Everything was going fine until THIS happened. Reality Dog Training

Sometimes dog training can be controversial... especially when we make mistakes! Thank you Bark! for sponsoring this episode! Get a free BarkBox, Super Chewer Box or both when you sign up for a subscription: www.barkbox.com... or www.superchewer...
I’m on TikTok now! vm.tiktok.com/f...
Like me on Facebook! / thezakgeorge
Support my videos by making a contribution on patreon: / zakgeorge
Order the NEW book here (detailed dog training advice) amzn.to/2XiER6f
Or check out my other book (broad overview of choosing, raising and training a dog) here: amzn.to/1PXH568

[@zakgeorge]

Here is a playlist with ALL of Moira's episodes in order: kzbin.info/aero/PLMssKIjsDxXloC9yXGfTrFSqdYMmx2jEO Thank you for being here!! Leave a comment and let us know what you think about this series, and give us your suggestions for future videos!! 🤩

[@celestinej_]

Hi Zak. I’m pretty sure this comment will get lost but this series has been so helpful. Two weeks ago I adopted a 10 month old rescue dog. He’s heaps of energy and has some of the same habits Moira(excessive barking and biting). I’ve been working with him every day and these videos are keeping me going. I feel like I’m journeying with you we also have our ups and downs.Thank you so much!

[@rachelcrossen8136]

It’s actually really helpful to see how you handle things that don’t go well. Otherwise we don’t know how to react when our dogs act out. You are so calm and patient

[@parkcrashers5922]

Oh yea definitely I'm going through the same thing with my 9 month old Jack Russel Terrior, but I also want a big dog too

[@CaitlinTam]

Same here - I brought home an 8mo old cattle dog rescue and he is exactly like Moira. Puppy behaviors and in a nearly full-grown dog. It's really helped to see how a trainer would address the very same issues we are dealing with.

[@EssaysonWorldNews-wm6zu]

Ditto here. I am not giving up on my rescue dog though she is quite the biter. I learn to anticipate when she needs to play--jealous of my phone, bites my arms and ankles, etc. NEVER GIVE UP! good for you for rescuing a shelter dog!❤

[@giacomor_99]

reading the title i was expecting Moira tearing apart a duck

[@edwardgarcia487]

LMFAO

[@Cruzan9]

😭

[@randostuff98]

Yea lol

[@angelbarbie7914]

The ducks/birds weren’t fleeing which would activate Moira’s prey drive instincts. Obedience alone will not stop a dog from controlling it’s instinctive conditioned response to triggers. Self rewarding behaviors will override obedience without the implementation of behavior modification strategies to bring unwanted behavior to extinction. There is plenty of space in this video with distractions very far away and he still has trouble as his training standard is very low and no behavior modification strategies are applied. These results will not work in the real world, sadly risking Moira’s rehoming not being successful. When the dog gets adopted and owners encounter a reactive dog on a leash or a squirrel runs in this dogs path activating her true prey drive, I guarantee Moira will lose it and act on her self rewarding instinctive behavior. A good trainer will proof a dog within feet of it’s trigger with high standard obedience ignoring the triggers completely no matter what the triggers do. That is what a trained dog looks like

[@iyenomatemitopeerebor9244]

😂not exactly that but something along that line 😅

[@debk6598]

Zak, I know you weren’t happy with the last part of the video, but honestly, I’m SO thankful that you put it in! My rescue GSD would act exactly the same when I first got her. It’s nice to know that others have the same issues. We learn from this more than from all of the well behaved dogs! I appreciate you!

[@KingAmasawa]

Moira’s outburst is definitely something I’m struggling with my dog. She’s great at home but as soon as she hears or sees other dogs it’s chaos.. looking forward to seeing how I can help her in those situations

[@benjaminkrake4211]

What I do with my dog is to carry treats with me and try to get him acclimated to being around other dogs by staying a distance away where he is interested but not beyond his threshold, then mark when he sees a dog and doesn’t react, give him a treat, and let him just get used to it. It’s a very slow process replacing the fear he has with good experiences like treats or play around other dogs.

[@lottaek1202]

Yeahh, I'm seeing a dog trainer next week to deal with that issue about my dog, too

[@benjaminkrake4211]

@@lottaek1202 I wish you good luck! Behavioral adjustment is not easy and progress is slow, but consistency is key.

[@lottaek1202]

@@benjaminkrake4211 thank you! That problem has really been destroying my motivation to own a dog at all, because we live in a very urban environment with a lot of dogs and distractions, so hopefully the trainer is going to be competent enough

[@janhankins911]

As Benjamin Krake said, carry high value treats (like hot dogs, chicken, freeze-dried liver, etc) with you when you know you're going to be in a situation where your dog may react. Try to avoid those situations if you can unless you're training, but sometimes life happens and you're confronted with a situation you couldn't anticipate. Carry treats, try to stay calm (if you get upset, it will only cause the behavior to get worse), and try to remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible and get your dog back under threshold. Don't intentionally put your dog over threshold and then try to "teach" them something. Their brain is not going to "learn" anything at that point. And I loved Zak letting Moira look at the ducks and then getting her attention back on him. I will do that with a dog intentionally--say "look at that" and point to the "thing" the dog reacts to and then get the dog to look back at me and praise and treat and give toys if the dog remains calm. But that's a little later when the dog is staying under threshold pretty reliably. Just start out way away from the other dogs so that she doesn't react and create chaos. It may be a football field away or it may be so far away the Great Dane looks about the size of an ant. No matter how far away you have to be, try to stay under threshold so your dog doesn't react. And don't be in a hurry. Move at your dog's pace--not yours.

