Going For A Walk.

[Shazza]

Hi everyone.

I need some advice on how to respond to Jarvis when we are out for walks.  He is very good on the lead, not pulling much at all.  The problem is when we come across another dog.  He stops and will not budge.  Sometimes he goes and does the doggy sniffs, other times he just barks at the dog.  The barking stops as soon as the dogs walks away.  He also barks when a dog wants to play with him even if they have done the doggy sniffs.

The other thing he does, when he is unsure of something he just looks at it and barks, but will not walk away from it easily.  Last week it was a tree stump and a magpie!

My problem is how do respond to his behaviour.  Do I praise him when doesn't bark at other dogs?  Tell him to be quiet when he starts barking at the other dog?  With the tree stump and the magpie, I just told him not to be silly and slowly walked past them.

Thanks.

Sharon
   

[taniac]

Mine do this if there is something out of the ordinary that they don't expect to see (a plastic garden chair on our walk set them off). With objects like the tree stump, I take the approach of showing them there's nothing to be frightened of by walking up to it and seeing if they'll come and have a sniff.  Avoid making a fuss of him, as you don't want to reinforce the behaviour.

I think with other dogs, is just to keep walking and if he catches up to you without any fuss then praise him. It sounds like a fear response, although my older dog has started doing this with dogs he doesn't know since Jovi came along (like a protection thing).  I try and ignore it and keep going.

[PennyB]

The other thing he does, when he is unsure of something he just looks at it and barks, but will not walk away from it easily.  Last week it was a tree stump and a magpie!
 

I have to laugh at this as Wilf does the same, and the list gets stranger by the day!

With some things when he's doing this I take him up to the item to pat it (well if it hasn't flown away) and show him its OK, so yes I must be going as mad as he is.