Hello I’ve got a 2 year old female American showline GSD. We’ve had her for about 6-7 months so far. She’s a rescue and is very leash reactive, she used to pull like a mother trucker but now only does it if she sees another dog or realllllly has to go the bathroom. When I got her she knew nothing besides being potty trained. She’s leant sit, stay, lay, wait, both paws shake, my main issue are her reactivity and leave it command. We’re slowly slowly making progress with two years worth of her not being trained, I know I’m in for a journey but was hoping for some tips that helped y’all out throughout your training. We live in a small town that can get quite busy sometimes I try not to get too upset with her outside when she gets distracted bc Ik she can’t help it. Although I’ve been working on leave it and focus training for about two months and seeing some progress. Sorry for rambling
@paterfamilia From one "powerbreed" owner to another:
Never seek other powerbreed owners out to help you with your dog. They often suggest very harsh methods that aren't necessary for these dogs. These dogs are sensitive, they do not need that.
But, as for training advice:
Avoid aversive "quick fixes". No leash pops, No prongs. No slip leads. No ecollars.
With reactivity, your goal is to keep the distance where your dog isn't reacting to the trigger. For instance, if your dog reacts at 12 feet, keep things at 15 feet where the dog notices the trigger but isn't reacting or freezing.
Leave your emotions outside of the training session. Being upset with the dog is not going to be conductive for your training. Anytime you start to get upset, go home. If you know something triggers you I'd avoid it.
Loose leash walking is a combination of multiple skills. Work on engagement before you work on loose leash walking. Start in a low distraction environment and slowly raise that distraction and keep away from triggers.
Hire a trainer from this guide. There is no need to make life harder for yourself by doing it yourself.
For leave it, check out Kikopup's videos on the topic.
@eront I really appreciate your input!!! This morning she saw an old timer who rides around on his motorized wheelchair he usually has his dog peach’s a small white poodle in his lap they were across the street, she saw them before I did she sat on instinct which made me very happy. He didn’t cross the street towards us but kept going straight once he started cross though she started to bark. Not sure exactly the distance but usually she’ll see one a whole block or two away and start barking, her alertness and sense of smell is too good for me to catch 100% of the time. I’d also like to add that I have done leash pops and I do have a slip lead and they both seems to do nothing besides probably stressing her out. With her reacting it’s a mix of a bark and a bowel more higher pitch then a low throaty growl so I don’t think it’s aggressive but my fiancé thinks other wise. If I can I’ll try uploading a video so y’all can see it in person
@paterfamilia It sounds like that was a response where she was building anxiety. When encountering a thing like that, you leave when you notice it so she can't fixate or wind herself up.
I would recommend working with that certified trainer to help you be aware of her triggers more effectively. Do not hire a trainer outside of the guide.
