Q
of the week
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Last updated June 20, 2003 Q
of the week: Milo
is proving to be a great puppy and definitely outsmarting me. However,
I am learning and he is definitely responding well. His newest dangerous
quirk is that he hates bicycles and will chase bike and rider, barking
furiously. To say that it scares everyone, including myself, is
an understatement. So I really need any training tips to break him
of this habit. I have hauled my bike out and plan to have my husband
put him on a leash and I will ride past him, with Chuck giving him
sharp tug and a large reprimand. Before I further traumatize him
with this method, any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
I have no idea why the moving bike turns this otherwise placid puppy
into a monster. Wheelbarrows bug him as well but he seems to be
getting used to them, it must be the moving wheel - good god, do
we have a future car chaser on our hands??
I've highlighted the wonderful gems in each
Ruffian's post in
blue -
[my comments in red.] First
to answer - KIM IMEELLLLLL! I think I want my end result to be the dog moving away from the fence and up onto the porch and in a quiet calm down when he sees a bike. Basically the opposite of what he is probably doing now. [Teaching a mutually exclusive behavior - yes!] How to get there......... [Good plan - start with where you want to end up and then determine how to get there!] Have
bike parked infront of the fence. Have dog and handler next to fence,
but inside. [Very nice break down of the gradual progression.] While working thru this limit dogs access to viewing area when they can not control the situation. Otherwise dog will self reward with an explosion- the wrong kinda reward. What I am trying to accomplish is to "classically condition" the dog to the bike as a way cool thing, then work it into operant conditioning. [yes yes yes] Kim
- Part 2: So,
option two is Donna Duford's technique of dealing with the rottie
and the wheelbarrow. Tie the dog to a tree, handler stands next
to dog and feed treats while do is quiet. When
dog blows/is about to blow, handler and treats leave. When
dog checks in with handler click/return/treat. This option "tells"
the dog, the appropriate behavior (calm around the wheeled object)
gets attention from human and treats. Idiotic behavior gets nothing.
How bonded is this dog to his handler. If the dog is not very bonded,
I dont know how well this will work.....will it?? Option three. Find out where the safe distance is for the bike to be from the dog and moving when the dog will not react. Have the bike at that distance and have the handler treat treat treat. Slowly slowy slowly move the bike closer over time. We are desensitizing the dog to the bike. Option four. Start classical conditioning in the house and work up to moving outside and by the fence and even out of the yard. Option
five....move to a mountain top with no roads or civilization around.
Not practical, but an option....this would be avoidance.
[*LOL*] AND HOT ON KIM'S HEELS - DANA!!!!!!!! Wow- he beat Lisa and Cathy this time! Knowing what breed Milo is would be helpful in determining a training/maintenance regime for the little guy. Also environment; Is Milo in a fenced yard? If not... Why Not? Chasing the bicycle is a behaviour we'd like not to encourage, but the safety of the animal is at stake when chasing continues to be allowed. [Addressing the owner responsibility for the dog's safety - excellent.] Yanking the dog when it chases will probably only increase the dog's 'urge' to rid it's yard of all cyclists. After all, when they come around, it causes me pain, so they must leave! [Exactly- classical conditioning gone awry.] Yes - this could lead to car chasing. Milo probably gets a rush out of chasing the bike and therefore may need a bigger 'chase fix' as time progresses. [Preventing escalation thru practice and self reward] Management: Fence the yard. Remove the likelihood of Milo and bikes together. Fixed Feeding times to increase Milo's food drive. Hand Feeding to increase your importance to Milo in the 'food chain'. [Too many handlers think dry dog biscuit equals great reward - not. And in order for this to work, the food must be worth turning away from a high level distraction to gain. Important to note to handler!] Desensitization\Training: Get a clicker; explain to Milo how he can get it to give him treats. You can then use your bicycle to help desensitize Milo to moving bicycles by having the bicycle in the yard with Milo and c/t for being quiet around the bike. Move the bike slowly and c/t Milo when he's quiet. Walk with the bike on one side, Milo (on leash) on your other side. c/t for quiet. Get hubby to ride the bike in the yard/driveway while you c/t Milo for quiet. Work up to the bike going faster with hubby. Then take Milo for walks where hubby rides and you c/t Milo for quiet. Progress to areas where it's likely a bicycle incident may occur. Charge the clicker - c/t Milo for quiet. [Gradual increase of stimuli, taking it on the road, good.] In a nutshell: Increase importance of food. Desensitize Milo to bicycles. If Milo can learn that the appearance of bicycles may produce a treat [classical conditioning] and that his 'lack of chasing' increases the likelihood that a treat will happen [operant], he will more than likely prefer the treat over chasing. ["Nutshells" are