Help Humping, Barking, Destructive, Reactive Dogs Overcome Dysregulation: 4 Case Studies

[@DogsThat]

Check out the first 3 videos on the topic of emotional regulation in dogs: 1 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmLJd6qmZpmUgqc 2 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHXQgnWFdpKVeaM 3 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2KTloawod6SapI

[@christiannegirouxclark854]

Here is my comment to this video, Susan. I have standard poodle. I recently adopted a 4 month old mill rescue. And he's nuts. I have signed up for the recallers training and it's great! I am also currently taking a puppy class with my now 10 month old rescue. He, similarly to This - and we also live in the country so he does not get a lot of exposure unless i have some time and make a plan. He loses his marbles when he sees other dogs, except he's not afraid of them. No. He wants to meet, to run, to play. And he'll stand on two feet, barking incessantly etc. And the difference from your situation is that he only has to pick up the scent of another dog, or glimpse a dog in the very far distance. So its a real challenge. So you must be wondering, how is puppy class going? Surprisingly well, albeit still mentally draining. The teacher uses similar games to recallers so he knows this stuff, and there are only 2 other dogs. I do see a slight difference when, for example, we go to the vet. He was more focused on me. Small wins, I'll take it! I will be consulting with a behaviouralist up here in northern ontario to see if he can pinpoint anything i could change to help this lad calm down. Its a lot of work and i put in some time, but i wish there was day camp that just does this stuff with him all day.

[@DogsThat]

Hi Christianne, we're so glad you and your pup have joined us in Recallers! Keep playing the games and celebrating baby steps and you'll get there. You could share more about your progress or challenges in the Recallers Facebook group, or in the classroom ❤️❤️❤️

[@janmurray5945]

My 9 week old female terrier 'surprised' me, I hadn't expected to see a baby, and a female humping (her bunny toy and then air humping while standing at full stretch trying to de-fur the rim of her 'cat cave' bed. So very timely. Thank you.

[@EpsilonAD]

Thanks for this helpful clip on co-regulation.

[@karenmikey1]

I have a year and half westie who is wild about other dogs. I can usually redirect him on leash, but off leash, or if I accidentally drop the leash, he is off to the races. It’s gotten him kicked out of one agility class and he’s now getting a reputation as an out of control dogs. He does better in our neighborhood walks, but classes are a challenge for him. He’s not aggressive at all, just wants to play and even the tastiest treats won’t tear him away. I know I should not be affected by other people’s opinions, but it’s hard to hide my frustration when I think he’s finally got it but still continues to find other dogs more interesting than me. I’d really appreciate your input. I watch your podcasts daily!

[@MATZ302]

This is super helpful as I have a very dog reactive dog. Most dogs here (Bali) are free so they come around, that makes it harder to manage. That being said having her play a lot of choice games seems to be improving her reactivity slowly but surly

[@DogsThat]

Hi, it's awesome that you're making slow but steady progress ❤️. If you haven't see in it yet, we're sharing the link to our Reactive Dogs playlist with lots of help for you and your dog: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6SrfGBjh9SFoNU&pp=gAQBiAQB

[@earth2wendy]

“Make sure your expectations are never higher than the training that you’ve put in with your dog.” If that isn’t a reason to train daily, I don’t know what is! Goes for all kinds of training, not just emotional self-regulation. Thanks!!

[@teristruthers8041]

So helpful! We've been dealing with reactive behaviors towards people and other dogs. Adjusting our expectations, training with games, enrichment, and a calming protocol has made a world of difference! Game changer for us and our dogs. Thank you!

[@DE-ss5ks]

This is another good one! These always give me more confirmation and more information to Recallers. Thank you.

[@sahra4117]

My dog - is a chihuahua mix and I have been working with him for 10 months or so now. He loses his mind when he sees fast moving people (runners), bicycles, or humans walking with dogs. Just like your last doggie in this segment! He’s gotten a lot better BUT it’s definitely not at a point where he’s anywhere near self regulation. I’m going to try the sitting in the park with a bone 🦴 and then etc part and keep learning from you Susan! If my dog can get to a place where other dogs can come up to him and he can co-regulate or self regulate that would be a miracle. (Other humans look at me like my dog is a he-devil and I’m a very bad dog mom ugh) But I believe in your philosophy, science and experience and I believe in my chihuahua Miso. 😃❤️

[@SuperLegasus]

YES! This is the stuff. Finally a real plan for easing walking on leash and meeting dogs. Thank you.

[@carrieraupp757]

When you started talking about the toilet bombs I thought “oh no” did I use it wrong? Luckily, I didn’t. I so appreciate these reminders and encouragement of our efforts . 😊

[@angiew722]

Thank you again for handling this topic again. We need to hear it again and again. Living with reactive dogs can be exhausting as you move through these stages. And just when you think they are doing better, something happens to set you back. It takes a lot of commitment, but well worth the small steps of success.

