The first few weeks Marcus was with me – any noise in the back garden, any noise on the street – he would either cower, run away or bark . The first few walks were him doing his kangaroo impressions, trying to eat his harness and barking at anything and everything he saw (and things he couldn’t see but needed barking at just in case they did appear) whilst we were out. Sometimes he would just stop walking and sit down for 5 minutes taking it all in. Roll on 3 months from getting him – loose lead walking is a bliss, He ignores most dogs now whilst we are out, his reactivity is minimal – a lot of times other dogs will bark at him and he will just ignore them. Sometimes he just looks at me as if to say ”why is that bloody dog barking for dad?” He’s not perfect but he’s a million times better than he was. We have even started off lead walking in open areas.
We did an outside 2 hour group training walk (all on lead) – 15 other dogs – some very reactive – ended up walking 3 to 4 ft away from other dogs doing u turns, figure of eights, crossing and parallel walking, Absolute zero barking, reactivity and nervousness from him. The trainer and other humans couldn’t believe how young he was.
How did we do this – a lot of time and bloody hard work! Encourage good habits – reward them. Ignore bad habits (not always easy when he has bloody sharp shark teeth!) Practice what you have already learnt (and mastered) whilst you are in different and new scenarios! Getting him to do sits and waits in the local pub is perfectly acceptable whilst you have stopped for a quick pint on your evening walk! Everyday is a school day! Desensitisation is extremely important and is one of our success factors. Let him experience new surroundings but make sure he feels safe – look out for him.
Take time to understand and listen to your dog. Build that bond and trust – become his champion and protector when he needs it – even though he doesn’t ask for it – just do it! If a dog starts growling / barking at your dog – and you see that your dog isn’t happy – put yourself between them to form a protective wall. This is non – negotiable! Understand and read your dogs body language.
Don’t be afraid to ASK strangers to not approach him, Don’t be afraid to TELL strangers how they can interact with him – don’t be too proud to ASK if you can bring your dog to them or their dog for controlled introductions. Remember the 3 second rule! Don’t forget to say thank you!
We also do two classes a week with a search dog handler and trainer. He keeps up with the advanced class (its a huge jump from the beginners) and its doing his social skills and confidence great.
Perhaps one of the most important things we have learnt – dog socialisation is NOT about dogs playing – its all about teaching them to not react to anything new – the posh phrase used is “teaching neutrality”.
Marcus and dad 