I'm so frustrated right now! I just got back from a walk with my dogs and I am really trying to work with Willow and her excitement when she sees people. She turns into a bucking bronco whenever she spots people and when they approach to pet her she jumps all over them. This can be dangerous. She actually hit a guy in the face with hers cause of this. This was right after I told him she hasn't learned her manners yet and I was currently training her. It happened again tonight. We were at the end of our walk, a block from home and this lady sees us and ofcourse wants to come pet them. Before she saw us, Willow saw her and I was already working with Willow to remain calm but the minute this lady heads over to us, I got the bucking bronco again. I immediatly made her sit to try and calm her and this lady starts in on me by saying "oh but she is just a puppy, she wants attention." I try to explain to her that I have to teach her to be calm around other so she doesn't hurt anyone and she just kept say "but she's a puppy" as she is tyring to smother her with attention. Yeah well, is it going to be cute when she isn't a puppy??? The guy from the previous experience did the same thing to me. They act like I am being cruel to her for trying to make her sit calmly before she gets attention. Why are people so dumb? If I avoid people on our walks, I will never be able to train her to stay calm. Seriously, how should I handle this? I don't want to be out right rude to these people. I mean, I live in a very small town, I can't really afford to piss the whole town off.

Oh Mindy!!!!!!!!! I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND! Kody goes freaking WILD when he sees anybody approaching him...whether it be a person or dog! When I say WILD I mean WILD CRAZY GO ACTION! I too pull him down to sit and "wait" but people are like "oh poor baby he's just puppy...we don't mind". Especially kids! We run into a lot of kids at the park by my house where they go on their daily walks. I try so hard to get him to stay, but with people "Awwinnng" and "wooooing" all over him it's not going to work! I tell them "he's going to scratch you...watch out" and then when he does "they're like...oh...ouch"! No s**t dumbass!!! grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!1

i've seen people get a bandanna, dog backpack or a plain dog t shirt and attach a "dog in training" patch on it

http://pet-supplies.shop.ebay.com/Apparel-/46293/i.html?_nkw=dog+in+training&_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

How old is Willow now btw?

Jennet, girl, I wish that would work in Miami! I'm Cuban and absolutely love my hispanic roots, but they would so not pick up on that! Like at all! It's so much worse here since you hardly EVER see a husky. For goodness sake 85% of the time they ask me if my dog is a wolf. I'm like yes dude, he/she is a wolf! LOL!

I have to resort to being mean and telling them not to touch him and I feel so bad a few seconds in that I have to let them!

Luckily for me, people don't like my "vicious" huskies and usually will stay away when we're on a walk. The only annoying things I get is stupid college kids on my street threatening to steal them, I give them a day with one of them and I'd come home to the dog back on my door step

Melissa, Willow is soon to be 8 months. I love her dearly but she turns into a completely different dog when people are around. I gotta get this nipped in the butt now but people are so uncooperative! Jennet, I really wish people would leave us be like they do you. I could still train her when they walk by but everyone wants to pet them and then they act like I am being mean by not letting her act like a wild dog. Sorry, I am still upset. I really want to tell these people off but like I said....small town.

I say be firm with the people as u are in training. Train the people. Say once willow sits calm then yes you can come pet her. Stop them befoer they get to close. Don't have to be mean just speak up before they get to close. We were walking this morning and a guy was walking towards us with an unleashed dog. It took me stopping and pulling them in close on the leash for the guy to get the idea he should leash his dog to walk passed us! People just don't think anymore...

I think it's funny how they think I am being cruel to her by making her sit, but I know when she is not a puppy anymore and she's still doing, this they will think "gee what a horrible dog! She needs to control her" Stupid people.

Jennifer, I agree, I just need to be firm and tell them not to come over to us, it's just hard for me to do that.

The loose dogs drive me (and Sabaka) crazy! Even if they have an invisible fence, all instruction is totally ignored! Yesterday was such a beautiful day it seemed like every dog in the neighborhood was out. Our county or neighborhood does not have a leash law. When I had "collected" six dogs and felt like Dr. Doolittle surely must have, I gave up and came home. I got as far as the stop sign that I can see from my front door!

Sabaka LOVES the cute little girl in the Barbie Jeep! If I see her, I know training has ended. She doesn't leave her driveway, but she says, "I like your dog." to which I say, "I like your Jeep." Then sometimes her toddler brother comes running up, pushing one of those loud Fisher-Price mowers, drooling and pointing, "Da" he says. Sabaka just wiggles like a crazy dog, wishing he could meet them and lick them to death! I think tiny kids are his weekness.