[@adrianadelia6957]

The Reality Dog Training Series puts it all in perspective for those of us who are just ordinary dog owners seeking to train our dogs. A lot of times dog trainers can come off as obnoxious and overbearing because they are trainers and make it look so easy and even effortless even when we know this is all they do...as their profession. Finally, Zak George in THIS series, comes down to our level where we struggle with so many circumstances and feel failure in our training efforts especially if you have a reactive dog (big or small) This is why this series is so well received. Zak is us!

[@DaveDEF82]

Yeah, Zak sucks just as bad as a dog trainer as any person owning a dog for the first time. HOORAY.

[@StaticResurreXion]

@@DaveDEF82 PAAHAHHAA I was gonna say that but you beat me to it!

[@ShelleyKadiri]

I find it so very helpful that you do show us things that you have tried that didn't actually turn out well, and how to rectify it so we can move forward with our training without wasting valuable time and energy on feeling guilty or frustrated with ourselves. Thank you Zak!!

[@hikergir01]

I have been binging this series. I adopted an over the top reactive dog 4.5 years. He attacked baby stroller wheels at parks, bikes, traffic, lunged at other dogs. He could smell a dog in the area before seeing it and lose his mind! He is extremely strong like this girl and pulled me into a frozen lake because he wanted a duck! Proofing dog reactivity takes more than 2 weeks. I have my dog under control up to 5 to 10ft depending on other dogs body language. It's taken me years. I hope new dog owners don't get discouraged believing that it's possible to "fix" leash reactivity in a short time. It's a lot of hard work. On that note Zak is doing a great job with her. She is transforming into a great dog!

[@Megan-gy4ly]

I think Moira might need reinforcement after every behavior that's asked for in such a distracting environment, rather than doing a string of behaviors and then receiving a treat or praise. I think the hardest part here is that Zac is trying to explain stuff as he's training. When he does that, you can tell he pretty quickly becomes less interesting than the birds and Moira's attention starts to wander. I would be interested to see a session where Zac completely focuses on training the dog and adds a voice over for the explanation, rather than explaining in the moment. He's usually really good about being more interesting than the environment, but Moira is definitely pushing new boundaries! She's a challenging dog for sure! Zac is doing really good with her!

[@adiadodge5528]

Agreed! There are also a few moments where he uses a marker word such as "yes" or "good" and then asks for another behavior or talks to the camera instead of rewarding, and you can see her start to get confused and check out. Really high intensity, high "drive" dogs like this tend to need a lot of clarity about what's expected of them and when reinforcement is coming. He's doing really well with her and it's easy to forget all these "rules" until you have a dog who really needs clarity!

[@corey8778]

ive also commented something similar on a previous video, so im glad im not the only one who noticed. it seems really confusing for the dog when hes explaining something and uses a command. i cant understand WHY he thought she was ready for the dog park and duck migration when she couldnt even handle dogs passing their fence or walking past a bird without lunging. it feels like the series is more made for the viewers than it is for moira :(

[@imying72]

So from one trainer to another, I have a question. Putting a dog through that intensive of a training regimin isn't necessarily a bad thing.. but it presents a very interesting problem... what happens when someone who isn't nearly as involved with training as you are adopts her? Shes developing a strong work ethic and bond with you. Personally, I think if anyone who adopts her isnt equally as attentive, it could be insanely detrimental to her development. Your thoughts?

[@ticklemepoynter]

Go Zak go! I have been binge watching all your videos in preparation for a new puppy I will be getting this year. We believe in you!

[@juliamagnusson8670]

Another trainer that is amazing is Upstate Canine Academy here on KZbin! You should check him out! He is one of the best when it comes to learning dog behavior and how to communicate with your dog in the right way to create a good relationship between you and the dog. And he makes it really easy to understand how it works and how to do it!

[@cjpatterson4711]

I really like to see mistakes and how to overcome them as well as the successful moments. I like to realize I am not perfect and feel more at ease when others show they are not perfect either. This sort of video just propels me to keep being persistent in training.

[@underwrld_lynx13]

I just got your book a couple of days ago! It's very informative and well done!

[@dazzlingblack6136]

Finally!!! I love this series...maybe a little tooo muchh ❤❤Thank youu!!!

[@WaggingTailsDogTraining]

😆 SAME though!

[@Tee1andonlee]

Stollen comment.

[@janhankins911]

It's very easy to get just a little too close during training and send the dog over threshold. As Zak did, just manage the situation, try to get your dog back under threshold (by putting distance between yourself and the thing the dog is reacting to) and then going backwards a little in the training--start further back than where you were before the mistake. I sometimes think I let dogs get bored and don't move fast enough. But my motto is go slower than I think I need to and then slow down. And you learn valuable lessons from the dog--two steps was too much, so next time just do half a step. All in all, Moira is doing really, really well. I'm impressed with how quickly Zak is getting results!

[@rebeccamcintyre5441]

What a great video! It's nice to see how you handle situations like this.

[@Kup84]

Great video, great lesson. Thank you Zak and Moira.

[@debbieturner8306]

This is my favorite video series ever. I love that's it shows what it's really like training a reactive dog, very helpful since my dog acts exactly like Moira when he sees other dogs.

[@jamiesusan8]

This video in all it's truth & honest is exactly why I follow! I am working through this exact reactivity to dogs with my Shepherd mix. I appreciate the reality of training & methods to help me. Keep being truthful- is so helpful!

