Aggressive German Shepherd Fixed In ONE Session

German Shepherd dog training when they are aggressive can be hard. German Shepherds bark and can become very aggressive so dealing with any early forms of reactivity is important to do as quickly as possible.
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[@willathertoncaninetraining]

If you are training your dog right now and need help, don't worry, we have plenty more videos like this coming up to help you have the perfect canine companion so don't forget to subscribe! bit.ly/3Hce7P6

[@tessafootitt17]

How can I book you personally for a session??!! I have been following.your methods from the start and have a Dobermann x pointer who used to heal on or off lead on busy cycle paths at just 6 months old, he's now 20months and can't even handle seeing a bike on the horizon without have a total meltdown...so much so our local trainer who does no treat training said he can't help and I am the first person ever he's given a refund to, I have sent you some videos on Instagram to show you with a full explanation but cannot find how to book training with you personally?! Please help!!

[@gemdistrict3501]

I have a quick question but not sure if you would be able to answer it. I want to teach my dog a “guard” command for the benefit of my wife and son when they take him for a walk. He is a young Great Dane. The “guard” command would be a simple snarling/showing of teeth to someone that was either threatening or about to threaten my family so that my wife or son could simply say “guard” or other trigger word and the dog then snarl and show his teeth at the presumed attacker and then to use a “quit” command when the threat has gone away. I’ve seen many dogs able to perform this but have no idea as to how to go about training him for it. Thanks and regards,

[@claireseavers2840]

How can I book your services please? I have been following you videos and methods by our rescue dog is still reactive and now he s up to weight (German Shepherd Belgian Malinois cross) he's moving me off m feet 😭

[@antiqueexcavator9403]

I also learned that stepping in front of a dog and claiming my leadership role is equally important in the process of creating a happy well trained dog and friend.

[@ErinWilke]

I've lived this sudden transformation. Started from constant severe reactivity, hackles up and on alert for so much as a dog barking inside, barking lunging any/every dog and initially fenced dogs as well. I'd only ever seen "positive-only" training since childhood, so I did 9 months of work on a gentle leader with treats and she was only able to tolerate dogs visible through fences, could not pass dog at any distance without reaction. Took forever to even get her to take a treat when dogs barked. Studied balanced training on KZbin and decided to get a prong collar. ONE WEEK. One week on the prong collar and she able to meet multiple dogs face-to-face! Now she's still a dominant b*tch, but it was an insane turn around that changed our lives. I only wish I could take back those 9 months of misery, stress, and exhaustion constantly managing reactivity.

[@christianalcazar668]

this guy is the real deal it’s been a journey but my shepherd has shown massive improvement

[@fmknokey]

My German Shepherd is just like Edna, very reactive to other dogs. I finally started using a Prong collar. I used to think they are cruel. Now I believe they are a great training tool. Thank you for your videos.

[@dranksnapple6613]

Just remember the goal is so that eventually you don’t have to use it anymore

[@griffinreitz7041]

@@dranksnapple6613 Why do you say that ?? I've been training dogs for 49 years this fall. Can I work a dog wihtout a prong ? Sure. But I don't. That collar is just like the harness, when I trained guide dogs. When it goes one the dog knows we are going to work. Just that simple. It's a super effective, gentle, form of communication. I have no idea why I'd want to stop using it. When I take one of the hook, in the house, or out of the car door, the dogs go nuts, wanting to work. That tells me all I kneed to know.

[@rickydanielson7953]

@@griffinreitz7041 you've been training dogs incorrectly for 49 years. nothing gentle about using pain to correct a behaviour.. literally the opposite of gentle

[@amandawoodward5596]

@Griffin Reitz I completely understand but I think it's a good idea to work without it so the dog doesn't associate it as working time and so they learn that commands mean the same with a flat collar. However, I always walk my dog with a Stallmark prong. It's great for starting a walk with structure, but I break my dog after we get where we are going so she can be a dog and we can work on other stuff. That said, I don't keep my dogs prong on 24/7, so it's important to train with and without or use different collars so the dog learns that one collar doesn't mean something different. With that, this is just how I think about it. I'm a hobbyist, not a pro. However, it would be exciting to train for real and learn so much more.

[@griffinreitz7041]

@@amandawoodward5596 you can work a ton without it. Probably 95%, or more, of my training is no equipment at all on the dog. But, because she knows 40 or 50 commands, rock solid, at home, doesn't mean she knows her name under high enough distraction. Her prong and her e-collar simply remind her she is working. She can be a dog any other time. LOL

[@kaznova.karyna]

Thank you for this. I wish I could understand it earlier that with all those treats I was actually rewarding my dog. As we switched to prong collar our walks became such a pleasant experience for both of us. Now she is much more confident and our connection significantly improved! I also decided to be firm and advocate for her whenever other owners with dogs want to approach, and I could tell she is less stressed as I'm protecting her as well from unwanted interactions.

[@antiqueexcavator9403]

I’m called the neighborhood dog whisperer. I’ve raised and trained 6 wonderful pups and helped my fiends and neighbors with issues they were and are having with their pups. Will use the absolute best trainer on KZbin! This coming from an old dog who’s learned new tricks from Will.

[@vanity68]

That’s exactly what I was thinking. You’re rewarding her in the beginning. Nice video. Thank You

[@simonthomas5367]

Just found your clips recently. Really useful! Your explanations and instructions are clear and concise and provide excellent tips and methods. I have a Staffie/Dogo/English Setter cross who used to exhibit this type of behaviour. This clip really helped with redirecting her attention and energy. Nice one, thanks!

