I started rewarding the first 1-2 barks, then i check on the offender, end with a “thank you, that’s enough”

[wallnutbob]

@dudette554 It takes time, but pairing seeing another dog/person with looking at you and coming back to your side to get a treat works phenomenally well. It has to be a very high reward treat to divert their attention.

My steps were-
Dog starts barking, we stop and back up to where the dog stops barking. Treat until dog is calmed down by asking for "come here" and "sit". Step forward slowly while treating and stop if dog becomes to aroused. Change route or inch by (whatever the situation allows).

Dog starts barking, I hold my hand in front of their nose with the treat in my fist. Dog pays attention to my fist and licks/bites at to try to get the treat. Walk slowly past the target. Stop every few seconds, ask them to "sit" and treat. Only move forward if the dog is calm.

Continue walking at leisurely pace past target with a relaxed arm/hand holding a treat.

It takes a lot of time and work, but if you're consistent this method will work as I've successfully done this with 2 reactive dogs and am in the middle with two other dogs. It's all about knowing the dogs limit and where the point of no return is (dog has totally lost control and can't be redirected).

My little one now stays beside me the whole time hoping for a treat. The other will walk ahead, but when she sees something she would normally react to, she "bunny hops" back to me to get her treat and walk by me until the other dog or whatever passes. It's very obvious she wants to bark, but she is too busy diverting her attention to my hand for the treat and making her way back to me to get the treat.

 

[houston84]

@mauricio512 Great way to let your dogs know you appreciate their input and you are in control of how to handle it.

 

[vinod367]

@mauricio512 I've begun doing this with my doberman, just a matter of getting her to listen to "That's enough." She does look to me a lot prior to reacting to triggers now, though, but that involved prior conditioning.

 

[mauricio512]

@vinod367 Our good guard dogs just want a job

 

[vinod367]

@mauricio512 Yeah! Since she really isn't acting vicious, it's alert barking, and then looking at me and whining or pressing against my leg. I've calmly spoken to a man 6 feet away with her backed between my legs, put into a down stay, and she only barked if she thought he was reaching toward me. She's warmer toward women, of course. According to my trainer, who trains dobermans and malinois, she isn't aggressive, just protective but needs more socialization to understand what is a threat and what isn't. Her biggest trigger toward people is when they come up behind me or come toward me too fast, primarily at night. In petstores and parks, she's a lot better than on the street in our neighborhood. I've found string cheese is the best negotiator with willing strangers. She thinks every store clerk is a treat dispenser at this point, too, lol.

 

[mauricio512]

@vinod367 Yeah the difference between a guard dog vs watch dog is the smarts and training to assess a threat vs not. It’s definitely a tough skill, even for good guard breeds like dobies.

My smart girl can always read the room with people. She has been the cutest lovey dovey dog and also terrifing. And it’s always appropriate

 

[mauricio512]

Yeah the difference between a guard dog vs watch dog is the smarts and training to assess a threat vs not. It’s definitely a tough skill, even for good guard breeds like dobies.

My smart girl can always read the room with people. She has been the cutest lovey dovey dog and also terrifing. And it’s always appropriate. Now if she could figure that out with dogs….

My two human reactive dogs learned that everyone behind the front desk at a hotel has biscuits and one even drools when she walks past one.

 

[erniath]

@mauricio512 My boxer freaked out at the window the other day, and we use this method of checking out what's outside as well. I looked out to see my husband under the car working on it... Our boy thought he was hurt! I vocalized "Daddy's okay, daddy safe!" In a happy voice and the barking stopped but he did this whiney frustrated grumbling noise like "are you sure you shouldn't go check?" Haha. I reassured my pup until my husband stood up the dog happily licked me and visibly relaxed. It's really the best method and builds their confidence to be understood!

 

[mauricio512]

@erniath Aw that’s so sweet. Imagine you thought your best friend got hit by a car and your other best friend just blew off your concerns. I usually use a silly sing song voice and call them a goose when they’re barking at none sense.

We don’t give them enough credit.

 

[erniath]

@mauricio512 We really don't!

 

[mauricio512]

@erniath That’s why i get so frustrated with people using aversion tactics for training. Like your dog is having a completely sane reaction to something scary and your solution is to add pain?

I get that some dogs have real mental health issues but you wouldn’t beat a kid with autism to fix it.

 

[mauricio512]

@erniath My girl considers lightly raising your voice when you are mad at the internet to be verbal abuse, and personal.

The brindle is great dane/pit/boxer/American bull dog. He’s my best boy.

 

[ruoungoaithanhnien]

@mauricio512 This sounds similar to the “thank you protocol” I follow with my dog’s alarm barking. I’ve seen a dramatic decline in my cattle dog mix’s barking which used to be constant.

Now he will bark a few times and come back looking for me like “???? Okay now where’s my treat?!”

I’m totally okay with him alerting btw, I just am trying to prep him as we’re moving to a unit where he’ll likely have an unobstructed view of the street, which he’s never had before. Hopefully all of this will build a solid foundation for him!

But yes I love how you put it, finding meaningful compromises that lets them be dogs without being overly destructive. It works!

 

[mauricio512]

@ruoungoaithanhnien I taught one of mine an inside voice if that helps your next living situation! She gets all the woofs she wants as long as whispers.

 

[ruoungoaithanhnien]

@mauricio512 Lol I would love if this were possible, my dog does not regulate volume very well but it has become so so much better over the last two years that I’m optimistic! I’d almost rather have him bark a couple of times to alert me of things outside as long as it’s relatively controllable.

 

[mauricio512]

@ruoungoaithanhnien We lived in a hotel for a while for work so 85 lb pit bull barks were a no no. I started whispering commands and treating/praising on quiet barks. And she quickly learned to grumble and stomp instead, it was pretty cute.

 

[ruoungoaithanhnien]

@mauricio512 Omg that sounds super cute!!