How best to socialise an unsocialised dog?

[CazD]

I've just taken on a foster dog from the local kennels - altho I think I'm going to be the world's worst fosterer as I already cant imagine letting him go to someone else LOL. He has suffered a bad leg injury which is why he is in foster. At the moment he cannot be walked. He gets on very well with my little bitch but on a check up visit to the vets he went mental, barking and lunging at every other dog in the waiting room!! the vet suggests that he hasnt been socialised much but that this could be put right. The dog is about a year old. Bearing in mind that he is not supposed to be out walking or putting too much pressure on his leg, what is the best way of starting this off. He's met my bitch and my parents bitch and got on Ok but goes mad if he sees other dogs.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Depends on the dog...do it right and you can recover a lot of lost ground, do it wrong and you can blow their brains, some dogs need flooding, others need the slow and steady approach.

I would give it some time, see what motivates the dog first - food, ball, praise, etc, and go from there.

 

[krlyr]

You could perhaps be dealing with one of two things - barrier frustration, or lead reactivity, possibly fear-based.
Basically, the former is where a dog wants to go and greet other dogs but gets frustrated by the physical restraint of a lead (can happen inside cars, crates, etc. too when the dog is restrained) and this is expressed by barking, lunging, etc.
In that kind of situation, you want to teach the dog the appropriate way to behave, and you can use his desire to meet other dogs as a functional reward for the situation.

If it's got a fear-based reasoning, it may be that he feels frightened of dogs in some situations, and being denied the "flight" part of fight or flight, he goes into this loud, reactive mode. My GSD is like this - off-lead he is a lot better but still quite nervous of dogs and will be quite clingy, hide behind me if a dog gets a bit bolshy, etc. but on-lead he was a bit of a lunging nightmare! We're loads better now but initially I'd struggle at the sight of a dog that was not much more than a dot on the horizon!
With this, you need to try to tackle the fear by carefully desensitizing him to other dogs, but avoiding tipping him into this fearful state. A functional reward for this kind of dog would be creating a bit of distance between him and the other dog(s).

The actual training for either cause are quite similar but it can help to understand the reasoning behind it. You may find that a good trainer with a behavioural interest, or a behaviourist, is a good idea to get some initial input. http://www.apdt.co.uk and http://www.apbc.org.uk are good websites to find some locally.

http://www.moellerdog.com/resources_aggression.htm
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/onleashreactive.html
provide a brief summary

http://reactiverover.blogspot.co.uk/ is a good blog based on reactive dogs, the author has a DVD out that's meant to be good too

Patricia McConnell's booklets are quite good, not majorly indepth but a good summary
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Feisty-Fido...=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340798363&sr=1-6


Some commands I would practice at home are "Watch me" (eye contact - will stop him eyeballing other dogs), "Look at that" (a glance at the other dog but then focussing back on you - some dogs feel more comfortable knowing where the dog is before looking away from it) and "Touch" (putting nose to your palm - you can use this to lure him out of a reactive sitution without staring at the other dog as he moves away)
http://clickerleash.wordpress.com/2...itive-approach-to-dealing-with-reactive-dogs/

Watch me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHLvt6TQzqA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgGi2CqQ8Xw

Look at that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdraNF2hcgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POprQ...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuV3M...feature=fvwrel

Touch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWSJVwZybwo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs8p4oxphrI

Also Grisha Stewart's BAT method is good for reactive dogs, it uses the functional rewards I mentioned and teaches the dog alternative ways to express its fear or excitement/frustration
http://functionalrewards.com/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-Frustration-Aggression/dp/1617810509

 

[CazD]

Depends on the dog...do it right and you can recover a lot of lost ground, do it wrong and you can blow their brains, some dogs need flooding, others need the slow and steady approach.

I would give it some time, see what motivates the dog first - food, ball, praise, etc, and go from there.

