aggression - running out of options

[Lenajo]

yes a basket muzzle is good, and if well fitted a "Halti" also has muzzle closing action.

 

You can make a muzzle "cute" with color, decorations...you'd be amazed at how that changes peoples response to the dog.

[SoloRiver]

Thank you for remaining committed to this dog.

 

(1) I highly recommend seeking the advice of a certified veterinary behaviorist. If you PM me with your location I can try to get some names for you. There is a list at the DACVB website.

 

(2) There is only so much advice anyone can give you online, without seeing the dog. You need to see someone in person.

 

(3) Living with a fearful dog is often as much about management as it is about retraining. There are no quick fixes, and very seldom are there "cures." It's a matter of finding a compromise that allows the dog to have good quality of life while keeping everyone around him or her safe. It is always best to keep your dog out of situations that may become problematic, both for the dog, and for other people.

 

Good luck.

[Shetlander]

I don't want my dog looking at me - I want him looking where he is going. I want him looking at the sheep. I want him looking at the trail ahead when we track. I want him looking at the jump ahead and listening to my requests about the next one - I should be the corner of his eye, not his focal point. I want him heeling (outside the circus of the ring) and looking ahead at where we are going.

 

Yes, but "watch me" isn't for those times when the dog is working stock, hiking with you, or playing agility. It also isn't for those situations where you can have the dog look at something from varying distances, take his time, inspect the scary object, etc. "Watch me" is a handy little tool to get your dog to focus on you briefly just as in heads up obedience heeling. It isn't how you want your dog to walk the entire time or in every situation. It's the dog's cue to put his focus, front and center on you, just forget about that dog and person or those kids on bikes approaching us. In other words, ignore them/leave it and here's something you can do that will help you ignore them/leave it.

 

I've used "Watch me" to great success with my fear barking (shrieking) sheltie on walks and my posturing Lhasa in a number of situations. Every dog is different. For many, "watch me" is an extremely useful skill to have.

[SoloRiver]

I used counterconditioning and "watch me" to teach Solo not to fear strangers passing us on the sidewalk. I have always lived in a major city with Solo, so as you can imagine, lots of strangers pass us on the sidewalk and when I first got him, he was worried about literally every single one -- the wary, staring, almost holding his breath kind of worried. If you have a dog like him, you know exactly what I am talking about. You want to replace the feeling the dog has when strangers appear (fear) and you also want to provide an alternate behavior for the dog to practice.

 

The counterconditioning simply consisted of stuffing food into his face every time a stranger approached us. Yup, stuffing food in his face. I believe Jean Donaldson refers to this as "bar's open/bar's closed." The idea is to get the appearance of a stranger to mean something other than "Danger Danger!" You can use a toy or something else the dog really likes too -- if he loves to tug that's perfect -- but food is usually easier to manipulate and to deliver. What normally ends up happening is that after a while, the second a stranger appears your dog will look up at you because his brain is going "cookies?" instead of "ack, that guy might kill me!" This is a good thing. It's the first step on the way to the dog being able to remain calm and ho-hum because you're replacing his old fear with something more pleasant.

 

Once you've gotten to this point, you start getting the dog to work for it instead of just stuffing the food into his face. This is where I used "watch me." I figured Solo needed to learn to heel anyway, so he may as well do it when we were passing strangers, and it's something he can do and walk at the same time. I personally don't have a problem with Solo looking up at me; it's a much more concrete thing to teach than "look anywhere but at that guy." I guess you could ask for another behavior rather than eye contact if you wanted to, this is what worked for us. The important thing is that you teach him some other behavior to fall back on, like how a person might finger rosary beads or count slowly to ten or whatever in a stressful situation. Then Solo would get a reward for giving me eye contact.

 

As Solo became relaxed about passing strangers we became more informal about it. I didn't ask him to look up at me all the time. I would if it looked like he needed help (like the approaching stranger was wearing a gorilla suit or something especially weird). As time went on Solo was able to pass most people without giving them or me any notice of any kind. Today, every now and then we'll pass someone and he'll look up at me, like "Hey, look at that, didn't I do good?" If I have a cookie on me I'll give it to him, because he did do good. Most of the time I just smile back down at him and touch the top of his nose with my hand to acknowledge him and we just keep walking on.

 

It's a matter of what works, what you're comfortable with, and what is humane and fair to the dog. Teaching "watch me" (or some other alternate behavior) and eventually ending up with a dog who can remain calm all by himself are not mutually exclusive.

