We adopted a stray lurcher which is a Whippet/Bedlington Terrier (the best guess of the dog shelter and others we've consulted) 2 months ago. At first he was understandably reserved, shy and clingy but he's got a bit more at ease now. However, in the last 5 weeks or so he's got increasing tendencies to bark and lunge at random dogs when we're out walking. These can be on or off lead, there's no particular pattern but he's now going for approximately 1 in 3 dogs we meet on some walks. We cannot figure out if it's fear or excitement that motivates him and we're going to consult the behaviourist who runs our obedience classes. I was just wondering if anyone on here had any thoughts. I have read that Beddies are known for aggression towards other dogs. He is a joy with people.

We cannot let our dog off the lead because he gets extremely focused on little creatures such as squirrels and we would just lose his attention completely in a chasing situation. His recall is too unreliable when there are distractions around. I have heard that Lurchers can be a real danger to themselves and others, and the parks we visit border on to very busy main roads though they are in a countryside setting. We have a dog park where dogs are safe off the lead, but given the apparent aggression our dog shows to other dogs it could be risky having him loose among others where he might injure them. It's a shame, as it would probably do him a lot of good to be able to run around and let off steam. We try to make up for this by having him on a long training lead chasing a ball and running around with us. I go running so maybe I could have him running with me on his lead and letting off steam that way.

On another note, we have 2 cats. We are very encouraged by the way they and the dog have adapted to one another. The situation isn't perfect, but we've gone from having a very excited dog who is beside himself when there are cats around, to a dog who is curious and would like to play but is also much calmer around the cats.

Any thoughts anyone?

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http://www.eghamreflexology.co.uk

With regards to the lunging behaviour towards other dogs, it is very difficult to say what this may be without seeing the behaviour "in the flesh" so to speak.
It may not be aggression but could be a variety of things:
- Over-excitment
- Fear/anxiety
- Barrier frustration (due to being on lead)
- Lack of confidence/nerves

The list goes on...

I would contact a local trainer/behaviourist to come and observe the behaviour and give you their thoughts. Whereabouts are you based? Someone may be able to recommend a good behaviourist.
In the short term, I would teach a "watch me" command, so that you can get the dogs attention away from the dogs and on to you and avoid mad, barking lunging behaviour.
Do you have any doggy friends with bomb proof dogs who wouldn't mind walking with you and your dog (with your dog on the lead), so that once you have spoken to a behaviourist, you can get him used to walking around other dogs.

With regards to the recall, this may take some time. Do remember that he hasn't been with you for long and so everything is very new and exciting and maybe a bit scarey. I would start recall training with him. Practice calling to you at home/in the garden and reward him with really high value rewards for coming back to you (whatever motivates your dog (foods/toys...). Playing hide and seek in the garden is also an excellent way of keeping your dog interested in recalls and making it a really fun activity. On walks have him on a long line and practice recalling him lots throughout your walks. Reward him lots for coming back to you. You could even get a friend to help you but calling him between the two of you and rewarding him lots and lots.
Here is a really good article on teach recall:
Why won’t my dog come back? – David Ryan CCAB

With regards to the chasing of small furries. This may improve once he has a really good recall. However in my experience, chasing behaviour can also be worsened if a dog is particually stressed. The reason for this is that when dogs chase they get a huge dopamine (feel gooooood hormone) boost, if a dog is particually stressed or unbalanced they will seek out opportunities to chase as a way of counteracting/ making up for the stress.
However, one really good way of dealing with chase type behaviour (once you have taught a good recall) is by teaching a chase recall. More info in article below:
How do I stop my dog chasing? – David Ryan CCAB

Whilst you are training recall, I think your idea of jogging with him is a fantastic idea and an ideal way to strengthen your bond with him and give him some really good exercise.
Mental stimulation games and training is also fantastic. I clicker train (tricks, useful little behaviours, agility stuff) and I find that my collie is really tired after a clicker training session because he has been concentrating and working so hard.

He sounds like he is doing really well with the cats. I would continue to randomly reward him for calm behaviour around them.

Hope this helps

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Dogs leave paw prints on your heart

Hello,

I have three Lurchers. Have you noticed the position of the tail? Before I had my first lurcher I thought he was being aggressive to other dogs as he would do the same, it wasn't until I went to the beach and saw two other Lurchers doing exactly the same, but they were playing! If their tail is staright up and wagging its usually a warning, but if it is straight out and wagging it means they want to play.

I have two boys and a girl (all been neutured) and the boys are quite boistrous when they play - growling, lunging. But it is the breed.

It could also be the way you hold the lead, if you hold it tight it makes them more frustrated.

As you have recently adopted I would suggest training classes. It took my dogs a good while to trust and respect my decisions and for them to know I am the dominant person in the pack.

Hope this helps. If you need any more info on Lurchers please don't hesitate to email me.

Thanks a lot for your kind and helpful comments guys! The bit about the tail is very interesting, and mostly it is in the 'friendly' position. We talked to our trainer and she's going to come and do some clicker training and get us fixed up with a watch me command, so spot on advice! Today we went to the local dog park and our lad ran free with some other doggies. He was a little reserved and stay on the fringes initially, but he started to enjoy himself and at one stage he was tearing around in circles with the other doggies lagging behind him It was so much fun and we really enjoyed it. Today we met another rescue doggie on the street and Scruffy had a little bark, but they ended up sniffing each other calmly and tails were wagged, so another nice positive experience. Phew!