[@kimuht.22.35]

Thank you so much for this series, your work anf for showing also the mistakes. I apreciate it very much (you could've easily just not include it in the video). Love the way you work and your sincerity!

[@Ben_Neill]

It's important to remember the level of difficulty when asking your dog to perform a behavior as Zak mentions with his signal "Down." Keep in mind your dogs personal threshold when looking at desensitizing your dog to triggers such as birds, cars, other dogs, or people. If they are reacting, distance is your best friend, work where they are comfortable, and progress from there. And concerning the "mistake", we are all human, we will make many mistakes. The thing that I find important is the realization of how and why it didn't go as planned. Learning from that and implementing it in the future is what matters. Keep up the good work Zak.

[@fraxinus_ash]

Absolutely agree.

[@breejustine]

Thank you Ben!! Great input as always 🙌 Appreciate your support!!! Hope you’re doing well!

[@iliqnikushev3820]

Thanks Zak! I have a German Sheppard (6mo) and he's slowly starting to behave a bit like that. He's perfect at home, on the pedestrian walk ways, but once we go to a park where there is more space, ducks, dogs and people playing volleyball he's really into his adventure mood. Getting his attention is crucial and these videos are PERFECTLY on time for his growth :)

[@annesmale5675]

Thank you. Another honest, informative session 😊

[@gailjernigan2482]

Moira was really showing how far she has come since you started training. Although there birds (lots and lots of birds), Moira was able to heel, fetch, sit down, stay, etc. with all the distractions around her in an unfamiliar location. You released so much energy with all of the times she obediently fetched the toy. You were doing everything you have been teaching us about training a puppy. There had to something different about that dog. Was she in heat? Did she smell different in some way from others dogs? Moira was still some distance from the other dog, and you quickly pulled her away, creating even more distance. There was a fence behind you so you couldn’t get further away quicker. Don’t give up. Moira has made so much progress in such a small amount of time. (For proof, watch the first video with Moira.) With more training, she will become even better. 😊❤️ I’ve been watching your videos since I got my own puppy 6 months ago when she was 8 weeks old. Following your methods for training, she can sit, shake “hands,” lie down, look at me, leave it, fetch, and occasionally crawl. She is not nearly as trained as Moira although I have been working with her for months, whereas, you have been working with Moira for just days. I have not been very successful with stay, and I have lots of trouble with distractions just walking in my own neighborhood, which we do 2-3 times a day. People on bikes, people walking, golf carts, other dogs, squirrels, and cars are her main distractions-all things that are moving. I haven’t given up and hopefully, one day, I can break through to get her to focus on me, maybe with the help of my neighbors who are walking, riding bikes, have dogs, cars, and golf carts. I’ll keep watching and re-watching your videos until I can get my 14 pound cockapoo, Molly, where I want her to be with her training. Thanks for all of the advice and don’t stop producing your videos with Bree and various dogs. ❤️❤️❤️

[@-ANDREA--]

Thank you so much for showing reality.

[@emilyromanello9476]

This was really helpful...non-trainers are pretty likely to make this kind of mistake more than once, and it shows us how to recover from it without freaking out or thinking we ruined everything. Also, Moira did awesome earlier in the session between flying birds and flying (crashing) drones. This episode was a great example of how patient we need to be and how well patience pays off. Despite the outburst at the end, Moira is still much improved after only a week of work.

[@helencarroll8399]

You are amazing, thank you for being so honest and showing this as it helps so much to see how we as the dog owner should handle the situation. Wish I could get barf box here, currently living in France but returning to UK in January, maybe Barf box will start to send to UK :)

[@GuyRatcliffe]

Really liked seeing this. This has actually helped me understand when I have made mistakes and actually deal with them. Other training always shows perfection, which actually makes training harder as you have no reference to reality. So, so good to watch and learn from this.

[@joycehooley7187]

This was an incredibly helpful lesson. 1. our dog also gets the zoomies but it happens spontaneously and I am never really sure what to do- you confirmed that my letting him enjoy the moment is important. 2. Your "mistake" is where I am as well and I get discouraged but I can see that all of this is just more patience...or as a friend would say, "create peace, deal with it in the morning"....Thanks

[@paulinedady1527]

I think you're doing well with Moira, I am following your technique with my dog she is a collie cross British bulldog, thank you for sharing.

[@Sanhitha]

I’m getting a dog TODAY! I’m SOOO excited, and REALLY NERVOUS

[@kats4976]

Moira is so much like my dog Chewy. I am learning a ton from your videos though and just purchased your book!

[@katrinaskidmore9443]

Thank you so much! I am learning so much.

[@lucindadarby2446]

Zak the mistakes are helping us too! Anyone can sit there tell us what to do show us with dogs who are already trained and it doesnt help ONE BIT!! As soon as we try the methods and it goes WRONG we dont know what to do....as I said before this iscwhere your videos help us so much!! I dont stand there thinking its not working so what do I do??

[@richardcope9803]

Zak, so appreciate you sharing these types of videos because it gives me hope with my own dogs that even professional trainers can have difficulty with their dogs at times. You said one thing I hope you can go into detail on. Heel is not meant for every walk but only in certain locations or training situations? I was always under the impression that heel was for every time you walk your dog.

[@lindachretien8161]

I have a Collie/Bernese Mountain Dog, he acts the same way, I am so close to throwing in the towel. I love your training tips, thank you ☺️

[@tokageG7199]

These kind of dogs can take our all but in the end they are our best teachers to make us grow!