[@DogsThat]

Thank you, Angie, well said! We think you're going to love our next Shaped By Dog episode 😊

[@Emily-kv3uw]

Your dog This reminds me of my 17 month old toy poodle Bella. She is reactive toward dogs, young kids, men, has a prey drive, and doesn't want anyone going by our house. She has an alarm bark. It makes me anxious whenever i take her for walks, because there are always dogs out for walks on my street. Thank you for your video. I'll have to try sitting at a park far away from others to hopefully get her used to being more calm on walks. I also live near Lake Ontario, in Kingston.

[@DogsThat]

Hi @Emily-kv3uw, thanks for your comment, so pleased we could provide you with some ideas to help with your training. We have an entire playlist dedicated to reactivity, maybe that would also be of some use to you! kzbin.info/aero/PLphRRSxcMHy0Tbd6ZybIXgJk3mtpBLLk7

[@Krystals_Dog_Journal]

I am working with a loving, beautiful, but very rehearsed reactive dog “Kiba”. I know I am missing something for her, as we’ve done “the list” for some time and we’re still stuck. I want to thank you for not “gate keeping”. This has helped set me up to look at a new approach for her, as after 2 years of classes I have been running low on new ideas lol! You are always a love

[@lindamikeworth4401]

I just found your channel. Thank you for all the insight into a doggie's way of thinking + how I can help shape his brain. We've never had a reactive dog until Gus, our Lagotto. My husband and I are slowly figuring out how to understand his thinking. He is very sensitive to sounds and new situations can be very scary for him. He is 23 weeks old, so we have much to learn. Thank you for freely making this excellent info available to us!

[@DogsThat]

Hi Linda, thanks so much, we're so happy you found are channel and are working to help Gus! ❤️ You may have seen it already but in case you haven't, we have a full playlist with help for reactive dogs, here's the link for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6SrfGBjh9SFoNU&pp=gAQBiAQB Happy training! And don't forget to update us with your progress 🐶

[@rafaelafernandes9586]

This is so eye-opening, and it gives me a sense of relief! I guess relief for understanding it, and knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I would LOVE to learn more about co-regulation with prey drive!

[@robertfolsom5237]

Loved this series! Thank you for posting videos about how to train dogs past 18 months of age, they are kind of hard to find. I learned a lot about “what’s next” in training our 2 year old American Pit Bull Terrier mix. He is a great dog, but have been struggling with disregulation in certain situations. He self regulates very well, but it is mostly in “schedule-based” situations (I work from home and he knows 8-5 he has to self regulate, and does a great job). Thanks for giving me some additional tools to improve my training.

[@bambinochen]

Such a great series- have been following each episode as it’s come out! Ive been reflecting on why it seems so important. I think it’s because when we use the lens of ‘emotional regulation’ it brings it back to the skills our dog has. Can they turn their attention to you while confronted with something they see as threatening? Can they chill on a dog bed to relax? We totally underestimate the complexity of these tasks and often just expect them of our dogs. Yes, we can look at a dogs TEMP and that can give us a good idea of whether the dog is comfortable or not, but it’s only by through the lens of emotional regulation that WE as our dogs advocates can start to build a picture of what skills we need to work on with our dogs to improve their quality of life. This series changed my approach with my 1year old border collie puppy. Instead of trying to distract her from things that would usually trigger her on walks (like passing trains- we live near a train station) I’ve been trying to give her more processing time to acknowledge the thing, waiting til it’s passed and she gives me eye contact and we move on. Try to keep myself calm for her as she picks up on my emotions too. We are still working on building success here, but it helps me to feel connected to my dog as we face the challenges together. It builds trust and ultimately makes us a team. I’d like to hear more about different types of dysregulation, examples of different ways to co- regulate and build towards self regulation… as well as maybe what other people’s experiences have been using this lens, and how that impacted them.

[@bambinochen]

Further to this, your dog may need different things from you at different times to get to regulation. That’s why the tools in recallers are so great- gives you a bunch of tools to use in different situations to help co regulate!

[@DogsThat]

Such fabulous insights @bambinochen 💚

[@joannaycwang2706]

Great episode. Thank you Susan and team!❤ would love to see a discussion and deep dive for reactivity especially for the “self regulating” and “habituate” stages. Most of the dog training contents out there for reactivity focus more on the co-regulation part, management, or enrichment. It would be amazing to get more insights from you so owners or trainers who are stuck can work on moving to the next stages for their reactive dogs. Thank you so much!!

[@jennifer_452]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing real world experiences and cases. You are, hands-down, one of the best trainers out there. My Weimaraner and I thank you for making our lives better and less stressful.

