Confidence building - Page 3

Nan, your dog will recover in time and positive experience in future.  The first obvious step is that you must make sure that he does not have any more negative experiences of this nature.  You can try these approaches,.

Extinction and redirection of attention and diffusion

 I personally would wait for at least a month. Take the dog in an area of other dogs in  distance long enough so that it  does not concern your dog. Play ball or tug with your dog. Have fun.  Slowly approach the area where  there are other dogs. If you see concern increase distance. 

 Also combine the above with obedience.  With dog in distance do obedience with  tug  or food. Demand response if the dog pays attention to other dogs. 

Reconditioning. 

Walk in areas where there are dogs. As soon as your dog sees another dog but before  it gets worry or aggressive towards them  start acting crazily happy and play tug with the dog or use treat if he does not play.  It  is simple Pavlov's  conditioning.  Stimulus( bell, or in this case another dog) -> reward ( food or tug play) . This approach takes at least 100x  -300x repetitions but is effective if done consistently = every time your dog sees the dog.  The result is then that when your dog  sees another dog instead adrenaline or what ever unhappy hormone in his brain will be exchanged with endorphin or what ever " happy hormone" in his brain.  

 I hope this helps.

Prager Hans

Thank you Prager, this sounds exactly like what he needs.  I will let  you know how it works.  Since this older boy has some physical limitations I think this could work nicely.  Thank you again and I am so glad to see you posting again,  Nan

PS:  This has been 5 months so I think I have let him heal long enough, onward and upward.  He seems to feel much better at home now so we will proceed ahead.  Thx

One more thing I forgot.  As you reconditioning the dog by play after the stimulus of your dog ssenig another dog - walk away from that other dog. Make a "U" turn thus diminish  his presence. . 

Well signed up the ole' guy for basic obedience class which is taught by my breeders/trainers at their facility, no aggression is allowed, all on leash and long line so not much chance for a dog to get him and is every other Sat for the next year.  So hopefully we can go and have some fun with a little work in obedience at the same time.  Wish me luck...

And thanks to all for responding to my call for help.  Really appreciate new ideas.  Nan

I think your dog would love it if you encouraged a "little" stand tall attitude in him. He has probably always been discouraged from demonstrating this behavior as It is not acceptable in most instances.

    But now, it's time he stand up for himself. Same thing with kids.  You can only expect them to turn the other cheek for so long,  when they are being bullied.

    Comes a time you tell them, just punch them in the nose if they keep it up, lol. 

Thank you kitkat,  I promise I won't do anything serious;  just a scarey showing of his bite.  The place where I am going to take him for OB also does Sch training;  so I think he can help me bring it out in him.  Will let you know  Nan

  Kind of like this...only doggy version.  Too funny but fitting.  Have great days everyone,  Nan  and thanks again...