# Dog following me from room to room, trying to understand why he does that



## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

I have a 5yo insecure (scared of noise, people, etc) GSD adopted from the shelter, all I know from him is that they picked him up from the street, and he follows me anywhere I go at home, from room to room, even if I just leave for 2 minutes, he really doesn't want to be on his own, he has been doing since I adopted him two years ago. I was wondering if the dog is simply afraid of being alone or if he is being protective. 

Another thing he does is to lay down next to my feet whenever he can, at home he likes to be as close as possible to me. On the street, when offleash, he follows me, but from far away, trying to lead, but I force him to stay behind me as my understanding is that human must always lead, and I follow the dog training basics of having him earn antyhing he gets, and certainly he isn't sleeping in my bed but we share bedroom.

The part that I am trying to get my head around, is understanding why at home he is so insistent in being close to me and on the street he likes to go his own way.


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## Matt Vandart (Nov 28, 2012)

Loads of dogs do that, he just likes you dude, don't worry about it. I have 8 confident dogs they do it too, they just wanna do stuff with me. 
As for the dog walking behind you, I don't get that at all, especially in this case where you feel the dog is insecure, you wanna reward the dog being up front it might help him gain more confidence. If you are insisting the dog walks behind you, you are just gonna reinforce his insecurity and general lack of self worth.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Simon Parker said:


> I have a 5yo insecure (scared of noise, people, etc) GSD adopted from the shelter, all I know from him is that they picked him up from the street, and he follows me anywhere I go at home, from room to room, even if I just leave for 2 minutes, he really doesn't want to be on his own, he has been doing since I adopted him two years ago. I was wondering if the dog is simply afraid of being alone or if he is being protective.
> 
> Another thing he does is to lay down next to my feet whenever he can, at home he likes to be as close as possible to me. On the street, when offleash, he follows me, but from far away, trying to lead, but I force him to stay behind me as my understanding is that human must always lead, and I follow the dog training basics of having him earn antyhing he gets, and certainly he isn't sleeping in my bed but we share bedroom.
> 
> The part that I am trying to get my head around, is understanding why at home he is so insistent in being close to me and on the street he likes to go his own way.


wow
interesting


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Matt Vandart said:


> As for the dog walking behind you, I don't get that at all, especially in this case where you feel the dog is insecure, you wanna reward the dog being up front it might help him gain more confidence.


I am doing that because I watched a "Dog Whisperer"s episode where Cesar Millan says that the dog must always walk behind you and never lead since the human is meant to be the pack leader and head the pack.

Since I have no formal dog training qualifications I tend not to contradict those who work daily with dogs and I just assumed that is the way to do it. But I realise that dog trainers also have their differences. 

Anyway, thank you for your reply, I am now at peace of mind knowing that having the dog so close to me at home it is not a behaviour I should worry about.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Simon Parker said:


> I am doing that because I watched a "Dog Whisperer"s episode where Cesar Millan says that the dog must always walk behind you and never lead since the human is meant to be the pack leader and head the pack.


I would not take everything that man says as valid or accurate. If you look at feral dog packs, the pack leader isn't always in front. He may be in charge but that doesn't mean he's always in the lead.


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Sarah Platts said:


> I would not take everything that man says as valid or accurate. If you look at feral dog packs, the pack leader isn't always in front. He may be in charge but that doesn't mean he's always in the lead.


And the whole "pack leader" thing is becoming debunked too. It doesn't mean there isn't leadership, but it's not like what people have believed over the years


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

As long as he doesn't put his head on the same pillow when you go to sleep, don't sweat it.☺


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Cesar pretty much has a tunnel vision obsession with his spin on "pack leadership", but regardless of that, if you had watched more of his "shows" you would have seen him do exactly the OPPOSITE (with a dog that matches the description of your dog) of what you're doing with your dog now

and you're making the EXACT same mistake by not reading exactly what Matt wrote. you absorbed part of it and missed a key word
- in my opinion you shouldn't have so much peace of mind
- in my opinion you should work on building up the confidence level of your four legged velcro case and try and help it

