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Reddit mentions of Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs
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Reddit mentions: 12
We found 12 Reddit mentions of Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs. Here are the top ones.
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Welcome to having a leash reactive dog. We have a support group for that on Wednesdays in /r/Dogtraining. You'll need the CARE Protocol. You may also want this book, or this one on BAT 2.0. You'll also need to understand thresholds, and most importantly, you really need to work with a trainer who understands reactivity and can train you so you can help your dog.
If you can't find a trainer who does things like "reactive rover" classes or similar, hit up a veterinary behaviorist.
You might also like /r/reactivedogs.
> What are some good exercises to help me teach him to relax when meeting new dogs?
The obvious one is practicing/repeating calm behaviors in the presence of other dogs. If you can find any distance or situation where he's able to be on leash with a dog in sight and relax enough to sniff the grass or lie down, repeat that situation for practice. Even if he knows the dog, even if the dog is a football field away, etc. Whatever works for him.
Attention is a good one. Teach him to look at you on cue, for treats, indoors with no distractions. Practicing for 5 minutes twice a day is a start. After he understands it, practice/reteach it with a window cracked so he can hear outside. Then practice/reteach with the door open (and him on leash) so he can see outside. Then practice/reteach it standing closer to the open door. Then standing in the doorway, then standing just outside. It might take a week or two to progress from practicing in a distraction-free environment to practicing just outside your door, but it's worth the effort. Having a foundation of being able to get his attention outdoors at all will be helpful moving forward.
Loose leash walking is another good one. Practice walking on a loose leash in a distraction-free environment (probably indoors at first) a few minutes a day. Then gradually build it up to practicing near your door, just outside your door, etc. The less tension on the leash, the less frustrated he'll get. If you have a tendency to tense your arm and take up all the leash slack so the leash is tight (most people do), then either train yourself to stop that or attach the leash to your belt instead of holding it.
Walking with other dogs on leash is a good exercise. There's a big difference to dogs between heading toward each other nose-to-nose on leash (very confrontational and frustrating) and walking in the same direction as each other on leash (good way to acclimate or desensitize to the other dogs' presence). If he's not able to walk with other dogs on leash, then do parallel walking instead. Walk the same direction as the other dog, but stay far enough apart that your dog doesn't freak out.
When you need to walk toward another dog to pass on a walk, walk way far away from the path to pass at a great distance so your dog doesn't react. After he gets the idea of passing other dogs rather than approaching, you can make that arc less exaggerated.
Since he's okay with other dogs off leash, practice with dogs he's met before, in the beginning. Total strangers will be more difficult cases--work up to those. After he has spent a few minutes with the other dog meeting and greeting, then go for a walk together or do whatever training exercise you have planned.
Later, after he has learned basic obedience skills and is able to practice them within sight of other dogs, you can use greeting the other dogs (off leash) as a reward for walking nicely with you, following your instructions, and paying attention to you.
> My biggest problem is that he isn't highly treat or toy motivated, and even his most high value treats are uninteresting to him as soon as he is outside.
BAT 2.0 is a good method for desensitizing him to dogs, and doesn't require treats.
If he's motivated by food when he's relaxed indoors, there's a very good chance that he's overstimulated outside on walks. Refusing to take free food (by a dog that otherwise does take food willingly) is a sign that the environment is overwhelming or you're asking for too much too soon.
Take things slowly. Are there any quieter less stressful places you can walk for a couple of weeks as he settles in, so he doesn't meet many dogs on leash? I wouldn't have a brand new dog meeting other dogs on walks within the first week or two at all. Post-adoption is a hugely stressful time already...no need to add extra stress before you have a trusting relationship built up.
If you do expose him to dogs, keep in mind it will take a couple of days for his stress level to subside after a dog encounter. For that reason it's a good idea to limit on-leash dog-dog encounters/training/practice to 3x a week, giving him days to relax/recover in between. If you work on it all day every day the progress will actually be slower.