[@Lexlarsson]

I do appreciate you showing us this! That's why this series is so important for us who are trying to be good handlers for our reactive dogs. My rescue Zeldas outbursts are twice as bad as Moiras - when we get too close or she has had staggered triggers, or she sees one of a handful dogs she can't stand. In the beginning i got scared, worried and angry which only made it worse of course. Both Zelda and I reacted to these situations in a primal way. Now I'm trying to teach myself how to behave like you do in this clip when moving her away from the source. Hopefully that will teach her to follow my lead. Many thanks for showing us that even an experienced dog trainer can misjudge a little and have a conversation with yourself about what just happened. Me and hundreds of owners in Reactive dog forums share with one another how failed we feel, how sad we are for not being able to see our dogs relaxed, how worried we are for each training session. We support each other instead of criticizing and that makes the world of difference. Thank you Zac!!

[@maiza2380]

I'm thankful for your honesty thak you

[@maiza2380]

is that cheating as I like my own post

[@n_estrother9791]

Loved this video! Thank you!

[@salmasalute]

I dont get it.. what is controversial?

[@kimmyandmochifamily4812]

Oohh Zak your are amazing person.. I learn a lot from your video. I apply it to my dog. She's a bassethound.. Hope u can train a basset hound dog to.. Thank you and keep safe every one..

[@wu2059]

I realy want to see how you train Moira to be "ok"with other dogs. I have the same problem with my dog. Thank you! You are The Best of The Best!

[@alisha7224]

Hi Zak, thank you for the video series. CAN YOU PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO A SERIES ON SHY (slightly SHUT DOWN DOGS)? Shy dogs (regardless of reason) are so hard for us fosters to KNOW how to engage/interact with them! They take up time where we make zero progress which results in less dogs in rescue due to lack of foste home space; if we could breakthrough to these dogs quicker, we could save more in the long run.

[@boomy2160]

I used to watch you all the time before o got my dog and until she was 2 years old

[@donnamiller6778]

Thank you for showing this! I am looking forward to how to deal with this issue that we share as well

[@dunnml68]

I can't wait to get started with your training! I rescued a female last Sept that was beaten, used as a bait dog, and dumped. Oh, and after about 48 hours when she let me really touch her I realized she was pregnant. From the looks, we thought she had just had the pups she was so emaciated. A week later we had pups. The plan was to rehome Momma but I couldn't do it. I need to know she will succeed. Oh and we kept 2 pups. I have come to the realization that training more than one dog at a time and one with considerable issues was a bigger challenge than expected. So here we go!

[@meliacleveland2921]

I agree with everyone else. Patience is king and not getting overwhelmed with different situations is hard. I appreciate your honesty and continue to learn from your videos. I have a 7 month old puppy who is actually doing amazingly good but sometimes I get frustrated thinking that he should be completely trained by now. How ridiculous is that? I know it takes a long time. Thank you for reminding us that we are all not perfect and neither are our furry buddies.

[@K9FUNdamentalsNZ]

Hi Zak......thanks for keeping this real. As owners we have to take responsibility of shaping our dogs behaviour. Its like playing a game of Snakes & Ladders. Some sessions are positively moving ahead, while others we go backwards. Gotta take the good with the not so good. Loving all your experience being shared.

[@MarshallKrueger]

I don’t feel like that was a mistake. It would have been a mistake to get upset or demented anything from Moira at that time. Your patient reaction was great.

[@Debleves]

I really would like infor about what is around your waste and about what kind of leash and hardness

[@Megan-gy4ly]

I wonder how Moira's training would go if the reward she was working for was a toy vs a treat. She clearly likes treats, but I feel like she likes toys even more.

[@marcuslee2186]

I had this same thought

[@chriswong8400]

Already Looking forward too your next dog too train. (hoping for a huntingbreed)! Keep up the good job!

[@loua9041]

Trying to take the toy out of her mouth after she returns the fetch only encourages her to tug on it. The best strategy is to grab the toy firmly and stay completely still until the dog lets go.

[@margaretfleming3554]

Surely you have to assess progress each time you go out. How can you do that if you don’t place her in the situation that allows you to monitor any improvement. Am sure you will come up with a different strategy.

[@kingdomboundbydesign]

Thank you for being real!

[@andrewmorfill776]

Thanks for showing us the part at the end! I appreciate that you show us the reality of training a reactive dog. Training a reactive dog is tough. Great job for remaining calm. Do you ever practice a settle command where you hold the dog to prevent it from going nuts like that? With my dog when I can get him still for a few moments, he comes back from the threshold. Is that too averse do you think?

[@natnatarroyo2605]

Hi Zak i know you wont see this but i have watched you for years and you help me to teach my small 5 months dog to give shake but she needs to learn how to use the training pad can you help me please

[@kellyr8115]

I feel like it would be so easy to put a prong or choke collar ( not that that is right, it’s just a way some people choose) on and you could have forced her to do something different in that moment, but you look at it from all viewpoints and the least adverse method & that’s not the quick easy way, but it’s the way that works best and stays & is a challenge for both of you.. great job ..those were definitely real life situations

[@xtalite]

My dog needs help with desentisization. She's very shy and will do the same thing if a dog is up close. I have been told that this can never be corrected because she's a doberman :( it's sad but your videos give me hope.

[@Flippokid]

18:00 and on: I may have messed that up before.

