Mountainhound: you’re describing Loki almost perfectly!!!!! I started him on a prong as well (his first trainer, like I say, was way more about the correction than the praise). It’s difficult to correct, because when I tugged on the prong when he was in such an anxious mode, it made him turn and bite me – HARD (I had a ring of swollen bruises around my leg)
The gentle lead helped a lot, as a squeeze around the nose is much less “alarming” than a prong, but equally as controlling. I tried a slip lead one time (he wasn’t even around dogs). Pfffffft, never again. I’m completely convinced that dogs want to pull against tightening sensations around that dang neck lol!
It’s hard to tell where his reactivity zone is. It depends on /everything/ from the environment, to the dog, to his “momentum” and the dog’s speed as well. He is always very scared though. In our second class (positive reinforcement), he was on free time (laying down) and I allowed him to near a cocker puppy. The pup was crawling toward him, and he toward it. He acted calm and relaxed, but then randomly stretched out and snapped at it :/
Usually he will get stiff if he even sees a dog across the street. What I do is (try to) get him to sit and “watch” me. When he’s focused on me for a few moments, then I click and reward.
He tends to be a lot better when he’s sitting/laying. When he walks, it gets him even more tensed up and it gets hard to redirect that focus.
I’ll look into that harness for sure. Ive never used them since it’s harder to keep the perfect heel going that I like (ear level or behind my waist….if he’s any forward, then he tenses up even more. When he stays there, then it makes him a touch more calm)