[@thedogswayuk]

Dude. loving these videos right now. Just straight up great content!

[@amymeravi6348]

What was the 'right tool'? The collar and leash vs harness?

[@joshwallis3350]

Such useful content. Really helping with my six month Belgian mal

[@Bananabagel123]

Love your videos seeing you work with pups! ❤

[@dangerbirb4981]

My dog doesn't react like this anymore. We trained her without negative reinforcement. The key is not to let the dog get over threshold. Once the dog is barking and lunging their arousal is too high to be easily redirected. We instead parked near the dog park. We didn't even leave the car. We let the dog see other dogs. Redirected her with food and rewarded calm behavior. Eventually we trained her outside the car. Then near the fence. We did the same thing on walks where we took her to places where she could see dogs from a distance. Then eventually we started walking her closer and closer. It took a couple of months but now she is very good on leash. She occasionally barks at dogs from her own yard, but she is a GSD so that's to be expected. It's more like grumbling and not full on barking. We're still working on her because as she gets more comfortable she has started to guard us. I mention it because people promise quick fixes when they're trying to sell you something but training is always going to be an ongoing process, even with good dogs.

[@Erin_29]

@@DrakenHeart26 yup. Sounds like my dog. We've been attacked by off leash untrained zero recall dog's as well.

[@mindfulbynature3418]

What is “right piece of equipment” please?! and what is the hiss-hiss sound when you make the correction, a mouth-made sound or a clicker of some sort? Thank you.🙏🙏🙏

[@primalperry5667]

Very cool video Will! I would imagine the GSD was a bit desensitized to your role model dog when going back in the second time with the better approach but that wouldn't explain the drastic differences displayed. I need to work on this more. I've gotten the nervousness down to a minimal level and now my dog is just super excited to play with other dogs and is too worked up and acts a lot like your GSD puppy did here regardless of prong corrections. Work in progress as always but I don't get change nearly as well as you

[@susanpitt4742]

Great, sensible analysis. Hooray! Trying to lure her with treats means that you are NOT playing the role of a leader. Get a decent slip lead on her.

[@user-zr9ws9pb5w]

Many thanks this video is very helpful.

[@PaulaDTozer]

Thank you for demonstrating the correct way to use this tool. There is no reason to ban any tool but perhaps they should only be used by pros who teach their students how to use them properly.

[@dru666888]

so many great techniques and videos on your channel, just subscribed. Do you have any content to help new puppy owners who are disabled please? And how to adapt some of the techniques for less able bodied people? thanks.

[@gmathieson7184]

would the idea not be more to work that kind of positive reinforcement by finding the threshold/distance where the dog starts to become focused on role dogel/disengaged with handler, then take it back a few steps, to where you had focus and work them in from there gradually reducing distance, rewarding engagement etc until you get close? genuinely curious, no bias here, firm supporter of balanced training, just i remember watching a dude do it the way i mentioned and well it sounded good and looked good, dont recall seeing the end product though so who knows lol

[@mishageelen9698]

I agree, I don’t think this was a fair display of positive reinforcement. The dog was to close to the trigger and therefore way over threshold. Positive reinforcement is usually used combined with desensitisation and counter conditioning. The whole point of using positive reinforcement in these situations is to create distance so that you can train under threshold and slowly near the trigger as long as the dog show calm behaviour. Since we want to change the dogs emotion which is first fear and by rewarding the dog in the triggers present under threshold, might hopefully become a positive emotion. Barking, lunging dog, means: increasing distance

[@zoppyzappy5321]

Yes exactly what I was thinking. Practice at home first by training your dog to ‘watch me’ then when see dog at distance start the positive training. Not a fair comparison

[@parathings]

Absolutely. Not only did he use positive reinforcement wrongly in multiple ways he ignores the stress he put the dog in that will lead to issues in the future

[@wsmart88]

What about when you can't increase distance....

[@parathings]

@@wsmart88 you work counter conditioning, habituation, systematic desensitization, and actually apply positive reinforcement/clicker training in the correct manner. You can also adjust food/hunger level depending on the type of reactivity you are dealing with. Even in an urban setting, antecedent arrangement or the A in ABC' of positive reinforcement is always possible. Using a clicker like that is incomplete, a pez dispensers technique should've been used, consistent movement, walking past before entering the room multiple times, windshield wiper and clicker method, and focus exercises/alternative behaviors should have been practiced before entering the room. Most in importantly, Antecedent Arrangement should have be taken place Instead of avoidance, positive punishment, and flooding type of training. Thanks for asking, I hope I sincerely helped

[@Mustangboss76]

Great video Will.. I'm seeing more trainers like yourself who are at the top of there game pushing back on the positive only myth. Positive only will work to a certain level but fails the owner & dog when it has reached its limit, like dealing with reactive dogs. And that's what the P. O camp will not admit. Keep up the good work 👍

[@K9Justice]

I have yet to find a PO trainer take a highly aggressive dog and correct the behavior. And not a single one can explain how to correct a dog that is actively attacking the trainer.

[@Ficktao]

Sorry, but I don't understand what you did differently and what equipment you are talking about? What did I miss?

[@cooloderso]

he used a prong collar and corrected her, gave a pop with the leash.