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

Zak your dogs are gorgeous

[@balvarine6665]

Question: I live with my family and my sister who has two toddlers. My dog, a husky mutt, is terrified of the kids. I have tried repeatedly to give her rewards while they are close so she associates them with good things, but she is still terrified and cowers at the sight of them. Dibella is such a love bug. Is there another way i should try to get her more comfortable with them? She will run away rather than get aggressive until they corner her in a small room and then she starts growling and bristling her back. The toddlers aren't big enough to understand her warning signs to back off. I think she could really enjoy playing with them, but I don't want the kids hurt. What are some options i can do to help Dibella feel safe around them and understand they can be fun?

[@velaris22]

I just rescued a year old German Shepard as well not even 4 days ago and she is exactly the same way. I’m thinking I got myself in a situation I can not handle because this is very overwhelming and exhausting and I have never trained a dog before.

[@jessicacoombs4527]

Loving this series, thanks for showing the challenges and successes! Do you have any recommendations on fetch if you have a pitbull who just wants to chew up any toy when he gets it? 😆 any of the indestructible toys, he just leaves when he gets to it 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@MittenDew]

Is it just me or do other people like watching pupbox, pupford, & barkbox ads?

[@walterfulmer8172]

Thank you

[@hakankocabay5033]

Can you add Turkish subtitles to your videos? I can't translate because I know little English. Thank you.

[@tobyhavaneese1557]

You showed real life.

[@jacquelinechic3127]

My female Shepard 2 years old just told that stunts on me walking through the parking lot to get to the vet she was using all her strength I was using all of my strength just wanted to get her back in my truck so I could cry

[@SaltSugarHeat]

How long is your lead? My dog STILL can't let go. I'm at a loss. Do you do Zoom training? haha

[@deborahronca]

Can you help me in NJ?

[@Ds11414]

🤦‍♂️

[@corey8778]

ur biggest mistake was thinking u could train a rescue in only 2 weeks. this whole process feels very rushed and unorganized and its surprising to me that youre youtubes #1 guy for reality dog training

[@brandonknight8671]

He knows how to film really well and talk like he knows what he's doing.

[@corey8778]

im glad im not the only one who noticed

[@brandonknight8671]

@@corey8778 lol his solution to leash pulling and reactivity is to pull back.

[@corey8778]

@@brandonknight8671 it literally seems like every single video is "okay I messed up guys, this is controversial, I shouldn't have done this",, like when is he gonna actually stop fucking up and start training. this video was LITERALLY moiras second time walking around birds with him, and he KNOWS she killed a chicken already. it's just plain stupid to think that flocks of ducks wouldnt automatically trigger her. like what was he ACTUALLY thinking was gonna happen???

[@brandonknight8671]

@Hannah D I didn't go out there claiming to be the guru, sure I've made some. That's all this dude does though and makes a living out of it.

[@clearr7144]

14:50 you're basically lunging a horse 😂🥰

[@carmelodriscoll6155]

Fair play for showing mistakes, this is how dog owners learn 😊 Thank you Zac

[@maplewang105]

it’s been a whole month and he still can’t walk the dog smh

[@vcritchv]

Seriously, I need the next steps now Zak. How do I fix this with my 6-month-old Newf?

[@fish5465]

@@maplewang105 how about you watch the video before making stupid comments? It’s literally DAY 9 SMH

[@maplewang105]

@@vcritchv If you want to teach your dog to heel/ focus on you try watching “Upstate Canine Academy” on youtube

[@svhrt]

@@StaticResurreXion literally everybody is going to make a mistake every once in a while, hes not a robot

[@TheGirlWithTheLighthouseTattoo]

I rescued a dog-reactive pitbull that would have otherwise been put to sleep. That dog, and the one today are the same, but also so incredibly different. Was it an easy road? Absolutely not. It took years for it to be truly under control, and there are still bad days once in a blue moon. But I'm proud to say that in a decade, a dog everyone convinced me was a biter has never bitten another dog. Even when he got attacked once, he just ran to me instead of retaliating. This video made me cry because I have never seen anyone represent those tough moments without making it about correction. I always believed that those moments are not for teaching. That you just have to stay calm and even to help your dog trust in your control of the situation. In my situation, my dog was reactive out of fear. So you wait for the moments to be constructive to do any major training. Thank you for making me feel so seen.

[@Karina-Loves-Andreas]

What did Zak do well at the end? He REMAINED CALM. I was expecting a much worse outburst based on the description. Did she get over excited? Yeah, but if he had started getting upset, would have escalated further. I actually think he did a pretty good job not allowing the situation to get further amped up.

[@laner.845]

A calm trainer is a good trainer, even in a bad situation.

[@laner.845]

@@StaticResurreXion lmao we clearly didn't watch the same video. He remained firm voiced, not yelling, and even tried to use calming and soothing tones to deescalate. He held the leash firmly and even grabbed the harness briefly for better control to ensure she didn't bolt and hurt him, herself, or anyone nearby. She was pulling against him, but he never once jerked her back toward him, simply held firm and tried to give her a chance to respond to him on her own and stop the behavior. The moment it was clear she wouldn't, he removed her from the trigger as quickly as he could without harming himself or the dog despite her going nuts and trying to wrap up in the leash. It was textbook.

[@laner.845]

@@StaticResurreXion punishment by definition is negative. He never punished her. He used a soothing voice and removed her from the situation once he had control of her. Was he supposed to just let go and say hey go have fun pup! It looks textbook to me. No yelling, no yanking, no hitting, no punishment of any kind was to be seen. Keeping a firm hold on a lead is not a punishment, it's keeping control of the animal to prevent harm to itself or others. Using a command of no or come is not punishment, it's direction on how he wishes her to behave to prevent harm to herself or others. You're completely out to lunch. Please describe in detail how YOU would have handled the situation before you go criticizing others.

