Looking for a dog trainer that specializes in barrier aggression
We have a sweetheart of a 4-year old pure yellow lab, a very family-friendly dog who is great with our 18 month old. That said, he becomes unhinged if he sees another dog when he's on a leash or behind a barrier (aka inside the house or yard). That also goes for any dog or animal on TV; he jumps and barks at anything that remotely looks like an animal, even cartoons. The behaviors include a very aggressive, loud bark as well as growling, jumping, and leash pulling. It's important to note that he's never bitten anyone or displayed aggression toward people, but owners walking their dogs are often very frightened of him! This has caused extreme difficulty in regularly walking him, as we never know when we will encounter another dog around the corner. If we do see one, we cross the street but often he still barks and pulls. I also cannot walk our daughter in the stroller and him at the same time because it takes two hands to control him.
We are looking for a trainer who offers specific training around barrier aggression, as I think I have identified that the primary trigger. Does anyone have a referral or other suggestions for training at home? We will be getting opaque film for the windows to reduce his reactivity to dogs walking by, which I heard helps. He is also not very food-motivated (strange for a lab) so treat training is difficult. Thanks for your thoughts and advice!
Parent Replies
Hi-
We have a labradoodle and she was similarly extremely leash reactive (as you describe for your dog), and not treat-motivated. We got to the point where we couldn’t take her anywhere. We tried ASPCA’s Reactive Roger as well as a few other private trainers, but it only helped on the margins.
We finally found Koru K9 and could not be happier. They focus on aggressive dogs; and often are considered ‘last resort’ trainers. They do use negative reinforcement (prong and shock collars) but they teach you how to use the tools correctly and responsibly. My dog has become an obedient, well-mannered pup. We take her with us on walks all over the city, she even comes to outdoor bars and cafes. She’s not perfect, and when we stop practicing you can see regressions. But honestly; I can’t recommend them enough. We had tried everything before we worked with them.
feel free to reach out with more specific questions. Happy to discuss further!
I’m also in need of working with a dog behaviorist and my daughter helped me find https://www.bayareadogtrainer.com/
Daniel’s very busy and I’ll be meeting with him for the first time in two weeks. I submitted a request to his website and he called me soon afterwards and we spoke for well over 30 minutes. Daniel has extensive experience and I’m looking forward to working with him. Our dog’s a rescue that was very abused for the first 14 months of her life and we’ve had her for over five years. She’s a very sweet and well mannered dog but recently bit a friend and I need help to better understand the impulse behind my dog’s reaction. And also to be a better handler. Granted the bite victim invaded my dog’s personal space and I’m doing my part to learn how to prevent this from ever happening again.