[@nmcintire77]

Fantastic and realistic information - thank you for showing the way! 👍

[@anneckman5828]

Thank you Susan. My Lhasa apso mix rescue goes bananas when we meet some dogs on walks. Other dogs no reaction at all! So it's hard to tell what's going to happen. We're working on this. ❤

[@rogehnimunoz4327]

Love your videos. I also love to see Tater and This. Thanks for the case scenarios. I needed it. God bless.

[@sterrettstudios3217]

Case Study 4 was very helpful to me! Team THIS! is inspiring. 🙂

[@darnold5575]

Motivational in description. With my gsp, I have insisted when coming inside she crates with door closed. I can unwind etc., and I have not had the crate whining.

[@sweetbarksandberries4556]

I may have said this before but I LOVE the part of the intro where Taer Salad is sitting on the sofa. Looks soooo much like Scooby my boxer/beagle.

[@sue-yentan1556]

This is great! Any device for an alternate to a meaty bone? Mine doesn’t get any joy out of them + she’s so tiny so it wouldn’t work for co-regulation. Pssst: this is your sign to do a podcast on little dog issues.

[@TrickDogWin]

Thank you Susan, God bless you for all of the help you give us. ❤

[@EnTeoríaIlustraciones]

Last case is so much like my Hanok... I'm gonna try the same things with him. Wish me success 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@DogsThat]

@Cocoailustraciones you've got this! It's awesome you are taking action 💚

[@autumnvalicevic4645]

I’d love to hear an episode that goes deeper on overcoming This!’s reactivity outside of the nutrition problems.

[@elisehug9283]

My Aussiedoodle was always reactive to skateboarders, so we started walking in circles around the local skateboard park. First at 200 ft from the skateboarders (pulling and barking) and eventually we go down to about 30 ft where she could sit with me at a picnic table but then occasionally bark and lunge still. That felt like a big improvement and very hopeful. However, around 7-8 months old, she became reactive to cars, trucks, bikes, e-scooters and, of course, still skateboarders. She would bark and lunge, pull very hard on her leash, and with cars driving 6 inches from the curb and sidewalks 4 ft wide, it was getting really dangerous. One night she barked and lunged at 30 cars in a row. We tried the "engage/disengage" method, but in the end handfuls of fried ground beef weren"t even enough to distract her from the barking and lunging. Your advice about just sitting her in her bed, out in the park, far away from the cars/bikes/other dogs, and also giving her a really good bone to chew on, is very good. It's more of an activity in and of itself, not just a momentary distraction like a treat, so she can get engrossed in her chewing. I am going to try this. Something else: since she was barking and lunging on the way home from the dog park (when she was hyped up from chasing and playing with other dogs) or at the end of a long walk in the city (overwhelmed by everything around her), she was likely overstimulated. The only advice that worked, was to not let her run out of control at the dog park (learning that chasing everything and anything is the most fun ever) and to walk her only for very short walks (10-20 minutes), interspersed with training for mental exercise. This appears to have worked wonders. She now barks and lunges only at about 1 or 2 cars/bikes per walk, if at all, and that's after 2 weeks. I do feel guilty about not taking her to the dog park to run and play with her friends. I'm hoping that using the bed+bone+distance method will allow us to eventually get back to long walks and lots of doggy play time off leash.

[@valoreilly9917]

Live this Susan, thank you! Will be trying more of your suggestions 💖 xxxx

[@ABrookfire]

I love this series, Susan. We’re starting to see little changes as we learn. Our 18 mo old rescue is a lot like your This. And in a couple weeks, we’ve an appt w a vet who will give the pup a thyroid panel to check her. So far we have good nutrition, we’ll see. We recently got a little larger yard to run in and coregulate during dogs walking way across a street. “Make it Rain” is working slowly. Going in the right direction. ? I’m confusing hand target w it’s your choice. Also could u explain operant v. classic conditioning? Keep diving deeper please. ❤❤❤ thank u!

[@estherdegraaf5254]

Hi, this was great! i would realy like to see an example of how to stop the barking at ,for example, postmen or doorbell ringing. I just dont know how to change that😢

[@mariebutler6619]

Thanks Susan 😁. Brilliant 👍 Before being one of your students, I sought help many times from, "dog trainers, ex police handlers, behaviourists". All of them told me to take him to places and interact with more dogs...never less. And either feed him or 'pop' his collar. Why do you think this thought process is still out there? Who taught these people? We followed you (recallers, Home school the dog, IYC summit) and although, head to head dogs still aren't 'white noise', we no longer have lunging and barking or freezing and lying down. I never have him in head to head meetings now. 😊

[@LJnBodhi]

Perfect. Thank you❤🐾

[@azogal53]

Wow, such a GREAT series!! Thank you, thank you ❤🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

[@rachell4307]

I’m loving this series! I hope for even more on this topic ❤

[@theknitcycle]

This is great and so encouraging! I would love to see a case study on a dog whose triggers are within the home. My rescue dog is intermittently afraid of my husband, for reasons known only to her and rooted in her mysterious past. Since we can't exactly have him stay a hundred feet away from her while they share our small home, I'm a bit lost as to how to apply the desensitization and counterconditioning protocols to him that we used to get her OK with passing strangers on walks. He has given her mountains of treats over many months but we're still stuck in management and coregulation.