[@laner.845]

@@StaticResurreXion check out this video of his. He condemns pain and torture as training tools: e-collars, shock mats, prong collars, etc but has never spoken against (at least not in the dozens of hid videos I've watched) gentle corrections like "no" or initially physically helping the animal into the desired position (learning a sit or roll over) or even keeping a short and firm leash to better maintain control of a dog who is acting out. I think we're both stuck on the semantics of positive/negative reinforcement vs positive/negative punishment. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y33YXmBrjttlaKM&ab_channel=ZakGeorge%E2%80%99sDogTrainingRevolution He's firmly against training by brute force (negative punishment), not against using something like ignoring a jumping dog until she settles (negative reinforcement) to teach that calm behavior is then rewarded. Teach dogs what behavior is undesirable by removing positive attention, rather than applying negative attention. The neutral space between the two extremes can be used very well if you know what you're doing. That's one thing Zak capitalizes on regularly. He advocates TRAINING being positive experiences, but he was no longer training Moira at the time he was removing her from the situation. When a situation arises and the dog is no longer teachable in that moment, the training session is over and removing them from the situation in the safest way possible, as quickly as possible is vital. That's what we saw in this video. It was no longer training, it was pure de-escalation, and he still did it without the use of a shock collar, a choke chain, or repeatedly yanking hard on the leash while screaming at the dog.

[@jilliebeen1]

@@laner.845 he does use force though (positive punishment). For training it helps to think of positive/negative in mathematical terms rather than their emotional definition. Positive punishment = adding something aversive to the dog to correct an unwanted behavior. Negative punishment = subtracting something desirable from the dog as the correction (a toy, attention, etc). Positive reinforcement = adding something the dog wants to encourage a desired behavior (ex: a treat). Anyway, he uses a leash pop to get her to sit in this very video (positive punishment). Watch closely when he says she offers a voluntary sit and you’ll see it, it’s subtle but it’s there. He also does it in other videos where he forgets to edit it out or thinks it’s small enough not to notice. He also hit Inertia on the nose right after she tried to bite his wife. It wasn’t hard at all, but it was still a positive punishment. He advocates for one thing but does another in practice. If he acknowledged it and just said look, I got frustrated and did this, or it was a knee jerk reaction- we *all* have moments like that. We’re not robots, humans react without thinking sometimes. But he doesn’t address it, and when comments do bring it up it’s defended because he did it gently. The amount of force isn’t the point though, the point is that force is being applied and he pretends it’s not. If he’s going to do it he should at least be open and do it correctly. Anyway I went wayyy off on a tangent here and totally didn’t mean to lol. Just a slow shift at work with too much time on my hands. Hope this didn’t come off aggressive or preachy because that wasn’t my intention!

[@TeeyaMareeya]

I have so much respect for the fact that you are openly willing to show when things don't go to plan, instead of conveniently editing them out, I just love your transparency. You're doing a great job, i love this series. :)

[@mtspp5801]

Agree! I make a similar mistake to this occasionally - not always intentionally (sometimes the dogs sneak up on me) and it's really helpful to see how a trainer deals with it, regroups and tries again.

[@WaggingTailsDogTraining]

💯

[@TeeyaMareeya]

@@mtspp5801 Absolutely! It's really helpful to see how a trainer deals with a situation when things don't go to plan, and then how to turn it around.

[@TeeyaMareeya]

@@StaticResurreXion Amateur dog owner? Get out of it. No dog training programme runs perfectly, especially with new dogs. It would be amateur thinking that it would be smooth sailing from start to finish. And yes, I have respect for the transparency, for showing more than just the successes, because it is realistic.

[@sarahferguson0]

She's really doing so well and Rome wasn't built in a day. What you are doing is invaluable. By teaching us how to manage these situations, by being open and honest with us, you are really helping us become better dog owners. I know she has been a challenge but she has made great progress. ❤

[@breejustine]

❤️❤️❤️

[@pebbleinyoshoe532]

No.

[@Thleta]

Yes.

[@pebbleinyoshoe532]

@@Thleta nine fooey

[@justincappuccino5648]

She is NOT doing "well". This dog is stressed to high hell and has some moments of "following food". This is not obedience nor is this dog anywhere close to trained.

[@Flippokid]

I don't understand why you think it's so bad to correct this behavior. I know you're a positive only trainer, and that's fine. Most things can be taught with treats, play, praise and counter conditioning. But isn't dog training about communication? We want them to learn to understand us, maybe we should spend more time and energy understanding them, and speaking their language. When a dog does something another dog doesn't like, that dog corrects him. That's language they understand. Most of the time they don't hurt them, (provided they're well socialized) and it's just a snap out of whatever you're doing thing. 2 seconds later they may be playing again. Look how Moira is _this_ reactive to a dog that's 50 feet away, completely over threshold as you call it, a correction can literally snap her out of it in an instant and let them know this is inappropriate. Besides that, it's a level of anxiety that's very stressful to her, and the longer that goes on the unhealthier it is. Why are corrections such a bad thing to you?

[@rauldelgadillo8447]

Totally agree. Balanced training is the way to go.

