Here you will find part 3 of the mini guide from Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk on how to handle dogs that have challenges with other dogs.
If you haven't read the other chapters, you can find links to them here:
part 1 and part 2
This part will focus on how to train the dog to no longer react aggressively when meeting a dog on walks.
It is important to remember that the result should not be that your dog can greet every dog it meets, but rather that it can pass other dogs without reacting with aggressive and outgoing behavior.
It is important to remember that the result should not be that your dog can greet every dog it meets, but rather that it can pass other dogs without reacting with aggressive and outgoing behavior.
If you are one of those dog owners who has a dog that has aggressive behavior towards other dogs, you may find it beneficial to follow the training guidelines below.
In cases where the situation has developed so that you go at times when you do not meet as many dogs or you otherwise experience challenges in everyday life, it is appropriate to seek assistance from a behavior consultant who can help you along the way with the training and adapt the training method to you and your dog's behavioral problems.
The training strategy counter conditioning is a way to teach your dog that what it previously feared is no longer associated with discomfort, stress or fear, but instead becomes a prediction that delicious things are on the way.
The training procedure is illustrated in the figure below.
In your dog's case, the "bell" is another dog. In the future, this sight will cause him to think that something exciting and positive is happening.
Result: The sight of another dog = delicious treat!
From now on, you should go through the following in the order below every time your dog sees another dog:
- Your dog sees/registers another dog
- You say your cursor signal: “Yay” or click
- You immediately walk away from the other dog (creating greater distance)
- Your dog gets a delicious treat
A marker signal is a word, click, hand signal or similar that marks a specific behavior in your dog and results in a treat.
Remember to reward with a treat even if your dog manages to bark or move slightly towards the other dog, as counter conditioning works to change your dog's feelings in the situation, which also changes the behavior.
Systematic desensitization, on the other hand, is a slow habituation, which in this training is the habituation to accepting other dogs.
Since there are often several factors that determine whether your dog reacts when meeting another dog, there are several points that need to be adjusted to separately.
- The distance to the other dog
- The size of the other dog
- The color of the other dog
- The fur texture of the other dog
- The breed of the other dog
- Is it loose or on a leash?
- The reaction of the other dog's owner
In order to control the process, it may be appropriate to start with dummy dogs, where I myself use the three dogs below, which vary in size, color, breed and fur texture.
I have the option of starting with the leash that the dog being trained with reacts the least to and slowly changing the distance to this dog.
In addition, we can work on the posture of the dog (it can get used to the back, side or front). Subsequently, the next dog can be used and thus we can controllly and slowly get the dog used to passing other dogs.
Subsequently, owners with dogs who have no problems meeting other dogs can be used before the training is carried out on walks and in the real world, where control over the surroundings ceases.
To achieve the best results with training, the combination of the two above-mentioned strategies is optimal, as the work here involves gradually getting used to distance, size, color, etc., while at the same time associating the other dogs with positive things in the form of treats.
By combining the two methods, the adaptation process is faster.
Behind the scenes at Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk / Pernille Blok-Riisom
Pernille Blok-Riisom is a trained veterinarian and has worked for 14 years as a general practitioner veterinarian in a small animal practice.
She has always been interested in behavior in both animals and humans and wrote a thesis on dogs' anxiety in connection with sounds with a focus on fireworks. Since 2017, Pernille has been self-employed with the company Behavioural Veterinarian.dk and now works with behavioral consultations, lectures and teaching
Mini guide part 3: The considerate encounter between dog and dog
Here you will find part 3 of the mini guide from Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk on how to handle dogs that have challenges with other dogs.
If you haven't read the other chapters, you can find links to them here:
part 1 and part 2
This part will focus on how to train the dog to no longer react aggressively when meeting a dog on walks.
It is important to remember that the result should not be that your dog can greet every dog it meets, but rather that it can pass other dogs without reacting with aggressive and outgoing behavior.
It is important to remember that the result should not be that your dog can greet every dog it meets, but rather that it can pass other dogs without reacting with aggressive and outgoing behavior.
If you are one of those dog owners who has a dog that has aggressive behavior towards other dogs, you may find it beneficial to follow the training guidelines below.
In cases where the situation has developed so that you go at times when you do not meet as many dogs or you otherwise experience challenges in everyday life, it is appropriate to seek assistance from a behavior consultant who can help you along the way with the training and adapt the training method to you and your dog's behavioral problems.
The training strategy counter conditioning is a way to teach your dog that what it previously feared is no longer associated with discomfort, stress or fear, but instead becomes a prediction that delicious things are on the way.
The training procedure is illustrated in the figure below.
In your dog's case, the "bell" is another dog. In the future, this sight will cause him to think that something exciting and positive is happening.
Result: The sight of another dog = delicious treat!
From now on, you should go through the following in the order below every time your dog sees another dog:
A marker signal is a word, click, hand signal or similar that marks a specific behavior in your dog and results in a treat.
Remember to reward with a treat even if your dog manages to bark or move slightly towards the other dog, as counter conditioning works to change your dog's feelings in the situation, which also changes the behavior.
Systematic desensitization, on the other hand, is a slow habituation, which in this training is the habituation to accepting other dogs.
Since there are often several factors that determine whether your dog reacts when meeting another dog, there are several points that need to be adjusted to separately.
In order to control the process, it may be appropriate to start with dummy dogs, where I myself use the three dogs below, which vary in size, color, breed and fur texture.
I have the option of starting with the leash that the dog being trained with reacts the least to and slowly changing the distance to this dog.
In addition, we can work on the posture of the dog (it can get used to the back, side or front). Subsequently, the next dog can be used and thus we can controllly and slowly get the dog used to passing other dogs.
Subsequently, owners with dogs who have no problems meeting other dogs can be used before the training is carried out on walks and in the real world, where control over the surroundings ceases.
To achieve the best results with training, the combination of the two above-mentioned strategies is optimal, as the work here involves gradually getting used to distance, size, color, etc., while at the same time associating the other dogs with positive things in the form of treats.
By combining the two methods, the adaptation process is faster.
Behind the scenes at Adfærdsdyrlægen.dk / Pernille Blok-Riisom
Pernille Blok-Riisom is a trained veterinarian and has worked for 14 years as a general practitioner veterinarian in a small animal practice.
She has always been interested in behavior in both animals and humans and wrote a thesis on dogs' anxiety in connection with sounds with a focus on fireworks. Since 2017, Pernille has been self-employed with the company Behavioural Veterinarian.dk and now works with behavioral consultations, lectures and teaching