CGC with a reactive dog?
I've been thinking of the CGC test again, this time with Toby. I'd intended to get him in a one-on-one training class before all Bel's health issues occurred in the spring, so I'm thinking about it again. He needs something to do, since he's mostly alone in his room since he can't be with the other dogs. I think we'd both enjoy the time together.
Here's some quick background on Toby's brand of reactivity. He is calm with people and at 7 years old, he's pretty a pretty mellow Shiba. He walks well on a leash, and learns super fast with clicker training--super food motivated. I think I could get him to learn most of the CGC stuff pretty easily. But he's always dog reactive. He won't tolerate any other dogs of any age. That said, his usual reaction is to ignore other dogs and make appeasing gestures (turn his head away, lick his lips, etc). If a dog gets in his personal space (which seems to be a circle around him of about, say 3-4 feet) he will growl, and if the dog continues to approach, he'll turn into a snarling Shiba demon.
He also doesn't like his feet touched by anyone, including me, and will growl for that. He usually won't come when called, but in the past year or so, he's been SUPER good about coming if he knows there is a cookie involved, so now I say "cookie" and he comes.
I feel like we can work past some of his issues. I think I can get a better recall with him. A down stay will be a challenge, but he'll likely do it unless there were other dogs around--if that were the case he'd feel too threatened, I think, to stay. But I still see this as something we can work on. Same with the paws....lots of treats and clicks should get him past it.
The dog reactivity is a bit more problematic.
So I figured someone here must have worked on the CGC with a reactive dog. Successes? Suggestions? Should I just take Toby to a class (individual class--he couldn't do a group class) and have fun with him and not worry about a test that he's not likely to pass anyway?
Here's some quick background on Toby's brand of reactivity. He is calm with people and at 7 years old, he's pretty a pretty mellow Shiba. He walks well on a leash, and learns super fast with clicker training--super food motivated. I think I could get him to learn most of the CGC stuff pretty easily. But he's always dog reactive. He won't tolerate any other dogs of any age. That said, his usual reaction is to ignore other dogs and make appeasing gestures (turn his head away, lick his lips, etc). If a dog gets in his personal space (which seems to be a circle around him of about, say 3-4 feet) he will growl, and if the dog continues to approach, he'll turn into a snarling Shiba demon.
He also doesn't like his feet touched by anyone, including me, and will growl for that. He usually won't come when called, but in the past year or so, he's been SUPER good about coming if he knows there is a cookie involved, so now I say "cookie" and he comes.
I feel like we can work past some of his issues. I think I can get a better recall with him. A down stay will be a challenge, but he'll likely do it unless there were other dogs around--if that were the case he'd feel too threatened, I think, to stay. But I still see this as something we can work on. Same with the paws....lots of treats and clicks should get him past it.
The dog reactivity is a bit more problematic.
So I figured someone here must have worked on the CGC with a reactive dog. Successes? Suggestions? Should I just take Toby to a class (individual class--he couldn't do a group class) and have fun with him and not worry about a test that he's not likely to pass anyway?
Comments
If he has issues with people touching him and dogs nearby, maybe you should consider taking classes in something that is less interactive with others, such as tracking, agility, etc.
I'm not sure what your resources are around there, but here I have a place that I can rent the agility room for $15 for a half hour on off times. Sometimes Koda and I will book the room and just have some fun with the course and play around.
You can find more info here, http://www.funnosework.com/.
Another reason I like Nose Work is it does not require a lot of special equipment to get started. All you need is just a few boxes of different size and shape, a leash, some yummy treats and your dog.
I know the NW classes they have here are super and they make sure the
classes are small and dogs remain crated when not working.
I just tripped across this http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/getting-started-nose-work
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He's also a pretty confident dog away from other dogs. He's not scared by people or new situations. He's gotten quite friendly with people, too, as he's gotten older (kids aside. Kids scare him).