[@Edendog]

This strict adherence to never giving any communication or feedback to the dog that isn’t “fun” makes zero practical sense. Here he was, unable to get to his own car, because he *chose* not to get the dog to control herself. This is just unrealistic. Who has the time and patience for such a dog? Who is going to give this dog a home and let her rule their lives in this manner? But MOST importantly, allowing her to work herself up doesn’t help her. It isn’t the kind thing to do. She’s putting herself in such a state, it would be far far far more “positive” to the dog if he helped her learn to control her enthusiasm so she can actually interact with other dogs and so she can live a calmer life where she isn’t crashing herself pointlessly against a harness, frustrating herself more and more for absolutely nothing at all. This approach is so unreasonable, so nonsensical, that it can only be attributed to zealotry. This sort of religious adherence to an ideology regardless of what truths reality puts in your face... it seems to have taken hold of the animal loving world of humans. And it’s not good for the humans or the animals.

[@Flippokid]

@@Edendog Putting it like that is a fast way to close any discussion and hope for improvement though.

[@Edendog]

@@Flippokid but I wasn’t putting it that way to someone who’s mind I was trying to change. 😂 No worries, I can employ tact, I was talking to people who were discussing the problem, I was addressing the problem honestly.

[@Edendog]

@@Flippokid Positivity is the foundation for training. It needs to be the baseline, anyway, so I’m no fan of starting off training with this idea that you need to be the “boss” or going too far in the other direction, of course. You need a relationship built on motivating the dog to work with you voluntarily, trust, love, companionship, etc. So I think the positive movement was a major step in the right direction. Don’t misunderstand me. I just think, like with many things people do, some have taken it way too far. Also, you really can’t change the mind of an ideologue. There isn’t much of a point in making such an effort. Those who are super fixed into this idea will not change, no matter how much you patiently teach.

[@catherinec.1728]

Zak you win the award for patience! I'm getting my puppy soon and I can only pray I will be as patient as you are with yours!

[@Cruzan9]

Have you checked out his "The Dog Training Experience" playlist with his dog Inertia? I'm watching that series right now. Will probably refer to it when I get my pup.

[@catherinec.1728]

@@Cruzan9 Yes! I'm halfway through it right now, trying to condition myself to be a good dog mom 😂

[@Cruzan9]

@@catherinec.1728 Good for you. Good luck!

[@deborahronca]

I’ve been watching Zak for years he’s amazing 😻

[@ariamillicent7342]

Honestly Zak, I was kinda scared that your videos of training Moira was gonna be an easy breeze and I’d feel bad about how hard it has been to train my reactive dog for weeks and weeks. Now, I don’t want you to suffer either! I just like that this series has been very realistic. thank you.

[@emmas9920]

zak george trying to capitalize on a "controversial" video

[@philipksick6810]

Gotta pay three mortgages somehow lol

[@emmas9920]

@@philipksick6810 fair enough 😂 can’t deny his marketing skills

[@fraxinus_ash]

Capitalising on something you do for a living, how unusual.

[@emmas9920]

@@fraxinus_ash yea but this video was not very controversial he’s just trying to get you to watch to the end. How often have seen zak George push a dog too far to get clicks. Happens all the time 🤷‍♀️

[@Jenily111]

When she had her outburst at the end, do you think maybe her brain was just fried from all the training and stimulation she had at the first park with all the birds? Maybe she was just toast at that point and didn't have the mental energy to focus on you?

[@angelbarbie7914]

No. This dog is a great dog that is not trained properly and is indulging in a self rewarding behavior that poor obedience training alone cannot correct.

[@johnnybgood6424]

Thank you for making these real world videos. These are issues that us mere mortals encounter with our dogs. It really helps and is encouraging to see you deal with it, how you react to it, and what to do differently next time.

[@justaperson4214]

It’s great to see a trainer show their mistakes and take accountability. Whilst I am not a positive reinforcement trainer and instead fall into the balanced trainer category, I still find these videos interesting. No, I don’t dislike purely positive trainers but I do believe that sometimes trainers, training philosophies override what is best for the dog in front of them. One method does not work for every single dog. I was originally training my Border Collie service dog in training with positive reinforcement and her dog reactivity did not improve with that method so I switched to balanced methods where I applied both reinforcement and correction in which she drastically improved and is now the happiest she’s ever been with the help of training tools which she no longer needs.

[@bumblebees8732]

I too am a trainer and I agree with what you're saying. I also have an adaptive way of training. Most times positive reinforcement works great. But sometimes there has to be consequences for the unwanted behavior. With that being said his first and biggest mistake is putting her in a 4 point harness. That type of harness just encourage stronger pulling. Then was allowing her to fixate. She needs constant redirection the moment she turns away. Lastly rewarding for incomplete commands. Example when she didn't lie down all the way because she was distracted he said "I'll take that" and gave her a treat. This is not a dog he should be training using only positive reinforcement and expecting her to completely obey in just a few weeks.

[@justaperson4214]

@@bumblebees8732 to me, this dog also seems to be reflecting that she’s often confused with what people are asking of her which seems to be a common running theme with high drive dogs with pre-existing behavioural issues that are trained with positive reinforcement. The dog will do the positive behaviour to get the food but because there is no consequence for the negative behaviour, they believe that, that is also an okay behaviour to display because as soon as they stop the behaviour, they are still being rewarded.

[@jaydashnine]

@@justaperson4214 can you share some examples of what you do for correction?

[@justaperson4214]

@@jaydashnine Typically for a correction, (which depends on the dog but this is the most common method I use), I give a sharp and firm “no” or make an abrupt noise, paired with a quick leash pop/correction to snap the dog out of a certain mindset. This very clearly communicates to the dog that I do not like the behaviour that they are displaying without any form of confusion. I then offer praise and reward when the dog does something that I like. Constantly praising a dog for good behaviour but not communicating to them what is considered bad behaviour can leave a dog very confused and cause them to become frustrated.