Thanks for posting - was hoping you or Cayla might! He's a bit nervy so I suspect the slow and steady approach will be best. The rescue centre have suggested a dog training class but from his reaction in the vets, i wonder if a group of dogs at once would be too much.

 

[Spudlet]

Thanks for posting - was hoping you or Cayla might! He's a bit nervy so I suspect the slow and steady approach will be best. The rescue centre have suggested a dog training class but from his reaction in the vets, i wonder if a group of dogs at once would be too much.

See if you can find a decent trainer that does 1-2-1 to begin with perhaps, then they can help assess whether a class is a good idea yet, or maybe just working around one non-reactive dog. A good trainer shouldn't push you into a class if your dog isn't ready.

Has he been neutered?

 

[Dobiegirl]

Im sure Cayla will be on soon with one of her trusty guides

My Darcy Dobermann was like this when I first had her she was 18months and I suspect she had no socialising and was worse on the lead. It was entirely fear driven but it was like keep away from me and her first training class she barked a lot. We sat at the other end of the hall and just watched the other dogs. I got her to focus on me, did lots of practising at home and on our next lesson she was loads better. She continued to improve so much so she passed her bronze good citizen award and was much the most obedient in her class. We then did an agility course and she really enjoyed it but being off lead in an open helped.

We havnt done any formal training for a while and she does relapse when she sees a strange dog but she has had a couple of frights from other dogs. Once she gets to know a dog she is fine its just that initial first meeting.

 

[CazD]

See if you can find a decent trainer that does 1-2-1 to begin with perhaps, then they can help assess whether a class is a good idea yet, or maybe just working around one non-reactive dog. A good trainer shouldn't push you into a class if your dog isn't ready.

Has he been neutered?

He's being neutered next week. he needs an operation on his leg injury as it isnt healing properly and they are going to neuter him at the same time.

He absolutely fine around my bitch, although she is very friendly and a good bit smaller than him too. I have to stop them getting too excitedwhen playing as he isnt supposed to be doing anything energetic cos of his leg. It seems to be when he sees strange dogs, although he had a similar, extreme reaction when he spotted horses in a field, even though they were a long way from him and stood grazing, facing away from him.

 

[CAYLA]

I would hazard a guess he has not been in many situations in regard to socialisation (prob why they gave up and discarded of him) if you are attatched now, think how you will feel after all your training with him
Well done for taking him in, a dog like that will only ever struggle for a perminant home being kept in a kennel and not given a chance to experience life so he can be bettered prepared for a new home
It could be the whole (small space) strange dogs, smells, where just to much for a ill prepared and barely socilaised dog but there is hope as he clearly trusts you girl now he just needs alot more positive interaction.

Next time you visit the surgery ask for a quieter time (last appointment and keep taking him in) and as suggested get some positive focus in there to aid you, it would be interesting if nothing else to see if you can keep his focus, this does not solve the social issues but will indeed help until he can get out and about.
Obs you are limited if he is in recovery but maybe trying to get some friends rounds with some calmer/friendly dogs so you can better gage his reactions with a few more dogs, he may indeed just be more insecure when restrained (very common) esp if he has not experienced alot of socialisation this way. It could indeed be fear/frustration or indeed aggression or a mix.
Try and get him used to a halti to better aid you when you start walking him out for better control and a good training lead and may practice on some heel work and focus "watch me" high reward treat to prepare you.

I do use flood pretty much for most of my cases of unsocilaised dogs, but then I do have enough dogs and can allow them to act more naturally without restraint before I then tackle the on lead.
If he was lunging badly I would have maybe taken him out of the situation or I personally would have rode it out checked him back to better restrain him but thats easy for me to say, next time maybe be prepared with some positives. Also sounding repetitive, remain calm yourself and arm yourself with the best restraning/training tool (lead/collar/halti).
I don't think a training class is a bad idea, even if you can sit in on them and use your focus techniques in a larger space with dogs esp when you cannot exercise him at present so he can still see some dogs (an advanced later class), my mam used to do this, and maybe even some space to walk him instead of him sitting focusing which is possibly why the vet situation was worse and he was able to get more negative focus, it may also give some some input from a trainer as to why they think he is reacting the way he is (explain the behaviour to you) i.e fear/excitement/frustration/fear aggression/or simply truely unsocilaised

Can we see some piccies?