- and find someone with experience in dealing with this type of issue to show you the way because you have already lost a couple years and quite possibly have made it worse

that could happen here if you try what i suggested in a PM


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

re : "Since I have no formal dog training qualifications I tend not to contradict those who work daily with dogs and I just assumed that is the way to do it. But I realise that dog trainers also have their differences. "

that's one way to look at it, but what i don't understand is why dog owners don't realize the reality that they ARE the trainer for THEIR dog ](*,)

your dog is learning from you every day it lives with you

do you enjoy the fact that your dog is insecure and scared of everything ?
i doubt it.
- genetics of course has a big part, but what the dog learns from you every day is a HUGE part of its behavior too

if this was your human kid and not a dog, would you have accepted that insecurity as "the way it is" ?
i doubt it.

get some professional help or ask us to help you and be prepared to take a different approach in your relationship with your dog

unless you're CM, you can't fix every dog but you can help every dog //lol//


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

there's a ton of things i don't agree with about Cesar but in my opinion he does have his good points

he often says he doesn't train dogs ... he trains people
to me that is Sooooo true
why the hell would i want to train someone's dog to do something that the owner couldn't make it do ???
- why would i want a dog to behave when it's with me but still act like an asshole when it's with the owner ???

i'll bend over backwards to help give them a system to use or help them understand their dog better
- i might have to spend a lot of one on one time with the dog, but in the end it's THEIR dog and if they don't want to train it or can't make the commitment to their dog i BAIL
- as soon as i raise my prices, they usually bail first 
- works like a charm in most every case 

and on the flip side, when someone is trying like hell i will cut em some slack and lower my fees. it's a great motivator cause sometimes things get frustrating //lol//

if you really like doing something you should really be willing to do it for free.
- but i'm not THAT nice of a guy 

for Lee.....
i have done some freebie training for those "special needs cases", if you catch my drift \\/


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I think the "insecurity" you mentioned may have a lot to do with it.

Not uncommon in a lot of rescue dogs. They can easily become velcro dogs.


How does the dog do when you leave it alone during the day or when your at work?

I don't believe "insecure" dogs have a lot of protection in them.


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Bob Scott said:


> I think the "insecurity" you mentioned may have a lot to do with it.
> 
> Not uncommon in a lot of rescue dogs. They can easily become velcro dogs.
> 
> ...


I only work part time, the few hours the dog is alone at home he gets a little anxious and I have to hide stuff like shoes and pillows or he moves it all around the house leaving bite marks all over without fully chewing on them. He has toys but prefers to move my stuff around, I suspect the smell might have something to do with it. I tried leaving with him an old tshirt but it didnt work he still bites other stuff I use, normally clothes.

His first instinct when scared of people or aggressive dogs is to flight, I have seen a tiny Yorkshire make my dog turn around barking at him. 

The dog trainer at the shelter where I got this dog from told me that the dog was too old to do anything about him being afraid of noise, as for being afraid of people, he has improved but still feels uneasy if a stranger tries to pet him. 

It seems that I am his first owner, he was 1yo when was found alone on the street with no chip, spent 2 years at the shelter and the last 2 years with me.

So looking at this, I now think it probably isn't protection instinct as Bob says.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Simon Parker said:


> I only work part time, the few hours the dog is alone at home he gets a little anxious and I have to hide stuff like shoes and pillows or he moves it all around the house leaving bite marks all over without fully chewing on them. He has toys but prefers to move my stuff around, I suspect the smell might have something to do with it. I tried leaving with him an old tshirt but it didnt work he still bites other stuff I use, normally clothes.
> 
> His first instinct when scared of people or aggressive dogs is to flight, I have seen a tiny Yorkshire make my dog turn around barking at him.
> 
> ...


ever think about a crate? so he doesnt mess your stuff up for the couple hours he is gone?

how is the agility going, agility stuff is great confidence booster for most dogs with issues.

any video of the dog, if not, you should shoot some and post it...


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

this says a lot .... "The dog trainer at the shelter where I got this dog from told me that the dog was too old to do anything about him being afraid of noise, as for being afraid of people, he has improved but still feels uneasy if a stranger tries to pet him. "

you probably believed what the trainer told you since you have already said you are new to training and prefer not to question authority, etc 
- unfortunately the trainer was wrong. you can ALWAYS do something to boost confidence. it's just a matter of having patience and raising the bar without adding conflict, and confidence WILL improve. how much usually depends on how much effort you are willing to put into it

then you say he has improved, but still feels uneasy when people try to pet him. that implies you think petting by a stranger is some type of goal for boosting confidence and reducing fear. it's NOT
- petting is just one small insignificant part of confidence building and fear reduction.
- and it should come ONLY when you have taken MANY smaller steps to build confidence and reduce fear......if at all
- the goal of a pet dog owner should not be to make it a petting accessory for strangers

it would be sooo much easier to help you if you had posted a video. you probably didn't because you were mostly interested in whether or not it was showing protection behavior. if anyone on this forum would have agreed, based on what you wrote, your dog is protective, they should be kicked off //lol//

so far, you have not asked how you could help your dog. you're asking for interpretations of behaviors we can't see (out on a walk compared to home clinging, etc)

