Help!!! Excitable dog alert...

[jumpthemoon]

Hi! Does anyone have any ideas about how I might get my Airedale terrier to calm down around new people? She is fine at puppy training, at family get togethers, etc, but when we are out and she is off her lead and a person comes into veiw, she just charges over to them and jumps all over them trying to lick them to death! She pays no attention to me when she see's them - I can call her back from a cat or a rabbit, no probs, but a person - no chance!

She is 14 months old btw...I'm a bit stuck for ideas

 

[sloulou]

you need to train her to greet people on command. So she looks at you to see if it is ok to say hello to a person or a dog before running up to them...

you also need to train her to greet people nicely.

I've had this with my lab puppy - although his is more prone to running up to other dogs rather than people!

Do you do clicker training by any chance? Cos my lab responds really well to that and we now have a command which says he can say hello to a dog and a command for not being too over the top when he says hello too...

ot sure that makes sense?!

 

[jumpthemoon]

Thanks for replying

I haven't done clicker training with her. She does all the sit, stay, wait, down, come etc when no-one is around, it just all goes out the window when she sees someone.

How do you start to teach them to say hello nicely? She just goes mental when she spots the person and doesn't calm down til she's jumped all over them, resulting in me losing my temper and making having visitors very stressful!

 

[sloulou]

The clicker is used as a marker for the reward (eg. a good boy - if you don't use a clicker).... not sure I can explain very well how to use it. But basically I give a cue eg. sit then click the clicker and then give him a treat. The click is in place of a 'good boy' so he knows that if he hears a click he has done well and will get food

If you buy a clicker they often come with an instruction manual - because you have to 'charge' the clicker - so they know that it means the same as 'good boy' or 'good girl' in your case!

But you don't need a clicker to train it - I just find it easy that way.

Is she like that on the lead when she meets someone new? Cos I would start training on the lead or at home? You have to get someone to be a guinea pig and tell them how to behave when they meet her - I also went through a phase of shouting over to people in the park who were about to make a fuss of him 'please ignore my puppy!' because he would only say hello if they said 'hello doggie' or something similar

The people she is jumping on must be giving her a reaction - so they have to ignore her - turn their back on her and only make a fuss of her when she is sitting quietly.

You could try putting her into a sit and keep reinforcing the command by saying 'sit' 'good sit' 'good girl' 'good sit' and giving a treat while she stays sitting... then choose a word for saying hello - ours is 'say hello' and also 'nicely'...

Am not sure how well am explaining?!

Think CALA may be better placed to give advice tho

 

[CAYLA]

FOR SOME REASON ......I dont think Im meant to reply....cos I keep getting locked out

I will give it another go..lol

Agree with Widget.

I would firstly work on her recall....using treats and clicker....call her to u and upon arrival to u....give her a treat....at the time the treat hits her mouth...lol

click...she will begin to assosiate the click with a positive...i.e (TREAT) use something she does not normally get...something delicious...like chicken or cheese in pre-cut small pieces that are quickly consumed...place her on the leash for a little while then repeat the exercise.....this little exercise should renew her interest in returning to boring old u...for a tasty treat

You could also use her favourite toy....and have a little game of tug upon return, as a positive reward.

Whilst u are working on her recall....when out walking look ahead at all times and recall her in good time when u see someone approach.....keep her attention with the treats this time hold something in your hand i.e a piece of cheese and command her to heel.....allow her to sniff the treat through your hand but dont allow her to take it until u pass the exciting object(stranger that is

.

Repeat these exercises and when u are confident to allow her to meet people...do so when she is on her lead....so u can control the excitement...make her sit...try controlled excercise as WIDGET suggests...ask people to ignore her and turn their back to her and correct her via the leash a quick tug and ask her to sit...as long as her bottom is on the floor and all four paws allow the person to stroke her....quickly...no prolonged petting and encouragement of excitement.
Then move on....so she does not assosiate meeting and greeting with a huge commotion.

Get her used to meeting people busier areas or maybe a training class to get her used to the hussle and bussle of places and people/dogs, learning a little basic heel work can allow u be be better equipt for passing people and keeping her attention.
If she is generally ok with meeting people....but this only happens when out....u definatley need to work on the recall...I have a rescue staffi in...with the same problem....he now returns on my command so I can put him on the lead and pass the people with total control of him...a quick stroke then off again.

GOOD LUCK....did u say it was an Airdale

lovely dogs....a head strong breed at the best of times

but fantastic also

could we see some full size picies

Only use these treats mentioned for the specific excercise of recall....so they dont become boring...and she assosiates them with this excercise.

 

[CAYLA]

I see You go to puppy classes with her

....do u do any recall work there or is it just socialisation?
As she is just a baby still I dont think the wanting to get to people is the main problem....its definatley her lack of recall in the situation...ask your trainer if u can practice the recall in the class using the treats and loads of praise when she comes, Im sure your trainer will give u loads of tips

 

[snurse]

Afraid I had a setter who never got out of this. I did lots of training with her and my other dogs, but I failed at this. If she was out of my influence (a very fine judgment, this) and I failed to see a stranger approaching, she was right in their faces. Especially children since she could do paws on shoulders too. Many awkward situations!! I've still got her, but, sadly, she's too old now to stand on her back legs.