very important - gives a concise wrap up that the listener can remember. Nice, clear, easy to grasp explanations.] Or... Lazy Remedy: Over-feed Milo so he gets really fat then medicate him so that even if he chases bikes, he'll never catch them. The Quick Brown Bike went by the Fat-Lazy-Sleepy Milo. [*LOL* Kim and Dana ... my gosh, don't let them together!] AND LISAAAAAAA!! Oh, my goodness! The good news is that Milo is behaving like a dog...and the bad news is that he is behaving like a dog at the wrong times *S* Let's look at things from Milo's perspective. Back somewhere in his doggy genetic code is the blueprint for running down and catching dinner, otherwise known as "prey." According to this doggy genetic code, his very survival depends on his ability to successfully chase and catch things that run away. When things move away from him, in this instance tires, he gets an adrenlin rush, which in the wild is a basic good survival tool. Tires moves~leads to adrenalin rush~leads to chase. If you "correct" him at this point by getting angry and jerking on the leash it will confuse him and actually make things worse. He doesn't understand why you don't chase right along with him. In addition, he is already on an adrenalin buzz, your corrections will add to it. [Side note: I totally agree with Lisa about the increasing of stress/adrenalin and this is especially true of defensive (self or territory) responses, escalating the whole problem. Just some food for thought (and probably a great debate!) : Wendy Volhard states that when a dog is in prey drive, the only way to get them back into pack drive (attentive to handler) is to go through defensive drive - and that this is where startle/interruption is a valid choice. In this situation, the handler becomes the safe place and the correction is unrelated to the human and seems to have come from the "bunny" - e.g. dog chases, fog horn sounds/leash pop happens, dog startles, hears handler call, turns runs to handler, handler rewards dog's return. Of course we know there is always fall-out with correction and timing is everything. Is the association "when I chase, bad things happen - or - when kids appear, bad things happen"?? Is the conclusion for the dog chasing is bad and should be avoided (the goal), or kids are bad? Bottom line, Wendy's treatment plan depends on waiting for the dog to be "in" chase, rather than redirecting before. Might it be an appropriate consideration for an experienced student, executed carefully, in the event you missed the chance to redirect and the dog is in hot pursuit? ... Most important question - is this prey drive?] He needs for you to be calm and to teach him what to do instead of chasing. He needs direction and not correction. You are on the right track having someone ride by on a bicycle. However, instead of correcting him after he explodes, redirect him BEFORE he explodes. When he is in an adrenalin state he is all emotional and, in essence, his brain isn't working. You want to redirect him before the explosion. After the explosion is too late. [Good good good] Start with the bicycle moving at a distance and speed at which Milo can still maintain his composure. [The handler must be aware of the dog's thresholds, good.] Each time the bicycle goes by feed Milo something he thinks is to-die-for. (chicken liver, pizza crust, cheese, etc) You want to watch for the moment Milo sees the bicyle come into view and immediately looks at you for the treat. When he does this successfully several times. Move the bicycle closer by 10 to 12 inches and start all over again. If he explodes you've pushed him too far too fast and need to go back a few steps and start over. This will take a long time and you will want to do it in different environments, like at the park and at the neighbor's house, etc. You will also want to vary the speed of the bike, always keeping in mind that if he loses control, you've pushed him too far. [Clear parameters, a plan and how to evaluate progress.] AND CATHYYYYYYYYYY!! From what these people are describing, it sounds like Milo has already gotten FAR too much practice at this bicycle chasing behavior. Although the owner probably doesn't know it, she mentioned one thing that is paramount in curbing this activity. With some guidance and diligent practice, I believe that they can get Milo's behavior under some control -- maybe not all, but it can get much better than it is. ( I'm curious to know what breed of dog this is.... Australian Cattle Dog, BC, Australian Shepherd?) [One would think, wouldn't one? *G*] The statement that she made that is key is, "Wheelbarrows bug him as well, but he seems to be getting used to them, it must be the moving wheel." [Yes, yes, yes!!] The very first thing is get this dog some good exercise on a daily basis. [Exercise! yes! Addressing a basic need that might be missing.] He needs to burn off some of this energy. Running, chasing, and barking furiously are all self rewarding. They also spiral the dog up so to speak so that he can't stop himself once he starts. What I would suggest next is to take away his opportunity to practice. Put up some barrier -- like a tall wooden fence -- so that Milo isn't seeing all those people (probably kids) riding past him, making noise -- now come on, you know it's true, they are laughing, talking, etc. in possible desperate need of herding in his mind. I think that