Reddit Reddit reviews Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog (Karen Pryor Clicker Book)

We found 15 Reddit comments about Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog (Karen Pryor Clicker Book). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog (Karen Pryor Clicker Book)
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15 Reddit comments about Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog (Karen Pryor Clicker Book):

u/helleraine · 9 pointsr/Dogtraining

There is not short fix for this. Unfortunately. You'll need to understand thresholds and your dog really well to make your life immensely less stressful. Further resources below.

Resources:

u/librarychick77 · 9 pointsr/Dogtraining

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.

u/lzsmith · 5 pointsr/Dogtraining

The surrender form says he doesn't get along with kids and was surrendered for growling at the home owner. That would typically disqualify him from placement in a home with small children. Have you thought about this, and did the shelter know you have a 5mo when they approved his placement with you? That's a precarious situation for a dog who is known to not do well with children.

The surrender form has no checks yes/no for animals. It's possible the previous owner kept him isolated from other animals (which means he probably doesn't get along with them) or that they didn't want to answer (which means he probably doesn't get along with them). If you want to introduce him to other animals, do it one animal at a time in a controlled situation under the supervision of an experienced trainer.

Advice in general for training--focus on positive reinforcement training to teach and reward the behaviors you DO like, hire a trainer for individual lessons revolving around dog-child interactions, learn to read nuances of dog body language so you know when he's uncomfortable, heavily manage interactions between him and your soon-to-be-toddler using gates, crates, pens, and active supervision (for example, child isn't allowed even near the dog's crate/bed for the next few years), stay away from dog parks altogether (they typically do more harm than good for remedial socialization), live by "better safe than sorry" because even though he seems sweet when you met him he'll be stressed due to these big changes in his life, and his temperament will change over time for at least a couple of months after you bring him home.

Advice on food brands--look for brands that use specific named ingredients that you understand and can picture as an ingredient in your mind (e.g. chicken meal, chicken liver, brown rice; NOT meat and bone meal). Look for a named meat as the first ingredient. Look for an AAFCO statement on the food that says the food is good for either adult maintenance or all life stages. I rotate between all flavors of Farmina ND Pumpkin (dry), Orijen (dry), and Science Diet Healthy Cuisine (canned), and am very happy with all three. Do your own research and ask your own vet--people online tend to have very strong opinions about dog diets, so take everything you read with a grain of salt.

Advice on treat brands--just use regular dog food mixed with some pieces of plain boiled meat and keep it refrigerated in between uses. Meat is cheaper, healthier, and more motivating than commercially available "dog training treats".

Advice on behaviors to train--teach "settle" first, which means dog goes to specific bed/crate/spot in a safe quiet area, lies down, and stays put--he'll need that in order to stay out of the baby's area, and it will help keep him away from (esp male or children since he's not comfortable with them) visitors at the door. In the beginning focus on capturing (i.e. noticing and rewarding) any good or neutral behaviors he does on his own. For example, if you see him lay down in an appropriate spot like a dog bed, praise him and toss him a piece of food. If he looks at you when you speak, praise him and toss him a piece of food. If you walk past him and he just lays there quietly, praise him and toss him a piece of food. If the baby cries and he does anything non-threatening, praise him and toss him a piece of food. Over and over and over again for the first couple of weeks, reward any behaviors you see that you want to continue. That will give you a nice foundation of trust and good behavior to build upon in training.

Resources:

u/KestrelLowing · 4 pointsr/dogs

You might be interested in the book "Click to Calm" - it's about training reactive dogs with clicker training.

u/Jourdin · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining
  1. If you want her to look at you, you click for that. If a person walks by and she does not bark at them, by all means click and reward that! But I would try to ask her to "look" as soon as you see her warning signals, before she goes over threshold, so that she is still able to hear your cue, process, and respond.


  2. Definitely don't punish her for it, but I think you already know that. Do not click/treat for lunging and barking. You're right that it was good that she refocused on you, but try taking that opportunity to ask for another behavior (sit, hand target, whatever she knows well) and click/treat for that. Give her an opportunity for success and to take her mind off what just happened.


    Good move on the desensitization method. Just really try to get your own timing right, and work hard on her "look" behavior, strengthening it by first working on it in a low- to no-distraction environment, and then increasing distractions/things she's reactive to. If you have some people you trust to help you out, ask them to be your guinea pigs so you can work with her in a controlled environment while she's on a leash as they walk by or ride a bike by. That way you can predict what they're going to do (because you asked them what and what not to do), so it will cause less stress for you while desensitizing her.


    Here are some relevant resources that may help you:

    Across a Threshold Whole Dog Journal, April 2013

    Click to Calm, a Karen Pryor clicker book

    Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash-Reactive Dog by Patricia McConnell

    Behavior Adjustment Training by Grisha Stewart

    Clicker Training 'Look At That' LAT Game, a youtube video
u/makeeveryonehappy · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

I highly recommend speaking with a certified trainer/behaviorist if you are worried about physical harm. Someone who is experienced in understanding dog body language could help you better understand when and why the aggression occurs, and especially how to alter this behavior.

