I haven't checked in for awhile. It was nice to see more posts on my thread. As an update, the problem is solved. Actually, it's a beautiful sunny day today, I was out with him an after lunch, a dog walker passed us, and he just sat quietly until the dog/walker passed.
I confess...I'm not an experienced dog owner, and definitely not a dog trainer, but I didn't follow the advice in the posts (on some other matters, like the martingale collars, I followed the offered advice and benefited from it). I read them, certainly understood them, and other threads on other sites, and went with my gut feelings about what would work for me.
What worked? The first few times I yelled his name or "stop/quiet" to distract him. I cupped his face in my hands, which I do all the time, he loves it, and talked to him in a calm voice to distract him. I pulled him close to me so he couldn't lunge and had him sit/lie down, after a few times just lie down. Some treats when I could get ahold of them in time. Is that punishment? There's a neutrality to giving the command for normal, already trained behaviors. It isn't like I beat him with a rubber hose to force a confession, lol!
I think I have to stay on this issue for awhile with him, but today, every dog up and down the road barked at this dog/walker but mine. He was a cool dude. I don't think there's a homicidal aggression festering under the surface
I'm self-training him to be a service dog. Both the ADA and my state laws provide me explicit protections in that a service dog can be self-trained, does not need any formal training or certification from any individual or organization, and does not have to wear a service dog vest or insignia to be a working service dog.
I took him on his first big outing last Thursday. We went to the largest area shopping mall, past all the people, food vendors, children, baby carriages, automatic doors. He was a perfect gentleman while I got new glasses at lenscrafters, way beyond my expectations for a first time in such a distracting environment. We're going again on Wednesday. If he does that good again a few more times I'm getting him a backpack and a vest and start with those. Success is hard to argue with.
I confess...I'm not an experienced dog owner, and definitely not a dog trainer, but I didn't follow the advice in the posts (on some other matters, like the martingale collars, I followed the offered advice and benefited from it). I read them, certainly understood them, and other threads on other sites, and went with my gut feelings about what would work for me.
What worked? The first few times I yelled his name or "stop/quiet" to distract him. I cupped his face in my hands, which I do all the time, he loves it, and talked to him in a calm voice to distract him. I pulled him close to me so he couldn't lunge and had him sit/lie down, after a few times just lie down. Some treats when I could get ahold of them in time. Is that punishment? There's a neutrality to giving the command for normal, already trained behaviors. It isn't like I beat him with a rubber hose to force a confession, lol!
I think I have to stay on this issue for awhile with him, but today, every dog up and down the road barked at this dog/walker but mine. He was a cool dude. I don't think there's a homicidal aggression festering under the surface
I'm self-training him to be a service dog. Both the ADA and my state laws provide me explicit protections in that a service dog can be self-trained, does not need any formal training or certification from any individual or organization, and does not have to wear a service dog vest or insignia to be a working service dog.
I took him on his first big outing last Thursday. We went to the largest area shopping mall, past all the people, food vendors, children, baby carriages, automatic doors. He was a perfect gentleman while I got new glasses at lenscrafters, way beyond my expectations for a first time in such a distracting environment. We're going again on Wednesday. If he does that good again a few more times I'm getting him a backpack and a vest and start with those. Success is hard to argue with.
