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11-25-2008, 10:17 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco
Posts: 16
| Help - my yorkie mutt lunges at Skateboarders Hi, My 4ish year old Yorkie (maltese or shih tzu maybe) is lunging at skateboarders and scaring them so much that they actually fall off their boards or get really aggressive back. I borrowed a skateboard and am feeding him around it to get him more used to them but he still goes crazy when one is anywhere near him on the street (he breaks sit/stays and even rejects raw beef bits!!!). Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. |
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11-25-2008, 10:47 AM | #2 |
Thor's Human Donating Member | I was able to train my yorkie out of this exact problem, so there is hope. Is there a place where skate boarers hang out near your home or office? That will help a lot. Even getting used to the sound in the distance will help. I think you have the right idea, but you need to start further away. It will take him time to be able to tolerate one rolling by him on the streeet. You can take him NEAR that area, but not so close he freaks out. For the time being, I would keep an eye out for skate boarders and cross the street when necessary. You can distract and reward from the other side of the street. Then maybe you can have a friend slowly roll by on the skate board, and then finally he should be able to handle people flying by. I guess I'm lucky that my dog has never actually scared a skate boarder. They just laugh at him and go on their merry way. My poor guy tries SO hard to be scary. Last edited by QuickSilver; 11-25-2008 at 10:48 AM. |
11-25-2008, 11:00 AM | #3 |
Thor's Human Donating Member | Also, if my prior message wasn't clear: I am suggesting distract and reward. Take your yorkie off to the side so he can't actually see any skateboarders, and block his view with your body. Put him in a sit, praise, and treat. If he's okay, get a little closer. I do still have to keep an eye for any fast roll-y things coming by, like boards or bikes. But as long as I see them beforehand and start effusively praising him as we go by, he's fine. I must sound crazy. My dog is doing nothing special and I'm gushing "good boy! Good boy! Gooooood boy! Oh my gosh, what a good boy!" Last edited by QuickSilver; 11-25-2008 at 11:03 AM. |
11-25-2008, 11:02 AM | #4 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North
Posts: 1,324
| I wold get a skate board and leave it in sight but not in the way so it can be checked out in the comfort of home. Then I stick it right up next to bed or food and leave it there until it a non thing. Then I roll it around the house and just a little until it used to it. Then outside. Then with a human outside at home. Then outside with a human known in an new area,. Then start far from other skate boarders and only going as close as the dog shows not concern and slowly build up to hving strage people in strange areas rolling on by. Your asking a dog genetically ingrained to hunt not to hunt that takes time on top of any fear it may have. Lots of food treat for when the dog is calm. I also use look at look away . So look at teh scary thing then look at Mom for a treat. JL
__________________ "The truth about an animal is far more beautiful than all the myths woven about it." Konrad Loranz |
11-25-2008, 01:21 PM | #5 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: El Monte, CA
Posts: 4
| I skateboard around my yorkie all the time and he just stays put where I want him to be. I agree with having someone get on a skateboard and roll around in front of him at reasonable distance while having him leashed up. You can then correct any unwanted behavior while he's right by your side. If that fails, you can let him bark himself silly untill he'll realize that the skateboarder isn't any threat to him. I also suggest that the skateboarder does tricks so your dog gets used to the loud slapping sound of the wood on concrete. In my opinion, it's all about exposure! Don't take him to a skatepark until he gets used to it though because he'll mess up everybody's skate session! Good luck with the training! Last edited by PeterNgo; 11-25-2008 at 01:23 PM. |
11-26-2008, 07:17 AM | #6 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North
Posts: 1,324
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Not sure how letting a dog have a full on panic attack will teach him anything. Barking himself silly is just that and flooding and in a fearful dog can lead to shut down, aggression and nothing good. You may have a dog that never barks again at a skate board but you have just wreaked your relationship with your dog. Do take the dog to the skate park but work desensitization out side the go crazy bark ones self silly thresh hold. JL
__________________ "The truth about an animal is far more beautiful than all the myths woven about it." Konrad Loranz | |
11-26-2008, 09:42 AM | #7 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco
Posts: 16
| Thanks for all the advice. Sig isn't really into treats so I have started to feed him around skateboards. He gets two paws on the board himself and will even stand or sit on the board while I wheel it slowly. He even seems OK with it being wheeled around and even at him. I have tried to get on it and he is also OK but I really suck at skateboarding so its not a real test. When someone other than me is on one though, its still rough. He starts barking when there is literally nothing in site and I can't hear anything and then minutes later I will see a skateboarder. He seems to have gotten better when they are across the street (barks a little but no lunging). When they are near him though its another story. Fresh raw beef won't even tempt him away. Do you think I am testing him too fast? Should I ask a skateboarder to feed him? He's not food motivated so right now the only thing that breaks his attention is me clapping and yelling at him and I would really like to stop sounding and looking like a crazy person around skateboarders ;-) I would settle for a dog that barks at skateboarders - its really the lunging that makes it dangerous especially when some of the young ones get aggressive back. Thanks again for all the advice. |
11-26-2008, 12:08 PM | #8 |
Thor's Human Donating Member | Have you taught him basic obedience commands? If so, what did you use as an incentive? Can you use that here? It sounds like you are making progress. Try to "set him up for success" - if he's lunging at skateboarders on the same side of the street, try very hard to be conscious of your surroundings, and cross to the other side of the street so that he's not in a position to lose control. Ideally while training, you keep him on the edge where he's aware of the skate boarder, but not actually barking or lunging. Keep him there until he's calm, then try him a little closer. It sounds like he's nowhere near ready to deal with a skate boarder on the street with him. Another thing to do when he's barking is to body block him - it breaks his gaze, and hopefully refocuses him back on you rather than the skate boarder he MUST DESTROY! |
11-26-2008, 06:09 PM | #9 | |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: El Monte, CA
Posts: 4
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