# My dog goes nuts around other dogs...



## icanlevitate (May 7, 2013)

Sorry if this has been re posted before but i'm having trouble finding anything similar.

So i have a 10 month old Tibetan Terrier, Jack, who knows right from wrong but is totally uncontrollable around other dogs. When he does something bad he gets very upset, he picked up toilet training quickly and is good being left alone in the house for long periods of time.

When i take him down the beach for a walk he's all good and generally stays within a certain space with me, but if he see's or hears a dog in the distance he's just gone, he's so fast i can't catch up with him, i could be holding a 10oz prime steak as a treat and it doesn't make the slightest difference.

Sometimes other dogs are playful and don't mind the attention from Jack, i still have to run across the entire length of the beach though, other times it can be an inconvenience for other dog owners when they just want to walk and play with their dog and then all of a sudden my dog comes pounding in and being a nuisance.

The other day i was walking down the beach by myself and i saw a massive Husky, i just thought to myself if i had Jack with me not on the leash he would be gone and the Husky would have a nice breakfast...

I've been considering buying a shock collar for a few days because it scares me the way he takes off and pounces on other dogs, there's been a few times where he has seen children running down the beach and he knocks them over thinking they are other dogs, it's so embarrassing when they start crying and the parents are just looking at me..

Please help! I don't know if discipline through these collars is the right thing to do (i've heard a lot from people who do use them and people who are totally against them), if there are any other tips you can give me please share, as toys and treats simply do not work when he is distracted.

Thanks.

Matt


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## Janey D (Jul 27, 2012)

Hi 

Please please dont buy a shock collar. They are cruel and you are far better teaching your dog proper recall so that he does what you want him to do for rewards, rather than punishing him when he gets it wrong.

Reliable recall is one of the hardest things to teach and you need lots of patience. For now he needs to be on a lead or a long line, you cant have him charging up to other dogs or knocking children over or you and your dog are going to end up in a lot of trouble. You also need to stop this behaviour now, the longer he gets the chance to run free with no control from you the harder its going to be.

Does he come to you straight away in the house or if he is out in the garden when you call him? If not start teaching him to come to you for treats. Take high value treats out with you (cheese, sausage, chicken) then let him run free on the long line and call him back, treat him and let him go again. You need to do this over and over again until he is 100% reliable. Do it where there are no other dogs or distractions so that he can be successful and build up from there. Try taking a small squeaky toy with you and train him to come for the toy when you think you have lost his attention.

Have you thought about doing classes with him? Recall is part of the whole process of training your dog and if he responds well to other commands you will have more chance of being successful. Oh and dont go to a trainer who is stuck in the 1970s and talks about dominance theories or pack leaders. You need someone who does reward based training.

My trainer has told me that it can take a year to successfully train reliable recall but some dogs are obviously easier than others. If I am thinking of the right dogs Tibetan Terriers get pretty big when they are fully grown and you need to be in control of this dog.

There are people on here who are real experts in training recall so hopefully someone else will be along with more advice.


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## icanlevitate (May 7, 2013)

Janey D said:


> Hi
> 
> Please please dont buy a shock collar. They are cruel and you are far better teaching your dog proper recall so that he does what you want him to do for rewards, rather than punishing him when he gets it wrong.
> 
> ...


Hi Janey,

Thank you very much for your advice!
I normally don't need to call him when i'm in the house or the garden because he follows me around like an extra limb! He even sits right outside the bathroom door, or if i leave the door open when i'm showering he just sits looking up at the curtain. He knows sit and stay when i give him his food, and generally knows what to do around the house. Today he managed to lock himself in the bathroom which obviously upset him, he made a mess on the floor and was very embarrassed and ashamed when i got home.

I will keep him on a lead now on when i take him for walks, i know that when he see's other dogs whilst on a leash he practically strangles himself trying to run at them. He's a huge sucker for cheese so i will start carrying that around with me as well. I don't want to use a shock collar but i'm worried about his obsession with other dogs, how he can go from being so sweet and understanding to so manic and focused on one thing!

And he's not too big, he doesn't have a lot of growth left in him, i'll attach a picture to show you his size.

Thanks again for your advice, it's much appreciated!
Matt


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## Janey D (Jul 27, 2012)

Awwww, he is absolutely gorgeous! Dont know why I thought they were bigger than that.

A really useful command to teach your dog is "watch me". This just means getting him to sit and focus on you for a couple of treats but its really helpful if he is on lead and starts to get excited about other dogs. I have a very reactive dog and thought I would never get anywhere with him but I can reliably do watch me with most things now. Again practice this at home a lot.