Most huskies consider each new human a new best friend. I think they need more training in this area than most dogs. You are all correct to say that a 65 lb "beast" jumping all over his "new best friend" is just not pretty and can be dangerous! Most people I have met (except for young kids) are very understanding of the training. And like Jennet said, I have also had people give me wide berth because they thought my husky looked mean.

I have found a secluded trail near where my son practices soccer and I am trying to get him to pay attention to me while he can hear the kids playing nearby. That's my goal for now....

Good Luck!

jbealer wrote:

We were walking this morning and a guy was walking towards us with an unleashed dog. It took me stopping and pulling them in close on the leash for the guy to get the idea he should leash his dog to walk passed us! People just don't think anymore...

Jen, this seems to happen to me every other day!!! When the ignorant owners see me pulling Mya or Kody back and telling them to stay for the most part they try to contain their dogs, but sometimes they're like "oh he/she won't do anything" and my response is "yeah, but mine will". That's not true at all for Kody (loves all dogs), but Mya IS NOT fond of them rushing her! It's so frustrating!

Today, for example, the stupid Chow Chow I was complaining about a few weeks ago was at my door step just hanging out when I was getting back with Mya from her walk. Needless to say I had to run the other way and call my husband like 5 times (he never has his phone...grrrr) to go come out and get the dog outta there so that I could come back home. I was so mad!!!!!!!!

I have had this problem with people so many times. I explained as nicely as possible that I understand you say you don't mind, but I do. He's a puppy and doesn't know the difference between you and a child, especially my 5 y/o and I would really hate for him to knock over a small child, so it would just be better for everyone if he didn't jump on people.
The kids in my neighborhood were actually easier. They would get Frankie all excited. I explained to them that I was training Frankie to be a therapy dog so he can help sick people. I then asked the kids to all be a part of my training process and told them what they needed to do to help me. They LOVED it. They started to watch for us every evening on our walks, and would come out of their houses so they could stand still until Frankie calmed and would "sit for petting". I carried treats with me so the kids could give them to him. Frankie's training went so much better with the kids help. Frankie still stops in front of their houses every day looking for them.

I can't stand the people who do not leash their dogs....Drives me crazy.

if it was me - i would turn around and walk away - this could also help ur training - because if she starts being wild she gets walked away from her 'prize' so to speak so might also help her realise calm means she gets fuss

That's a good idea! I think I will try the turning around and walking a way and then praise her when she calms down. Thanks!

We do that on walks with the squirrels. When they get really antsy and start acting up I just start walking backwards until they calm down. I keep doing that until they can walk by the stupid things without pulling towards it.

jbealer wrote:

I say be firm with the people as u are in training. Train the people. Say once willow sits calm then yes you can come pet her. Stop them befoer they get to close. Don't have to be mean just speak up before they get to close. We were walking this morning and a guy was walking towards us with an unleashed dog. It took me stopping and pulling them in close on the leash for the guy to get the idea he should leash his dog to walk passed us! People just don't think anymore...

You're absolutely right! Nut goes friggin wild when people focus on her and want to pet her. The more love they show as they approach, the more she wags, hunkers, then starts to jump etc. I usually put my hand up (if I think it's a clueless person) and say "Hold on, let me have her sit first, she's in training". Sometimes I even say she's in training to be a therapy dog, which IS my eventual goal. Though, if she stays like this, well, THAT'S out the window. But I do think if I enforce this now she'll be ok in a couple years for certification.

I've noticed that dog saavy people TOTALLY get it and are happy to let you correct your dog and be invited to approach. Out on trail, not a problem. In my house, when someone new comes in, she's immediately leashed and I correct her and make her sit or lay to greet someone. She actually army-crawls her way to them all excited and then rolls over on their shoes. But outside or if a stranger is at the door, she's still a maniacal idiot. This will take time. And until then, just be firm and assertive with people when they approach you. Maybe go to more dog-training friendly places like a Petsmart, or a public place where other "dog people" who get it won't think you're cruel. And lastly, if they think that---screw 'em. It's YOUR dog. Don't ruin YOUR DOG's training at a critical time in his life just because other people don't understand.

Oh, and I LOVE the dog-in-training-wear. How COOL!!