jackienmutts
Honored Member
A & C, your link looks fabulous!! 
I Need Your Guys Opinion
- Thread starter Mr-Remington
- Start date
Mr-Remington
Experienced Member
Just updating you guys....So I've been calling around to some of the places that have been recommended, and none of them have called back. So I've been buying books on fearful dogs, and other books I've seen mentioned in the threads. I figure I can do what I can now on my own until someone finally calls back, or answers my calls.
I took Remi for a walk tonight. I saw a dog a few houses ahead, I walked in the street, since Remi freaks out if he is directly in front of a dog. He was fine. I asked the lady walking if her dog was okay with other dogs, and explained my dog was fearful and needed socialization, and if was okay to greet her dog. She said it was fine to approach, and Remi was nervous at first but quickly wanted to get to know the dog. I asked if it was okay to walk with them, seeing as we don't get a lot of dogs in our neighborhood. Half way through the walk Remi wanted to run and play with her.I have never seen him like this with another dog! I got so ecstatic, this is the first big dog he's met (She was a boxer) and he reacted really good!
We got to talking and I explained that its hard to find a trainer, and she said if its just socialization he needs, talk to an employee at Petsmart, and explain that he is nervous and see if it's okay for him to be a puppy class. She recommended the one she took classes at. She also told me about a local secluded dog park that she knows of. She said the small dog area might be good for him, since there is no more than four dogs a time, depending on the time of day I go at. And she knows most of the people that go there. I'm hesitant about the dog park, but I've been to that one with a friend a few months ago, and it was nice, very calm and quiet compared the new one just build. So I might look into a few different petsmarts and see if I can find a trainer I like, and check out the dog park and see when the calmest time to go is. Wish me luck guys, hopefully I can work something out!
I took Remi for a walk tonight. I saw a dog a few houses ahead, I walked in the street, since Remi freaks out if he is directly in front of a dog. He was fine. I asked the lady walking if her dog was okay with other dogs, and explained my dog was fearful and needed socialization, and if was okay to greet her dog. She said it was fine to approach, and Remi was nervous at first but quickly wanted to get to know the dog. I asked if it was okay to walk with them, seeing as we don't get a lot of dogs in our neighborhood. Half way through the walk Remi wanted to run and play with her.I have never seen him like this with another dog! I got so ecstatic, this is the first big dog he's met (She was a boxer) and he reacted really good!
We got to talking and I explained that its hard to find a trainer, and she said if its just socialization he needs, talk to an employee at Petsmart, and explain that he is nervous and see if it's okay for him to be a puppy class. She recommended the one she took classes at. She also told me about a local secluded dog park that she knows of. She said the small dog area might be good for him, since there is no more than four dogs a time, depending on the time of day I go at. And she knows most of the people that go there. I'm hesitant about the dog park, but I've been to that one with a friend a few months ago, and it was nice, very calm and quiet compared the new one just build. So I might look into a few different petsmarts and see if I can find a trainer I like, and check out the dog park and see when the calmest time to go is. Wish me luck guys, hopefully I can work something out!
storm22
Experienced Member
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=2979&ParentCat=277&string=fearful
hi something you could look at just to start getting focus and calming signals, its for people but you can make it into anything fearful thing im sure
goodluck with your dog
hi something you could look at just to start getting focus and calming signals, its for people but you can make it into anything fearful thing im sure
goodluck with your dog
jackienmutts
Honored Member
That sounds like it went really well!!! I can imagine how happy you were!! 
Perhaps Remi has more of a case of anxiousness than fearful reactivity (if you know what I mean). If you do have access to a quiet dog park, that sounds ideal. If you go, assuming you drive, leave Remi in the car, and spend a bit of time observing the dogs that are there, see how they interact - and see if their owners are paying attention to them (as opposed to sitting on the phone or with their nose in a book). If things are happy and relaxed, with only a few dogs, then it may be just what Remi needs. It's worth a try - and if he seems too fearful, then just turn around and leave.
That's too bad than no one has called you back yet. Hopefully you'll hear something. Make sure if you try Petsmart, that you feel confident in who you speak with. There are good trainers - and not so good ones (as there are anywhere).
Since Remi had such a good experience tonight, maybe doing some work with him at a distance outside the dog park might be beneficial, get him used to being close to other dogs, lots of click/treating for nice, calm behavior for seeing other dogs (I've logged in soooooo many hours doing just that). In doing so, you might meet someone (another dog) who you know Remi could play with (Remi will tell you) and they could then go in and play. Just a thought. Good luck!!
Perhaps Remi has more of a case of anxiousness than fearful reactivity (if you know what I mean). If you do have access to a quiet dog park, that sounds ideal. If you go, assuming you drive, leave Remi in the car, and spend a bit of time observing the dogs that are there, see how they interact - and see if their owners are paying attention to them (as opposed to sitting on the phone or with their nose in a book). If things are happy and relaxed, with only a few dogs, then it may be just what Remi needs. It's worth a try - and if he seems too fearful, then just turn around and leave. That's too bad than no one has called you back yet. Hopefully you'll hear something. Make sure if you try Petsmart, that you feel confident in who you speak with. There are good trainers - and not so good ones (as there are anywhere).
Since Remi had such a good experience tonight, maybe doing some work with him at a distance outside the dog park might be beneficial, get him used to being close to other dogs, lots of click/treating for nice, calm behavior for seeing other dogs (I've logged in soooooo many hours doing just that). In doing so, you might meet someone (another dog) who you know Remi could play with (Remi will tell you) and they could then go in and play. Just a thought. Good luck!!
Mr-Remington
Experienced Member
We have been doing that, we live within 10 minutes of 2 dog parks. He was okay at first but once a dog came towards him he was terrified and started barking so I calming walked him away and finished our walk on a positive note. He can watch dogs from a distant, and I've got were 95% of the time he wont bark at another dog if they start barking. He is very reactive to another dog barking if they bark he barks and wont stop. But thats under control so we are working watching dogs from a distance. He is completely fine with other dogs as long as we/they approach from a angle and not straight on, still nervous but doesn't immediately bark at them. Such an improvement. He is more fearful/anxious with a larger dog, like a lab, or a pit bull. He's tucked tail and wanted to run from a few pits on our walks. So I think the small dog park would be best at first. We will hopefully be going tomorrow.Since Remi had such a good experience tonight, maybe doing some work with him at a distance outside the dog park might be beneficial, get him used to being close to other dogs, lots of click/treating for nice, calm behavior for seeing other dogs (I've logged in soooooo many hours doing just that). In doing so, you might meet someone (another dog) who you know Remi could play with (Remi will tell you) and they could then go in and play. Just a thought. Good luck!!
Mr-Remington
Experienced Member
I talked to a Petsmart employee at a store about an hour away from here. Theres closer ones but this lady sounds like she knows what she talking about, so I'm hoping to go into the store on saturday and speak with her about Remi and see if its okay for him to take a class. I will let you guess know what they say, and how the dog park goes tomorrow. 