* Also, since walks aren't easy and carefree yet, remember to get him a good deal of physical exercise (chase, fetch, flirt pole, etc) and also mental stimulation (training, puzzles) at home every day. If you meet his exercise needs a while before you go out for a walk, things might get easier just due to a decrease in baseline pent up energy/frustration.
Looks like you may have used a training acronym. For those unfamiliar, here's some of the common ones:
BAT is Behavior Adjustment Training - a method from Grisha Stewart that involves allowing the dog to investigate the trigger on their own terms. There's a book on it.
CC is Counter Conditioning - creating a positive association with something by rewarding when your dog sees something. Think Pavlov.
DS is Desensitization - similar to counter conditioning in that you expose your dog to the trigger (while your dog is under threshold) so they can get used to it.
LAD is Look and Dismiss - Marking and rewarding when your dog sees a trigger and dismisses it.
LAT is Look at That - Marking and rewarding when your dog sees a trigger and does not react.
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You cannot safely have them out together until they are assessed by a trained behaviorist. Ideally a vet behaviorist (a person who has basically double credentials - not some tool who calls themselves a 'dog whisperer' after a year of 'working with dogs'. Someone who went to school to be a vet and also study animal behavior.), but a professional force free trainer who is experienced in aggression would work.
Remind you girlfriend of the vet bill you've already paid and ask her how many more just like that she wants to experience. Also, the blood and stress of more fights. If you try to just put them back together that will happen again. Guaranteed. Even if they seem fine when separated, if you won't know how to see the warning signs (and the bark/snap your lab did was probably the 10th or so signal...) and how to deescalate the situation (6 minute fight, water hose, human bitten, huge gashes...) then you should absolutely 100% not try to put them together at all.
Ok, done with scolding. Here's some constructive help.
Taking them to the vet was the right thing to do. Your catahoula x limping is likely because of bruising, and the vet couldn't have done anything about that. Treat her like you would if you got a bad leg bruise - rest, ice (if she'll let you), light exercise the next few days, and if the vet gave you any pain meds for her go ahead and use those as recommended. (NEVER use aspirin or tylenol, or any other OTC human medication on a dog unless your vet has specifically cleared it for the dog you are considering dosing right then.)
Ok, why this happened. Some people have mentioned possible dog aggression, IMO that's not likely. When I have seen cases like this (which I unfortunately have, and not uncommonly) it's often same sex dogs, although not always, and the younger dog is at or nearly a year old.
This happens because your older girl has been playing queen of the house and being a bit bossy. The pup has been a bit rude, but has gotten a 'puppy license' (aka - toddlers don't have to follow the same rules as adults). Now, her puppy license has run out and the older dog is saying "No. Stop that. You're an adult, you know the rules and this is MINE."
That doesn't make either girl right. In fact, they're both a bit wrong, IMO. Your younger girl was probably being a real PITA for a while before she got a serious warning, but your lab escalated things too far.
To have any chance of fixing things a few concrete steps need to be taken.
If you can get some of those things started then you can buy yourselves some time to save up for a behaviorist or experienced trainer to work with. The biggest thing is not allowing a repeat event to happen. Behavior is like a big rock on top of a hill, the more it rolls the more it will roll, so if you are very careful and don't allow another fight it'll be easier to fix in the long term. The more fights they have the harder it will be to eventually have them together and loose.
I know this will be a lot of work and stress for both you and your SO, but if you really focus on this and work through it you could be in a much better place in as short a time as a year. Both dogs with you, happier, healthier, and with you having a much stronger understanding of their behavior.
If you don't put that time and effort in then you could easily end up rehoming your catahoula.