[@DogsThat]

Hi! Susan did an episode with help for dogs that are afraid of people with tips you can use, here's the video for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4KnpXuKl9V7prs

[@MPQueen11]

Thank you so much!!

[@DogsThat]

Thank you for watching!

[@ChngeFromWithin]

Hi thank you so much for these great videos- Susan mentioned around 2:12 time that her dog started to tug and shake and she wasn't fond of- can she elaborate why the shaking is bad- I can't seem to get my pup from not doing the shaking. I love these case studies video they are so helpful.

[@melblacke5726]

Allowing a reactivity problems get worse simply through rehearsal is a real thing.

[@sqeekable]

Can you send me in the direction for the video of demand barking?

[@MeganLapcinski]

What type of bones did you use for Tater?

[@ktsndog]

my dog is 9 and a mix and small med sized dog and not dominant. He sometimes humps when at the dog park running with dogs. they are usually bigger than him. since he is not a dominant dog, i thought he was trying to show dominance because he liked the dog. so what do i do?

[@pennypiper5857]

Thanks for sharing:)

[@johnnymartinh2o]

I have a friends dog that comes to visit infrequently but every time the dog is here and I let all of them out into my large backyard this friend's dog just stands,and barks at me like it wants something from me, it's an ear perecing bark and doesn't stop. I've tryed to get the dog to offer a different behavior by asking for hand touch and rewarding with a treat when she does touch my hand but soon after she starts barking again like she wants something but I can't figure out what. I remember Susans dog Buzz was quite the barker while doing agility is there any advice or direction to an appropirate podcast that might help with this. It would be really appreciated. John

[@imlola1959]

Where can I find more in regard to the nutrition you referred too.

[@DogsThat]

Hi @imlola1959, here is the video link - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZnPh2uDZpWCaLc

[@learning2curve995]

Kind of self regulation and also 'it's yer choice'. I have been really struggling with a show dog of mine. She is still a baby and would not do the silly things babies do in the ring, crazy dog is easier to show in my opinion. She would go round the ring with her tail down, should be carried up, and I would put her tail up at the end and treat her. I guess I was actually treating her for the whole episode 🙁 not a great outcome. I thought about 'its yer choice', and gave her the opportunity to chose to come into the ring by letting her see what fun her older relative was having in there not to mention treats after great behaviour. She made the decision almost instantly to leave ringside and came in to join us. Within a few go rounds the tail was up and she was enjoying herself running with her older relative. Then she ran on her own with her tail up! I consider this one small step on our road to success and she made the decision herself. Thank you Susan for your intuitive approach ❤ Just to add, she loves tuggy, something I have never done with my show dogs,

[@janiearmstrong6981]

My 7 month old GSD female always walks in front of me but looks back. Occasionally she walks near me but rarely. Sometimes she jumps around like a bronco or jumps on me during the walk. I can’t figure out what to do to fix this.

[@DogsThat]

Hi @janiearmstrong6981 we have a playlist on loose leash walking to help - kzbin.info/aero/PLphRRSxcMHy1mGMfdVKXq_hiJ27Ej1shW

[@janiearmstrong6981]

@@DogsThat thank you! ❤️

[@elisahelen]

thanks Susan, isues I have. One dog who wants to hump his beds and another who cannot tolerate being in the presence of other dogs. Working on it!

[@tricialebanno4437]

My doberman, Apollo is a lot like Tater Salad. He destroys furniture, and has not been able to have a dog bed. What kind of bed or alternative would you use in that scenario? He even chewed up a KONG BED that was "virtually indestructible". We cannot leave him out inside the house on his own, ever, or he will destroy something.

[@DogsThat]

Hi @tricialebanno4437 we have help for bed chewing. It's from the 4 minute mark in this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5DGaaqdq5aFn5o

[@patmunro3531]

Why use words like "disregulation"? What does that mean? And, I doubt you can do much without a treat pouch. I've never used treats [ Crufts Obedience competitor in the 70's/80's]

[@joedudley8925]

What’s a puppy bomb I need to google this

[@DogsThat]

Hi @joedudley8925, Susan has a video about puppy bombs on TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@dogsthat/video/7117249618332634373?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7258509975714399746

[@moniqueansems97]

How do you go about your dog going bananas in the car seeing a motorbike?

[@lucyflanagan3628]

I hope Tater did not go back to the owner who crated him 60 hours/week.

[@DogsThat]

Hi Lucy, Tater has been living with Susan for a few years :)