champagne
04-27-2005, 11:34 PM
Kaine is an almost 6mo old pit bull that has just recently started acting scared by trying to run off or barking when hes unsure of something.
today at the park two kids came riding at us on their bicycles while we were walking on the soccer field. Kaine got scared and ran behind me in the opposite direction and started barking, hackles up and some growling. I made him sit and then I asked the kids to stop and he relaxed somewhat and when the kids started talking to me from a distance he started wagging his tail. I asked the kids to drop the bikes and to move away from them so I could have kaine approach the bikes and he did fine. he did not act scared but did walk around and check the bikes out. I started talking to the kids again and I could see that kaine was totally relaxed so we walked closer to the kids and I made him sit again. He was wagging his tail no hackles or anything so I let the kids pet him and he loved it.(never had a problem with people he loves everybody). after a while the kids got their bikes and at first walked them beside us and then rode them...Kaine could care less. never acted scared or anything.
also even though there are at times no distractions at the park or they are at a distance, while he is smelling the ground he will at times have his hackles up. ???
also he barked at the neighbor the other day even though the day before while she was moving her dog he could care less. she was moving her dog to another spot in the yard toward us and he looked at them and went on with his own business. the next day he barked at her, she was just walking in her yard. hackles were up. I told him "no barking" and grabbed his leash and told him "this way" and he followed me. (he just had a buckle collar on).(theres usually no one out there although her dog barks at us everyday and kaine always ignores the dog).
Kaine had barked at our other neighbor b/c he had never seen him in his yard before and doesnt bark at him anymore after seeing him again and the neighbor coming over to meet kaine.
ok the question I have is did I deal with the bicycles the right way and how do i deal with the barking when hes scared? sometimes if i say its ok the hackles go down or if i just start giving commands he settles down also. because hes paying more attention to me and forgets hes scared I think??
should I be correcting him for the barking? he wears a prong collar but Im unsure if I should be giving him a correction thinking it might make him more aggressive or fearful to whatever hes scared of.
he does real well with the prong collar on our walks, he respects the collar and does what we ask. we hardly have to give him a correction, very light (thats all it takes).
he has been around alot of people in different settings and has been fine. it just seems at times or different situations he acts scared. I know we have to socialize him more but first I need to know what I should be doing in those situations.
we are attending dog obedience classes where he does good. also hes on NILIF. we have no problems with him that way with the exception of an occasional whine, but he is finding out that whinning gets him nowhere.
people that have met him here at home or outside the home have commented to me about how well mannered he is.
thanks for any help you can give
today at the park two kids came riding at us on their bicycles while we were walking on the soccer field. Kaine got scared and ran behind me in the opposite direction and started barking, hackles up and some growling. I made him sit and then I asked the kids to stop and he relaxed somewhat and when the kids started talking to me from a distance he started wagging his tail. I asked the kids to drop the bikes and to move away from them so I could have kaine approach the bikes and he did fine. he did not act scared but did walk around and check the bikes out. I started talking to the kids again and I could see that kaine was totally relaxed so we walked closer to the kids and I made him sit again. He was wagging his tail no hackles or anything so I let the kids pet him and he loved it.(never had a problem with people he loves everybody). after a while the kids got their bikes and at first walked them beside us and then rode them...Kaine could care less. never acted scared or anything.
also even though there are at times no distractions at the park or they are at a distance, while he is smelling the ground he will at times have his hackles up. ???
also he barked at the neighbor the other day even though the day before while she was moving her dog he could care less. she was moving her dog to another spot in the yard toward us and he looked at them and went on with his own business. the next day he barked at her, she was just walking in her yard. hackles were up. I told him "no barking" and grabbed his leash and told him "this way" and he followed me. (he just had a buckle collar on).(theres usually no one out there although her dog barks at us everyday and kaine always ignores the dog).
Kaine had barked at our other neighbor b/c he had never seen him in his yard before and doesnt bark at him anymore after seeing him again and the neighbor coming over to meet kaine.
ok the question I have is did I deal with the bicycles the right way and how do i deal with the barking when hes scared? sometimes if i say its ok the hackles go down or if i just start giving commands he settles down also. because hes paying more attention to me and forgets hes scared I think??
should I be correcting him for the barking? he wears a prong collar but Im unsure if I should be giving him a correction thinking it might make him more aggressive or fearful to whatever hes scared of.
he does real well with the prong collar on our walks, he respects the collar and does what we ask. we hardly have to give him a correction, very light (thats all it takes).
he has been around alot of people in different settings and has been fine. it just seems at times or different situations he acts scared. I know we have to socialize him more but first I need to know what I should be doing in those situations.
we are attending dog obedience classes where he does good. also hes on NILIF. we have no problems with him that way with the exception of an occasional whine, but he is finding out that whinning gets him nowhere.
people that have met him here at home or outside the home have commented to me about how well mannered he is.
thanks for any help you can give