For working on your own, the trainers we worked with highly suggested clicker training (here is an easy to follow book) and this book for clicker training to work on rehabilitation of aggressive dogs. We have a 90lb pit bull mix who was unresponsive to most other methods and the positive reinforcement and ability to "mark" desired behaviors immediately as with this training style really opened up a lot of doors for us. "Clicking with Your Dog" is laid out nicely with short sessions designed for shorter attention spans, and has suggestions for how to build up to each desired command from smaller ones. There is also a section with a sample daily schedule to show how you can work training into your daily routine, which is nice for people with busy schedules or those who don't prioritize devoting blocks of time to training. Training helped build a strong relationship with our dog and made him more of a family member; spending time training your dog could help you to feel a bond with your dog and not just like a guy whose job is to walk her.

u/hectorabaya · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

I think it's a combination. The junkyard dog doesn't sound well-socialized, so there's going to be some conflict as they establish boundaries. But you keeping your dog on a tight leash because you think there might be a problem is also going to cause some conflict, because that likely tells your dog that there's something to worry about (because he picks up on your fear) and that he can't escape (because his leash is suddenly tightened) so he's more likely to react like a cornered animal (ie. aggression) rather than normal socializing. It's very possible that there was originally some tension, but you escalate it by freaking out.

I'm not trying to be hard on you. I have an aggressive dog so totally understand. But seriously, clutching up on the leash when you see a scary dog is the worst thing you can do. I recommend Click to Calm as a starting point, as well as the links /u/KillerDog posted about why dominance theory isn't really applicable to dogs. IME with fear aggression (which sounds like is likely the case with your dog), "dominating" the dog can exacerbate the situation.

u/FoleyisGood · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

My recommendations - Great for all levels:

Puppy Start Right



Plenty in Life is Free - Kathy Sdao

Click to Calm - Emma Parsons

u/positivelywonderful · 3 pointsr/dogs

Honestly, I know you said finding a trainer isn't a realistic option - but it is the only way you are going to get real advice to help you figure this out. People on Reddit cannot see what's actually going on by a paragraph or two description of the problem. I've seen individuals read a ton of books to fix behavioral issues on their own though. It will take you a lot of research, but that's your best bet, if you don't want to find a trainer. Start here: http://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209

u/jadestonewinnifer · 2 pointsr/IAmA

Oh gosh yes!

The Thinking Dog For clicker training and general stuff

Click to Calm Is great for dogs with aggression and behavioral issues.

Do Over Dogs is a must have for doggie foster parents

Shaping Sucess for raising a performance puppy (this one is a bit controversial but I think it has a lot of good things to say. A bit intense for most pet dogs)

I've heard Control unleashed is amazing but have never read it.

Most videos I have are agility based. So not much general training wise. I'd say Crate Games though is a must own for any dog trainer

Here's something super neat! It's like netflix but just for dog training videos! It's called http://www.bowwowflix.com/ . If you're serious about it but on a budget I'd check it out.

u/Scaaaary_Ghost · 2 pointsr/reactivedogs

Professional training is great, and being muzzle trained is also great - it sounds like you're doing everything right so far! I'd recommend getting a thorough checkup with your vet - it's always good to rule out the possibility that there may be an underlying physical cause contributing to bad behavior.

Our trainer highly recommends Karen Pryor's training methods, so I'm reading this book and it seems good: https://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209

u/spidermilk666 · 2 pointsr/dogs

First, it sounds like your dog is frightened by other dogs, at least in certain situations. For this reason, I would avoid the dog park. Maybe he is fine sometimes, but other times (when he nips at other dogs) he clearly feels threatened. Forcing him to have these scary interactions will just make him more frightened of some dogs. Further, when a dog acts aggressively like that it can spur an aggressive response from the other dog. This is never a good thing but can be extremely dangerous for a very small dog. A large breed dog could kill a small dog in seconds, do not expect other people to not bring dog-aggressive dogs to a dog park when you yourself are bringing a dog that acts aggressively to other dogs.

Now that that is out of the way: Generally the way your dog acts on leash is called leash-reactivity and it is pretty common. Dogs might be fine with other dogs off leash but when they are on leash they can act crazy or aggressively. Some dogs are just really excited by other dogs, other dogs feel trapped by the leash and are scared so they try to scare off the other dogs first (or warn the other dogs to stay away).

My first advice is to not let him get close enough to actually touch other dogs. In fact, I would try to keep him far enough away so that he is under control. The distance can be comically far- like you have to cross to the other side of the street or make a huge arc around another dog because your dog is acting crazy. I know it seems like your dog really wants to get close to the other dog- but in reality a) letting him drag you to the dog is rewarding bad behavior and b) more importantly, being too close to the dog is what is setting him off in the first place and getting closer will make it worse.

