[Devlin]

I can't believe I'm still trying to deal with this problem. Sadie, my FBL, is 2-1/2, and she's an amazingly focused and responsive dog in the field. She's proven herself time after time after time in difficult field conditions. She loves training, she has more skills than I ever imagined possible (especially since I...an amateur...have done all her training) and she has instincts and drive that are simply sensational.

Note that I said "in the field." This is not an issue in the field...only at home.

At home with just my wife and me, she's mellow and relaxed...until we have guests (even people she knows well)...or, when we're out around town, until someone approaches her to talk to her. Then she does this Jeckyl & Hyde thing...she bounces, she squirms, she licks, she tugs on the lead, she barely listens to commands.

What have I done to correct it? Everything I can think of.
1. Had a favorite friend come to the door, ring the bell, and if the dog gets stupid, have the friend turn around and leave. And then try it again...and again.
2. Used the e-collar to reinforce commands to sit and stay.
3. Forced her to sit or lie down hoping she wouldn't knock someone over...works fine until I release her.
4. Put her outside where she can see in the house until guests have been in the house a while (also tried kenneling her).
5. Asked guests to ignore her until she settles.
6. Given her many, many opportunities and experiences around strangers and strange surroundings (stores, shopping centers, parks, etc.).

And on and on...

She has gotten better with more and more experiences going places and meeting people...she even settles faster now at home or visiting friends...but there's still that first "wacko" reaction when someone greets her that lasts anywhere from 1 or 2 minutes to as long as 5.

Maybe it's just like my vet said: "Don't worry: black Labs have the longest adolescence of any breed...it lasts about 8 years!" But humor aside, I'm to a point of wanting to correct this behavior once and for all...and to do it without compromising her incredible spirit.

Any suggestions? Or should I just continue with reinforcing commands and the methods I've been using? I suppose they seem to be working...slowly...but it's difficult and often embarrassing when she gets crazy, particularly since she's so completely "right" in the field!

 

[EdA]

...until we have guests (even people she knows well)...or, when we're out around town, until someone approaches her to talk to her. Then she does this Jeckyl & Hyde thing...she bounces, she squirms, she licks, she tugs on the lead, she barely listens to commands.!

This has been proved to be a direct result of retrieving Buffleheads :wink:

 

[Dale]

I don't know sounds normal to me.

 

[Pete]

Develin
You must make her unexcited. Excited dogs don't obey.
The last thing you want to do is give a dog a command in an excited mode.
The first thing people can do is not to talk or acknowledge her for 5 or ten minutes or until she chills out.

You can correct with a prong or e collar as soon as she touches your friend. Then continue to ignore the dog.,,,, If she continues her excitement out weighs the motivation given. So make the next one count.
Pete

 

[luvalab]

I have a wacko as well.

He's almost 4. (sigh) We're working on Master. He shivers and shakes, but he's steady (knock on wood) and focused. He's a dream in the house, and I've got him acclimated to work now, too; I take him everywhere trying to work on this--but put him in a new place, or with new dogs... yikes.

I too am an amateur; most of the more experienced field folk I know just shrug and say it's normal. The experienced obedience folk I know either say he'll grow out of it OR they suspect there's something off-balance about him, and I don't think either conclusion is on-target.

My old lab was mostly untrained, though I loved him and still miss him; he was barely manageable until the arthritis set in! Starting to think it's me, though it's not for lack of effort...

I'm beginning to get quite the complex... There's got to be a solution. I've tried every obedience instructor in town with a decent rep. I'm even trying to get the number of a local police dog trainer I've heard is good. If I lived anywhere near you, I'd offer to go "half-sies" on a trip to Ceasar M. for the miracle cure.

As it is, I'll just have to watch this thread with interest while pooch sleeps innocently at my feet...

 

[luvalab]

Easier said than done, Pete.

 

[Pete]

Luvalab

Naw,,,,,, 10 minutes of personal instruction and you'll feel like Ceaser.
I promise

 

[Captain Mike D]

Tell you what,

If you decide that a few minutes of settling down when new stimula are in the house is way out of bounds for a 2 1/2 year old then I'd be happy to take her off your hands so you can purchace a poodle or a golden as long as what you say about her demeanor in the field is absolute fact! Would love to have another high flyin absolute maniac when it comes to retrieving! Got 2 right now but what's another mouth to feed.

Seriously I would not go crazy on the corrections and maybe Ceaser's meathods of dealing with dawg that wants to beat you to the door may be appropriate.

Mike

 

[GONEHUNTIN']

Same as a time out for a child. Make the dog "place" in the house. When a guest comes in, have her lay on her rug, etc. and never let her leave it. She'll get bored and not mind staying there after a while. Don't give in and don't feel guilty about doing it.