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http://www.eghamreflexology.co.uk

Brilliant news that your trainer is coming round
Clicker training too

Sounds like he doesn't have an aggression problem- could be barrier frustration or nerves if he is a bt reserved generally.

Sounds solvable though

Best of luck

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Dogs leave paw prints on your heart

yey thats good news. I found it confusing with my Lurchers, think its just a lurcher trait. Yeah clicker training improved on one of my dogs (the 4 year old), but the other just seemed to grow out of it (11 months old) or he learnt by example hehe.

Keep us updated with the training!

sounds like a handful - but fun!

there are a number of good books out that can help with reactivity; it does not matter what the root is, over-arousal, frustration, aggro, whatever, each of them can be re-trained with DS/CC - desensitization + counter-conditioning.

* Click to Calm - excellent book, theory + background in the front, literal step by step recipes for coping and B-Mod in the back. many of my clients have had good success using this, all on their own.

* Control Un-leashed:
another goodie - Look at That! is a technique that rather than having U react by pulling the leash tight + stop breathing when U see/hear another dog, which only cues the dog to react, instead U cheerfully announce, Look at That! a dog... and start paying out treats as fast as the dog can swallow. (if the dog cannot focus enuf to eat the treats, or if s/he is actually barking, U are too close - back-up a bit, and U can keep feeding while fading back, as long as s/he will eat them.)

the local library may have one or the other - if not, try Interlibrary Loan.

by *treats* i mean SMALL but extremely high-value, low-fat items - not biscuits!
tuna bits from a pouch, grated-low-at-mozzarella, meat-based cat-kibble, anything that is stinky, tiny, and very-very Good. each tidbit should be no more than 1/4 inch cube, and preferably less - an 1/8 inch is fine.
i have also used salmon-bits mixed into low-fat cream-cheese, organic yogurt (vanilla),
and other messy stuff the dog must LICK, not bite - which keeps them very busy! i use a camping-squeeze-tube for the gooey stuff.

keeping the dog UNDER threshold during the B-Mod process is important - meaning Not barking, lunging, etc. so U need to work in an area with lo-o-o-ng sight-lines, so that U and the dog are not caught by surprise with a dog coming out from between parked cars right in front of U. and preferably there should be NO loose dogs - so a parking-lot near a pet-supply with a stream of dogs arriving at a distance is perfect. a block away from the dog-park, with dogs passing by as U sit under a tree off the walkway, is another.
sitting within sight + sound of the vets office is a good one!

i would skip introductions on leash until he has largely got past the barking + lunging - giving him a possible opp to practice the Un-Wanted behavior is very if-fy.
Practice makes Permanent! is a training mantra.

cheers, and happy B-Mod!
--- terry

terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF

FORGOT, sorry! :---(

i would =not= leave him out in the same space as the cats, when no one is at home - and i would make doggone sure that the kitties have an escape-valve that the dog cannot slip thru, like a latched door that is slotted open so that the cats can slide thru, but the dog will not fit; or a cat-flap cut into an interior door, or a TALL very sturdy cat tree that is SECURED to the wall and/or ceiling, so that it cannot be knocked-over.

since he is so powerfully attracted by chasing small animals, it is better to be safe than sorry! he may be great with the kitties for a long time, and then one day a cat takes a running fit, racing thru the house in play, and all those cuddly memories of sharing the sofa are just that - memories. a baby-gate may separate the dog + cats when U are home, but that is not safe or sturdy enuf for times when U are not home.

JMO - Ur mileage may vary! ;--)
happy B-Mod,
--- terry

terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF

Hi all, thanks again for so many kind words and nuggets of wisdom. Our trainer came to call on Thursday and got us clicking, and our dog is getting the hang of it. We had a bark free day yesterday!! We went to our local dog park with a friend and her dog, who's friendly and calm with ours and vice versa. I think she's a good influence on him. They played, saw and examined other dogs, and behaved beautifully. On our trainer's advice we're using our dog's daily food allowance as part of training and fun and he's loving using his Kong toy more to get the food out of it. We're also using T Touch and lead desensitisation, as well as a few other things to get him used to being left in the house (which is an issue, he still gets quite worked up) and I'm feeling a LOT more confident about everything now.

Love the advice on using sticky licky stuff to occupy our dog! I bought a tube of squeezy cheese, and am using this for 'target stick' work with the clicker using the end of a wooden spoon. He thinks it's great, so this cheese is a useful tool to pop in my pocket when we're walking too.

A great start with our clicker training, may it continue

__________________
http://www.eghamreflexology.co.uk

good on ya, WOnderful to hear! > Click! <

i hope he becomes a much-more manageable dog - well-behaved dogs have much larger and richer lives, they can go so many more places with us, and that adds joy and new experiences to our lives.

hiking with my dogs, they would invariably clue me into something that they saw, heard or smelled, that i would have missed --- another whole world opens up.
keep on clicking! Good pet-parent!
4 paws up...

cheers,
--- terry

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, IPDTA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007