Here's some reading and videos to get you started on working with your girls:
https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Terms-Dogs-Calming-Signals/dp/1929242360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496795912&sr=8-1&keywords=calming+signals+on+talking+terms+with+dogs
https://www.amazon.com/Other-End-Leash-What-Around/dp/034544678X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=034544678X&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=SAA8r&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-How-Conquer-Their-Fears/dp/1891767003/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767003&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Canine-Body-Language-Photographic-Interpreting/dp/1929242352/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1929242352&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070/ref=pd_sim_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767070&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Fired-Up-Frantic-Freaked-Out/dp/0985934921/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0985934921&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
https://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1890948209&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1617811742&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
https://www.amazon.com/Control-Unleashed-Creating-Focused-Confident/dp/B000UCF53A/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000UCF53A&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
https://saveabull.com/crate-and-rotate/
https://imperfectdog.com/2016/01/12/imperfect-dog-introductions-crate-rotate/
http://www.thedoggeek.com/2014/08/crate-and-rotate.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDeAKj2etMs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJgod6CO8jU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nyt2WLdQGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-WolM6cgg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnBPlub1Jgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=255hotAlI5o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6De7kEmOV1Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cGDYI-s-cQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7dl4c-IrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg
I'm by no means an expert - and I think that the behaviorist you are seeing is a great start. We did that with my pup, and while expensive, was worth every cent!
My Catahoula sounds similar to your dogs. She reacts to every dog we see on walks, sometimes people too. And there has been a few times she has been in fights with other dogs that were in her territory.
First, I would recommend getting a break stick to keep near by if you do get to the point of introducing to a new dog. Pit Bulls and other dogs tend to clamp down and not open their jaws for anything. The break stick helps you to "twist" their jaw open from the back. The ear injury is pretty common in these types of fights, especially if people are trying to pull dogs apart. I unfortunately have experience in that just like you.
Second look into Behavior Adjustment Training. It has really helped our dog. Positive reinforcement and redirection have worked wonders too. Learn how to best get your dog to redirect their attention to you- or know how to do a quick "u-turn" on a walk to avoid a potentially bad situation. Are your dogs treat motivated? Find the most delicious treat you can and always be sure to have it with you on walks! I use string cheese, personally.
We have semi-successfully introduced our dog to new dogs. We always start at a neutral place, like an empty dog park or empty tennis courts and keep the dogs on leash. Then we walk around our neighborhood together and finally into our back yard if all has gone well. But I usually always keep my dog's harness on and won't leave them unsupervised. There's always lots of treats, praise and monitoring my dog for her "warning signs" such as acting extra protective of me or stealing the toy from the other dog.
Finally, you're not alone in your anxiety. It's taken me a long time to feel comfortable and confident walking our dog and sometimes we'll have an encounter that brings all the anxiety back. Don't just train your dog but work on training yourself too. The more confident you feel the more success you will have.
Good luck and keep coming here for support!
I know the dogs are both older but it wouldn’t hurt to take them to a basic training class that uses positive reinforcement. I would maybe suggest that you take your wife’s dog and she take yours. The idea isn’t to train the dogs so much as it is to condition them to listen better, which it sounds like your wife’s dog needs, but it will help both of you learn how to handle the dogs better and improve their bonds with the person doing the training.
It’ll also give them something to do together that’s positive & that’s really the goal. Right now they have negative interactions with negative consequences. This needs to shift to positive interactions with positive consequences.
Punishment when something bad happens is hard for dogs to understand. They don’t know that the bite was wrong or the growl was wrong or the way they looked at something was wrong and so it becomes hard to remove a bad behaviour because instead of stopping an aggression they just hide or adjust how it’s displayed. This is dangerous, because you may think they’re ok when in truth they’re just showing the aggression differently.
Positive reinforcement doesn’t teach dogs to hide their reactions. Instead you reward the actions you want to see and build positive connections between action / your reaction. It takes time, especially after an attack, but with the right training and tools I think you’ll get there.
I’d also recommend seeking a registered behaviourist if it’s within your budget, and recommend the following books:
Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0
Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs
Dog aggressive... Right off the top of my head I would suggest taking a look at BAT 2.0. Jean Donaldson has Fight!