keeping the wheelbarrow in the yard w/o moving is a good start. Maybe the dreaded bicycle too, again without moving. (I think that a clicker would be an excellent tool for this exercise.) Keeping the wb or the bike at a distance that doesn't set him off, have somebody 'slowly' move it a very short few feet. If he doesn't go off, c/t, and if he does, the wb or the bike needs to be further away. The point to start would be where the few feet of moving the wb or bike doesn't set him off. I would increase the few feet first and then little by little, the distance of the dog to the bike or wb. After success in the yard, then slowly move it to the street where all the action is. Just somebody on a stationary bike at first, with them being some distance from the dog. Then the bike starts moving. This is going to take awhile, with some diligent training sessions, with no room for error. He must not get a chance to practice this stuff anymore, and the tugs and sharp reprimands need to stop also. Condition this to the point of when Milo sees a kid riding by on a bike, he runs to Mom or Dad for the fabulous treat he gets, or the favorite toy or ball he gets to play with only when there are people riding by on bikes. [The bike becomes the cue, excellent! Good clear progression for desensitizing the trigger and classically conditioning the appearance of the bike/wb.] Side note: I don't think most people would put in the diligent effort necessary to completely change this behavior, if it is 100% changeable in Milo's case, HOWEVER, I do think that the training effort they DO put in will be rewarded with some degree of success. Basically they really just want the dog to shut up when the world passes him by, hence the strong suggestion of exercise. [Success isn't just in the recommendations, but in the willingness and ability of the handler to follow through with the advice. John Rogerson gives BRILLIANT advice, but how many people REALLY are willing to go to such lengths? Very few.]
Good
behaviorally sound thinking: desensitization and classical conditioning,
coupled with management and teaching an alternative behavior. BEAUTIFULLY
done! The next thing is to weed out the pet owner's drama and get to the facts. "He hates bicycles and will chase bike and rider, barking furiously." "Hates" is impossible to determine. It projects human values on a dog's reaction. For all we know, he "loves" bicycles. What do we know about "furiously"? It's probably loud, explosive, repetitive? Again, the mental state behind the level of barking is unknown. "It scares everyone, including myself." Again, this is HER emotional reaction to behavior she doesn't understand. It could be a very valid gut reaction, or unrealistic panic over some past baggage with a previous dog or fear of the what-if's that accompany such innappropriate dog behavior. It's information - but it isn't the big picture, just part of it. He "chased the bike and rider" which means she lost control of him. That's scary no matter why the dog is running down the street. "I have no idea why the moving bike turns this otherwise placid puppy into a monster." Again, her personal perception. She loves this dog and is panic stricken over what this out of the ordinary reaction for a "normally placid" dog could mean for his and her future. Very valid concern. On a scale of 1-10, he didn't rip anyone off the bike and send them to the hospital ... he made a lot of noise and chased - one time. This isn't a long-standing behavior. He ALSO had trouble with the wheelbarrow "but he seems to be getting used to it" - that's possibly the most important piece of information there. Your primary goal is to uncover what drives the behavior? What's the pay off? My
reply: (I always write my answer
before I get yours) [A.] the sound or motion frightens him and he has discovered that if he chases it, it will "go away" (he's unable to realize that they were going to keep going anyway) and he feels a sense of relief when it does, or [B.] this is an instinctive reaction which is triggered in his spine, not his head. And yes, if it's instinctive chase drive, it could become a car chasing habit, it is self-reinforcing - it's fun, or [C.] it's a power trip - he thinks he owns the street and has the right to run intruders off. Another complication is learned behavior - the initial reaction/response to the stimuli is working and/or has been encouraged by the owner. In either case there is a primary reward in it for the dog: tangible (petting/treats) or emotional (relief, control, status, fun, exercise). The longer the behavior has been going on, the more it is practiced, the harder it will be to change and the longer it will take to change. Long standing, self reinforcing behaviors are the worst. Here are several options : Their initial idea- addressing the option of leash correction. You must precede any well-timed leash correction with a warning phrase: "stop" "ah-ah" "here" "leave it" or whatever phrase is likely to come out of your mouth in a case of emergency. Pick a word and stick with it. You want to say the warning/interruption phrase JUST before he runs out of line. The problem with correction is that the desire is still there and is only reliable as long as the "cop" is present/close enough to enforce the "law". Off leash and out of reach, if it's instinctive he will still enjoy practicing the behavior when he gets the chance