[Shetlander]

It's a matter of what works, what you're comfortable with, and what is humane and fair to the dog. Teaching "watch me" (or some other alternate behavior) and eventually ending up with a dog who can remain calm all by himself are not mutually exclusive.

 

That's a really good point. Both the dogs I taught "watch me" as an alternative behavior will offer it on their own. The Lhasa especially has that "didn't I do good, ma?" expression. And the counter conditioning aspect is also very big. Replacing fear with happily focusing on something else.

[bcnewe2]

I used counterconditioning and "watch me" to teach Solo not to fear strangers passing us on the sidewalk. I have always lived in a major city with Solo, so as you can imagine, lots of strangers pass us on the sidewalk and when I first got him, he was worried about literally every single one -- the wary, staring, almost holding his breath kind of worried.

 

My fearful dog does anything she can to not watch what she is fearful of. We've gotten along that way for a long time. How did you get Solo to eat during that time? Raven would no sooner eat when she's "worried" than I could feed the man on the moon. Nothing, steak, hotdog, cheese, or the best treat in the world. She still won't eat in the car and has a hard time eating if it's not her usual spot or time. I've gotten around it by taking her off by herself when we are away, adding a bit of smelly canned food to her kibble and sitting there coaxing her to eat, sometimes handfeeding her the meal.

 

That said, I'm in the camp of what ever works for a particular dog.

 

My "watch um" command started on sheep and is one of the few commands that have uses other than work related. I've used it whenever I want them to watch something. I look at what I want them to watch for their cue. There has to be another command for them to actually do anything about what they're watching. Not that there always is but that's what watch um means to us. Never tried watch me. But have said watch Dad or watch Ian (my son) but it's in a sort of game playing mode.

 

The cookie dispencer remark reminded me of a lady I saw practicing her obedience work (I also thought she was very good at her training) would tell the dog watch me and drop a piece of food out of her mouth. Always struck me as funny!

 

Kristen

[SoloRiver]

Hmmm, if she's not that interested in food to begin with then another reward would be better. I always wish I could make sheep appear every time Solo's in a socially awkward situation. I think if I could do that he would really love meeting strangers. Pretty much anyone he meets in the context of working sheep becomes family in no time.

 

For most dogs, if they won't take food it will mean it's too late. You want to start working with the dog when she is aware of whatever it is that scares her, but it isn't so close or intense yet that she's gone into full fear mode. The distance will depend on the dog and will usually decrease with time. For dogs that are fearful of strangers, this might mean starting when the stranger appears over the horizon, and not waiting until the stranger is right next to you. It's about taking that really low threshold the dog starts with (presence of stranger at say 100 meters) and making it higher.

 

I don't actually use "watch me" for Solo. His command is "look" (which means that his "look" for sheep command is "see sheep?" although at the tiny distances he works at, a look for sheep command is kind of useless). It's also an incredibly useful command to stop him in his tracks when he's about to do something that I really, really don't want him to do, like chow down on carrion. "Look" is so very ingrained -- we used it so, so extensively when we started behavior modification -- that it is practically foolproof.

 

Solo doesn't really have a "watch um" command but he does respond if I point at something and say, "Hey, what the heck is that?"

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Raven would no sooner eat when she's "worried" than I could feed the man on the moon. Nothing, steak, hotdog, cheese, or the best treat in the world.

 

Exactly!!! This is the same obstacle I have with Woobie. He is so hyper-aware outside of the house that using treats to counter-condition is extremely difficult. In 5 months, I've gotten him to take treats to the end of my driveway IF it's death quiet in the neighborhood. Otherwise, forget it. I still try hard and occassionally he'll take a ball park frank off the property but it's really rare. He has a particular small squeak toy that he will be enthusiastic about for maybe 5 or 6 commands and then forget it. Our training has focused more on the desensitization route, getting him to obey commands at a distance from whatever scares him and then slowly getting closer and closer. Right now, I'm working him near ball fields with kids playing, playgrounds with noisy kids and in pet stores. Strangely, he's more fearful at Petco than Petsmart, not sure why.

