# trouble passing aggressive dogs on walks



## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

Atticus will NOT pass dogs that are on the side of a path with their owners. I'm happy to say that there are many responsible dog owners in my area who know to take their dogs to the side and get their attention by treats while others walk on by with their dogs. I was in this group with my last dog (rescued border collie). And know well the attention given to ones dog while you pray the person will quickly walk past. However, Atticus CLEARLY reads these dogs and stops DEAD in his tracks and will NOT budge (even with fresh chicken as a lure). I have to pick him up, but as a trainer I don't like the fact that he is refusing to walk (I of course realize it is fear) . As this path is two ways, yesterday I asked the person we were passing the 2nd time to pass by and I went to the side. Her dog did pass by but did so lunging/ barking etc and I felt badly as this was not good for either of them. Atticus is well socialized, has no trouble passing dogs that are walking with their owners on leash unless they are lunging /crouching and clearly giving him a message that concerns him (i then go to the side). YES of course I can pick him up, and do but I want to find a way to work through this with out making things difficult for the other dogs. My attempts to lure him take so long the other dog and owner become more and more frantic.Any help appreciated!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think I'd continue to pick him up, if that's what he needs, and feed him goodies and talk to him as you are passing. Hopefully,with enough exposures, feeling safe in your arms, he will start to be less fearful. But, as I'm sure you know, trying to woe him through it, when there is ANY chance of the other dog active aggressively toward him, probably is not going to work. And, as you said, it's counterproductive for BOTH dogs.

Tough situation, though!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah , I wouldn't pick him up. By this you are inhibiting his flight instinct. If there is an area, where you can't pass without triggering a reaction, you should back up immediately and give him an out. When he freezes he is already over threshold., and this will in turn can trigger a possible reaction in the other dog. Yep it comes down to reading and manners. Some owners get it and some don't.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

davetgabby said:


> yeah , I wouldn't pick him up. By this you are inhibiting his flight instinct. If there is an area, where you can't pass without triggering a reaction, you should back up immediately and give him an out. When he freezes he is already over threshold., and this will in turn can trigger a possible reaction in the other dog. Yep it comes down to reading and manners. Some owners get it and some don't.


I have similar problems; I think picking up is a last resort, certainly worth doing if there is no alternative to injury, but not otherwise if at all possible. I've been taking Cuba to adult classes with responsible, experienced other owners and calm, mostly large dogs. She is getting her confidence up but still lunges and barks and growls at strange dogs in the street. It's slowly getting better, but not by any means perfect yet. I don't yet take her to places where dogs are off lead. There are too many ill-educated owners with untrained dogs around here - as posted elsewhere, Tycho,my Coton was attacked yesterday by a Jack Russell who came out of nowhere and totally unprovoked laid into poor Tychy, who was out with my husband. Not a good scene, and I don't want Cuba traumatised by anything similar. Tychy seems to have got over it (?) - at any rate, was ok with other dogs on a walk today, apparently.


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

Thanks guys, I'm not really expecting a solution as it's a tough one. Atticus is not at all aggressive, he just balls up his body and will NOT walk past a dog he fears. He is afraid of some other things grates,machines, weird things out of place. With those I am able to do a "check it out" training with a clicker and treats as he gets closer and closer. However this issue with a live , stressed dog and owner doing their best to be off the path (which I most appreciate) ahead of me has my training brain flummoxed! I think I'll go to some dog events in the spring and pass him by other dogs who are sitting. His issue is not with dogs walking, he will pass perfectly well, a strange dog also on leash. He knows these dogs sitting on the side are trouble. However I'm pretty sure that a dog sitting at a show will not be giving him the dog signal he is reading from these others! Maybe I should be glad I can pick him up or I'd be really stuck! This particular path is wooded but it is a corridor and there is nowhere to go.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> yeah , I wouldn't pick him up. By this you are inhibiting his flight instinct. If there is an area, where you can't pass without triggering a reaction, you should back up immediately and give him an out. When he freezes he is already over threshold., and this will in turn can trigger a possible reaction in the other dog. Yep it comes down to reading and manners. Some owners get it and some don't.


I was reading it that the area was too narrow for her to get him beyond threshold distance from these dogs, and that they had to pass to continue. I agree that if it's possible to get outside of threshold distance, that's the best, but at least in her arms, she doesn't have to worry about the dog being able to get in his face.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Atticus said:


> Thanks guys, I'm not really expecting a solution as it's a tough one. Atticus is not at all aggressive, he just balls up his body and will NOT walk past a dog he fears. He is afraid of some other things grates,machines, weird things out of place. With those I am able to do a "check it out" training with a clicker and treats as he gets closer and closer. However this issue with a live , stressed dog and owner doing their best to be off the path (which I most appreciate) ahead of me has my training brain flummoxed! I think I'll go to some dog events in the spring and pass him by other dogs who are sitting. His issue is not with dogs walking, he will pass perfectly well, a strange dog also on leash. He knows these dogs sitting on the side are trouble. However I'm pretty sure that a dog sitting at a show will not be giving him the dog signal he is reading from these others! Maybe I should be glad I can pick him up or I'd be really stuck! This particular path is wooded but it is a corridor and there is nowhere to go.


One thing that's helped Cuba a lot is working on proprioception skills - balancing on wobble cushions, walking on different odd surfaces - pea gravel, crunched up paper, foil, sand - getting up on wobbly boxes, managing to step across hedgehog balance balls, all that kind of thing; it seems to build body-awareness and thereby confidence generally. She was terrified of even touching a wobble cushion when we started, but careful, slow, gentle shaping and she's now up on it in a flash and can balance really well for nearly a minute, wobbling like mad!! She's really enjoying it. This is an interesting article, with stuff about how personality can benefit and change with body awareness and balance skills:
http://www.azdoggyduderanch.com/min...-propriocetion-balance-by-any-other-name.html
but if you google 'proprioception for dogs', you will find lots more.


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