Advice on getting him to ignore other dogs please

[SarahS]

Reggie has really become a nightmare around other dogs, and is not a pleasure to walk atm.  My husband only lets him off around dogs we know or when noone else is around.  He just wants to play with every dog he sees.  He does back off if they growl etc, but really has no manners. It is like he goes completely deaf.   

The rest of the walk he walks to heel, on and off lead. But as soon as he spies another dog, he tugs and yelps in their direction.  No food or toys can distract him, he becomes completely focussed on them.  Once I go in the opposite direction and eventually get his attention, (if they are out of sight that is), he calms down and carries on as if nothing has happened.  It has got so bad, I cannot sit in the vet's waiting room now, if I don't allow him to play with the other dogs or sniff them, he yelps and howls to do so.  I have to sit outside, as he gets hysterical.  He is lovely around my friends' dogs, plays constantly.  He is so quiet and sweet at home.  But I dread walking him now, which I am sad to admit. Our last cocker was trained in the same way, and never left my side.  We have gone wrong somewhere with this one, and it is now having an effect on the family, as I just don't enjoy taking him out with us any more. We used to take him everywhere.

I had him castrated 2 weeks ago. He is 2 in October. 

[mum2milly]

Can't advise I'm afraid, but hang on in there, someone will be along soon.
Hope you can get things sorted with Reggie.

Love Jo & Milly xx

[SarahS]

Can't advise I'm afraid, but hang on in there, someone will be along soon.
Hope you can get things sorted with Reggie.

Love Jo & Milly xx

Thanks. Think he is worse with me, I am probably spying the other dogs first and transmitting stress and winding him up even more.  I just want to be able to go to the local park with the kids, sit and enjoy my time with a relaxed dog. But he is hysterical whenever he sees other dogs, and constantly yelps to charge over if he could. 

He started doing the whining thing a few months ago when we went to a pub full of dogs, but it has escalated.  Love some advice. Have been to two behaviourists but noone has hit the nail on the head with how to handle it best.  We really need an expert with a big safe field and some patient decoy dogs! 

Perfect pup at home!  But think I need to have some strategies to be able to leave the building with him!!  Husband is doing all the daily walks atm as I am finding it too stressful.  He takes him to a pub every evening, and swears he just lies down, but I don't believe him.  I think they spoil him in there with treats and attention. But it is the problem with dogs that is the issue. We did go to socialisation classes (have the certificate to prove it), but we never reallly managed to get him to ignore the other dogs there, he would twist around and look past me even as a little pup. I left after I overheard the instructors trying to offload us in to each other's groups.  It was a real struggle to teach the 'look at me' command, and completely impossible now.  I am sounding like a complete novice, but truly, my last cocker was so well trained, as was my previous jack russell.  He doesn't care at all about treats or toys when he goes in to his trance, just getting to the other dog.  I have tried a gentle leader, but he pulled so much that it tightened around his face.

Thanks for your kind words.  Rabbiting on to give others more clues really!

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

what is it you want from him? do you want him 2 be calmer around other dogs on walks and only approach other dogs when you say so or do you want him to completely ignore other dogs at all times and only heel on walks? none of my dogs run up to every dog and other dogs are not a big deal to them but i think its because they see that many dogs and get so many opportunities to play with them there not that bigger deal.

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

also wanted to add it sounds to me like he's not getting enough interaction with other dogs while he's on walks and that's why he's getting so worked up about them and its becoming an issue. if he has no manners he will learn them quicker with other dogs  to teach him.

[ruby ruby doo]

 I think it is by interacting with other dogs that your dog gets to know them and appreciate that alittle play is ok and then its time to go...he is still young and interested in other dogs...if he gets to play occasionally they become less of a mystery and less exciting...My dog will always play if the chance arises , but now is far less bothered to join in having had so many opportiunities.. good luck..and it won t hurt you to have a break from walking for a while if you are getting stressed, which as you say will feed back to your dog.   

[SarahS]

He gets plenty of time with other dogs - he goes on long walks daily with a friend's dog, he spends time at doggy daycare for about 8 days spread out over a month, and we always go out as a family with friends and their dogs at weekends.  It is the inappropriate times I struggle with - like when we are in the park, he does a high pitched yelp at every dog he can see.  I can't let him off in the park now it is the holidays, as he is way too vocal and boisterous. 

I am happy for him to say hello to dogs on our walk, and I never make him walk to heel constantly - I understand that he needs to have a good old sniff and enjoy himself.  This really isn't about normal doggyness, he really has become fixated.  The vet described it as hysteria when we were in this week.  I had to sit outside, as he couldn't contain himself in the waiting room - the noise is ear piercing. 

Also when we are out on walks and see another dog, I will let him go over and say hello, but he is not coming back at the moment.  I have to go over and grab him.  It is not just that it is getting me down, I have a bad back and when he pulls towards them, it hurts!  I think when I said he walks to heel the rest of the time, I meant that he doesn't pull.

He is really submissive around other dogs who tell him off and friends dogs. And he is wanting to play - not being aggressive or nervous.  The groomer said he wants to play with everyone and everything - and lets you know about it!

I guess what I want is to be able to take him for a walk, sit in the park or pub, and feel like I have some control.  It is the vocal side I'd like to know how to approach, as well as having him under more control when he is off lead.

I can see from reading my other postings that it sounded like I never let him interact with other dogs, and that I want him to walk to heel all the time. That isn't what I meant.  Our last cocker would charge off and them come back and check on me, this one couldn't care less if I left the country, once he runs off, he doesn't look back at all.  I am getting lots of comments on his behaviour, he really is being a total nutter - honest!