 

[achiro]

WWCD?

 

[luvalab]

Just peeked at your web site, Pete. If I'm ever in Philly or you're ever in Columbus, I'll find ten minutes.

Seriously--He's the best dog in the entire world 99 percent of the time. The other one percent keeps us from doing obedience titles... and every now and then gets a toddler frightened.

 

[luvalab]

WWCD?

{SNAP}---ssssssttt.

I suppose I ought to work on that. I'm more like, "NO! .... Aw, $#1t."

 

[larrynogaj]

skitzo

I have a 5 year old golden female that thinks that everyone that comes into our house is here to see her. If you pay a little attention to her, she moans and wimpers, takes a submissive posture after bouncing around a bit, used to put a few drops of urine on the floor, which I'm glad has pretty much ceased. Outside, I think she's very similar to your dog. A total joy to have around. What I started doing was bringing in a wire crate. When I know we're having a guest, I air her in the kennel to make sure her bladder is relatively empty. Then she goes into the crate for 10 or 15 minutes in the presence of our guest. I think in that time she settles down, gets used to the sight, sound and smell of our guest and when I let her out I put on a pinch collar and have her on lead just to make sure I have control of the situation, though she is relatively calm and I probably don't really need it. I'm going to continue this unless I come up with anything better. It's working very well. WE just need more guests to put it to use more often. C'mon over and have a beer!

 

[2tall]

When a guest comes in, have her lay on her rug, etc. and never let her leave it.quote]

I tried this, dog licked her to death and guest doesnt want to come back :wink:

 

[Devlin]

Y'all are terrific...Sadie has no idea how lucky she is that I get input from such a great group of people. Except of course for EdA who doesn't yet know how good buffleheads can be...guess he's too busy eatin' armadillo. :wink:

Just took Sadie for a long walk along the beach, through a shopping center and along three streets busy with cars, walkers, joggers and bicycles. She was absolutely perfect, even when encountering other dogs through their fences and passing people on the sidewalk. The only difference? I put a pinch collar on her...I never had to snap or pull it, but it was there. That dog is smarter than I am, I guess. I'd almost swear she remembers it from the last time we used it...and that was over a year and a half ago! :shock:

Bottom line is that I guess the best course is to continue with the place and settle approach, try to keep the excitement to a minimum when people arrive and use the indoor kennel for 5-10 minutes if necessary...and be sure I remember that I have a high-powered, friendly, typical 2-1/2 year old Lab. She's a great dog, and like I said, I don't want to do anything to diminish her drive and enthusiasm in the field.

And Captain Mike, short of killing me, there's no way that anyone's gonna get my Sadie away from me! :evil: :lol:

 

[Pete]

Luvalab
One thing about the greeting.
I always let the dog greet if it is behaving. Stopping a dog from greeting is not allowing the dog to be a dog.
Dogs greet for a bunch of reasons. Health, ranking, ect ect.
It is a canine ritual and most dogs want to do this. So we don't want to stop a dog from greeting only we want it to greet sociable like.

 

[Captain Mike D]

And Captain Mike, short of killing me, there's no way that anyone's gonna get my Sadie away from me! :evil: :lol:

Aw Shucks,

I was hopin you'd bite!!

Mike

 

[luvalab]

Luvalab
One thing about the greeting.
I always let the dog greet if it is behaving. Stopping a dog from greeting is not allowing the dog to be a dog.
Dogs greet for a bunch of reasons. Health, ranking, ect ect.
It is a canine ritual and most dogs want to do this. So we don't want to stop a dog from greeting only we want it to greet sociable like.

That's a problem in an obedience ring... which I think I'm going to give up on.

(wishing there were audible emoticons... you'd be hearing a very long sigh...)

But this was Devlin's thread. And as he's rediscovered the pinch collar (all hail the mighty pinch collar!)... maybe there's hope for him at least... :lol:

 

[GONEHUNTIN']

When a guest comes in, have her lay on her rug, etc. and never let her leave it.quote]

I tried this, dog licked her to death and guest doesnt want to come back :wink:

I love that!!!! :roll: :lol:

 

[Pete]

Luvalab
Being its something for the ring kinda actually makes it easier
Practice with a bunch of dogs. Your dog is not allowed to look at anything in that context except you. I would think that the same holds true for OB.trials as FT. or HT
Always wear a training collar and have it on long before you start your routine and take it off a half hour or so after the training.
Go through the routine and correct where neccessary.



The handler is very responsable for the dogs behavior in this context .
The less the dog gets away with the more control you will have.


Handler disection might be neccessary. Thats a 10 year job and not a 10 minute job :wink:
Pete