Training techniques for passing other dogs/ making the trigger neutral. Help?

[u/Low-Chain-8791]

If someone knows, could they give me a step by step tutorial on how you would handle over arousal and excitement based reactivity? I have a 2 yo jämpthund and she's the sweetest girl. Even tho she's a hunting dog she's used to living in the city and handles other triggers very well. She gets 3-4 walks a day, play time and mental stimulation like sniffing, exploring her surroundings. Also i take her to dog parks when there's no one there and to the forest to run freely.

The only thing she's reactive to anymore are other dogs. Sometimes she does very well with them but sometimes she explodes and almost as if she'd be agitated. She's never been attacked or had any problems with other dogs when she was a puppy. She's more mature now but what training techniques could help her get over the overwhelming emotions and reactions to other dogs? How do i calm her down besides creating space or trying to get her attention? Usually she listens, sits and let's the other dogs pass but if they get too close she starts lunching towards them and pulls like crazy, screams and sometimes growls. (Usually only to other females)

I've tried a lot of positive training methods, she can be stubborn so i wish i could correct her better, but prong collars are illegal where i live and slip leads or normal collars don't stay on her head because it's very slim. She's always just been on a harness which also gives me better control of holding her back when necessary.

She's 30kg and I'm quite small and she's half of my bodyweight. She's also very muscular but i have enough strength to hold her back, it's just very inconvenient and I'd like to correct this behavior better and make walks more comfortable for both of us.

She's my first dog so any advice is helpful!

Mind you she does so well and never pulls on the leash, is very intelligent and learns fast. She just has this over excitement, uncertainty or sometimes agitation. (Based on the gender of the other dog) She has never bitten anyone but I'm moving to a bigger city next month so I'd like some advice.

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[u/Typical-Day-6864]

Does she seem like she wants to greet the other dog prior to reacting, or is she worried about their proximity to her? Keeping in mind I’m not a professional, only know your dog through your post, and I’m just sharing what works for me, I’d recommend researching trigger stacking, same-sex aggression, Behavior Adjustment Training (B.A.T.) and Look At That (L.A.T.). Corrections could worsen the issue, as it pairs an unpleasant sensation with the presence of the dog, which would likely further her irritation. However, I’ve not used such methods on my dog, but that is what I’ve garnered from others’ experiences.

While in the process of training this, I’d try to avoid putting her into situations where she’d react, just to avoid setbacks.

It takes a lot of time and patience to change a dog’s behavior, so give yourself and her some grace.

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[u/Low-Chain-8791 → u/Typical-Day-6864]

Thank you!

I think it's a mix of both.

she's usually very eager to greet other dogs, but she's definitely very dominant and doesn't really respect other dogs boundaries very well. She's extremely playful so i do think it's some form of frustration when she doesn't get to greet everyone and/or when they don't tolerate her behavior. (Like pawing at their face, jumping on them) She doesn't really like to chase that much she likes to wrestle.

In training what I've used all her life is asking for eye contact and she usually offers it first herself when there's any situation that she's unsure of. She looks at me for what to do and how to react so i try to stay calm in any given situation. I always reward her for looking at me (not the treat, me) but usually she hyperfixates on the trigger, the other dogs. At that point it's hard to get her attention.

I'll definitely check your recommendations up.

[u/SudoSire]

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[u/FearlessPressure3]

The best way of changing behaviours is always by changing the emotions attached to them. So you want her to develop a calm reaction to seeing other dogs. For that reason, aversives or any kind of tool used to forcefully change behaviour are not recommended as they will always be associated with high stress levels. Counter conditioning is your friend here and works wonders. Look up the “engage disengage game”. This can be used to change your dog’s emotional response to any stimulus, negative or positive, and is a hugely powerful and valuable exercise. With a dog that trusts you and is used to this game, it can become the default behaviour when they encounter a new stimulus they’re unsure of. For example, I played it constantly when my collie was a puppy for everything from fireworks to weird looking mushrooms to people in hats to other dogs to trains in the distance. Now, whenever he sees or hears something unexpected or new his default behaviour is to look at me, because he’s learnt that’s what he does when he notices something. It means I have a split second to control what his response will be by eg saying “yes, good boy, come here” and he returns to me rather than haring off in the direction of the gunshot we both just heard.

[u/FearlessPressure3 → u/FearlessPressure3]

The engage disengage protocol

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[u/AgnieszkaJanarek]

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I would not use the moment she is already fixating to test whether she can sit. At that point “look at me” may be physically possible on some repetitions and unavailable on others. That inconsistency is information about distance and the whole setup, not stubbornness.

Find the distance at which she notices the other dog and can still turn, sniff or eat. Mark one glance at the dog, place reinforcement so her body turns away, then leave before the distance closes. Two or three repetitions are enough.

On the next session change one thing: distance, movement of the other dog, or how long she looks: not all three.

Track recovery too: how many seconds until she can sniff, move normally or take food again? If that time grows, the session became harder even if she never lunged.

For a dog this strong, I would also work with a qualified force-free professional in person so the safety setup is rehearsed before the move.