After reading a bit more of control unleashed, I thought about introducing an modification technique with the use of high motivating toy. The toy I'm using is a tug rope. Anyway I keep this hidden, in my coat packet which to keeps the tug rope conspicuous. I pull this out at the oncoming sight of strange dog - as a distraction.
I try to determine the threshold distance at which my dog will begin to react putting him in sit or down/stay or heel exercises.
Now, my question should I immediately mark the event by saying "Dog!" in an upbeat fashion and pull out the toy even if my dog hasn;t noticed the other dog or has begun to show signals of agression?
The good thing is that when I have pulled this toy out he has immediately taken to it - we then have a highly energized game of tug for few moments. I have to teach him and work with him on proper 'release' command but it's encouraging that this tug toy is a motivator that is higher than the strange dog.
Another question: Is the tug toy acting to increase his state of agitation?
After I have gotten the toy back and the dog is gone, I then place him in down stay or work obedience until his mind has calmed down and I feel he is ready to continue with the walk.
I have not finished CU yet, but here is what I would do, for what it's worth.
When tugging, you have to work on getting an immediate release, that the dog doesn't get so over the top when tugging, that they don't loose control, shut down their brains etc.
How a dog tugs *can* or is directly related to how the handler tugs, if he is getting over the top or esculating, slow down your tugging, make sure your voice is calm and low.
I would also use the tug along with some very highly valued food rewards and mix them up, my dog would never know which reward it was getting.
Personally I wouldn't use the tug or a food reward as a distraction. From a distance I would allow my dog to see the other dog, then I would cue my dog to focus on me and reward, whether it be with a food reward or tug. Start by choosing dogs in the distance that he would be more tolerant of, clicking and rewarding for focus on you and working within his comfort zone.
I would expect the type of dog that gets him responding the most would be dogs that are similiar to the Husky that grabbed him. Therefore I would avoid those types of dogs in the beginning of the training, working gradually towards long distance encounters with them to then working near them. You have to work with in his comfort zone.
Is the tug toy acting to increase his state of agitation?
Absolutey you can get your dog agitated when tugging and with some dogs it shouldn't used.
But having said that, it can be a huge benefit as long as you are careful how you teach tug and how you tug.
Example:
One of my students in agility can whip her dogs into a frenzy for tugging, she has also not taught them a good 'out', her dogs get more excited as each second passes, her voice is very high, movements are sharpe and hard. In short she pumps them up to the point where their brains leave the building.
I don't allow her to tug this way in my classes, its of no benefit. She is allowed to tug with them as long as she remains quiet and calm, which is how her dogs will tug if allowed (still working on getting her to train a better release lol).
Big difference in how her dogs respond, when she tugs softly, they tug and actually get calmer while still being rewarded.
But if she tugs in a frenzy, they respond as such, she also has to remain calm when running a sequence or course, if she is 'over the top' herself, her dogs feed off of it and by the time they get to the 5th obstacle, they are responding to her high pitched voice, hard body movements etc, they can't do the job at hand, they miss obstacles (can even crash into them) and then if she were to top it off by a hard game of tug............it would be a right off.
Hope this makes sense and is some use to you
Lynn