Practice sits, practice stays, practice downs, make sure doggie gets lots of exercise, all of this will improve his self control (which means he will be calmer in general).

Second, teach him that other dogs are a GOOD thing by rewarding him when they are around. Ideally when they are extremely far away and he is being calm (but even if he is barking at them but stops to take a treat it is okay to reward- he is focused on you and not barking for 1 second while taking the treat and that is rewardable behavior).

Third, desensitize him to other dogs by repeating step two as often as possible in a controlled situation. As your dog improves and stops reacting so harshly you can very slowly decrease the distance between him and other dogs. It is a slow process (I mean it will take months and months).

My dog has had the same problems in the past, he never nipped at other dogs but barks/lunges/pulls towards them and at the dog park he would alpha-roll other dogs (this is more of a bark and a look thing, he didn't actually touch these dogs). We stopped dog parking, started obedience classing, and now he can ignore 90% of dogs (but other reactive dogs still cause him to react). There are a lot of resources about this if you are interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070

http://empoweredanimals.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdraNF2hcgA

http://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209

u/Kolfinna · 2 pointsr/Dogtraining

I'm a big fan of the book "click to calm", its written for aggressive dogs but I've found it invaluable dealing with any kind of fearful or nervous dog.
http://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/dogs

Based on the description, it's hard to tell if your dog is trying to be aggressive/dominating towards other dogs or if your dog is actually anxious/worried/afraid and is trying to puff up and scare away the other dogs. The description of how she acts regarding treats is a bit vague: is she resource guarding the food or is she just super nosy?

Regardless, I would avoid a muzzle because muzzling will make your dog feel vulnerable. The dog knows it cannot open its mouth, so it loses a defense mechanism. If you did want to be near someone and you were handcuffed, then made to stand by the person, wouldn't you be even more uncomfortable? Muzzles can stop biting, but they can escalate what's going through the dog's mind.

I would look into the [http://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209](Click to Calm) training process.

u/tallape · 1 pointr/aww

We have gotten Hugo back in to classes - he went through a full Puppy Kindergarten when we first got him (despite the fear issues, we persisted, though I wish now that we'd better understood what was going on), and then in the last month or so we've started doing more advanced obedience training. My hope is to start him on Canine Good Citizen training in a couple of months (around when he turns 1), not a bad outcome for a dog who was initially too scared to even let people approach.

Based only on my experience, I would say that it makes sense to wait a couple of months before you get her into a group training environment - but I'm not a pro. I would suggest finding a trainer in your area who has experience with shy/fearful/aggressive dogs. (I add aggressive only because the three are often very closely linked, and it may help with Google.) Find someone who uses positive reinforcement training -- "dominance theory" training has a tendency to backfire with fearful dogs, and can actually cause aggression issues down the road. Have that person do a one-on-one session with you, and ask them to evaluate whether it makes sense to jump into a group training environment.

Regardless, I would absolutely start doing training on your own.

I've found Training Positive to be a good resource - his YouTube channel hasn't been updated in a long time, but I think he does a really solid job of breaking training down into tiny steps, and explaining well how to teach each of them on the way toward the intended behavior. This video covers the basic of obedience training - how to lure with food, how to mark the behavior that you want, how to lure into a position, how to introduce verbal cues, and so on from there. I should note that it actually covers weeks of work, but it also has a few small digressions that explain the why as well as the what, and that can be helpful. He has other videos that talk about specific behaviors in more details, and there are a bunch of other, similar videos out there that walk through more specific parts of the process (teaching sit, teaching down, etc). Others may work better for you.

Do a paired choice preference assessment (Like this or like this) to figure out what treats your dog REALLY likes, and make sure you always have some of those high-value treats around. They'll help with training.

At this point, Hugo hasn't eaten breakfast or dinner from his bowl in about 4 months. They're just 10-15 minute training sessions. "Sit" - perform the action, get a couple of kibble. "Down" - perform the action, get a couple of kibble. "Stay" - get a couple of kibble every 5-10 seconds, with the delay between rewards lengthening as we go. And so on. Every bite of food is an opportunity to ask for a behavior, take advantage of them.

My experience with Hugo is that working for his food makes him extremely happy. He loves being asked to perform. And, it makes him more comfortable with other situations. If we're somewhere and he starts to get nervous, I take him aside and have him do "puppy pushups" - Sit, Down, Sit, Down, Sit, Down, ... - until he calms down. He forgets about whatever is making him scared, and focuses on doing the thing that will get him treats.

It takes so much time, but it's so worth it!

She's such a cute dog! Do you know anything about her background, breed, age, etc?

[Edit - forgot to mention two books that I really appreciated: The First 100 Days With Your Puppy and Click to Calm]