@timmygvsu This is 100% true, Mabel is my first pup and there are things I wish I could go back and help her with, knowing what I know now. I think the next step is definitely enlisting the help of a trainer, she’s been to some obedience classes, but nothing else.
I also read that dog parks can be extremely detrimental to their success, which I didn’t know.
@oranget Unfortunately, your pup will learn the worst habits from the worst dogs at the dog park.
You really need to concentrate on finding trustworthy companions that you can meet up with, in safe and controlled spaces.
In the interim, you are doing a lot of things right - the learning curve is steep with new puppies. Don't lose hope. And if you're not getting traction, a board & train isn't giving up - a B&T will boost Mabel through the most difficult part - and then it's much easier for you to maintain success than to correct.
Please try to find a balanced trainer that you click with.
@timmygvsu Thank you! I’m thinking I’m going to scrap the dog parks completely. We haven’t been since there’s snow everywhere and very low temps, but she has a dog brother and my sister has her own 8 week old puppy that she brings over periodically so I think I’ll stick with that for now.
She’s already improving, as someone previously suggested I started incorporating “decompression walks” into the end of our day. We live on a dead end street, so sometime before 10:00 PM, we walk down the road without those tools.
It has seemed to really help with some of her frustration, that and the “look at that” game + higher value treats and I’ve really seen a difference in focus / listening!
@oranget Sorry I didn't notice your reply earlier.
It sounds like you are really doing a great job.
Some things to think about:
- Dogs need time to just be dogs. To wander, run, sniff, and just 'be' in nature. You must create that opportunity for your dog. Your decompression walks sound like you are doing the right kind of things here.
- She's very young. A lot of the wild energy will settle once she's over two. Recall, leash manners, etc. usually gets easier later.
- Be consistent. They benefit so much from knowing 'if I do X then Y will happen'.
- Love her - and give her the space to be herself.
@timmygvsu I have seen enormous improvement just from implementing decompression walks. Today we took a hike through the woods without the use of any tools and it was wonderful!
It has definitely helped to go back to square one. I’ve currently scrapped tools except for her front-clip harness / leash which she seems most comfy with!
@oranget Op please realize that you will be saying exactly what you just said for the entire life of your dog and that is totally ok! It’s more than ok, you’re wanting to learn for the sake of your dog. Some people just say ef it and keep their dog inside until it gets old or send it to the pound. Your first dog you learn soooooo much. So so much. Every month you’ll look back and say “oh my god if I only knew then what I know now”
@timmygvsu 100% agree, we were surprised when our trainer told us to square our shoulders and “walk with purpose.” That along with using the prong to enhance communication is what made our dog stop pulling.
@oranget My border collie was very leash reactive when I first rescued him, using a prong while enlisting other verbal cues for engagement is the only thing that really helped. I was able to phase the prong out after several months of the same routine and then switch to low level stim on an e collar eventually and then completely phase that out after a few months or work. Almost a year later I still have to make our walks very engaging or he will regress back into his old behaviors but he’s also still in his adolescent phase so I expect that to continue for awhile yet.
@oranget This age was the hardest for my GSD, and honestly the peak of her leash reactivity. Sounds like you’re already on the right track with a trainer who’s recommending the right things (stepping back from walks, focusing on engagement, keeping your dog below threshold, etc), so I’ll just send some encouragement. My GSD is 2.5 years old now and she very rarely reacts anymore to dogs. If she does, it’s usually just a bit too much staring for my liking which I interrupt quickly and we move on. It took about 6 months to truly get to this point so it doesn’t happen overnight but trust me, it’s so worth it! Walks with her are actually enjoyable now and we’ve graduated to off leash walks (on off leash hike paths or beaches) where we don’t have to worry about her being overexcited if she sees other dogs and can recall her away with ease.
Regarding tools: we did use a prong and ecollar on our dog to reinforce some of her training and I fully support the responsible use of both tools. However, the tool itself won’t fix this behavior - only training and getting in lots of reps of engage/disengage in the presence of triggers will do that. Our trainer had us stop doing walks completely for about a month and focus only on engagement via positive reinforcement before we reintroduced any tools at all. Engagement is key in these scenarios, especially with a high prey drive like you probably have with a shepherd mix! It’s not an easy road but you’re on the right track, good luck!
