back. Nearly a year of avoiding all dogs to then get to a situation where I can't wait to see other dogs for more socialisation. So time to mature is key and lots and lots of the right exposure to the point that they lose interest in some of it whilst not overwhelming. I don't use any treats at all but if another dog owner offers a dog treat to Otto whist out, it doesn't matter what the dog is he will sit down for the treat and any anxiety about the dog next to him just disappears, even a crabby old biscuit. My doggy owner friends here have helped me enormously by offering Otto treats. He never forgets a generous human. Also if I do lose his attention I talk to him about what he's looking at with a "look at that" so I can join in.

[Dawnspell]

Leigh I've just remembered I bought a book you recommended ages ago, Your end of the lead by Janet Finlay. That's my homework this weekend I'm sure there will be some useful info in there.

[Dawnspell]

We went to town this morning Jasper was in a semi listening mood so I decided I would get a coffee and try sitting in the bus station for desensitisation to anything. First I wanted a coffee from the kiosk its about 5 months since I last did this with him at this place. That time I had to stand on his lead to stop him lunging and woofing at everyone in the queue as I just could not get his attention for anything. Today he was really good boy he listened when I asked for sits although he had yoyo bum and so I had to feed constant treats to keep the sit. Then he decided he liked the wellies of the man in front and really wanted to sniff them So he was doing his standing on back legs and whining to get to him, but I called him and got his attention back on me then held back a bit and he stopped. A vast improvement.

We then sat on a bench in the bus station he decided my knee was the best view spot I was fine with that if he was calmer. He was doing fine with people passing no lunging or woofing. Then the pigeons started landing I was expecting him leaping off the seat and doing crazing dancing to get to them, his lead was tied to the seat so he could get on and off if he'd wanted to, but no he remained on the seat and watched heres proof


If he'd been on the ground I think it would have been totally different but he would never have stayed on the seat a few months ago. He had the equivalent of breakfast in roast beef treats this morning in rewards

[Schnauzerluv]

Haha Allison, i've had minis for 17 years, they are all the same pretty much! We are working on not barking at other dogs and ppl as well while on our walks or if they pass by the house. We are more in a subburd, so distance is not quite the same (lol at the picture), but it's a struggle none the same. Patience patience and more patience. They are smart enough to understand pretty much right away, but instinct and drive is very strong.

They always keep me on my toes!

[Dawnspell]

We live in country lanes not the town area I just take him there purely for training. At home the distraction is bigger birds one of our neighbours has guinea fowl and silver pheasants which they allow to roam freely and are semi tame. They are always rooting about in our bushes. In fact the silver pheasants have nested in our garden the last two years so there's been chicks as a further distraction and rabbits. He doesn't bark at them though just gets excited wanting to sniff but if they move quick he wants to chase

[Schnauzerluv]

Wow yeah lol! We don't have the same types of animals, but Ozzy's just learning about squirrels/chipmunks and birds. We also have a bunny or two nearby, but he hasn't seen any yet. The squirrels used to drive my Chelsea wild!