Fearful Dog Aggression Training and Rehabilitation with America’s Canine Educator
what’s up guys Tom Davis here America’s
k9 educator on this episode you’re gonna
see a two year old Rottweiler named Finn
who has been to a couple different
trainers already and has severe dog
reactivity so this has made Finn’s life
and his honors life very stressful and
very frustrating because Finn can’t go
anywhere outside of the house even if
they go into the yard Finn is still very
very reactive now in this session I
usually take a couple different sessions
to explain what I do but because of the
size and strength of this dog I end it
within 10 minutes and get this owner and
Finn back on track
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okay because there’s there’s a
difference between reactivity and
aggression
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here is let me go let me go let me go
right so what I have to do is get him
back engaged with me see he’s just a
ball of the mess right now when he goes
out whereas talking about this and
bringing out this way yeah see the
engagement I get from dinner yeah right
so that’s what you want to create hey
yeah
so what I’m doing semillas secret a man
dies a rubber band right now I’m on one
side he’s on the other I come out he
sees the other dog search the stretch I
come this way and then it goes back to
normal size right if he goes too far
he’s gonna snap the rubberband it’s
gonna snap okay that makes sense yes I
want him to be in this distance like
like like this
all right and if he gets outside of that
like that it’s gonna snap okay the
program is don’t break anything
okay so then what’s going to happen is
I’m going to I’m gonna do that without
the dog first you’re walking this way
I’ll be back this way so he’s keeping
that rubberband in its real form right
right tight with me like glue
okay back this way so if he doesn’t
comply that rubberband will snap right
well so I get closer and closer yeah
yeah can I’m going back this way he’s
not paying attention right and he’s not
paying attention to me so now now watch
what happens yep so what he’s doing here
is he’s associating the correction with
the dog search stay away he’s avoiding
the dog which is good it’s good in that
it’s good because he’s avoiding the dog
good it’s bad because he’s not letting a
big concept right and I want him to get
over them I want him to know that he has
to be with me and that’s what’s turning
that personal okay we’re going to slide
him around the dog with you
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good good sit so just move that way for
a second yes good good now I’m creating
that rubber band again all right
so if he gets outside that band he gets
a pop yep
and this isn’t for every job so what
we’re going to do for every dog this is
for an uncontrollable over a hundred
pound ball of muscle yes I’ve been
pulling I’ve been pulling uh I I don’t
want to associate the dog with
negativity I just want to associate the
pulling and the reactivity with
negativity okay does that makes sense
yeah so we see this a lot in dogs nine
times out of ten it’s it’s fear-based
okay so what happens is is the dog sees
another dog and every single time it’s a
bad reaction because you can’t control
you get nervous because you don’t know
what he’s going to do so when he sees
another dog pressures on and it’s all
negative right so we have to break down
the whole concept of the dog is it
negative the only thing that’s negative
about the whole situation is you being a
jerk yes
so that’s what I’m associating hey buddy
be a dog right so yes so rewarding that
behavior because that’s what we like to
see but you have to break it down in
increments you can’t just say okay now
play not gonna happen no but now I can
go out heal I can go out with a walk
with my hundred pound ball of muscle
and have a nice loose leash right yep so
hidden being attacked is what’s caused
him to be aggressive in the public eye
and in your honor but he’s not
aggressive okay he’s just fearful of the
other dog because why wouldn’t he be
he’s trusted them and they have attacked
him twice or he’s trusted you and other
dogs attack twice no big deal that’s
behind this water at the ridge it
doesn’t matter anymore
okay all we have to do now is rebuild
the foundation hood yes there’s a dog
and no you don’t have to kill it
okay because in his primal instincts of
being a dog he will he will go up to
public see another dog can feel like
he’s got to defend himself so he’s doing
exactly what I’m doing to him he’s nip
it in the bud I’m gonna attack them
first before they attack me yes and I’m
saying I’m gonna correct the behavior
before it gets any out of control right
so what you have to do is you have to
break down the behavior and understand
what it is which is what makes me good
at what I do with with dogs like this is
because it’s it’s it’s literally like
sleeping like it’s very easy for me it’s
it’s I can do it my eyes close at this
point because I I know within the bark I
know within the breathing I know it’s
from the body language everything about
the dog and why they’re doing it which
is you know I don’t do puppies I do this
so what I’m good at okay which is nice
because usually it’s these types of dogs
that make life hard and I’ll make it not
hard so what you want to do is another
dog so go ahead and walk him for a
second and usually stop when I tell you
stop stop good good boy then that was
good so see how he gets into like a
defense mode he gets up he feels
vulnerable okay so he’s not reacting
he’s actually behind me hiding right
because what I did is I took away his
ability to scare the other dog off which
is step one for him and I won’t let him
do that anymore so now he’s going to go
down to the actual raw behavior
and what he really is which is beautiful
he’s afraid right but you get a hundred
pound dog that’s barking and trying to
go after the other dog is it aggression
yes but is he aggressive no right so is
he pulling and dragging and being
aggressive yes but does he mean it
no okay does that make sense yes so he’s
not mean and he doesn’t want to hurt the
other dog he feels that he has to he’s
inclined to do these things because he’s
insecure about it and I would be too
right so we just have to make sure that
we’re gonna now we’re gonna break down
the whole cycle of as soon as no passes
hey good job Johnny and we add a lot of
positive reinforcement behind what he’s
