Really, really need help please

[HelgatheHairy]

Bailey is an almost 14 month golden male. Not neutered yet as waiting till he's at least 18 months.

When he was 6-9 months I had an issue with him jumping and biting me when on on-lead walks but sorted that by crossing arms and freezing and apart from a short regression around 12 months he's now very good on on-lead walks.

He's also very good for me on off lead walks. We're working on recall and he's doing well.

The problem is with DH. Now Bailey adores DH and the feeling is mutual. When DH comes home DH rubs him before saying hello to me and they're on the couch together while I'm in the armchair. DH is out all day at work whereas I'm home with the dog all day.

When DH attempts to walk Bailey either on or off lead Bailey attacks him. Jumping up on him and biting. The crossing arms and freezing isn't working, to be completly honest i dont think DH really does the freezing, he tries to push him away but Bailey is so much bigger now than at 6 months, he REALLY hurts when he bites. There doesn't seem to be any aggression involved, he's not barking or growling and he can stop as suddenly as he starts. It's always outside, he doesn't do it inside. To be fair it's more nips than bites and he's never drawn blood. I think it's possibly over-excitement as DH doesn't spend that much time exercising him. When he gets like this his reaction to commands goes out the window as well. "Sit" is usually the one command he'll do no matter what but doesn't work.

I live in a remote part of Ireland, a behaviourologist isn't really an option. There's no regulation so anyone can call themselves one.

Any books or training tips we could work on?? Sorry for the essay.

[TataClaire]

I sympathise as that really must hurt!
Sounds like Bailey has you hubby figured out/excitement built up around him.
I think first your DH has to be absolutely consistent and react as you have done in the past.
It might also be an idea to put a nice comfy basket muzzle on Bailey - look up muzzle training for dogs on google so he learns its ok and not something to fear or resent.
The other problem is that it sounds like a self rewarding behaviour - hard to be sure without seeing it, but assuming Bailey is just so excited and all he wants is to jump up and bite and have his walk with your DH - he's still getting what he wants as I think from what you said he still gets his walk and has built this up as a routine. Dogs tend to learn things in a very context specific way.
Another tip would be to train him to be doing something else - i.e. instead of a walking him - have an intensive training session teaching him - along with DH to 'heel' or do other commands regularly through a walk to keep his mind active and off jumping and biting.
If he learns the command to heel properly, when you then ask him to do this on a walk he'll be too busy doing that and unable to do his normal behaviour as he can't do both at the same time - so have a treat pouch for walks and make it as fun as possible.
Im sure there will be lots of responses with more helpful things but its all I can think of right now! Good luck, there's lots of you tube and google resources available on dog training, look on the APBC website for resources and contacts or the APDT website as they are regulated.

[RedwingWinter]

DH needs to do like you and freeze. Pushing the dog away doesn't teach him that he doesn't want him to jump and nip - from the dog's perspective, he's jumping out of excitement and being pushed away makes it even more of a game. It sounds like it is rewarding to him. And like Tata says, if necessary use a muzzle until he's learnt not to jump.

[HelgatheHairy]

tata Will look up muzzles. I totally get when you say self-rewarding behaviour. If DH is in the field next to the house he ends the session as soon as he can get to the wall to get over it into our garden and comes straight in the house but if he's further away or even at the far end of the field then it can be a while before he can get back and Bailey has been having great "fun" in the meantime! I have been thinking of having DH do more training as I've been doing the majority so will get DH looking into that.

redwing I do think DH has turned it into a game but not on purpose! (Not that Bailey knows that!). He's about 5 stone and 5 feet on his back legs (Bailey not DH!) and his nails REALLY hurt as well so I can see why DH wants him off. I've seen DHs legs covered in scratches. So the freezing just isn't working any more.

Thanks ladies for the great replies.

[idirdog]

Stop it from happening in the first place. Use a harnass with a d ring at the front or a head collar. Calm but copious rewards for all four feet on the ground.

Click and treat when all four feet are on the ground and the dog is moving forward. If he starts to bounce up walk in a circle and then continue to move forward.

[idirdog]

harness

[HelgatheHairy]

idirdog that's a good idea (we've already been looking into head collars for when DH walks him) but that would mean Bailey gets no off-lead play time?

The way we've worked it so far is I've done the main walk of the day for an hour or so on-lead (recall is getting better but not ready to try in public) then when DH comes home he does the second walk/playtime off-lead. By playtime I mean fetch type games. Has to be in the field as our garden has just been sown with grass seed so not usable.

I'm not really in a position to do ALL the exercising as I'm 32 weeks pregnant so should we just knock playtime on the head for now?