- you said a vid is not gonna happen because it takes two people. well, i hope you have someone you trust enuff to borrow your cell phone and follow you around when you're walking your dog. it would help a lot to show how you are probably not reading your dog well, and changes and techniques could be suggested that would help with the confidence boosting and fear reduction. but at a minimum, it would give a baseline

the agility play is a great way and you should definitely get going on that. don't make an excuse that you don't have a course to use because there are tons of stuff around in your area readily available wherever you live if you use some imagination and get out when there aren't so many distractions present.
- but the end game should probably be nonreactive and social around people (note ... i still didn't say anything about petting)

i realize it's your thread and you posted it with specific questions, and have every right to do so. but i was hoping you might have realized that even tho the questions are easy to answer, it will have NO effect on helping you develop a better relationship with your dog, nor will it help you understand it any better.
- if you already feel you have a great relationship and and neither you nor the dog needs help 
.... sorrow for complicating your thread with my posts


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Ditto on "ALWAYS" for building confidence!

Old dogs love to learn new tricks. 8-[ :grin:


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

@Joby

I am not considering a crate for the few hours that I am not home, my hope was that I could educate my dog not to mess with my stuff without having to lock him out. As I last resort I could also lock inside a room.

@rick

No complication at all, I appreciate everybody's help. I am eager to put the necessary effort to build my dog's self-confidence and learn but the video thing of me walking the dog around is just not possible, it needs two people, it is only me at home and I don't know anybody enough to ask them to follow me around for 20 minutes with the dog. You have to agree on time, place, etc. Also, walking he is a normal dog like any other, you only get to see he is insecure when he backs off if a stranger tries to touch him or if there is city noise around, like kids playing or a motorbike, he tucks his tail in and puts his ears down trying to flee, fireworks is obviously the worst. 

And about the petting, I could not care any less if he refuses petting from strangers, but there was this one time the dog was against the wall and he tried to bite a busybody wanting to pet his head. There is the odd kid who approaches to touch the dog, I am a little afraid that if the dog is in a position where he can flee he will decide to bite instead.

I have researched the scared of noise problem on the Internet and it appears it is not uncommon, for all I know, this dog should have been socialised when he was a puppy and I don't think he was, there is also the possibility he was mistreated who knows, so, any specific tips, besides agility training, about how to build up the confidence of a 5yo scared dog is welcome.

Another thing, I made a mistake on the first post and when I tried to edit it was already closed, this dog is not a pure breed GSD, he is a German Shepherd Cross Dog, the vet was unable to determine what he is crossed with, nearly all of his traits are those of a GSD but thinner.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

tx for checking back in

re: "there was this one time the dog was against the wall and he tried to bite a busybody wanting to pet his head."
- a VERY common situation and 150% "handler error". 
- should never have happened if you had maintained control of the dog and people getting near it. simple to prevent with some guidance on how to handle a dog like this on lead

the fireworks and noise thing.....
sure it's a genetic issue but stop thinking about how it also might have been conditioned in the "PAST"
- that is also a VERY common frame of reference from people who rescue and adopt dogs and it also WILL NOT HELP THE DOG
- again, i repeat, don't live in the past. noise DEsensitizing and counterconditioning can be done 

start small....make noises when you are feeding the dog, which is when it is LEAST stressed. make happy feeding time a happy noisy time. i GUARANTEE your dog will still eat and not starve itself to death //lol//
- increase the volume and make the noises more "sharp". approximate firecracker sounds by clapping your hands. escalate it to popping small balloons....keep progressing at a conflict free level and if the dog freaks, just admit you screwed up and went too fast and take some backward steps
- when your dog will eat with you banging a couple metal cans together, move the sessions to a more challenging area
- i am not in to spoon feeding so use your imagination...LOTS more things you can do
- report back as you make progress and tell us what you are doing since u won't be posting video

by the way, this has NOTHING to do with pet training. there are working dogs out there that have noise issues. owners can quit and say it's genetics or they can do something about it ](*,)
- many don't have the time and wash the dog. i understand that, but if it's their personal dog they probably only have about 10-12 years to work on it //lol//


