Poorly behaved dogs

[MarcoPoloCX]

There are many reasons behind poorly behaved dogs.
It could be because they are reactive/fear aggressive as a result of bad experiences with other dogs.
Not socialised enough.
Not being trained and corrected by owners for bad behaviour.
Owner’s poor upbringing of their dogs.
Being injured/unwell.
The nature of that particular breed/dog.
Other dog’s bad behaviour which has resulted in your dog being a certain way.
And so on ……

How well behaved are your dogs?
What would you have done differently, if any?
Or what you wish other owners would do so their dogs do not affect negatively on yours.

Female dog has shite recall and doesn't tolerate dogs too much. Male dog gets protective over female dog and has brilliant recall. They're okay ish behaved.
Female dog is a rescue and was a stray so no idea about her past.
Wish people would recall their dogs as they come charging up to mine who are on lead for a reason. Neither of them tolerate having dogs rushing up to them growling and barking.

But they both stay on a horse lunging lead

I think the reason behind most of my dog's bad points is just that she is too damn friendly! She wants to say hello to everyone and everything, play with all and sundry.

She is great when we meet kids out and about as I have two of my own and she knows not to jump on them etc, so doesn't do that to strange kids either. But, adults, if their dog doesn't want to say hello to her, she will jump on them instead. I work tirelessly trying to get her to keep all four feet on the ground, she does it at home, but once we are out the excitement of meeting someone new overtakes all other senses. We have a gate at the front and loads of people walk by and talk to her. She jumps up at the gate to speak to them/get a head rub, and I really think this doesn't help the cause.

She also bowls up to other dogs - most rude! She is very good in that she will recall away pretty quickly, unless they are happy to play and then she will play for a bit then come away, fine. If they are on a lead or not interested, then she also comes away immediately and doesn't push it, her recall is one of her best attributes. Obviously I try and pre-empt all of this by getting her on a lead when I see people/dogs coming, but sometimes you just happen upon people don't you.

If anyone has tips on how to control an over sociable dog then I'd be keen to hear them :)

Aked - stooge people and dogs are what you need to practise on outside with 'strangers' as well. (Strangers to your dog, I'm not advocating random people, lol)

You only allow the dog to approach if they do it calmly and controlled and you just turn them around if they're not (on a longline works best) you reward any calm behaviour and the meeting a dog or person is the ultimate reward which they only get to do calmly and with all paws on the ground.

It can take a fair bit of repetition with different people/dogs and in different places, but it usually works pretty well.

My dog is dog aggressive and human aggressive because of health problems he's had. (He's fine with people and dogs he knows, but not strangers)...I'm not sure what I'd have done differently tbh as it's not really been in my control.

Get an adult rescue dog instead of getting a puppy I suppose, lol.

I just wish I'd met my trainer when my dog was eight weeks old instead of eleven months old, he is pretty well behaved after five months of her advice, support and help but I think there is so much I would have done differently if I had her knowledge of dog behaviour and 'reading' them.

Old dog is a list cause tbh but he's mellowed in his old age. His worst behaviour is absent recall (deaf!) and opening every door in the house constantly.

Young dog is mouthy because she's seemingly untrained. Her recall needs work. But she's overall OK for her age and the short time she been with us.

Other dogs? Picking up their shit would be a good start, and asking before allowing them to approach mine. Doesn't bother my dogs but might bother someone else's.

Oh other people's dogs, I forgot that bit.

I wish they'd just keep them away.

I am sick to death of having dogs approach mine while I've moved well out of their way and he's on a lead, muzzled and I tell other owners that he is not ok with other dogs and there is every chance he will try and attack them in plenty of time for them to stop their dog, they just can't or don't bother to.

About twice a week a 'friendly' dog bounces at him despite the huge signals he's giving out and all the warning to the owners.

Almost as often he's approached by dogs that aren't friendly, he copes better with that because they don't bounce at him, but if they approach slowly and I'm busy trying to reinforce his good behaviour it's all ruined when they bark or growl.

