The Chili is a bit spicy lately

fawkese1

that is perfect! some days the omg is a bit obnoxious, but i usually think its cute...clover doesn't have it every day (i think big dogs tend to be more.....mellow, in general) but when he does, it just cracks me up...wouldn't trade it.

Criosphynx

So Iam a little over an hour into Chilis "First day at work"...i've already acclimated him to the baby gate, so he wont cry if I leave him in the office while I work...so thats a win.

Playing, accepting food and pets from my co workers...pets from a female customer...wins, wins....then there was a male customer...

I watched his hair stand up and knew the barking fit was next...and it was. I apologized to the guy and next time I'll have to have all males feed him first before pets.

Oh the joys of a reactive dog...hes actually doing really really well...just needs more practice with guys. :P

fawkese1

what is it about guys that triggers dogs? i wonder...i mean, it always seems to be a dude that the dog is afraid of/reacts to...lol....clover loves women, i cannot recall him reacting to a single female, except my roommate, but men just freak him out! i'm sure it happens, but i don't think i've really heard a "the dog is just freaked out by women, men are okay, but no women"....just another little query to add to my notebook of stuff to google...
anyway, i'm so jealous that you get to take your dog to work with you! and that is great that chili is doing so well...he's such a smart little booger! bet everyone goes a bit bonkers to say hi to him too....

Criosphynx

the lady at the McD's drive through was talking to him. He smiled at her.

Turns out the guy moved his foot toward chili (my coworker noticed it) and thats what triggered him.

I just finish emailing a trainer...this ones a clicker trainer...basically I never have people over and can only bring him to work on weekends...so I decided I need to accellerate this a bit...I need him exposed to lots of people that aren't going to overwhelm him.

I have tried using the public...but you tell people, "here feed him this first" and they try to pet him first...or kids try to grab him...one little boy asked to pet him and I said "thank you for asking yes go ahead" and the kid turns out was terrified of dogs (wtf did he ask then I dunno) and tried to do a run and pet which involved a hitting motion...Chili barked at him and got air snappy..probably would have bit the kid...I can't blame him, the kid basically ran at him and hit him...

I have ZERO people willing to help me with this, I am at a point where all I can do by myself is wearing away...I need strangers that wont do stupid things to him. Thats the next step in fixing this.

Also I want him to get his CGC and I can't find any trainer that will test without a class first unless its a schedualed event...the sched events are usually far far away and ALWAYS on days I work. Very frustrating...I know Emma can pass, I just can't get anyone to look at her.

anyway, if this trainer blows too, I might just give up on hiring professionals.

fawkese1

gosh, that is frustrating....i'd help you...lol...it'd be a drive tho...

seriously tho, it is sooooooo hard to convince people that petting the dog doesn't make him like you....everyone thinks that is the case... but you just can't reach out at them....i am a dog petter too, i love it, but i never do it unless the dog actually likes it, and i don't force it on a dog i don't know...

so, are you thinking the trainer will help to arrange situations that will be good for him like meeting strangers? or are you just presenting the reactive issue to the trainer and asking for help?

Criosphynx

Chili isn't a big "petting, snuggly dog either" so I don't think he finds petting reinforcing, which doesn't help...he likes scritchy, pushy play, but hes not going to do that with som'one he just met.

Kiwi was afraid of Men, but got over it FAST, three new guys bringing jerky to her did the trick...shes not reactive tho.

Chili will likely need hundreds of reps with dozens of people, at least. Som'thing I can't provide without risking another person grabbing him...if he gets grabbed to soon...its like starting from scratch.

well, first, Iam not holding my breath that I will even get a reply, only about one in five trainers I email even reply to me. I figure a trainer has access to people and dog to help that I don't...as far as the reactivity issue, I pretty much have that down pat, I know how to fix it, but I need "helpers" now to set up the scenarios...if that makes sence...also, like anything you have to start small and build...so he would need calm dogs, and calm people then move up to rude people and rude dogs...

actually, I have pretty much nuked the dog reactivity in most contexts...after all I have access to stray dogs and dogs in public all the time...its the people that are so retarded that they can't understand "no don't pet him" that is my holdback. I had to literally yell at a guy once, we walked away from him, and he kept insisting that "all dogs like him" I finally had to make a scene to get rid of him since he obviously couldn't understand what "the dogs not friendly" means.

hes is fine with anyone that comes over to the house. I think the outside enviroment is too stimulating still and it pushes him over threshold...people are fine...sounds are fine, cars are fine, dogs are fine...but if you start combining things...then hes triggered.

its only, what a 8 hour drive? lol

fawkese1

yep, about 8 hours...lol...not too far

yeah, clover likes to be pet...no let me edit, loves to be pet, but not by everyone, and not in all situations....i don't know a dog that likes to be pet in all situations....luckily, sort of, he's big, so when i say "don't pet him" more people tend to take it seriously, but then they act like he is some vicious beast...you just can't win

good luck with the trainer...

Criosphynx

great...the fax machine went off and now hes is inconsoleable.

*sigh*

fawkese1

you get an empathy ***sigh*** from me...i know the feeling!

i just took clover on a shopping trip, and we went to the 3 pet stores in town, and the hardware store. all places where i've had luck with socializing...we also let people bring dogs into the bank ( by let i mean i refuse to help them if they don't!) maybe you could take a less reactive dog to some non-food serving businesses and gauge the reactions from the people working there, if they are cool then maybe you could try it w chili??? i know it's a long shot, but i've been trying to come up with places to find people that you could get to help you....i live in a very dog friendly town tho so lots of places are cool, and some even have dog biscuits on the counter, and some of the restaurants let you bring them into the outdoor eating areas too...anyway, i just some thoughts i hoped might help you

Criosphynx

Thanks, it means alot to me that you are thinking about us.

problem Iam having is first of all I live between a good part of town, and a horrible part...so Iam already limited to basically one shopping center in the good part....we train there alot...there is a petco there he does well in.

there is a place where people eat outside and we practice there ALOT...we practice around the dog park as well.

The other thing is, since I work full time, its hard to find as much time as I'd like to work on this...I have to take just him when I go on these outing, so i can focus on him...and thats not fair to the others. So I only get a few hours in a week for this specific issue, and all it takes is one kid rushing up to him to set us back.


I remember reading about reactive dogs years ago, and thinking "dear god, please I do NOT want one of those" then I ended up with one.

Just venting I guess, the bird attacked me again, three large new holes in me.... so its been a rough day.