afraid of
okay good thing
do you understand what that word of
doing is I’m making this dog of
comfortable to see his nose going so now
except for a second now what he’s gonna
want to do is he’s gonna want to rush to
that dog’s butt and sniff which is okay
because it means he’s not trying to
attack which is something he doesn’t get
to do right great or has he ever no okay
so I’m going to let him do that and I
want you to keep walking because we’re
not yet because what you’re going to see
is is he’s gonna rush the dog’s butt
because I can tell by his behavior what
he wants to do and it’s a lot of
subtleties so to give you a the reason
why I know that is because every time
you turn he looks right at is back in
because he wants to go see him so this
is step one of I can do this right like
I might be able to be coexisting with
other dogs so it’s it’s brownie points
for us that he’s going after the other
dog to be curious instead of to attack
them so you’re just gonna keep moving
I’m gonna let him go what are you going
to do is he’s gonna put his head down
he’s gonna pull into that the butt of
the dog and you got a sniff and then
you’re gonna keep moving okay
cut right here he’ll do it right here he
always waits for you to get to that
point I keep going I’m gonna stop him
you keep going so now I’m bringing
positivity to them yes good boy what is
that buddy good good perfect
yeah thanks right oh yeah yeah so easy
concepts but you meet somebody to
execute that properly so that’s what I
did
okay now that’s good okay I want to take
it a step further and I’m gonna bring a
real dog out and I want to show you the
whole process yep same breakdown okay
now higher distraction intact female
pretty girl never met before
super dog reactive so now I play it
smart I say when you work from me gonna
stay and I go out like this
he’s terrified nobody likes working for
free I don’t want this to be stressful
for him I want him to enjoy his life as
a dog without having to react
okay yes okay since its since good so
I’m gonna I’m gonna move her she’s never
on he’s gonna get up he’s gonna get
excited I’m going to reward him when he
recalls back to me and he stays all the
fur okay that’s what I’m doing now is I
know what’s gonna happen so I’m painting
a picture so you know what I’m doing it
this is my this is like we’re huddling
right now and then ready Craig we’re
gonna go into a game okay put it yes
pump for a touch yes good boy seats see
what house is I don’t care so much right
now about anything but him just being
around loaded up all I care about and
him doing that sit good boy good right
so I’m making him coexist well I got
nothing to say but none but good guys is
he basically was wearing a mask of
aggression and underneath was a little
baby yes I just took off his mask now he
won’t remember right so if I put
pressure right they come back here and I
walk right towards her good boy
he’s doing good
yeah between plots good for our seats
yes seats don’t try this at home okay
and I’ve done this hundreds of times
ahead so this is me using positive
reinforcement to reward him for what I
want
so we’ll do more of this no part of it
is is I have control on the other part
well there’s three parks I have food I
have control and I’ve taken off that
mask and now I’m calling his bluff
that’s what I’m doing but it takes
actually it doesn’t work for every dunk
like I can’t just say oh it’s aggressive
dog watching we’re just gonna correct it
no it’s a diagnosis okay it’s what I do
I look at symptoms
I read behaviors I calculate I execute
it’s a process I make it look easy
because if I’ve done it a lot what up
yes good Finn what up touch wood good
girl that’s it
since good stick
good good stick Hotel yes yes no
reaction right hand is back to her she
flew away she made noise you didn’t care
and came right to me yeah yeah that’s my
boy seats what very good questions
I like this here’s my process typically
is I work the dog on obedience make sure
you understand what I’m doing second
session we start bringing out fake dogs
third session we give him the real dogs
I wanted to end this now because of his
size okay because he’s too big to be
pulling you I in the thing is for me is
it’s really hard because I can I can do
this every session every time and just
boom kill it and it’ll be done but I
usually don’t because I like to build
the foundation of why we’re doing it
curriculum curriculum curriculum test
got it right but because of his size and
his safety your safety and the other
dogs around him safety I’m like I’ll
just stop it now so it’ll take me 10
minutes to end that for a dog and I’ll
be able to go walk downtown anywhere and
be fine yes because again he was lucky
he had this aggression on as a mask this
big scary Halloween mask and underneath
was a little baby and I took his mask
off I called his bluff and I said I know
you’re afraid that’s why you’re putting
this mask on to think that you’re
something you’re not
that’s what we wear masks right could be
somebody we’re not and underneath this
who you really are and that’s who he
really is
quota yes good that’s who he is he’s
just a two-year-old Roddy then you know
whatever
well we touch go touch my tree good girl
so Jimmy question within that no I
I always thought that he was afraid of
other dogs and that’s why he’s doing
what he did
yes that’s it yes exactly so in
conclusion your homework is when you
okay you’re not trying to choke him hold
him or muscle him out you’re trying to
go wham hey quit it make his bad
behavior uncomfortable so he doesn’t
want to do it right okay for your
benefit however you’re never going to be
able to control the variable which is
give it up yes
right so no matter how much work you do
you can’t control the other variable so
say he’s this he’s a hundred pound dog
reactor dog you’ve never been able to
get him around another dog until 20
minutes ago right so the point is is so
thank you guys so much for watching Finn
second episode as you guys know there’s
a lot that goes into all the training
that we do in the filming the editing
and everything else in between so please
like this video share it with anybody
that would benefit from it and remember
don’t try this at home this episode was
i expedited this very very quickly for
the owners sake because of the size of
this dog so subscribe to our YouTube
channel I’ll see you guys next time
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