[bcnewe2]

I guess I should really count my blessings. Raven is a retired sheepdog. She still works sheep for my husband and wiill do a wonderful squirrel chase everyday but she doesn't like to go strange places so I don't take her. She goes to the vet fine and if I choose to take her out she will manage but would prefer to be home so that's where she gets to stay. When arranging to move down here I took her on one of our house hunting adventures, She stayed at my father-in-laws right on the bed where I told her to stay till I got home from looking at houses. She was fine becasue she had a room to herself and no one to bother her.

 

Sheep is what built her trust in me and it's also what I broke our trust with, long story but lets just say be very careful when you don't know what you're doing when picking trainers. She still totally trusts me when I'm not telling her what to do with sheep but she won't put her heart into working with me. We live way out in the country so really she doesn't have to stress very much.

 

Petsmart or like places would be her worse nightmare.

When out of her comfort zones she knows I will keep her safe and she counts on that at all times. Hopefully it never changes. I think some dogs are just better off living a sheltered life than being forced into new scarry places all the time. She has come so far when people see her who haven't seen her in years can't believe she's the same scared dog that lived in my closet for so long.

 

I can totally relate to wishing sheep would appear when those scary times do happen. She has a really strong eye so that takes her mind off anything else around her. Except me barking a command at her.

 

Her comfort zone is behind me when she's scared or getting away from the scary thing. Not running away but not looking at the scarry thing. I could put her under my truck tell her to stay (say at a dog trial) when I used to trial her and she'd stay there till I came back to get her. Even under a chair would do. I think she thought if she couldn't see them they couldn't see her. Or something like that. She was also a fear lunger when I first got her at other dogs. That stopped with sheep work. It's amazing what working stock can do for the confidence or lack there of with fearful dogs.

 

Hope the op has gained some insight and can come up with the right tools that are needed to help his pup.

 

Kristen

[MickeyDogs]

I used Jill's sense of play to help her trust and feel comfortable around strangers. She's a great tug-of-war player and we would play that game whenever something began to worry her. Like the good flyball dog she was (she wore many hats in her day ) she'll chase a ball until the other player cries "uncle" so I gave the ball to whoever (or is that whoMever??) would throw it for her - men, women, children - anyone. If a ball wasn't handy, a stick worked just as well. It didn't take her long before she'd gleefully take her ball or stick up to anyone saying "ok.. it's your turn. THROW IT!"

 

We called her "Shark" when she was young because she'd come out of nowhere, charging, snarling and nipping. She, too, never broke skin but she certainly scared people. I started carrying her shot records with me because I was asked so many times after an episode "does she have all her shots?". I never expected her to become a cuddly, I love everyone type of dog, but I did expect her to learn to be polite and relaxed in society and she has.

 

I think it's important to try to change the dog's emotional state from fearful to accepting and trusting as much as one can with these kinds of dogs. I think that's what the play did for Jill. If we don't, I think the dog may learn how to cope or manage itself in these situations but still be fearful and I can't imagine going through life being fearful all the time.

 

Just my .02 cents..

 

ETA... to the OP, please don't go the shock collar route. IMHO it can do more damage than good in this case.

[OurBoys]

After reading all these posts, I feel I am a very lucky person. I've had a number of dogs in my lifetime (not as many as some of you guys have had) but all of them were very friendly towards humans and other animals. In fact, if my dog didn't like someone, I felt they had a reason to and I was leary of that person. But I thought my dogs like(d) others because they took their cue from me....I truly enjoy meeting other people and other animals.

 

Don't get me wrong. JJ and Jake have their fears. JJ is scared of 'bumps in the night'. If we're outside after dark and he hears an unusual noise, he comes running back to me.

Jake has overcome his fear of the sound of crinkling paper but he's still scared of thunder, lightning and he's not fond of the vacuum. If it doesn't thunder too loudly and shake the window and last too long, I can keep him occupied (catch balls, play Colors, command time) until it's over. Once he sees lightning, that's a different story. He becomes so terrified he starts salivating (sp?), panting, shaking and pacing (he's improving-he use to get so scared he literally couldn't move).

 

But it still makes me wonder....Have I really actually just been lucky all these years or does my lack of being nervous around strangers (ok, I'll confess-I'm one of those people who don't have a problem making a comment to someone while standing in line or in an aisle. At 5'3" I've even asked strangers to get something down from a top shelf for me.) make my dogs the overly friendly pets they have always been????

[MickeyDogs]

my dogs like(d) others because they took their cue from me....I truly enjoy meeting other people and other animals.

 

I think that certainly helps! even with dogs that may have wires crossed (Jill ) or had a rough start.