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

re : "I am a little afraid that if the dog is in a position where he can flee he will decide to bite instead."

even tho i haven't seen the dog i will go out on a limb and say i strongly disagree and that your fear will only be transferred to the dog and make it worse

i say if this type of dog is given those options it will bail b4 it will bite


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

rick smith said:


> start small....make noises when you are feeding the dog, which is when it is LEAST stressed. make happy feeding time a happy noisy time. i GUARANTEE your dog will still eat and not starve itself to death //lol//
> 
> - increase the volume and make the noises more "sharp". approximate firecracker sounds by clapping your hands. escalate it to popping small balloons....keep progressing at a conflict free level and if the dog freaks, just admit you screwed up and went too fast and take some backward steps
> 
> ...


I will try the program above thank you


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## Robin Van Hecke (Sep 7, 2009)

rick smith said:


> tx for checking back in
> 
> re: "there was this one time the dog was against the wall and he tried to bite a busybody wanting to pet his head."
> - a VERY common situation and 150% "handler error".
> ...


Don't you get tired of beating your head against the wall?


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Introduce sounds slowly and from a distance. Gradually move the noise closer to the dog. Forget the fireworks for right now. Alot of people will stroke the head of a nervous dog telling it that everything is o.k., etc. All you are doing is telling the dog that it's o.k. to be afraid of that noise and react the way it does. I do my daily activities and if it makes noise, it makes noise. If I need to run the vacuum, I run the vacuum. I need to make some clanky noises, I make them. I don't get all hyper about it but just do what I do. Eventually, most dogs settle down. Be aware it could take months or even years to fix this dog's problems and you still might not fix but merely mitigate them to tolerable.

I had one lab that would hide during thunderstorms. She would go cower in the bathtub. The biggest turning point was a thunderstorm caught us when we were out in the woods. She took off but got her back and by the time we walked the 2 miles back to the house, she was alot better. Because I didn't stress over the noise and I had 2 other dogs that weren't stressing the noise. She would still head to the tub when it thundered but now slept stretched out down the full length and stopped overreacting so bad. We got caught by other t'storms but she never took off again. Velcroed to my leg but no more bolting.


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Would it help my dog gain confidence if I get a second dog that is more confident than him or would insecurity spread to the new dog?

I would never get a second dog to help the one I have, that is just a bonus, the idea is that in a year or so, depending on many variable factors, I could look into adopting a second dog of in between 5yo-8yo, but this time I would make sure the dog I adopt is not afraid of noise taking a few days or weeks before picking him and banging a few cans before taking him home. Is not like there is a shortage of abandoned dogs to choose from.

I understand people who buy dogs for protection and rescue work, but for pets, I am happy enough adopting one.


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Since there is no video at the moment, I felt i should post at least a photo, I think everybody likes photos :razz:


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Simon Parker said:


> Would it help my dog gain confidence if I get a second dog that is more confident than him or would insecurity spread to the new dog?
> 
> I would never get a second dog to help the one I have, that is just a bonus, the idea is that in a year or so, depending on many variable factors, I could look into adopting a second dog of in between 5yo-8yo, but this time I would make sure the dog I adopt is not afraid of noise taking a few days or weeks before picking him and banging a few cans before taking him home. Is not like there is a shortage of abandoned dogs to choose from.
> 
> I understand people who buy dogs for protection and rescue work, but for pets, I am happy enough adopting one.


I'm not sure of your reasoning but I've gotten another dog just to give the first dog someone else to bud up with and have a playmate. But your own situation drives all. Some don't have the space to have 2 dogs. Some can't afford additional ones. If you have an older stable dog, or even a younger stable one, I think it does help the other one learn how to go on. Dogs learn alot through observation and having a companion that doesn't get into all the fuss and muss seems to help.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

I am still wondering why the hell this thread is posted on this working dog forum..


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Joby Becker said:


> I am still wondering why the hell this thread is posted on this working dog forum..