[@lizzthatvegan1207]

I am all too familiar with outbursts like that.

[@shozzy_id]

Same, working on it, reducing distances, but still work to do

[@andreawill154]

Thank you for keeping it real!! love that you shows us what normal training is and how we work through this. If I hadn't kept on working through all my mistakes with my pup- I would of gotten rid of him and the poor thing would of been another puppy in the shelter. But we just continue working 'cause 1. I chose to have a dog 2. he is an adorable goof ball.

[@janhankins911]

And you love him. And you're a wonderful person for it.

[@angiew722]

Outbursts are what some of us deal with all the time. Seeing how you deal with the situation is the training for us and our dogs. It really is training the owner and then the owner can train the dog! Thank you for reality training!

[@ellenriddick2461]

Because of these videos, my dog no longer tries to eat bicyclists. She is even learning to ignore them. It's a daily task that we work on, but if i didn't use this method i would still be frustrated and she would be miserable.

[@michelehill6649]

Upstate Canine Academy completely changed my relationship with my dog. I have a 1yr old HIGHLY REACTIVE gsd... I followed all of Zaks videos right when I got him at 8 weeks... HE TURNED INTO A FREAKING BRAT and reactivity escalated quickly. Cars, people, dogs everything. And he would get mad at me show his teeth, try and bite when I would try and clean his ears, paws, etc... This type of training did not work for my dog, it can work for some but like I said my pup quickly got bratty. THANK GOD I found Tom Davis (Upstate Canine Academy). I corrected my dog 1x for trying to bite me, he never did it again. I can now walk my dog around cars and he may get a little anxious but no longer reacts. Still working on people and dogs but for the first time in a year I was able to let a neighbor pet him on our walk. If your dealing with reactivity I highly suggest watching some of Tom's videos, I wouldn't have been able to keep my dog if I didn't find him.

[@samanthagoodman7444]

So happy to hear that upstate changed your life and maybe saved your dogs life as well!!!! Balanced training is incredible!!!!

[@Maggieroselee]

German Shepherds are big dogs and bred for characteristics that can make them a huge challenge for people that have easily raised and trained other dog breeds.

[@michelehill6649]

@@samanthagoodman7444 yes thank you so much!! Me and osho are so grateful I learned some balance and leadership skills😊🐕

[@michelehill6649]

@@Maggieroselee 100%. I never understood the term "working dog" until I actually had one! It's a whole different ballpark

[@Maggieroselee]

Most people don't have the time, patience and strength for working dogs BRED to have the very same characteristics that make them reactive, powerful, focused and able to ignore training methods that work well on other breeds. We just need something to put us in the picture during training so they listen and learn. Not because we are constantly having to correct, but because we gave a few PROPER corrections that were clear and understood, we are now able to communicate because they are cued in WITH us on our training journey.

[@Avorous13]

It may be your biggest mistake with Moira, but for me it gives me hope because my dog is exactly the same way. So being able to see a dog with similar reactivity I can actually watch what you're doing and apply it to my girl. Seeing that any dog even one with a trainer, reacting like this makes me feel as if I'm not a complete failure with my girl. Keep at it!

[@juliamagnusson8670]

Go watch Upstate Canine Academy! He's the best when it comes to reactivity!

[@lizaanicole]

@@juliamagnusson8670 yes! Positive only doesn't always help when it comes to reactivity.

[@audenssupersecretaltaccoun9520]

@@juliamagnusson8670 I love Upstate Canine Academy! I appreciate Zak's positive approach, but balanced training makes more sense in some cases.

[@DaveDEF82]

Yeah, you are just as much of a failure as Zak. ;-)

[@DaveDEF82]

@@juliamagnusson8670 Good joke.

[@Xanderow]

You got this don’t worry!

[@vikingdogmanship]

Sweet dog you got!

[@bettina2579]

I love your voluntary display of beautiful shoes! Most enjoyable collection I’ve ever seen...

[@courtneycook2435]

At 11:02 why did you use a leash jerk to get her to sit and then claim that it was a voluntary sit?

[@samanthagoodman7444]

Saw that and said the exact same thing.

[@cindyespinoza9352]

Why don’t you use a clicker to mark correct behaviors? You’re constantly talking and narrating when you’re training, wouldn’t that get confusing to her? Sometimes I see you mark wayyy after the desired behavior and say yes when she’s taking the treat? Feels confusing and unclear to a reactive dog

[@deannesdogs4870]

Very true!

[@sagasutinen4694]

Yeah, he seems to be more interested in making a video rather than focusing on Moira.

[@jilliebeen1]

@@sagasutinen4694 yep. That’s why she’s not progressing. He’s looking at the camera all the time and couldn’t care less about reading the body language *of a reactive dog* smh

[@captinash3864]

After making really good progress on his reactivity around other dogs, my little rescue had a slip up barking and lunging at another dog on his walk this evening. It's encouraging to come home to see a professional discussing having a bit of an off day too. Helps keep things in perspective 🙂

[@bunnychanz]

Who else loves seeing Zak on a commercial for his own channel? 😂

[@estaw4970]

I used a tug toy for the longest time as an outlet to expell my gsd very excited energy/distraction, while we walked by other dogs. It took a while but we can now walk by other dogs toy free without excited outbursts. Some might disagree using a toy but at the time she didn't care for treats. With the amount of time he has with Moira she is doing phenomenal. I love this series! With the right experienced owner she will be a great well behaved girl in no time.

[@melissajanik6111]

Miora "over threshold" is my dog on a good day. Fedex delivered a package this morning, my dog went gonzo lol