And on top of that, he is bitten every so often as well, dogs run up and bite him, thankfully it's been a few months since that happened...but to be fair that's because he was ill all summer and wasn't being walked. He has a couple of scars from being bitten, while he was on lead and muzzled.

Short of taking security guards on walks with me (and actually I do quite often have a friend run interference with her dog for me) I'm not sure what else I can do to convince people that he will not welcome their dog. Weirdly puppies are the worst, even onlead people try and bring them over...I'm not entirely sure why they want their puppies squashed by my dog or what possible benefit they think meeting him will do.

Both mine are fairly poorly behaved.

BoyDog barks at anyone who walks past his back gate.
GirlDog is goofy and wants to play with everyone
Both have shirt recall

They only go off lead in the park where it's enclosed, and there's nobody else around (unless we know the other dogs). They do have long lines which we use for lots of running and playing.

They were adopted when they were both over 9, and are very lovely breeds (Dalmatians). We have no idea on their history. We've worked with a trainer and they have off lead time with other dogs at daycare where they have one of the staff as a fully trained trainer who does some work with them.

I wish other owners with reactive dogs would keep away on walks. There's one woman in particular who insists on coming over to talk to us, when one of her dogs jumps and growls at my two, which riles up all four of them. Mine aren't dog reactive unless the other starts it

• they'll play nicely with any other dog, but if the other dog starts it BoyDog will do his great big mandog woofs to protect his GirlDog.

NCIS I think you are too hard on yourself, your dog has always been very well behaved, you just have extremely high standards.

In our case, Lurcherboy only has one fault really - that he has suffered from Isolation Distress since we lost his companion last year. He's such a good lad other than that, but him having ID causes me problems because I need to take my other dog out individually to work on his issues, but I can't leave Lurcherboy without him or he howls. Other than that he is the gentlist, sweetest boy, well behaved with decent basic training - although bless him, he's not the brightest so I haven't trained him any further than that.

Pip has a lot of issues, stemming from both a bad start, right from birth, before he came to us and then illness resulting in him missing a large chunk of his socialisation. Obedience-wise he's pretty good, decent recall (whistle trained) - especially for a Lurcher and has all the basics down pat, plus a few tricks on the side. He's good with people of all ages, including children and is no trouble around the house at all. Unfortunately despite being able to carry him out and about for socialisation, so he's fine with just about everything and everyone, he wasn't able to mix with other dogs until he was 17 weeks old and then had two bad experiences in a row where he was rolled by dogs whose owners were nowhere in sight. He's now extremely fearful of other dogs. We've worked hard on it and seen two behaviourists, but they both told me we're doing everything right, it's just going to take a lot of time and effort and he will probably never get to the point where he's completely happy around other dogs.

His other fault is Separation Anxiety, again stemming from his difficult start. He can't even be left just with Lurcherboy, as he gets very distressed and screams the place down. He's come a long way. I didn't used to be able to even step away from his crate for a second when he was younger, then for months I couldn't leave the room, let alone the house, so couldn't even go upstairs for a second without him yelling. Now he's fine with me in and out and up and downstairs and even doing stuff on the drive or in the front garden and can go a maximum of an hour (realistically he's more comfortable with around 3/4 of an hour) at home without me. It's slow progress, but we're getting there.

As for what other dogs could do so their dogs don't negatively affect mine - the age old thing about not letting their dogs run up to dogs that are being kept on lead. I accept that sometimes it's just an unfortunate set of circumstances or a generally well behaved dog that suddenly goes deaf and decides not to recall. It's the owners who walk around the park staring at their phones, ignoring their dogs and letting them run up to anyone and everyone that drive me scatty - as do people who open the boot of the car and let their dogs run while they either wait by the car or saunter slowly around, so they're often on the opposite side of the park to their own dog and either can't see or ignore whatever it's doing.

