How can I help my dog?

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gemin1eye

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I need some advice!

My family got our dog about 3.5 years ago when she was about 9 months. She has always been very clingy and my family has contributed to that. She follows my dad around like a shadow and sleeps by his bed. She whines if we leave her even though our other dog is with her. She wasn't well socialised when we got her (we think her previous owners pretty much ignored her) and she didn't get on well at her puppy classes so unfortunately my mum stopped taking her. We know what mistakes we've made, now I want to try to fix them!

Last year I started taking her to agility classes, and she's doing quite well. She does growl at some of the other dogs but when they get close enough to sniff her she loses her bottle and just runs around my legs. She's quite steady (slow) when she's doing her run around the equipment and quite often she'll stop and have a look at where the other dogs are waiting and not listen to me at all, its like she just switches off for about 20 seconds. When she gets going she's really quite good, but everyone else in my group has just been moved up to another group, and we have been left behind and I'm sure its because of her confidence and the fact she doesn't always focus.

I've been taking her down the local beach to try and socialise her a bit and get her out and about but because I don't trust her off the lead with other dogs, I think she gets a bit of her confidence from me and starts getting cocky with dogs we meet. My agility instructor has suggested I take her to boot fairs but I haven't managed to get to any yet, to see if I can get her to listen to me in a busy place with lots for her to look at. She doesn't play, she mostly just droops around the house. When I do walk her on the beach and let her off the lead, she doesn't leave my side until I turn around to head back to the car, she literally sticks to my ankles. When I set off for home she starts running towards the steps on the beach but she still doesn't go far!

My real question is how can I help her become more confident? I want a happy dog to take out and about, not one that cringes away from people like we beat her! I think it would also help with her agility if she could ignore fuss and noise and get on with what I ask her to do since all the mistakes we make are mine!
 
What breed is she?

Do you have her on a long line ever?

How do you get her to focus normally, food, toy, praise?
You need to start focus at home because if you don't have it at home you won't have it outside, start all over again, introduce a new command like 'watch' or 'look' and basically, if she wants anything, she has to be looking at you and the longer she holds your gaze, the more she is rewarded with whatever floats her boat.
If you have focus, then other dogs and scary things are not so much of an issue - all food, toys, praise come from you and only when she is looking at you - so, who really cares about other dogs?
It is time consuming and at times laborious, but at the same time, does it matter if during ten minutes of Eastenders or whatever, you are asking her to look at you.
Then, slowly but surely, take it outside, fixation on anything else is reprimanded or you distract her with a noise or a lead check, and when she returns her gaze to you, reward again.

Is there a class you could go or could you arrange with some of the other agility people to do some 'artificial' socialisation - what we would have done back in the day, a circle of people, walking the dog in and out, another dog passing, someone on a bike, etc, and the less the dog reacts, the more the dog is praised.
Then, again, slowly but surely, take it outside.

Confidence, very often comes from us. When I expected my dog to be arsey, bolshy and over protective, he was, when I was a bit unsure of myself and the situation, he would reverse back onto my foot and let everybody know not to come close.

Now I try to think positive, imagine the scenario - tonight at the beach, two women came jogging past, in the past I would have tensed up and expected him to lunge and braced myself, so that is what I did and that is what he did.
Tonight, I whistled a tune and imagined me and my two dogs walking on past on loose leads. That's what happened.
Don't pity her, if that makes sense, don't worry, don't panic, even though it is the easiest thing to do.
We give out more than we ever know through vibes, sometimes :)

Keep up the good work, sounds like you have done really well with her so far.
 
Depending on her past, not sure if u have had her since a puppy, but u may never get the insecurities out of her completely, but the direction u are headed is a good one, and good on you for taking her to agility, The car boot would also as suggested be a good place to trawl, if she is interested in anything, balls, food then use them as an aid and take her attention of unwanted stimulus and get people to treat her, I felt heartly sad when u said "we never moved up a class":( U nearly had me crying:eek::o:D but it sounds already like she has come so far with your help, it's agood idea to get her used to bing comfortable in her own space and not letting her follow people in the house, even more so if she suffers any kind of seperation issues when left, so maybe things like baby gate the kitchen door and leave her and other dog in there for periods whilst u walk in and out, instead of being at your feet all the time, hanging around with confident dogs may also help, ones that wont bother her but are confident and out going, and for you to be a little more confident yourself and worry a little less about her and other dogs, esp if she only reacts when dogs are in her face, but do try to reprimand her behaviour if it is uncalled for with a "NO" or leave it" and a quick check on her lead, in turn don't over fuss her if she is affraid, ignore it, otherwise it will heighten any anxious behaviour and don't wrap your lead up if dogs approach u, relax try to distract her, treat (chicken/cheese/toy) and walk on.
She sounds pretty good if she sticks to your side, so may not be the type to run and attack, what breed is she?
 
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Lol, I looked at this post afew times, and thought should I post or let someone else, and then I thought, I feel bad know one else has, and we posted together:D:D

I toyed with the idea u may be writing a long reply:p
 
haha thanks for the posts :D She's a Tibetan Terrier, she's not your typical TT though she's so laid back she's almost going backwards! She's very food orientated and I change her treats for agility between hotdog sausages, cheese and liver which seem to be her favourites. We have to help set out the equipment before we start agility and I tie her to the fence with the other dogs where she is fine she ignores them (although I don't tie her near her enemy). She will just sit there looking at me and whining the WHOLE time, so when I do go back to her I don't look at her or talk to her I just untie her and start doing what we need to do next but its hard when she's crying for me lol!
 
It may be an idea to do some sit stay/down stay exercises with her, i.e longline, put her in the sit/down and start by standing right by her, if she breaks put her back in position, if she stays, release her walk a few metres turn around and place her back in the position and go again, gradually stand in front of her, and move your self along the longline till u can eventually get a good distance, to the end of the line with her in her given position, every time u break praise her, treat her and start again, this may help to train her to stay at times when she is on the fence without stressing as u can use your commands, put the flat of your hand in front of her like a lollipop lady:D and command "stay down", u can then use the signal to help her to understand what u want her to do in other situations.
 
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