Oh and remember to put a harness on him if you are using a long line to stop him hurting his neck if he charges off.

He is only young and being excitable around other dogs is natural. You want him to be properly socialised but learn how to curb his enthusiasm a bit. Good luck with it.


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## egroeg (Apr 17, 2013)

Hi Matt, Your pupster looks gorgeous. 

I won't go into great detail about recall as there are hundreds of threads on it. I will say that even though Jack follows you around the house, there IS a need to start recalling him to you. Training has to begin where there are no distractions. It's no wonder he won't come back outside if he doesn't know what it means.

I'm also going to be a bit pedantic here and say he doesn't know right from wrong. No dog does. He'll work out what's rewarding and what's not and what is safe and what's not.

Absolutely agree you should join a training class, ADPT approved where positive reward methods are used.

As has already been said, shock collars are cruel and unnecessary.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Hi Matt

You have to remember that dogs don't generalize very well. So him following you around the house and recalling around the house won't translate to him behaving in the same manner in the outside world. You need to train in all environments to solidify things like the recall.

His behaviour and 'obsession' with other dogs is not that abnormal. It is perfectly normal for young dogs to take an interest in other dogs, however interest is one thing and rudeness (like running up from a distance and pouncing on them) is another.  Obviously allowing him to run up to children and knock them over is also a recipe for disaster that could result in a serious situation for you both. The more a dog is allowed to practice a behaviour the better they get, so please for his sake keep him restrained for now. You can purchase a long line or use a Flexi lead so he has the chance to run around safely without endangering himself or others.

How well was he socialized as a puppy? did you go to training classes?

As others have said, please don't even think about using an electric collar. There is no need to use this type of extreme equipment and the chances are you will be creating more damage rather than curing it. The last thing you want is for him to associate other dogs or children with getting an electric shock. I have tried an e-collar on myself and even on the lowest setting it was very comfortable; I could never justify using that on my pet to terrify them into getting them to do what I want.

When you go on walks, what do you do? just walk and mostly ignore the dog? or do you engage with him; play, train, run about etc? it is surprising how many people do nothing or very little to engage with their dog on walks and then are surprised when their dog goes off to find entertainment elsewhere.


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## GermanShepardOwner (Aug 20, 2012)

icanlevitate said:


> Sorry if this has been re posted before but i'm having trouble finding anything similar.
> 
> So i have a 10 month old Tibetan Terrier, Jack, who knows right from wrong but is totally uncontrollable around other dogs. When he does something bad he gets very upset, he picked up toilet training quickly and is good being left alone in the house for long periods of time.
> 
> ...


A shock collor will not help as you do not know how to use one and the timing has to be absolutely perfect if used. I know that shock collors can work but in this situation it does not need to be used and they should only be used by trained proffessionals.

Your dog simply finds other dogs more interesting than being with you, why would he stay with you when he can go play with some dogs.

You need to work on re-call, a dog should not be let off lead if there is a chance you can not get him back. He may end up running over to a aggressive dog which is on lead and then you will be in the wrong if your dog gets injuried. I would get a long line and work on the re-call, you need to keep him motivated and interested in you, use toys, food, anything which he loves. When you go past a dog get him to do a watch me command, so feed him treats as you go past etc. You should start a watch me command at home though without all the distractions so he can get the idea.

Hes still very young and its a simple re-call issue and is very normal. Untill you have this sorted he should not be off lead where there are other dogs untill you are sure he will come back to you. More training and patience, its a very normal issue but a shock collar is certainly not needed, he does not realise he is doing anything wrong, hes simply having fun. A shock collar will ruin the dog, and you may end up with a dog to dog aggression rather than simply playful.

If you do not feel you can work on this issue alone then you should contact a good trainer to help you.


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## WhatWouldSidDo (Nov 17, 2012)

I have to ask why you don't keep him on a lead if you can't control him? It could all end in tears


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

I never liked electric collars. Wales have banned them, RSPCA condones them and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) will not use them to train police dogs. 

If they are such a good, safe tool then why is this so you have to ask 

A few months ago my Sammy boy was running in the field, off lead when he ran into an electric fence. I was not involved in this at all, in terms if me not being near him. 

However he blamed me and for the whole day he wouldn't come near me. It took weeks before he could walk past that field. 

I would rather shoot myself than do that to one of my dogs


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