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Post by BorderTerrier on May 11, 2013 14:32:47 GMT
If he is a sensitive dog then he is more likely to act 'upset' then puppypal I'm sure. @charlotte ok no worries, ahaha yeah touch screen is a pain, I'm on it now!!  |
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Post by puppypal on May 14, 2013 20:50:33 GMT
He is still spooking, he got spooked three times on his walk today, once by a bike going past, once by a dog coming round the corner and the last time by someone walking out of their driveway. i am using positive reniforcment as when he sees a dog/bike/person i say nice... to let him know that it is there and if he does not show any signs of reacting or spooking then i reward him with tid bits and praise
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Post by Pawsforthought on May 14, 2013 21:37:04 GMT
If you say his behaviour has been worse lately and his legs have too, it seems too much of a coincidence to me. When dogs are in pain or are injured they are far more likely to act up because they feel more of a need to protect themselves. Definitely get him to a vet immediately to rule out injury as the cause of this behaviour. He strikes me as being a bit like Woody in the way he thinks and behaves. Woody used to be afraid of kids, and it was a behaviour he picked up, not one he was born with, I think. I had to slowly desensitise him to them, by asking very nice children who wanted to say hello to hold their hands out in an inoffensive way. He is not bothered by them now, and he will cuddle up to my young cousins! My suggestion is, if there is a busy place anywhere near you where you can sit with him (ie. a bench on a main road or something) for a while, giving him lots of treats and cuddles and reassurance, it might be good to see how he gets on there. It's a tricky one though because whatever you decide to do to help him, you have to make sure he isn't SO uncomfortable that it really stresses him out. When we were getting Finn used to noises again, we'd pick bus shelters to sit in so he could hide away and deal with things at his own pace. He's much better now but still needs a bit of work  Good luck! Don't let it get you down and please please don't consider another dog for now until Barley is a lot happier with things, for his sake! |
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Post by puppypal on May 15, 2013 15:39:10 GMT
Barley is very strange with children, i dont know wether he is scared of them or just thinks it is fun but he likes to run up to them and knock them over, i have called him off of doing this but only a couple of times as he just gets 'in the zone' and no matter how much you shout he will not listen. he loves doing it so much cause they scream and make noises which makes it more fun for him, we have learnt from our mistakes and is not let of lead round children or people running/playing football for that matter.
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Post by Pawsforthought on May 15, 2013 17:01:09 GMT
When you say knock them over...do you mean jump on them and knock them over, or run into them and knock them over?
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Post by puppypal on May 15, 2013 18:57:50 GMT
jump on them
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Post by Weims on May 16, 2013 18:02:49 GMT
Barley is very strange with children, i dont know wether he is scared of them or just thinks it is fun but he likes to run up to them and knock them over, i have called him off of doing this but only a couple of times as he just gets 'in the zone' and no matter how much you shout he will not listen. he loves doing it so much cause they scream and make noises which makes it more fun for him, we have learnt from our mistakes and is not let of lead round children or people running/playing football for that matter. *cringe* I'm not saying anything else.  |
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Post by Pawsforthought on May 16, 2013 21:30:24 GMT
Yeahhh that's really something you need to work on a LOT...
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Post by CollieSlave on May 17, 2013 10:41:25 GMT
Jumping at kids and/or knocking them over is a potentially VERY serious issue! You really do need to take some really decisive action over this - possibly with good professional help. Otherwise you could find you, your family and Barley in big trouble with The Law with possible dire consequences. Doing this could easily frighten or terrify a child and then real trouble could begin. I urge you to get something done. Remember that Barley does not need to be aggressive or bite for the law to take action - even if he is just being 'friendly' this is no defence against a claim of scaring a child!
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Post by charlottte on May 17, 2013 11:07:57 GMT
We were told about a woman who threw a stick every day for her shepherd. One day she forgot the stick but the dog didn't seem bothered. A child then entered the other side of the park with his mother with a stick. The dog hurtled over play jumping and barking at the stick. This dog didn't even make any contact with the child and it was reported - simply because the mother perceived the dog as a threat.
I don't think there was any prosecution because the dog was evidently friendly. But it just shows that some people that aren't as knowledgable about dogs may find even harmless behaviours intimidating.
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Post by puppypal on May 17, 2013 16:44:30 GMT
we know this is an issue that needs sorting but we compensate by not letting him off, it is very simple and i am very vigilant when i do let him of of who is in the park and when someone comes in, there have only been two children he has knocked over one was a friends and one was a dog behavourists daughter and said dont worry about it, the second time he 'went' for her child i called him off
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Post by Pawsforthought on May 17, 2013 19:00:11 GMT
You can't just ignore a bad habit, it'll only get worse.
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Post by BorderTerrier on May 17, 2013 19:05:03 GMT
PP, the bad children thing barley's into... do you mean very small children?
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Post by puppypal on May 17, 2013 19:08:10 GMT
5-10 years olds, he does find babies in prams very interesting as he gives them a good sniff over but jumps if the baby makes any sound
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Post by BorderTerrier on May 17, 2013 19:09:19 GMT
I expect you mean 5-10 year olds in their size. I am quite short but I'm older than that  |
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