You probably made a mistake, this thread is under the clearly labelled *"Non-Working Dog Discussion"*. Thank you for following the discussion anyway.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

if i were you, i would not get another dog

1. from what you have posted, i don't think you have the experience to know how to evaluate another dog that would be the right match for the one you have now
- example : you might think the nervous, scared dog needs a confident buddy. the confident buddy might just end up pushing the weaker one around and make it worse. now you have to deal with two problems
(of course you might get lucky, but the odds are not stacked in your favor)
2. the dog you have now needs help and needs you to focus on helping it, and that will take some time once you make a systematic daily plan and start working the plan
3. you thought your current dog might be protective. that means you cannot yet read body language very well and interpret basic animal behavior correctly.
example : you get two dogs. now you have to not only read another dog, you have to read them when they are together. that's not gonna happen in my opinion and it leaves more room for more problems to creep up. it has happened that way with MANY customers i have worked with. they got another dog to "help" the first one and end up with a bigger problem than they started with

don't get a dog to use as a tool for the other one. they are not tools or canine therapists.

when and if you can see some tangible evidence that you have helped your current dog and it has made good progress, reward your efforts by starting to look for another one 

yeah, i know, i haven't seen you or the dog .....etc etc 

i base my advice only from my experience, but it's probably more than you have at this point in your dog life, even tho i could be "reading" you totally wrong

i was hoping your next posts would be progress reports 
- i'm done with this thread until that happens

good luck either with whatever you eventually do

Joby ... maybe the same type of situation might have happened with a new owner of a working dog ?
- especially the "protection" part //lol//
- especially when they don't join a club or find people to learn from who work with working dogs for a living or do it as a serious hobby

anyway, people usually value free advice about as much as it cost them. especially if it's not what they wanted to hear


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

OK thank you for the advice everybody. I will update about progress but not day to day, I should give this at least three weeks of making noise around the dog while he is eating and other stuff so that confidence improvement can be noticed.


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

The advice really works, Maxx is slowly being fixed, just one piece of advice if anybody wants to try the same at home. Don't overdo the noise level at the beginning! or the dog will not want to come to eat. 

After learning that, I can see that it takes much more to scare the dog off, obviously it is not perfect yet but I only tried it for a few days, it should get better and better by the time I have been making noises for a month.

I normally use feeding and playing time to make loud noise.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

been about a month now....
still around ???

what is the progress and current state of your dog regarding noise reactivity and what specifically are you doing now, training wise ?


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Here's something to try. Turn the tables on your dog.

You start following HIM around from room to room.

Maybe he will get so pissed off he will run away!😀


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

looks like the OP ran first 
..... or they ran away together ... hand in paw //lol//

for some reason it reminds me of people who are passing by when i am relaxing and having a cup of coffee with my dog and they ask if they can pet him
....when i say "Uhhhh....no, not now" ..... they look at me like i'm some kind of weird unsocial asshole //rotflmao//


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Lee.....just had a flashback

when i finally got to where i could allow my house dog off lead in the house and he stopped trying to eat my cats, he started to follow me around from room to room too !!!

....when he started doing that i put him out on the deck and ignored him 

for some reason that worked like a charm
- maybe he started to hate me and it ruined any further chances of creating a close bond with him ???

anyway, it's all in the past now ... i'll never know for sure //lol//


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Hello, I did not run away, I just didn't have the time to check the forum.

Basically, this is not going to get fixed ever. I managed to get Maxx used to door slamming when I call him for his food, I have been doing this for a month, but on the street he is still scared of loud noise, like motorbikes or kids playing ball. Perhaps because the door slamming is expected and the other noise isn't, just a theory.

I think that he has improved, definitely worthwhile doing it, but there is a limit. It is like going to the gym, once you have reached your limit it is all about maintaining fitness, no matter how much more you work out, the biceps will not grow pass its limit and I think that I just reached my dog's noise endurance limit.


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> Here's something to try. Turn the tables on your dog.
> 
> You start following HIM around from room to room.
> 
> Maybe he will get so pissed off he will run away!😀


I don't this will work, he always waits for me to do the first move.


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## Esther Chai (Feb 18, 2009)

Simon, apart from desensitizing your dog to sound/ noises (i.e door slamming) have you work on agility (as suggested previously) to build confidence and your bonding with the dog? It is good to focus on what the dog can do and attend at the same time, to the dog less coping skills in small doses.

Here's a video for desensitizing to sound/ noises you can expand on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLx2yNhfACI


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## Simon Parker (Feb 8, 2015)

Esther Chai said:


> Simon, apart from desensitizing your dog to sound/ noises (i.e door slamming) have you work on agility (as suggested previously) to build confidence and your bonding with the dog? It is good to focus on what the dog can do and attend at the same time, to the dog less coping skills in small doses.
> 
> Here's a video for desensitizing to sound/ noises you can expand on:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLx2yNhfACI


Agility is out of the question for the time being, I have sold my car and bought a motorbike for transportation, easier to park, etc. But I don't think I am not bonded to this dog, he won't get out of my feet even as I write this, only when I put my feet on him he moves to the side.