[Lily Freya]

He gets plenty of time with other dogs - he goes on long walks daily with a friend's dog, he spends time at doggy daycare for about 8 days spread out over a month, and we always go out as a family with friends and their dogs at weekends.  It is the inappropriate times I struggle with - like when we are in the park, he does a high pitched yelp at every dog he can see.  I can't let him off in the park now it is the holidays, as he is way too vocal and boisterous. 

I am happy for him to say hello to dogs on our walk, and I never make him walk to heel constantly - I understand that he needs to have a good old sniff and enjoy himself.  This really isn't about normal doggyness, he really has become fixated.  The vet described it as hysteria when we were in this week.  I had to sit outside, as he couldn't contain himself in the waiting room - the noise is ear piercing. 

Also when we are out on walks and see another dog, I will let him go over and say hello, but he is not coming back at the moment.  I have to go over and grab him.  It is not just that it is getting me down, I have a bad back and when he pulls towards them, it hurts!  I think when I said he walks to heel the rest of the time, I meant that he doesn't pull.

He is really submissive around other dogs who tell him off and friends dogs. And he is wanting to play - not being aggressive or nervous.  The groomer said he wants to play with everyone and everything - and lets you know about it!

I guess what I want is to be able to take him for a walk, sit in the park or pub, and feel like I have some control.  It is the vocal side I'd like to know how to approach, as well as having him under more control when he is off lead.

I can see from reading my other postings that it sounded like I never let him interact with other dogs, and that I want him to walk to heel all the time. That isn't what I meant.  Our last cocker would charge off and them come back and check on me, this one couldn't care less if I left the country, once he runs off, he doesn't look back at all.  I am getting lots of comments on his behaviour, he really is being a total nutter - honest!

I absolutely sympathise with you.
I went to training classes with Luis, and did everything we were supposed to do for recall, but he is still a nightmare when he sees another dog in the distance.  I love his socialising, and encourage it at all times.  But, when he bolts off, switches off his ears, and doesn't look back.....I panic too.  Guess we just have to hope that in time, and keeping up the training, that things will come together.  Good luck.

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

im sorry i misread your post. have you thought about working at a distance where he can see other dogs but isn't reacting to them and rewarding him for calmly watching them the decreasing the distance at his pace. i really have not explained that very well but im in work on my fone. its teaching him that calm behaviour gets him what he wants, closer to other dogs

[Top Barks]

How close can you get to other dogs without him kicking off and you being able to keep his attention?
If you can work that out you have a starting point to work on this behaviour.
Does he react like this even if he is off lead or is it that he just won't come away from dogs when he is off?
How do you react if you see another dog?
What have the behaviourists you have seen suggested?

[fizzyntiffy]

I'm not an expert in the slightest but just wanted to share what I do/did with Tiffany when we got her last year, rightly or wrongly, it seems to have worked for us. 

The problem we had was if there was a dog barking in a house or yard as we walked by or if there were dogs (or kids!) in the distance on the park - she would start whining, going up on her back legs, fighting the lead and barking in a VERY unfriendly 'let me at 'em!' way.

What I did was say nothing, completely ignored her, and just kept dragging her along, then as soon as she was walking quietly I praised her.  Not a quick fix, it took a few months, but she's 99% better now, she'll maybe stop and look but there's no craziness.
 
She's a work in progress    Good luck with your little doglet xx
 

[SarahS]

I'm not an expert in the slightest but just wanted to share what I do/did with Tiffany when we got her last year, rightly or wrongly, it seems to have worked for us. 

The problem we had was if there was a dog barking in a house or yard as we walked by or if there were dogs (or kids!) in the distance on the park - she would start whining, going up on her back legs, fighting the lead and barking in a VERY unfriendly 'let me at 'em!' way.

What I did was say nothing, completely ignored her, and just kept dragging her along, then as soon as she was walking quietly I praised her.  Not a quick fix, it took a few months, but she's 99% better now, she'll maybe stop and look but there's no craziness.
 
She's a work in progress    Good luck with your little doglet xx
 

As soon as he sees another dog (as far as the eye can see) he stands to attention, still, like he is in a hunting position really. Then the adrenaline kicks in, and he starts getting jittery and whining.  When he is on lead he kind of dances, and then when we get closer he just strains and pulls towards them screaming.  If he is off lead, he just charges straight off to play with them.  I have tried walking in opposite direction, but have to go over and retrieve him now.  He started humping for the first time recently, madly, even humping as he walked.  This eased up, so sadly I am afraid I had him castrated.  That was two weeks ago.  Now I wonder if he will change the way he plays. I am used to an entire dog. I am not expecting him to calm down, I know that requires training.  But I was not happy about having an entire dog that charged off and didn't come back!  What a traumatic thing though, felt so guilty, it is all healed now, but really shocked me when he came home, poor thing.

The first behaviourist was really negative about cocker spaniels, so we found another one who was helpful.  She said that we were teaching him to ignore his name by calling it all the time.  And that we had to work on getting him focused on us using treats. She suggested that we don't use the clicker as we need to ensure we always have it with us (we couldn't find ours), but used treats.  The training session went really well, but didn't involve other dogs.   So when we tried to put it in to practice outside, we found it hard to implement, because he really didn't care about the treats in sight of other dogs.    She did say that we could do training at her house with her dogs, but I have found it hard to get in contact since.  Hence my hysterical message on here!

I have had some good suggestions on here which I will have a go at.  It seems that he really is calm in the pub in the evening, sitting down with a chew etc, but perhaps he has learnt that behaviour in that one place (and home) and thinks he can be a looney the rest of the time.