How to STOP your dog barking/ lunging at visitors & dogs; aggression

look [Music] [Music] [Music] I'm on my way to meet a new client called Kathy who is called me in to help with the problems she's experiencing with her German Shepherd Dog Jazz Kathy is going away for a much needed holiday and in that time I will be staying in the home and addressing Jazz's undesirable Behavior Cathy has told me jazz is constantly protecting the house and the garden and she barks and lunges as soon as she sees other dogs from inside the house and out on the walk Kathy cannot handle her anymore and has no

idea what to do so Kathy tell me about jazz what are the problems oh what if I st other dogs she will cry bark lunge to get at them she see to out the window she left the curtains down I've been dragged across car park on me stomach how do you cope well a lot of people won't agree with this I don't know if I can say this I Ed a pinch collar right which I was given by the um guy that used to train them what she like in a garden what does she do

there she'll we have to put her on lead now in the garden if we let her loose she'll run and she will come fre foot off the floor jumping at fences just jumping nothing there we can't see anything think well what's she like in a house with strangers our neighbors won't come in anymore we don't have our grandchildren the smaller grandchildren it sounds serious has it become a real problem it's become that much a problem if we can't get her out of it then she's going to have to go it is clear the situation has

got too much for everyone Cathy has been given some really bad advice by the other dog trainer but she isn't giv up on Jazz yet I just hope whilst cafy is on a holiday I have enough time to communicate to Jazz that I'm capable enough to provide for all of her needs so she doesn't have to this is not done by force or control this is done by being seen to step up to a leader role and taking care of each situation in which jazz is [Music] concerned the first thing is first I I after

to bomb with jazz so a positive attachment forms between us before attempting to address any issues as we start to become acquainted in order to fulfill Jazz's needs the next job is to identify what areas she perceives as being potential dangers so I can now take charge in these areas which are the front window the door the garden and outside on the walk in order to make the problems more easily manageable I make Jazz's World smaller through reducing the areas that she believes are necessary to protect in doing this will allow Jazz to feel safe

and it gives her time and a comfortable space to get some much needed rest spite I further manage the situation by slowly reintroducing her back to the other areas where she perceives the problems to be but this time she will see me stepping up to the Ro of protect her to do this each time she barks I will thank her by saying good girl or thank you in a calm confident Tone If Jazz carries on barking because she still believes it is a problem then I'll go and have a look at what she's barking at

my physiology of being calm will demonstrate that I'm okay with it however if Jazz feels it's necessary to carry on barking once I have looked I will isolate her this gives her time to calm calm down and reflect on what just happened each time I go out in the garden I check out the dangers so Jazz sees me taking care of the situation so she doesn't have to by communicating like this I listen to her Natural Instincts and needs of safety by being seen to be aware of each situation and taking care of it thank

you by saying thank you I demonstrate that it is a good thing to alert me of dangers by looking is a clear sign to say I'm here and I have no problem with it and by isolating I interrupt her old patterns of behavior to teaching new ones over time she will learn to look for my reaction and follow my lead in being calm however something tells me this is going to take some time [Music] good girl [Music] [Applause] Jaz thank [Applause] you the more lessons I put in the quicker I can show jez that I

will take care of her safety needs good girl Jaz once Jazz starts to look at me for a reaction this is giving her time to think and to assess my language regarding her safety needs once she comes and sees me taking care of each situation this will give her confidence in my abilities as a leader good girl once she accepts that I provide for her safety needs inside the house and the garden it will put me in a better position for her to trust my decisions outside but there is still much work to do the

first day we venture outside I have to prove myself worthy as a leader by avoiding any stress of threats Jazz May encounter in order to teach her new responses and skills I begin by getting Jazz to watch and follow my moves when I speed up I need her to speed up when I slow down I need her to slow down when I turn I need her to turn I have to get jazz in the habit of looking at me in preparation so if danger does present itself she is used to following me through Cathy's previous

physiology of hanging on to Jazz she was inadvertedly taught to freeze and so barked to warn others away so in order to teach Jazz a new response to perceive danger I will exercise the safest defense response of Flight by quickly going in the opposite direction over the days I will keep repeating these experiences of flight so Jazz stops relating going out on walks with danger and instead gets many new lessons with me that she won't have to take charge as I do it each time Jazz doesn't react we are getting closer and is a tick

for a positive experience in the days that follow I assess Jazz's State and it's becoming calmer so I decide not to turn away this time but to take a step forward by seeing a dog and to keep on going in the same direction Jazz has now learned for the first time that we can walk past the dog be it a long way away and there will not be a problem I need to reinforce this message many times so she really starts to understand the situation clearer this will only happen with numerous positive experiences as the

experiences build over time I start to get closer as you can see from her face and body she's still a little unsure and in a heighten state but we are making progress after the experiences yesterday I feel jazz is ready for another step forward in the right direction so I arranged to meet a friend with a dog who I know won't scare jazz this will speed up the process allowing me to put many lessons in one go in getting closer as you can see if Jazz pulls I take her away to interrupt her State I

want to keep her focus on me and the treats so I can further desensitize her to dogs and change her experiences I keep her Focus until I can feel her completely relax on the lead whilst trying to get closer step by step once jazz is calm this gives her time to assess the situation that this dog is not a threat and then finally she meets a dog on lead with no problems the next day we go out I can feel her relax more on the lead and I see the change in her physiology I still

stay at a safe distance because if any dogs frighten her we could have a [Music] setback so I keep casually walking past other dogs letting her know that I am making the [Music] decisions it is clear Jazz's state has calmed after many positive experiences the aggression has now turned into curiosity I let her meet another dog as I can tell she is ready but I have to be careful not to let her physiology crowd another dog's space as that could potentially cause a problem each dog's language needs assessing with an appropriate reaction one dog barks

at jazz so I move away the other appears comfortable with a situation so we meet but avoid meeting head on always giving the option of [Music] flight after many encounters Jazz has worked out that dogs are not a threat so the next suitable dog I meet I now feel it's time to let her off the lead and have a [Music] Play Over the days that follow Jazz looks to me for reassurance when meeting other dogs I reassure it's okay it is at this point I know she trusts my decisions following me wherever I go Now

jazz has given up the leadership role it becomes clear that she can now be relaxed in other dogs company giving her the freedom to play it is a real joy to watch your dog go through the transition from constantly protecting the house from dangers and scared of other dogs to a dog with no responsibilities that can now enjoy life [Music]