/u/mysled is right that a good behaviorist will be able to help you. Check the wiki and sidebars of /r/dogs and /r/dogtraining for links like this one, and feel free to ask. Lots of folks deal with reactive dogs, and I think there's a support thread that floats around on /r/dogs.
I wish you luck with this; I know loving and dealing with a reactive dog is a difficult path.
I didn't find distracted dog, but reactive dog is similar and available at the two places I provided links to above. By the way, what you need for your dog is behavior modification or behavior adjustment as opposed to just standard training, which is a little tougher because he has been practicing this behavior for a while, and it is self rewarding like when we eat a quart of ice cream when we feel bad or chew our finger nails, etc. There's a book that might be helpful buy Grisha Stewert https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617811742/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VYE75PHA6VYZ8QQVAEFW and you could also try a pheromone collar or diffuser to help calm your dog....
I would break it down and from a plan, maybe by priority or ease of training:
a. dogs
b. strangers (walking, biking, etc?)
I would check the books part in the wiki but I'll specifically mention this for the aggression/reactivity:
https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742
Check out these videos, they should give you some hope. He uses BAT:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHG3NYUNiEMiMlNy56VuAqjFK2I9uR3YU
For storms that sounds classical conditioning can help with where you want to change your dogs emotional response. Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2vx2q5RDRI
While I agree with the others here that you should treat around children, I disagree regarding criteria: I don't think you should expect any particular reaction from her in order to treat.
Treating based on a behavioural criteria is operant conditioning. The purpose of operant conditioning is to teach your dog to undertake a certain behaviour based on a certain cue or context. For example, teaching your dog to sit nicely whenever she sees a kid would be great if she tended to be overly excitable and happy around kids and had a tendency to knock them over accidentally.
Treating in the context of a trigger, without expecting any particular behaviour from your dog, is counterconditioning. The purpose of counterconditioning is to change your dog's automatic emotional reaction to the trigger. You treat every time your dog sees a child, regardless of whether your dog is growling or ignoring, because you want your dog to associate "child=something good!". Over time, your dog should start to feel good about children because they predict good things.
Depending on what your goals with your dog are, you may be happy to stop at counterconditioning -- say, you don't particularly care whether your dog sits next to you, sniffs the floor, politely says hello to the child, as long as the dog isn't being aggressive to the child. Just improving the dog's emotional reaction to children would be sufficient for that. On the other hand, if you want to see a specific behaviour from your dog around children, then after you have successfully counterconditioned your dog, you can work on operant conditioning.
You will not have much success with operant conditioning your dog when she is experiencing fear around children. Fear inhibits learning, and your dog is unlikely to even bother listening to you if it feels threatened. "Pleasing mum" takes a backseat to "defending my life!" any day for a dog, so it will ignore cues from you until it feels like the trigger has retreated.
Another tool for working with fearful reactive dogs is Behavioural Adjustment Training (BAT). It is similar to operant conditioning in that you reward your dog for appropriate "de-escalation" behaviour (e.g., turning away from the trigger, sniffing the ground, etc.) but instead of giving a treat or a toy, you reward the dog by allowing it to put more space between it and the trigger. Grisha Stewart developed the technique, and has written a couple books on how to do it, the most recent being [Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0] (https://www.amazon.ca/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474135094&sr=8-1&keywords=grisha+stewart). It requires that you have willing children to volunteer to stand around in a field or something while you do the training set-ups -- maybe find a helpful parent and offer to buy the kid an ice cream cone?
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It sounds like she's over threshold if she's not taking treats- she too freaked out in the moment to learn or for you to implement effective counter conditioning. It's all fear.
I would suggest looking into Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT). Basically, you start by determining the dog's threshold level. Once you know it, you keep them under threshold and use a counter conditioning strategy to desensitize them to the thing that frightens them. If they're above threshold, they can't learn & won't be reassured. Here's the link to a great book on the method. I would also explore r/reactivedogs for more advice & resources!