[ShoresDog]

In addition to some personality traits that might be genetically determined, maybe it depends on if you raise the dog from puppyhood, and if the dog had a good experience as a puppy with his littermates and with exposure to children, other dogs, etc. When a dog comes to you over a year old, it can be fearful of people, even if you are the least fearful, most grocery-store-chatting person around. Believe me, I'm from the midwest, and Melanie would be horrified at how many strangers I talk to in a grocery store queue! We midwesterners are the worst. Nonetheless, Daisy is fearful of strange large men, despite having a great relationship with my DH.

[bc4pack]

Sometimes folks 'socialize' the pups and then think they're done.

Well if you aren't around kids on a regular basis, you might just

feel a tad uncomfortable around them.

 

For those whose dogs won't take treats... seems like by the time you notice

that your dog is worried the dog is already 'overthreshold'... one needs to

start out working 'underthreshold', as in BEFORE the dog reacts. One has to

know EXACTLY what the triggers are. Is it a big man at 30 ft? Then start at 40

ft and slowly, over many SHORT sessions,work up to and then past 30 ft.

The whole reasoning behind the use of food is that food helps change the dog's

underlying perceptions and emotional state. One the first signs of stress in dogs

is refusal to eat. Dogs cannot eat when they are stressed... I wish I couldn't .

If one uses tiny TASTY stuff, it does work... time to bring out pea sized bits of steak,

chicken, cheese....

[bc4pack]

I agree with Soloriver as far as enlisting some help... a vet behaviorist and a positive trainer

that has experience dealing with fearful/ reactive dogs. Even when working with a vet. beh. it

sure helps to have a good trainer close by to be more 'hands on'. A vet. beh. won't be able to

give you that day to day help when implementing a behavior modification program.

 

Sometimes working with these dogs can be very overwhelming. If you would like

some good 'insider' suggestions and help working with shy/fearful dogs, I would highly

recommend joining the Shy-k9s Yahoo group.

http://www.groups.yahoo.com

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Thanks for the Yahoo groups suggestion bc4pack, I'm definitely going to check it out! I think some dogs just aren't really food motivated in general. Woobie will take food inside the house - sometimes. He's really not a big eater in general, so I don't think food is that big a deal for him. Luckily, he does seem to get "turned on" by praise and enthusiasm and that's my tool right now. I still try with the food and we're building literally in inches, but I can't really keep him on my property until he's worked past that threshold, otherwise we'd never leave! I find that he's beginning to look to me when he gets worried. Even if I'm offering food when he's worried and he refuses it, if I speak to him in an upbeat, confident tone, he seems to relax. I'm also using the dog park alot as a training reward and counter-conditioning tool since he's so totally in love with being there and at his most confident. He's getting closer to children there, approaching complete strangers and learning to listen to me even with positive distractions. I think it's a matter of finding that thing that works for your dog, be it food, toys, affection, play, etc. and then building from that.

[bc4pack]

Yes there are some for whom food isn't the greatest thing in the world but with so many people (not you), there

is the assumption "MY dog just WON'T take food." ... and the reality is that they simply do not recognize how

subtle the initial signs of fear or stress can be ... by the time folks see it their poor dog is waaaaaay overthreshold.

For other dogs it may simply be finding the right tidbit that the dog will jump through hoops for.

And again, yes there are dogs for whom chasing a frisbee or a game of tug is THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD...

so there you go

[bcnewe2]

For those whose dogs won't take treats... seems like by the time you notice

that your dog is worried the dog is already 'overthreshold'... one needs to

start out working 'underthreshold', as in BEFORE the dog reacts.

 

Raven the dog in which I was referring to was stressed when she came to me. It took her years and tons of work to de-stress her about life in general. Just getting out of the closet was stress.

There are some dogs that food does nothing for. Some dogs which toys will work. For poor Raven it was to late when I got her at 10 months old. Her responses to the world were already formed. It took years to reform them.

I have 5 bc's right now. Only 1 would be food motivated for anything, maybe 2 would be toy motivated with 1 of those being the food motivated one also. But the other 3 wouldn't take a treat for motivation to save their life. Probably cause I didn't use food to de-stress them with. Sheep are their ultimate being in the universe plus they just don't have stress issues.

I totally agree with realizing when things are just a thought in a dogs head instead of waiting till it actually manifests in the actual behavior that is the proper time to address them. For poor Rave life was her stress. She is a very happy dog living the life of Riley now. Why should I bother putting her though going places if she doesn't have to? It's not really a sheltered life she lives but a life of choices that fit her needs.