[@Sly_Wolf_1]

He went from being a prat and deliberately doing wrong to using pain for compliance, most likely with the lazy trainers tool of choice, a prong collar or choke chain.

[@cooloderso]

@@Sly_Wolf_1 maybe you should educate yourself abt such tools before saying bullshit💀

[@Sly_Wolf_1]

@@cooloderso You know what they say about assumption? Whilst gaining knowledge and experience is never ending, I certainly don't need to "educate" myself with this or the "correct tools". Although retired I have 46 years of ownership and training with GP and detection. Not once have I ever resorted to shock, prong or choke collars. Pain for compliance IS the lazy trainers way to achieve quicker results, and don't confuse the word discomfort as not being pain, it is pain but on a lesser level. When you have a clueless owner not doing positive reinforcement correctly, what do you think they'll achieve with a prong collar as they will use that poorly too. I've seen dogs with flesh wounds from prong collars and even pups that have suffered trachea injuries, oesophagus bruising and spinal cord damage. All from the "correct tool" Clearly you don't care about this or need to educate yourself. You'll probably try with the usual smart arse reply of "why don't you make a youtube video?" My reply to this is: I don't believe in youtube animal training videos for a simple reason. We train the dog and the handler/owner at the same time. When the handler/owner gets it wrong so will the dog. Someone watching a video and thinks they've mastered what to do has no supervision and thus will not be corrected when wrong. The dog then learns incorrectly or nothing at all. The dog is the one that then suffers mentally and/or physically. It's not like learning to wire a plug or change a tyre from a video.

[@cooloderso]

@@Sly_Wolf_1 oh my good. If you use a quality prong collar that can’t even pop a ballon or an quality e collar(!) like dogtra or mini educator there’s no pain. That’s why you should educate yourself :). An e collar is like a tens Maschine and are used at low levels. Idk wtf ur on with your lazy shit because you still need to condition your dog to the tools with positiv reinforcement, that’s called balanced dog training✨ you can’t train a dog without correcting bad behaviour. Positive only trainer always say ur dog needs to get euthanasia or something cause they can’t fix it with their give the dog a treat and it stops. Using tools is not lazy, we are in 2024 and have technology like e collars and everyone that doesn’t have a clue and call it shock collars hate on them like wtf? I hate ppl like you that say it’s lazy and hurts the dog. No dog looks hurt when using an e collar the right way just like prong collars and most of them that are trained with both or one of them are the happiest dogs on earth cause the owner communicates fair and honest with the dog.

[@garry3013]

Excellent Display of proper handling. Did you change position of leash from harness to adding a training collar?

[@proghoster00]

This one was SWEET

[@kristalriley27]

What type of leash/collar did you switch to? I can see in the video you moved to a collar/leash combo and away from the harness. I currently use a harness/vest when walking my 4 yr old German Shepherd but he is very strong and pulls me (drags me along) towards other dogs and people he wants to greet.

[@dereklong1836]

Would it be possable for you to possably make a video on preparing to bring a rescue dog home for the first time, ie getting your home and your family ready to help this new pet settle in. It would be a great help to people who wish to adopt a dog. thanks Derek

[@topcatwarrior]

Edna is a lovely girl, well done, Will. (Edna as a name for a GSD tickles me😂).

[@Marcos0ne]

Growing up with 4 other siblings and a lot of different dogs, I quickly learned that positive reinforcement training doesn't work for everyone. Sometimes you have to be a little rough.

[@georgecardiff1946]

That's fantastic Will, I'm thinking about getting a prong collar for my female amstaff, she's 11 months just and very friendly towards every dog she meets, however she gets too excited, and i think the prong collar might be what i need for her.

[@Mustangboss76]

For what it's worth George I would hold back on the pinch collar for now. Your amstaff is still a pup & she's doing what puppy's do. She will mature out of it but some basic Obedience training , like stay & loose leash walking with the help of a slip lead used properly will help.

[@georgecardiff1946]

@@Mustangboss76,Thank you for the reply, I've ordered a slip lead for her already, and I have taken that into consideration, I've never been a fan of prong collars anyway, so I'll probably hold off on it, I am very experienced dog owner and wouldn't do anything silly with any of my dogs.

[@martybartfast1]

Wonderful Sir! Such an animal perspective, rather than Human perspective viewpoint. It is the way. Peace. m out

[@famo6225]

So I have a German Shepard pit mix shes a great dog but she likes to jump like crazy on people when they come through the door now this might be a kind of dumb question but I feel like it’s valid in my eyes should I teach her leash pressure first I saw a video to use a slip lead so I bought one but should I do leash pressure first before I instantly try to fix the jumping on us

[@110americalovingpatriot2]

Did you kick some Hobits out of that house and move in? Hehe

[@giannister]

I’m confused, I don’t know if I’m just tired, but could someone explain what did he actually do to change your behaviour when you came back into the room?

[@alp6244]

That’s an awesome result, Will, in such a short amount of time. I wish I knew what you meant by “challenging” Edna a little bit in the right direction. Is there a preferred prong collar that you use? Thank you.

[@SLATER_M]

Usually for that size of a dog a Herm. Sprenger 2.25 is used.

[@jtucci5711]

Great demonstration Will, crack on!

