Dog Socialisation - Tips Please

[Vikki]

Hello what a great board

I have a six year old Husky and a seven year old Akita. The Husky attended puppy school and was taken to many dog parks when he was young, however we received the Akita as an adult dog and I don't believe any such socialisation was done.

Here lies the problem - when we go for a walk (which is daily) when we see another dog, my Akita becomes very upset. She doesn't bark, but her entire focus becomes the other dog, and she whinges and whines and jumps pulls and lunges about, whilst the Husky could not care less about the other dog. It is to the point where I dread seeing another dog when we're out walking, and it's upsetting that it has to be like this?

Is there anything I can do to overcome this problem? I have tried putting on a "happy voice" and getting them to run in the other direction of the dog, which takes a little bit of focus off, but not much. I don't feel confident taking her to a dog school as I would dread having her around other dogs.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[schelmischekitty]

welcome to the akita breed!  both my akita (140lbs) and my akita chow (75lbs) act like this if i don't correct them.  akita's are a VERY intense breed, especially if they don't receive training as a puppy.  halti leads / gentle leaders work GREAT and help you get a lot of control back.  if your akita is as big as mine, we use a goat halter instead because it doesn't slip as much and is a lot sturdier (and actually fits better b/c of their noses!).  if all else fails, i grab the tip of axle's ear and pinch a little and say "NO, watch me" and we walk off.  if it helps and if you have a yard a good long romp in the yard to burn off extra energy works great to help calm them down.  a tired dog is a happy dog, and this will even help on walks because they won't have "extra" energy in them.  also, it's NEVER too late for obedience classes.  talk to different trainers and see who you're most comfortable with.  we do a refresher course every so often just to keep axle in step, and it makes him understand boundaries about other people / animals too.  stella's right about the "watch me" command too, it is a life saver if your dog weighs almost as much as you! 

[Carebear_myGSD]

Your not alone in this situation Princess my sharpi cross had to have many surgies during the crucial months as a puppy so wasnt alowed out to play with the other dogs at the park we lived in a no dog comunity and she was a SDIT so we got but with are teeth so to speak so she didnt thow even on her wallks around the neribor hood get to see other dogs she was in pupy and regural class allso thie helps alot even if you dont do anything in the class but sit and make her wathch you or LEAVE IT is what we would say !petsmart and petco are great on a busy day get you a chair and sit in corner and feed her treats when ever she foucous on you! I still cant get that fun of the chase out or princess she still will get bent sometimes in the store and  SHE IS THE ONLY SERVICE DOG ALLOWED LOL IN HER OPNION
jsut keep working on it and buy her having another companion to play with I find it has took some of it out ofher!

[sc.trojans]

What you describe is called REACTIVITY - and it is common today in many dogs and breeds. There are varying degrees of reactivity, and for some dogs it may just be learning how to walk and ignore other dogs.

A good trainer with experience with Reactivity can help, as also several books by some of the best trainers.
I highly recommend Pat Miller's Book "The Power of Positive Dog Training" in which she dedicates a chapter to Reactivity.  Also, Patricia McConnell's book "the Other End of the Leash", and Jean Donaldson's "Culture Clash" deal with Reactivity.

Pat Miller and Jean Donaldson both say that many reactive dogs have been created by us by allowing them to meet strange dogs and approach on leash.  They argue that if dogs are properly socialized and also trained that when on leash, they focus on and follow their human, and when off leash it is play time with other dogs - that reactivity would not develop.  It is certainly trainable however and I highly recommend these books to walk you through how to do it.

Good luck!