 

Guess I took bc4pack's comments a bit personal.

 

Kristen

[bc4pack]

Whoa hon! I wasn't talking about any dog in particular at all!!!! Sorry

And I TOTALLY agree as far as Raven.... I was generalizing.

And who said ANYTHING about having to take Raven ANYWHERE????

 

I have a list-mate on another list that adopted a BC out of a hoarder situation,

this poor dog lived in the corner of a room, LITERALLY, for 6 mos.

Well, how about this... check out her website.

http://www.fearfuldogs.com

 

Kristen, again I am sorry, I was not directing anything at anyone's situation in particular.

 

Tara

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Kristen, I often wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing with Woobie by pushing him a bit and if he would be happier with a life of home and the dog park. It's hard to know. Sometimes I think I'm working him because *I* wanted an agility, obedience, and flyball dog and what if that's not what's right for Woobie? I'm trying to go with my gut and I see this happy confidence building slowly in him and I hope it's what's right for him. If Raven's life is happy with her routine, I think that's great and you've done what's right for her. It sounds like she's come such a long way already, good for you for tuning into the dog and not what you wanted or what other people expected. She's lucky to have someone who has made what's right for her the priority.

[bcnewe2]

Hangs head in shame to Tara....

Sorry I guess I'm a bit grumpy today. I'm down sick and have been for several weeks with good working weather here so even more depressed. Sorry I jumped your stuff....

 

W.Mom....

I think that might have been what I was alluding to in my writings about Raven. I have the privilege of other dogs that I can make into what I would like them to be. I tried to do that with Raven and it really did help her get out of her shell but there was a point when I knew we had reached her enjoyment level max and the rest was all for me. Only you can really know when it's for you or for Woobie. It took probably 4 yrs of pushing Raven to get where we got and then realized I might have been the only one still gaining from continuing. But if I hadn't kept going for quite some time she wouldn't be the dog she is today. Lucky for me I had the option of other dogs to keep working the things I want to do with my dog(s) lucky for Raven (and me) that we have sheep to work, a wonderful country home for her to enjoy and more dogs than I can ever use at one time so we both get to do what we want and still have wonderful full lives.

 

How long have you been working with Woobie? I never considered it "real" work for Raven and I, just what I/we wanted to do. Doing the hard part was just part of playing the whole game. I don't think I had the use of this wonderful board at our hardest part. So I never knew there were other options than what I was doing at the time. We are lucky that we survived as well as we did considering some of the mistakes I made with her. I used to want to go the doggie physic just to see what she was thinking and to let her know we'd make it together. After this long we communicate without the need of an interpreter

She's come so far and I'm glad I pushed her. Raven is 8, people that do see her think she's a pup cause she wears her eternal youth so much better than I. Just now she is starting to get some grey around the muzzle but she will always be the young dog in her and my mind. She has the most wonderful smile you could ever see, except she never shows it to anyone but my closest family. I've tried for years to capture it on film but she always looks like the ghost of her past life on film, or it could just be my crappy photo skills. That smile tells me we were a success. It’s her Elvis impression. She just taught the Pyr how to smile. That's her best buddy. Actually it's one of her only 2 doggy buddies. She never did get the hang of dog friends. Jazz her 9 year old house mate is the only one allowed to show any doggy affection to her but she has chosen the Pyr to play with. So Woobie has one up if he enjoys the dog park.

 

Keep trudging and when things are right you'll know you've done enough or pushed hard enough. If Woobie is really not having fun doing what you're doing then change what you're playing. Sheep were what Raven lived/lives for, don't get me wrong she wasn't that good and I was a total green horn so wasn't much help but the instinct was stronger than her fear. I'm grateful I didn't try to do anything else cause I'm not sure she'd have had the heart to make it through. Her instincts over rode her fears when it came to sheep and that's what did the best for her.

 

She would lay her life down for me and I for her but in those beginning days it was quite a ride for both of us. I can remember setting her "free" on her first novice outrun. People thought she looked good. I knew she was running for dear life to get to those sheep so she could get the rest of her life off her stress filled mind! We persevered and both learned some great lessons. I can even send her for sheep instead of setting her "free" now! This is the dog I've told a story about biting me in the face cause I didn't heed the warning growl she gave when I was forcing myself on her. Oh how far we've come. I think she'd still bite me in a heart beat if I pushed the right buttons. Not cause she wanted to but fear is never far from her mind. We now know each others buttons. We affectionately call her Chester the Molester cause each night she'll jump up on the couch and molest you with lovies. But only on her terms, and when it's over it's over. That's enough for us but might not have been for others.

