How often should I walk my reactive dog with a muzzle & spike collar?

Poor Panda! Unfortunately she had a very traumatizing event during a very crucial period of socialization in her life. I would not consider her a waste of money. She could be fearful reactive (I have one of these) that acts so aggressive to try to scare everyone away because she is scared to death. I don't like training at dog parks. The dogs are not controlled and it is likely to end up with her having another bad experience. Not everyone understands dog to dog behavior, so there can be fights at dog parks. I would NOT recommend a shock collar. Her response is most likely fear, and we should not punish fear. Imagine if you fell off a roller coaster (major injuries but survived) when you were a young child, would you want to ride a roller coaster again? I am sorry that you have not have luck with trainers. First, you might need to reconsider what you want Panda to do. Do you want her to go for walks where she might see another dog? Or are you wanting a dog to go to dog parks and play dates etc? I think that with a good positive reinforcement trainer coupled with a veterinarian who might prescribe a medication to ease her anxiety that you can successfully train Panda to go for walks etc. I think that we just need to help reduce her fear and create positive situations for her. It will take time and you will need to be patient with her. Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Firstly, this is almost always fear-based. Talk to your vet about getting him some anti-anxiety medication to calm him down enough to get the muzzle on. And frankly, even after he is neutered he’ll probably need something like that for daily use while you can do some counter-conditionung training. My favorite is trazodone as it is very safe, can be used long or short term, can be started and stopped, and can be given with certain other sedatives and anti-anxiety medications. Best wishes to you and Max!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Personally I love the gentle leader muzzle harnesses. It provides owners great control of their dogs. It does take a while to get the dog used to it and they still want to rub their faces on people to get them off. They do that in the exam room with me. I would gradually increase the time you have it on in the house before going on walks and give him treats or peanut butter while he has it on. That way he associates it with good things. I do think so people think it is a muzzle but more and more people know what they are. Personally if it makes your life easier I wouldn't care what some people think. I think people think more highly of the gentle leader than the prong collar. As for walking on a loose leash, it may help with that but it really depends on the dog. Some will take advantage when they know the leash is loose. The best thing to not have a dog pull is to train them to "heel," which is easier to do with the Gentle leader. I hope this helps!

Poor Panda! Some dogs do become very fearful of other dogs after an incident like this, which can lead to barking and lunging on the leash. It sounds like you're on the right track by trying to use treats to help make her more comfortable - but if she is still barking and lunging, this means you need to be further away. Start at a distance where she is comfortable and able to take treats calmly, then gradually work on moving closer as long as she is doing well. It can be very difficult to do this on your own, especially if her anxiety is severe. I would really recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person for the best chance of success. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org)

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! This is tough! He sure is cute! I recommend using the gentle leader head collar for better control and asking for sedatives like trazadone from your Vet. Do not take him to these places until you train him to look at you (with treats) in social situations. This will take some time. You may want to pay for private training lessons so you can focus on this one behavior. There is no instant fix but being proactive, like you are, is a good step! He is young still. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petsafe-gentle-leader-dog-headcollar Good luck!

Hi there! You have a few separate questions here that are all about fairly complicated topics, so I'll try to give some quick words of advice on each one. Feel free to post again with each question separately if you like - we can give a more detailed response this way :) For loose-leash walking, you will need to work with your other dog in a quiet place at first, and give lots of rewards for staying beside you. As he gets better at this, you can gradually try walking for longer periods and in more challenging environments. Here is a great video demonstrating one way of teaching this skill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ&list=PL7287C737FB745168 I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say that your dog "goes in grasses" at times and you want to stop this? If you mean that she wants to sniff around in the grass on her walks instead of staying on the sidewalk, this is quite normal and I would allow her to do this. The whole point of a walk is to allow your dog to explore the world and get some exercise and mental stimulation - sniffing in the grass is a normal part of this. If there are places where you need her to stay right beside you, just reward her with treats for staying close. When you walk past other dogs, you can also use treats to reward her for paying attention to you instead of trying to greet the other dog. If she has trouble at first, just move further away from the other dog so that she can focus. As she gets better, she won't need as much distance to be able to be successful.

Have her spayed. This will decrease hormones which can drive certain behaviors. Slowly acclimate Panda to one dog, then another and another. Do this on "neutral" ground and on leash. Correct any aggressive behaviors immediately. Use praise and small rewards as she progresses. The use of a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar, may also help to ease her anxiety/aggression.