[@LUCY.PARK.06]

When I train personal protection and police dog we put them on harnesses and build frustration ( barking and lunging ). The before is exactly that - please don't put reactive dogs on harnesses it only makes it worse

[@samwell707]

Will for president

[@daniellen1760]

But does Edna need to be on a prong collar all the time now? Or did she learn the better behaviour so her owners don’t have to us it in future?

[@lsudx479]

Some dogs need it longer term. It all depends on the individual dog. Harnesses promote pulling since they act like a vertical hammock when your dog gets excited. So they aren't the best to use when you first get a new dog who hasn't been properly leash trained. Prong collars are actually very beneficial if you have a dog that is impulsive (not in a negative way - just as part of their genetic makeup). They help give the dog boundaries they can understand. If they give in to their impulsivity, it won't be comfortable all of a sudden. So they stop pulling. The same goes for standard collars. However, with standard collars, the discomfort level is much further out than on a prong collar. This usually leads to the dog choking itself before it realizes that it's uncomfortable. The prongs let them know not to exceed that so they don't hurt themselves. In my opinion, prong collars are a great tool and can be used for as long as the owner wants to. They don't hurt the dog so it's personal preference, really.

[@sanchithaseshadri2166]

Hi Will, this is great, thanks for putting this out there! However, i wonder - if a dog were nervous / fear aggressive towards the other dog, would this method address the underlying fear? I know you said Edna isn't aggressive, but i wonder, if she were, would her experience meeting the other dog be better with this method?

[@mishageelen9698]

Sadly, it doesn’t. It suppresses the reaction that comes from the fear because the dog know the consequences of the reaction, but it does not change the negative emotion:(

[@vikingdogmanship]

Dogs react because they dont feel the owner cant handle the situation and dont know what to do about it. It is uaually a trust issue and insecurity on response from other dogs aswell. As long as you can show them you got their back, you lead your dog. It usually resolves very easy. There is a first time for everything. Build good experinces

[@nickyhyland5790]

This method does work for fear/reactive/aggressive dogs also, as Viking Dogmanship suggested in his comment, if the owner takes control of the situation and shows the dog some leadership it takes the pressure off them. Those who say it just suppresses the emotion are just stuck in their positive only mind set and would say it didn't work here either, which it clearly did! If a dog looks content and isn't reacting, its because they don't feel the need to react, Dogs aren't big on pretending. There isn't typically an underlying fear, the fear is the unknown dog, if you can show them there is nothing to be afraid of you have won🙂

[@vikingdogmanship]

@@nickyhyland5790 ☝️This

[@timainwhitewolf]

I'm enjoying your videos and your views. I have been watching some positive only channels too though, and what i have seen there would be to remove the dog from the overstimulating situation. So you would do this outside and go to a distance where your dog sees the other dog but doesn't react yet. Let them get used to that and then slowly move closer. I do think that your way is easier and for sure much faster - I'm just wondering if - in the spirit of comparing the methods - you've ever tried it that way too?

[@moonpools]

I don't agree that you're demonstrating an open-mindedness to positive reinforcement training in this video, and I see that German Shepherd giving you the whale eye several times. I have a reactive German Shepherd, we work with a positive reinforcement trainer and this is not the process. What you demonstrated was how to set yourself up to fail if your method is to use positive reinforcement only. It makes me sad because I want to support the work you are doing helping dogs, and because your videos gave me a great foundational understanding of dog training. You have succeeded in your mission to show balanced training and fair corrections in a positive light. You have succeeded in emphasising the importance of leadership, rules, and boundaries for dogs and that this is a love language to them. I work for a content creation channel and we have made a lot of weird swerves hoping to grow our audience. Please do not join the ranks of trainers who have to shit on other trainers to make themselves look better. If you want to do a video showing how it's possible to help reactive dogs without intimidation, even if it's a slower and less impressive process, then I think your criticism that it may not be appropriate for every situation would be fair enough.

[@twosidedwolf3923]

Good morning so sorry to bother I'm getting a 2 gsd sister from the same litter I watch your videos for trying and how to train two puppies at once I know obedience training is important do you have any tip for mental excirice I can maybe do to keep there mind active and happy

[@gabriellakovacs8350]

Firstly, I love your videos! But I'm not sure about this one? What I'm noticing is when you come back the second time the dog is already calm and quiet? A little bit of explanation at the end but really missing something between the two entries? As an owner of a reactive gsd I'm sure that tiny little shh and pull wouldn't discourage this behavior THAT much. For me, not even the second method works, that's why I really lack something in this video. In fact, I tried every method in your videos (and at this point every other trainer on this planet) and nothing works... I wish you were in my country and could work with my dog :(

[@gabriellakovacs8350]

@@lali28212 no I definitely wouldn’t use the word bs! I really like his approach, it’s just the transition between the two scenes are really off

[@mishageelen9698]

If I’m honest, I think there was some work done with a prong collar or maybe a slip lead? Not sure, but you can see that the dog ears are almost constantly backwards in the second half, compared to the first scenes with the “positive reinforcement”, waiting for something (a correction probably) to happen. The dog is definitely aware of the consequences in the second half, so I would say that he did some work already. I’m just not sure why he did not show the process of that change in behavior. Because if the “sh sh” noise and pops on the flat collar like he did in the video worked, he could’ve showed us that right? And not just the result without the change in behavior

[@nickyhyland5790]

They are a strong willed dog I have a working line myself, also unbelievably trainable, if you've tried everything definitely reach out to a trainer, I did and while it's constant work the improvement after each session was massive. trick is finding a good one, good luck!!