 

I'm amazed at some things I hear people expecting their dogs to put up with, but feel I'm not one to preach (most of the time anyways). I'm grateful they put up with me and me with them but we all have our limits.

 

Again...only you will know when Woobies had enough. Keep trying. If I can offer any advice to you about Woobie I will but I bet you have a pretty good idea what you're trying to do. You just have to keep searching out new ways to get to the same places.

 

And again...sorry to snap at you Tara...rough couple weeks is no excuse.

 

Kristen

Smiling with memories of Raven and I just starting out together. What a ride! So it's not such a bad day after all! Even though I still have the crappy flu and the dogs are all mad that we're lying around instead of enjoying the day!

[OurBoys]

Kristen,

I was told one time to listen to my dogs. It's obvious that is what you have done. It's sad to know Raven has so much fear but there is no doubt you have given her the best life she could possibly have.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[Guest WoobiesMom]

Thanks for the kind words and advice Kristen. Woobie is 10 months and I've had him for 5. His foster homes worked on building trust but didn't really do much with training or socialization so I really did get him at square one. I've trained horses before, had an obedience trained Lab, and an obstinate Airedale so I have a very little experience with animals. Very little. I try to judge by his reactions where his comfort zone is at any given stage. He is smart as a whip and seems to be so happy when he's worked through something that he's scared of, so I go by that reaction. If he never becomes any of those things I wanted when I got him, I won't mind. I do like the bond that develops just from working together, so that's the fun for me and I hope for him as well. I think he has great potential and I am (inwardly) quite proud and snooty that he is already better trained and more responsive than a majority of the dogs that come to the park. And if his shyness (I don't even think I can categorize it as fear anymore with adults) with strangers lingers, that's fine, so long as it's not at the level where he's trying to escape the leash and run for the hills where it could cause him to get hurt.

[bc4pack]

Kristen and WoobiesMom,

 

You've done right by Raven, no doubt there!

And Woobie's coming along!

 

 

Sometimes it is terribly difficult to let go of one's dreams and aspirations for one's dog and

then deal with the dog you have. I have been there too!

 

Yes you do have to push them and challenge them or else many wouldn't come out of their

'corner' and it is so tough finding that fine line between what is enough and what could push them

over the edge.

 

WoobiesMom, do come to shy-k9s you'll find quite a wonderfully supportive and knowledgeable bunch

of dog savvy folks....trainers, vets, rescuers, BC owners, folks with Katrina dogs, you name it...with

one thing in common...dogs with fear issues, from minor things to full-blown head for the hills, fear aggression,

puppy mill rescues, agility.

 

I really think you will find a lot of help, both with 'what should I do' and with moral support. Many people

simply do not understand dogs that are shy/ fearful... the automatic assumption of abuse. You know what I mean...

 

I just wish I had had access to the info back when I had my Callie...

 

Kristen,

You may want to look into the group too... you have a wealth of experience you could contribute with Raven.

 

If y'all get a chance , peruse through the fearfuldogs site I mentioned above...there's some good info there too.

 

Take care,

Tara

 

PS Kristen, I hope you're feeling better soon!!!!!!!

[jason lindgren]

I used Jill's sense of play to help her trust and feel comfortable around strangers. She's a great tug-of-war player and we would play that game whenever something began to worry her. Like the good flyball dog she was (she wore many hats in her day ) she'll chase a ball until the other player cries "uncle" so I gave the ball to whoever (or is that whoMever??) would throw it for her - men, women, children - anyone. If a ball wasn't handy, a stick worked just as well. It didn't take her long before she'd gleefully take her ball or stick up to anyone saying "ok.. it's your turn. THROW IT!"

 

i REALLY like this idea! i might have to try this as well at some point.

 

UPDATE on Amie's progress....

i've had her in the park twice now. the first trip was a little rocky till about half way through. the second trip - just after we started our walk, she stopped nipping and going nuts over passing bicycles. she seemed a little calmer and more predictable. so - progress! i think she's gonna be fine.

 

i may try the play idea as well....seems like a good thought!