Eric is lovely with people and dogs and cats, his recall is picking up again after a bit of teenage rebellion, he's happy to be left at home for up to four hours, he only barks when people come to the door, he never messes in the house or even the garden and he's brilliant overnight.
But he's an absolute devil in the house, he steals anything that takes his fancy not food particularly but anything shiny and knickers and socks. He climbs on window sills, cabinets, the table, fireguard and he jumps the stair gate and opens doors by swinging on the door handle and kicking with his back legs.Funnily enough he only performs for an audience so does none of this if he is alone preferring to sleep in his bed instead .

Chrismoose (love the xmas name btw) thank you, I think I forget sometimes that he's still a puppy, the trainer was saying to me today,' he's a puppy still and he's full of joy, we don't want to take that away from him just make sure it doesn't get him into trouble' .

He's brilliant with other dogs, very rarely approaches another on lead dog and always recalls instantly if he does, he also reads other dogs well and gives them a wide berth if they don't seem interested. Just joggers and bikes which is improving but if I hadn't met the trainer I really would have struggled and lost confidence which would have made walks unpleasant.

As it is, his progress makes the 7+ hours of classes and social walks I go on each week all worth while, plus he has helped me make some really good friends.
Seeing him play with all his GSD mates, every line of him brimming with zest for life almost brings tears to my eyes.

Both of mine are really good lads. Ddog1 will try to jump up at people who have treats in their pockets, otherwise ignore. Of course, people with treats in their pockets are fellow dog walkers, who don't mind being jumped upon, which reinforces that behaviour. Otherwise, he's had a lot of work put into him, and came from a reputable breeder, plenty of training and socialisation, therefore SHOULD be a good lad. Which he is. He is fab with other dogs, but not particularly inclined to do other than a cursory sniff before moving on, even at 2.

Ddog2 is just fantastic but very timid. He won't stay in a down without wiggling. His major worry is just that, he worries about everything!! He's great with other dogs, despite being recently attacked and having his leg broken. However, because he is so placid and gentle and cute and loves nothing but cuddles, he makes even non dog lovers melt. Oh, and he does bark quite a bit when he sees people he loves initially, but settles with a sit command (usually!). I would also say that he's well behaved because of his nature and because ddog1 is well trained, rather than any formal training we did.

So pleased to hear he hasn't developed a fear of other dogs after his attack needa. How is his leg now?

Thanks for asking, Chrismoosemama

It's been a bit of a long road. He was in a splint for 7 weeks, but couldn't weight bare when the splint came off. The bite had damaged not only the bone but also the surrounding ligaments. So, we were sent to specialist orthopedic surgeon. He wanted to fuse the leg, a big operation, with a massive bill and very 'final' (he would walk slightly 'crookedly' for ever, he's only 1), so I wanted a bit more time to consider.

So he came home with strict crate rest instructions. And then started walking perfectly well on it immediately! So we've built him up slowly (probably not as slowly as the surgeon would have liked) and he's back up to 2 hours off lead a day, split into 2. And hasn't limped since.

However, there are two fragments of bone floating around in his joint. He will definitely suffer with arthritis in later life, and may go lame at any point. We have to find his equilibrium exercise level. It may be that he never suffers again (unlikely), it may be we get a few months and then he's lame after every walk. We may be lucky and get 10 years, in which case you wouldn't put an old dog through such a big procedure. No crystal ball I am afraid.

He's fine with other dogs but generally timid and behind my legs anyway

Good to hear from you

Mine has ishoos with other dogs due to some bad experiences.

She's fine in class and was always ok in competition because she knows both those situations are for working and that other dogs won't hassle her.

Out and about I have to manage her carefully although she's getting much better; partly I think because I'm far more confident about telling people to call their bloody nuisance dog away if necessary.

Around the home she's lovely. Gets a bit excited over visitors but doesn't really jump up any more as long as visitors obey my cues to ignore her for the first 10 minutes ;)

Teaching recall and leave are so important. It would avoid so many bad situations. But sometimes it simply falls on deaf ears.