[@Justiceforpets]

@@nickyhyland5790yes, I’m in the same boat so to speak, but so far unable to achieve focussed obedience at times, like a toddler that knows what you’re asking of her, extremely intelligent yet deliberately ignores and feigns interest in something out the window or a toy between the furniture. She is loved beyond measure and an irreplaceable family member (no less or more than the 2 dogs we had before her), which were rescue mixes of border collie x lab and Shepard. But this girl is my first pure breed dog, an unexpected decision. She’s working line, straight back, medium length coat and pure black. She’s now 10 months + 11 days old, still has really big classic GSD upright ears and long tail to finish growing in to and weighs 39 kgs, is not highly food driven but responds really well to continued puppy training and showing off in front of the instructors. I’m wondering if it’s best to let her finish her puppy / toddler / teenage years before cracking down on her behaviour as I feel she has this pure and unbroken spirit (and I’m an idiot I know) but I don’t want to ruin that. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and well considered. Cheers.

[@juliesantos705]

Well I’ve done similar with my dog and he’s still loopy with other dogs when on the slip lead, please advise

[@danlloyd9815]

Brilliant! What prong collar do you use?

[@LUCY.PARK.06]

Herm sprenger 3.0 is what is in the video

[@bicnarok]

Our dog isn't aggressive at all in her behaviour, avoids or ignores dogs who growl or bark, will greet any dog she meets in a positive way. Then suddenly without body language warning, without growling will randomly attack some dogs she was friendly with 5 minutes ago. She never attacks dogs she has known for years even if I give them treats. it might be resource guarding behaviour as she had some problems with that when we first got her. (Never aggressive at all towards humans). Malinois/boxer mix. No idea how to go about training it out as we don't know what triggers it so we can't create a situation tp correct it.

[@michaelmirecki3114]

While I do agree positive only is garbage, you missed the part where you redirect into another command and reward them doing the new command. If you’re going to debunk a theory, at least give it it’s due diligences?

[@TeenyTheOne]

He also didn't use a massive space and spend about a month inching closer and closer to the dog but there is only so much you can do in a 6 minute video.

[@michaelmirecki3114]

@@TeenyTheOne I don't think redirecting into a command is unreasonable in a 6 minute video... he could have easily fit that in. I'm not arguing that it still wouldn't fully fix the problem, but it would have had more of an effect than simply reinforcing the bad behaviour.

[@janicetribbiani7535]

@@TeenyTheOne and who has all that extra time to inch closer? A month doing that? Dogs have short enough lives the way it is. Work smarter, not longer and harder. 😊

[@nickyhyland5790]

Yeah I would love to see a longer version of this video

[@jacobhc9000]

Hey Will, I have a problem. I've been training my 1,5yo Chodsky Pés, using your "perfect puppy course". Everything is great, expect her dog-reactivity. I just seems not being able to get her attention from other dogs. She has the same kind of reactivity as the german shepherd in det video. She launches forward, I correct and tell her that's not the way we're doing things here, but its just like she dosn't notice the correction? When corrected, she immediatly launches forward again, so I believe its my leadership that's the problem, but I just can't figure out what Im doing so wrong! She is abselutely amazing when I'm alone with her in the garden, but as soon as she sees another dog, the whole thing is just air to her. Im using your sliplead for correctings. She totally ignores food/toys when she sees other dogs, even the top of the shelf. Sadly Im Danish, and we dont have anything other than postive trainers in my area, which to my experience dosn't work one bit. I've watched all of your videos for a few years now, and I keep rewatching, to see what Im doing wrong, but at this point I'm getting desperate. I love my dog so much, and I want to be the right kind of leader for her, and I am with everything, except other dogs. I just haven't found the solution yet. Do you have any suggestions what Im doing wrong? I would love to send some sample videos, or anything, from my training. Im seriusly desperate. Now after all that, thank you for your amazing videos and commitment, Im always looking forward to the new educational videos from you! Love from Denmark

[@jenskjeldgaard1041]

Jeg har nøjagtig samme problem. (samme race) Har du fundet noget, som har hjulpet?

[@K9Justice]

That wasn't a truly aggressively reactive dog, but it was a reactivity that could eventually become aggressive. Which is why he was able to get minor response during positive only. If this was a seriously aggressive reactive dog, those treats and distractions would have zero effect and could even cause the dog to come back at the trainer. So this fella is trying to give the positive only training the absolutely best chance to succeed. This gentleman has done an excellent job of demonstrating the difference between balanced training and positive only. I've trained thousands and thousands of dogs over the last 30+ years. I have been featured in a NYT Bestseller. I was in charge on the largest K9 program in the world. I give this resume to illustrate my understanding of dog training. Will Atherton knows what he's doing and I applaud him for it. My only personal disagreement is on the use of the harness. Harnesses illicit "opposition reflex." With that said, he does a good job with avoiding that. Bravo sir!

[@cheffdonty]

Huh? I don't understand. He says the reinforcement was bad but then it looks like it worked when he re entered the room? Or maybe there was a scene we missed

[@the-fiddling-fox]

Yeah it looks like some work was done on the dog before the second scene took place. It was night and day.

[@Lizzie-cd9mb]

He had the leash clipped to a harness in the first scene. He switched to what looks like a prong collar in the second scene which allowed him to apply pressure and correct her as needed.

