Bikes and skateboards.....

[mjb]

Any suggestions on helping a dog become less reactive to bikes and skateboards? He's a very friendly dog, but he always barks when bikers and skateboarders come by our house. He barks when people walk by, too, but it's a different bark. He's anxious when they're on wheels.

Tonight, we took him on a walk, and he was wagging and greeting people. Then a child came by on a bike, and he was barking and wanted to turn and watch him. He got the growly kind of bark going. The child rode his bike into his driveway, all the while Spanky was softly growling. Then the child got off his bike and started walking down the road, and Spanky was wagging his tail and trying whimpering to get to him to greet him.......completely different than when he was on the bike.

I'm pretty sure some kids have ridden by and found out they could get him barking with the skateboards and kept it up and got very loud. I came out that day and took Spanky in, but he was quite upset, and I think the kids were staying in front of our house to hear him, but I'm not sure.

My son has a skateboard, and Spanky doesn't like it.....he shies away from it, but he hasn't really been around it in awhile. I didn't think he was as reactive as he was tonight with the bike.

Any ideas?

 

[Duke'sMommy]

My dog was the same way. All I did to get him to stop reacting was bring treats with me on our walks when a bike or skateboard was coming I would put him in a sit and he would watch as the bike came along and then went past he got his cookie for being good and we carried on. After about a week he was fine with bikes. Skateboards took a bit longer and even know if it catches him off guard he will react to it.

The other thing he is reactive of and for the life of me I cant break him out of is those shoes that have the wheels on them. lol.

Others will probably have more advice but thats what worked for me. Good luck!

 

[mjb]

Thanks. I don't know why I hadn't thought of treats, but I'll give that a try. I did some research on-line and found an article that was suggesting clicker training with a bike/skateboard that was still. Letting the dog approach if he would and click and treat and slowly build up to getting someone on it and then riding it. I might try that, too, but if the treat idea works on walks, then maybe he wouldn't get more ingrained with that reaction.

Also, I'm sure I need to work on him, maybe with the clicker, on paying attention to me so that I can get him focused on me and not on the wheeled alien.

 

[Doberluv]

Dukesmommy has a good plan. What I might add in addition is to do that, but start out at a distance from these things...a distance where your dog is not reactive. Let him see these things where he's comfortable and treat and praise him. Move closer over time....gradually. You can even get your own bike and skateboard or borrow a friend's and practice. Turn those wheeled things into good things by associating them with high value treats and praise. Whenever they're around, good things happen. Be sure not to reward him if he is going off and getting crazy. Only reward for calmness. Try to set him up for success.

Instead of having him focus on you instead, try getting him use to seeing these things and still being OK with it. Try reinforcing him with the treat BEFORE he goes off. If he does, you've gotten him too close to these things. If there is no way to get some distance between him and the bikes and skateboards....if you can't veer off the sidewalk or whatever, then turn him away and change the subject....have him focus on a sit or watch you. But do try to find a way to practice with distance between you for a while. Good luck.

 

[mjb]

I think I'll start trying these things. I'm not sure if he reacts when it's my son and his friends on the skateboards, but I might try to get them to help me get him used to them since it's just by chance we run into one on a walk. They used to skateboard many days in front of our house early in the school year, and Spanky didn't react to them. He could be outside and watch with no problem. It was later that some kids we don't know realized they could get him barking when they came by, and I think they tried to antagonize him. My son hasn't been on his board as much, or Spanky hasn't been out when he is since then.


Whether or not he has a problem when it's my son and his friends on the boards, he might could get used to them being good things again, especially with treats involved, if they help me out some.