About the video, instead of a playing CD with sound as they say, I just think that nothing compares to the real deal, like slamming a door or banging a shoe against the floor, this way the dog also sees gestures that better replicates a real life scenario. There are air waves, that a CD with sound can't transmit as good as a door banging, even if light.

The tricky part is to get the noise level right because I have overdone it a couple of times and it makes the dog much worse.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

What a sad situation.

Too much banging of doors just because the dog doesn't like it will probably worsen it, not better it.

I don't know how old the dog is but if he is young I would leave him to grow out of it or at least not be so frightened of it.

If you can't get to a Club to do agility, why not make your own course in your back yard? Or take to the forest (on foot) and let him jump over or on tree stumps, etc. jump over streams,. You could hide from him and let him search for you or for a friend. All these exercises could be rewarded, especially verbally, that the dog bonds with you. If you can't bond with him, I wonder about your bonding with any dog.

I have a dog who didn't like children and females as a pup. I took him to the School playground and let him see them for a few days. Didn't help. Then, I figured it out - this pup loved big men. He was born in Kennels where most likely only big men had visited with a view to buying a working dog. The dog was cautious of things he had never seen from being born to 8 weeks. As a pup he didn't like the sounds of a tram passing. It lessened eventually.

He was however fearless on the Club grounds - fought the helper convincingly - was a natural tracker.

There is always something positive about each dog.


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

Gillian Schuler said:


> What a sad situation.
> 
> 
> If you can't get to a Club to do agility, why not make your own course in your back yard? Or take to the forest (on foot) and let him jump over or on tree stumps, etc. jump over streams,. You could hide from him and let him search for you or for a friend. All these exercises could be rewarded, especially verbally, that the dog bonds with you.


i do this with my dog--she jumps overturned chairs and overturned kiddie chairs and garbage cans on their sides and whatnot...we are going to buy a "travel" agility kit--a collapsible tunnel, some weave polls, etc.--because having me make it myself would not be cheaper or hold up as well...until we can actually do Agility in a class setting (around other dogs off leash) we just play at it in the back yard or on soccer fields, etc and my dog LOVES it.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

"agility is out of the question" ... because you have a limited imagination 

there are ALWAYS agility training aids that will come across in your daily walks IF you are looking for them
- i could list quite a few but i'm not into "spoon feeding"

but one is simply teaching your dog to walk along raised curbs. it has to watch where it is going and that helps it NOT focus on the environment around it....i have done this with at least 20-30 dogs over the years

ok...one more //lol// there are ALWAYS short obstacles out and around you can have your dog jump over ... as well as picnic table lined up

your problem is that you think agility might only be tunnels and weave poles 

as far as the noise problem....you have probably not yet figured out how to start with one noise and slowly increase its volume while you matched it up with high intensity playing 
- it doesn't always have to be at feeding time and you don't always need to stick with one item to approximate the sound
--- Example (firecracker problem) ... start with hand clapping, then banging hard wood together, move to balloon popping and then cap pistols)

i DO agree that what comes out of a speaker is NOT the same as a sound created in the immediate vicinity of the dog. to confirmthis all u need to do is find a dog with a LOUD bark. tape the bark. put the speaker and the dog at equal distance close to you. play the tape at what u think is the same volume as the bark. then have the dog bark at full volume. you will not only HEAR the bark; you will FEEL the air pressure //lol//
----- and a dog's hearing is MUCH more sensitive 

i realize there won't be vids but i've watched many customers do it wrong and make the situation worse
- "it's easy but not simple" is all i can say. but i don't believe your dog has already levelled out .... most of the time dogs don't react the same way as people, and that's why i have a hard time accepting your (human) analogy

what i see that happens more frequently is that the dog's progress is limited by the owner/handler's patience, imagination and motivation
... often in equal ratios, but mostly the motivation part 

be honest and objective with yourself and don't be too quick to blame the dog //lol//

if you write very descriptively i might be able to help you refine what you are doing that might help; but that will require even MORE motivation 

good luck


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

and if you REALLY want to see how many FREE agility objects are out in public, search youtube for TRET, the Parkour dog
- truly amazing and very cool pit bull 
- about 5 million views so it shouldn't be too hard to find it


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