[@the-fiddling-fox]

@Lizzie0808 It would have taken more work than just putting on a prong collar to have that level of change in behaviour. This is the end result not an immediate one. I wish all these trainers on KZbin would show us a bit of reality. If it was that easy to train reactivity out of a dog, they’d all be out of business!

[@towpottsfam7631]

Was it a prong or flat or slip lead?

[@clarestocks3410]

I have a reactive dog, he is 3 year old cockerpoo, unfortunately we got him just before lockdown, he is ok with some dogs and people, but if we are in the park or out walking he can lunge at cars, he will sometimes sniff other dogs but then all of a sudden start being reactive and bark nastily. We have tried all sorts but nothing works.

[@nickyhyland5790]

There is definitely a few videos on how to deal with this but I know it can be hard to know what is right with so much conflicting information! For this behavior 100% look at balanced trainers, force free is great for some things but not teaching them what not to do. If you're not confident, find a local trainer but doing exactly what Will did here should work in most of your situations, minor correction as soon as the bad behavior starts to show, before the reaction!, don't let ppl come up to him if he is uncomfortable with that and don't go to off lead dog parks when they are busy, they cause a lot of the issues that result in these behaviors. good luck!!

[@thekatt...]

🙏❤🇨🇦 Thank you .

[@1minutecomicswalahollywood648]

Nice dress, Remember "Clark" from movie "The Thing (1982)".

[@sebastianpressler8745]

If you want to talk about how positive reinforcement doesn't work at least try and do it right. That dog was way over threshold. You need to start farther from a trigger. You need to redirect with a better behavior. You started 10 ft from a trigger. You tried for 30 seconds. Training takes time. Even with a prong collar, training is an everyday thing. Corrections can work wonders but don't shit on positive reinforcement when you're not even doing it close to the right way. There's a place for both types of training in the world Editing to add that if the only way you can train a dog is with a prong collar, you need to reevaluate your training. Prong collars are a crutch. What happens if it breaks. What happens if the owner doesn't have it during an emergency. Putting a prong collar on without trying to fix the problem first is a bandaid on a bullet wound. It'll still bleed when you take it off

[@sebastianpressler8745]

And I use prong collars. But they're used to fine tune behaviors. Not to correct before the dog even knows right from wrong

[@susanwingblade1799]

Totally agree!

[@lisashannon715]

I have tried both techniques to stop the reactivity to other dogs. She’s been in group training classes twice a week since she was 10 weeks old and she’s now 10 months old. My issue is she seems to become even more reactive when I use a prong or slip lead. I’m at a loss as to how to handle her reactivity because I seem to be adding to her excitability when I make the corrections. Please help.

[@amandawoodward5596]

Have you considered BAT 2.0? Balance training is great and Force Free is amazing for developing a foundation, IMO. But when all fails, I think it's important to step back and try something new. I would always recommend finding a good balance trainer and working with them before attempting on your own. But if your dog is more reactive with a prong or slip, should step away from the aversive and try something else like BAT. You could also try an E collar using a tone or vibrate that won't hurt. In regards to the prong and slip, you must ensure that you position them properly and also teach leash pressure properly. They are not something you just put on and yank away. There is a proper technique to it. Consider checking out Michael ellis, Tom Davis, and Larry Krohn. These are my favorite channels for balance training. However conduct your own research on how to train safely. Every dog learns differently so balance won't work for all and FF won't work for all. I'm a firm believer that handlers should have a very open training toolbox and practice different things until you find what works.

[@connornugent2711]

What is the right equipment I have a 8 month gsd with the same problem but worse with people and dogs. Won't respond to treats, toys or a vibrating collar.

[@TeenyTheOne]

I would use a prong collar, 2.25 or a 3.0 herm sprenger depending on the size of the dog.

[@parathings]

Not only did you use positive reinforcement wrongly you totally missed the signs of stress you put the dog in that will lead to behavioral problems in the future

[@Mark.Sciguerra]

So it was a prong collar attached to a fur saver?

[@lisalacy688]

We rescued a 16 month old lab pointer mix who didn't need a lot of work. A little sassiness work is all, except he is very aggressive toward my cat. Prey drive. He wants to kill her I am sure. Will this work with prey driven aggression?

[@janearnold1955]

What is the right piece of equipment you changed to?

[@buffirice2265]

What if youve got 2 reactive dogs in the same room?

[@jamiemorse4487]

Can this be done with my little Patterdale? he will see another dog, go up to it with tail wagging and the jump at it growling and snapping. I have tried many different collars and harnesses but getting nowhere. he will walk with me as good as gold all day long but as soon as there is another dog present he becomes a monster

[@nickyhyland5790]

If your not confident using a prong a slip should be just fine for a smaller dog, but the training technique is the same, definitely check some of his other videos that go into detail on how to use the collar/lead.

[@laurabarlow1132]

My german shepherd is like this but as i use an electric chair any tips

[@d_vinci.]

Does he use a prong collar ?

[@AngieSantiago-ef7jw]

Does this work for reactivity to people too? My girl is okay with dogs, but not with people.

[@learnfacts101]

Wouldn't say the Shepherd is aggressive in any way. Just wants to get to the other dog an it can't due to the leash, which is where the reactivity is coming from.