I know at least 3 dog walkers that use my dogs recall to actually recall their own dogs! So, their dog will come bounding over to play, usually my dogs will ignore as they do their own thing, but sometimes they will play. Then, as I move on, the excitable dog will follow, sometimes with alarming persistence.

I will therefore have to use my dogs recall to move them over the the owner, so their dog can be caught. I can be as solitary sometimes as my dogs, I like to think my thoughts and go where I want to go, so it annoys me that I have to walk back over a field that I have already crossed, to return a dog

I wish I'd known to control my pup's socialisation with other dogs, I was so keen to give him confidence that I didn't try to introduce manners around dogs at the same time, so he has self control around kids, joggers and cyclists but very little around dogs, he loves other dogs to a fault so he has recall issues around other dogs, who knows whether I'll ever be able to train him out if his obsession. Because he's a whippet, other dog owners are always begging me to let him off lead so that he can give their dogs some exercise. Some can be overly persistent . I don't mind other dogs approaching Dpup even though he's on a long lead - a quick hello helps his training but when their dog is continually goading Dpup for a run around it can be very difficult for Dpup to stay calm.
Dogs jumping up on me in the park for treats annoys me, even in my dog walking clothes.

I'd have done more calm socialisation with other dogs but been choosier about who she mixed with. I was so hung up on her seeing me as more fun than other dogs that I didn't do enough to teach her about polite, calm, appropriate interaction.

I'd never have played with her in places I want her to associate with relaxation, ie the living room.

As for other people - the huge one is people who allow their off lead dogs to run up to you without asking if it's ok. It's always the people who can't recall their own dogs who insist that it's their dog's right to approach others whenever he feels like it, I find...

Just come back from a walk with friends, five GSD's 2 labs and my collie. Saw a person with a dog approaching so all our dogs were recalled and put on the lead but the other person was on their phone and happily let their labradoodle bounce up to ours without a care. Some of our group are reactive dogs but can be with other well managed dogs not random strangers!

Nothing happened but it made life difficult for people who were having to keep their on lead dogs away from this ill mannered dog, not the dogs fault just an inattentive owner with no idea of walk etiquette.

In the absence of recall in the presence of other dogs - which I am always working on, I am teaching Dpup - who is always on a long training lead to 'stop' and 'wait' when he sees other dogs and I am teaching him to 'leave it' with other dogs - what other things do people do to encourage good doggie manners.
I must say it's pretty much the norm in our park for dogs to approach anyone they like and most dogs that are taken to that park are easy going - it's a very busy park but this morning, a dog walker asked a man to recall his massive dogs, his reaction was to swear and rant about it being a public place and his dogs were entitled to go where they pleased as long as they didn't hurt anyone - thing is his dogs do get aggressive with other dogs everyone who walks a dog there knows it and no one wants his dogs anywhere near their's.

I'm no expert but I swear what taught mine was three weeks spent with two calm well socialised dogs (my sisters) one who was three and happy to play most of the time and a fourteen year old who never wanted to play and was very quick to inform pup not to approach. He know almost waits to be invited by other off lead dogs and will approach in a semi circle fashion backing off if he doesn't get the come play response. If they do play , they take turns.
We had a six month old lurcher to stay a few weeks ago and it was really interesting to watch my dogs management of the play, if it got too heated he would walk away for a minute or so and then let play resume.
He now rarely makes a mistake thanks to the early training from his two collie friends, I'm sure it would have been different if they had not been calm dogs though.

FibonacciDog barks at the door like nobody's business. Even when someone walks past the door. DH and I have spent HOURS with one of us outside, ringing the bell, while the other one gives him a treat when he doesn't bark. He just won't learn.

He is also super friendly and jumps up to everyone. I try to teach him not to, but he is very cute so people pet him or feed him when he's up their legs, which doesn't help.