 

[CazD]

Thanks for the advice Cayla. Am I best to just hold him back and let him bark at whatever he's going mad at or should I drag him away? Or should I let him get closer to whatever it is - which is not really that easy as most people dont want some crazy dog anywhere near their dog/horse etc. Or am I supposed to just divert his attention away with treats etc.

Hubby took him to the vets yesterday to be castrated and for a second op on his leg. While he was waiting for the vets to open a lady walked past with her dog. Foster dog went mental but the lady was brill, stood still, got her dog to sit and spoke to foster dog - at which point foster dog shut up!!! But where am i going to find some more people like her???

 

[CAYLA]

Thanks for the advice Cayla. Am I best to just hold him back and let him bark at whatever he's going mad at or should I drag him away? Or should I let him get closer to whatever it is - which is not really that easy as most people dont want some crazy dog anywhere near their dog/horse etc. Or am I supposed to just divert his attention away with treats etc.

Hubby took him to the vets yesterday to be castrated and for a second op on his leg. While he was waiting for the vets to open a lady walked past with her dog. Foster dog went mental but the lady was brill, stood still, got her dog to sit and spoke to foster dog - at which point foster dog shut up!!! But where am i going to find some more people like her???

The key is not to allow him to stand and focus.
When walking past dogs use your foucs training, so treat in hand (left hand) generally as closest to his body/head and hold it to his head height or your waist height (if he is a descent height), dog on your left, lead in your right hand, relax and lower it to your waist height. Get his focus when you see a dog, as in don't panick or tighten your lead instead give him a wiff of what you have and get his interest on you, allow him to take the treat as you pass the dog, before hand let him smell and nuzzle it in your hand (hence keeping his interest) this way he can associate the presence of dogs with a reward and helps you to keep calm focus, if the dog is food orientated and it is excitement frustration it can work alot better than aggression/fear aggression in the more extreme form. I have to say in instances when the dog is out of control and jumping/leaping/being overly vocal to get towards the dog I would then check (half or full check chain) half is better is you have never used one, I would check give a "leave it" in a very firm voice and use the positive reward once I had broken focus with a check.
If you think you may manage better with a halti, esp if he is a puller then use a halti instead.

Wherever he has to be still (never ideal) then walk away, don't allow him to stand and mouthe off.
Try teaching him some commands, sit, down, so in the vets for instance he can be placed in a "down" with a firm command. You may well find a firm command can work as well as a positive based attention keeper.
It could well be a frustration based (wanting to get at the dog) in these instances you have to teach him this will not happen! and he must remain calm either with a positive based focus "watch me" and your chosen focus even introduce a clicker if he is food reactive, or a reprimand/check. This would really depend on the type of behaviour displayed and what the dog in question responds best to.
This is probably why training class is a good idea 9if they ask you to (vacate) with no advice it a rubbish class and don't bother returning, if they offer you advice and can allow you to participate in the class or give you a better idea as to his reaction and explain why he is behaving this way then that is ideal and can literally demonstrate how to handle him (as its hard over a forum) lol.

Do the rescue have their own trainers/behaviourists?
Where abouts are you?

 

[CazD]

Where abouts are you?

I'm between Ross on Wye and Hereford.

Thanks so much for that advice Cayla, that's so, so helpful.

The rescue dont have their own trainer but have given me the name of a lady who is very well known in the Herefordshire area who they say may be able to help. Unfortunately she doesnt come cheap and, as he is only on foster with me at present, hubby is not keen on me spending huge sums on a dog he doesnt think we are keeping permanently (foster dog, my own dog and I are all working subtly on hubby LOL)