[@dennisradoor]

only problem is prong collar is not legal everywhere, been living with a reactive dog for 3 years now, because my dog got attacked by other off leash dogs 4 times in 2 month, that just broke him mentally

[@bart3890]

hi Will pls pls tell me something about aboriginal breeds> I do have a central asian shepherd dog - my trainer said he will not be that controllable and obedient as German shepherd. pls

[@nickyhyland5790]

Very different dogs, you can't expect the same thing from them, GSD are great at working with their owners CAS are amazing flock guardians, having to think for themselves, and really should only be owned by people on blocks of land IMO. SOOO important to get a breed that you can give what they need and that suits your lifestyle! No dog is untrainable though you just have to shift your expectations, if your trainer can't get a new one.

[@bart3890]

@@nickyhyland5790 Thanks so much can you explore more how to train CAS ?

[@loststar9970]

Man, I need somebody’s help so my dog German Shepherd husky amazing dog for the first two months we had him. He was a rescue from a very abusive home. We really didn’t have a choice in taking him it was that are the pound and we have too much of a heart, so we took him in, and he’s been awesome up until just about a week ago the two month mark he’s about six months old with very little training. The only training he has is what we are capable of teaching common household dog stuff with the aggressiveness. It is come out of him for apparently no reason and at random times like you’ll be playing he’ll be fine he’ll go sit down you’ll go to Peri more continue playing and he’s ready to kill you. You put them in the crate. Normally he’s happy you can even open the crate door pop in and hug them at random number anymore. If you’re near his crate, he wants to cute and I love this puppy so much I know that there is an underlying issue did I just can’t see or don’t know how to address

[@loststar9970]

I want to add, we do strictly only positive reinforcement

[@tonefrog]

Both my springer spaniel/ husky mix do. But they are not mean tho.

[@inmintealucagula]

how does a dog become like this? when he is not socialized enough as a puppy?

[@makailynthesizzler]

My dog isn’t aggressive but gets fixated and wants to play. He’s prong trained and no matter how many pops or corrections he doesn’t listen to me. I try distracting, giving high value tests and even walking away but he will be wound up no matter what

[@Erin_29]

Maybe try an e collar on low level stim? Sometimes prong collars make it worse for some dogs.

[@makailynthesizzler]

@@Erin_29 I’ve tried a stim collar as well. No difference. Right now I usually turn into him and go the other way and that’s been helping

[@lighthseskr]

We have a very reactive, nervous, anxious 3 year old Retriever mix,(we think) and he's been to training and is absolutely worse. He does know commands but when he is hyper reactive and ancious it's impossible. We also have a 4 year old mix gal( possibly, pointer/border/bullie) she is great on a leash, but i need recall work with her. The problem is the Retriever mix, I feel overwhelmed. These are not our first dogs and I have successfully trained all our other dogs and fosters. The trainer we sent him to and paid thousands of dollars even gave up. So more like this and more videos showing multiple dog household. I am desperate for help.

[@shelleypeppard4694]

I am totally confused - you show you changed the behaviour but how?? I am assuming it’s what I am reading in the comments slip/prong lead

[@dw8521]

"Right piece of equipment", if you're going to demonstrate what the differences are at least say it and don't make it seem like some vague snake oil bullshit. If you're using a prong collar, say it. First part of the video shows the leash clipped to the harness, second part shows it clipped to a collar.

[@eu16tu18]

Great video as usual! But in this one in particular we can see very clear that the only positive methods are wrong and reinforce the bad behaviours.... Simple as that.

[@stayspicy9456]

Will are you still associated with Fenrir?

[@jeffdeluca1153]

My girl had the tendons on my arm about to pop from pulling after squirrels, rabbits you name it. First time out the door with a herm springer prong and she lunged one time. Self corrected herself instantly. She knows her bounds. Now I need to figure out. With tour help 😊 how to curb the reactivity to every ups truck, everytime my neighbor starts his truck. Bark bark bark bark bark. H E L P

[@vikingdogmanship]

You can do the same thing with the truck

[@jeffdeluca1153]

@Viking Dogmanship aka Freya Hundepensjonat then I'd need to keep the collar on her throughout the day?

[@frankiewise7952]

No idea what is the way to stop it. They just walked in and that was it.

[@mikebryant8082]

Wow..Amazing! And all you basically did was ditch the harness for what a neck collar?

[@Bellencer]

A prong collar

[@mikebryant8082]

@@Bellencer A pronged collar? Never heard of one of those..

[@Bellencer]

@@mikebryant8082 It’s essentially a metal collar with blunt spikes on the inside

[@jhonnyfadez6249]

Dogs are paid actors 😂 jk

[@klaudiacel3054]

Would you muzzle reactive/ aggressive dog? And of course train

[@jdoveyk9422]

In my opinion YES, you should always put safety of others and other dogs first. You don’t want a lawsuit because you were afraid of what people think or you think your dog doesn’t like it. Just be sure to destigmatize muzzle by doing muzzle acceptance training with treats and putting on and off and look at it as your dogs sports safety equipment. Much like a helmet for your kid when skateboarding... it’s necessary and maybe when the consistency and skill have achieved a high level you can leave it off. Most people fail with muzzle because of feelings and because they take it off too soon before the dog has actually achieved a high level of consistent behavior. 🌼🙏

[@klaudiacel3054]

@@jdoveyk9422 thank you for your reply. It took me few days to train my boy to get used to his muzzle I can easily take it off/ put on at any time. It gives me more confidence and I feel more relaxed when walking him. Also he seems to be less anxious

[@ShinoTheMindless]

What did you exactly do?

[@ShinoTheMindless]

@@convidtruthshallout definetely not enough for such problem

[@PlayfulCalamity]

My dogs are this way all the time. There are too many different kinds of collars to pick from. So they just stay home...

[@stephenpatten7997]

Says using the right equipment but doesn't specify what it is ???

[@seb5595]

But wasn’t like the German Shepard kinda done with Sully? Like hey I barked at you 10 times already we cool now

[@Johnnytotal]

He just came out the second time and the dog didn’t bark, he must have done something prior. That he didn’t show.

[@Calistake047]

Please, do not watch this video and think that what Will was doing is what positive trainers worth their salt would've done. I have great respect for Will as a trainer (wouldn't be here otherwise), but to me it looked a bit like he was deliberately mocking positive training by making it look dumb and ineffective. I am not an experienced professional, so don't take my word for it; all I'm saying is, don't dismiss positive training based on the little show that was artfully put up in this video. Take the time to look at how positive trainers actually tackle leash reactivity before deciding whether that approach might work for you, and then, if you still choose to give prong collars a try, at least it will be an informed decision.

[@otaku8569]

He did not finish the entire positive reinforcement training process. He was obviously well above the dogs threshold and when he lured her with a treat, he did not redirect the behavior into a more desirable one, just let her go back into barking and lunging. Of course the dog is gonna be confused, he didn't finish the process. He didn't even give it a CHANCE to work. Granted, there's only so much you can do in one video, but I would love to see him do a video where he goes through the whole positive reinforcement training process taking thresholds and redirecting/holding behaviors into account.

[@susanwingblade1799]

Putting it bluntly, the whole video was poorly done. It was verging on "click bait." The demonstration in the beginning was not done correctly. I was kind of disappointed that Will would show something like this!!

[@sharonhoffman4588]

Not getting what he changed….

[@GrullaMustang16]

I fully agree with your approach, as it is very similar to how I was "raised" as a trainer. I only worry the "positive trainers" will try and say something like "You didn't do it right! You should have gotten her attention, made her do something like 'sit' or 'down', THEN give the reward for her having her attention on you enough to follow a more desirable behavior!" The Positive Method works great for dogs with little or no issues and TRAINING, but almost never works well for BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. Might I suggest making a video of using and following the Positive Method to a *T* (a little longer and more indepth than what's shown here). JUST to show, even though you did EVERYTHING that the Positives say to do "correctly", that it doesn't always work. Leaving absolutely no room for someone to come in and say "well he didn't do it right!" or "he didn't even give the method a chance longer than 2 minutes!" Or other things of the sort. Just a friendly suggestion because I truly love your videos and I only wish you the best in your journey to educate! You and your methods remind me so much of the man who taught me everything I know, so keep up the good work!

[@Lesterberne]

He did do it wrong… it’s a valid criticism wtf are you on about

[@XMissRammsteinX]

That wasn't really a fair comparision at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not team "only positive reinforcement and balanced training is abuse". You start the engage-disenage game further away. At a threshold, where your dog isn't already worked up. Once your dog spots another dog, you give a cue, the dog turns torwards you and you give them a treat. You don't treat them if they are already in an 'aggressive' mode! No good positive reinforcement trainer would do that! I'm not saying the engage-disengage game will get the same results as your method and it takes more time to build it up, but correctly used and implemented it has its place. Please don't feel the need to do positive reinforcement dirty by showing their methods in the wrong way.

[@zsahe21]

!!!!

[@JanSilins]

Most disappointing for Will as I do really admire what he does. At 2.58 he allows the dog's head to poke into the new environment ahead, dog's ears up, straight into "protection mode" (same as a dog barks if someone knocks on the front door) Instead he should have got the dog behind, opened the door slowly, standing solidly, waiting for a short while so the dog can take in what's in t his new environment and if Will stays calm I am sure the reactivity would not have been so intense. Then regarding the "test" with P+ method, the dog was way over threshold and at that point there is no point in any training other than physical containment. Imagine 2 blokes in a pub "eyeballing" each other, you know that the next step will be that this will soon erupt into a physical fight. If their girl friends offered them a hog dog each, they would more likely calm down a bit and eat their hot dogs. But once the fists start flying, no point in offering a hot dog then, only thing you can do is to physically separate them. So the P+ idea is that you would have the dog approach from a long way away and offer the treat once they start tensing up and eyeballing. In this case Will is using an aversive method to stop the dog reacting. The whole idea of reactivity training is to ultimately get the dog to realise that the other dog is not a threat at all. This is actually a long process, lots of repeated exposures to other dogs with the current dog in a calm state of mind.

[@jaerin1980]

Why is it you never mention what this "proper equipment" is or how you're applying it? The dog just magically behaves differently with no different reaction from you but a hiss like noise? That seems oddly vague not suspicious at all.

[@WeissM89]

Although I'm not going to defend trainers who exclusively use positive reinforcement, that was a straw man of what positive reinforcement training is. Come on, dude.

[@Lesterberne]

Exactly. He didn’t even apply it correctly.

[@parathings]

That's not how you use positive reinforcement to address these problems. You don't know what you are doing!

[@Chrisdacowboy]

I mean the dog didnt even bark the second time i just dont buy it.

[@Yeoman7]

Guard dogs gonna guard.