and will become sneaky to avoid getting caught. The fall-out, if it's fear based, is that he will be even more afraid of the bike (and more reactive) because now it is paired with an unpleasant consequence every time it appears/he reacts to it. Desensitize. Apparently this IS working with the wheelbarrow - he is getting used to it. Start with a stationary and then VERY slow moving bike and reward for any calm non-chasing behavior in the presence of the stimuli. GRADUALLY increase the speed staying within the dog's ability to successfully remain attentive, relaxed and NOT go into chase mode. If at any point the dog starts to become even slightly aroused, back up to a previous level. Don't go faster or add any element of surprise until the dog is completely relaxed at the previous level of difficulty. The goal is to make the movement/wheel/motion a non-issue. Perhaps eventually you could teach him to trot along next to your bike while you ride. Reinforce for an alternative behavior. Like "watch me" - teach him to come away from the distraction - "leave it"/reward for turning away from the wheels. The appearance of the bike/car/etc becomes the cue to perform the desired behavior - like turn and look at you or run to the porch for a treat. Leadership. If this is a power trip, I'd recommend the Attitude class (people only, dogs stay home) to help outline ways to establish yourselves as more effective leaders. It's your yard, your sidewalk, you get to decide if it's ok that you push wheelbarrows and that bikes, skateboards and cars go by your house. Management is essential. A good solid fence, long line, or leash to keep him far enough away from the street that he doesn't feel stressed or tempted, and never allowing him the freedom to practice and enjoy himself by having a grand time rushing after the imaginary "gazelle" running down his street. PART
TWO: Breed pre-disposition to certain behavior traits is an important piece of a very large puzzle. But to assume a reason and solution for the behavior based totally or even initially on breed might lead you away from finding the real source driving the behavior. When I posted this Q I left the breed/age off intentionally with a plan of part two: to pose the possibility that this is a 5 month old Pitbull, a 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier, a 3 year old Pomeranian, a 5 month old Standard Poodle, a 4 year old Afghan Hound ... how does your reaction to the behavior in question change? Should it? If so, how much should it? How much of a recommendation is personal opinion colored by breed bias, or behavior dismissed by breed favoritism and not determined by behaviorally sound detective work? People are just as apt to cover for "their" breed as they are to blame another unjustly based on reputation. It's human nature. Here are the Ruffian answers to Part Two: Kim
is such an overachiever. MAN I love that! I guess I would want to know age just as much, if not a little more than breed. [Yes!] I
would think that my questioning would go a bit like this: For
the last couple months responses may be something like this Okay, I know I am really tired, but does this make any sense??? I guess the breed aspect is a clue into what some of the motivation may be. Especially if it is family who have gone form owning a Newf to a border collie and say, "My old dog never did this". [I just love how Kim broke this down ... wonderful processing of the variables and addressing the human expectations and realistic projected timeline - in all cases the bottom line use of classical conditioning is the solution, but the details of the situation clarify the important aspects of the plan for the individual dog and owner.] I think knowing the breed involved may help us educate the client as to what that breed was originally intended for and to help them understand what some of the dogs motivation may be and how the level of difficulty overriding the "offending" behavior may be. Difficult, but possible! [Perfectly put!]
Cathy: I would venture to guess that all of us had herding breed running through our minds.... Good test, Carol. That being said, with part 2 of the question being how we would, or if we would alter our advice to someone having this problem with any of the dogs listed: My answer would be yes, of course I would tweak my advice to them. I certainly would try to get more specific information. With the original question, I read it that this dog's behavior was like that many times, with lots of bikes. Yes, I fell into the woman's drama, although having a phone conversation with her, or a face to face meeting, I think I would be able to weed that out --to some extent at least. [Yes, very true. I had the advantage of knowing who I was talking to, her mindset and I had met and worked with the dog. But do we really ever have all the info when questions like these are posed in class? Sometimes we go into their home later and see the big picture and are shocked that it didn't match what we imagined in our head. The hardest part of giving off-the-cuff short answers to questions asked in class is to remember to stick to objective answers that benefit the whole group based on learning theory, not presumptions based on breed or assumed intent or emotional state. (It's a Rottie so it must be territorial - it's a Border Collie, so it must be herding drive -might give you blinders to the real issue.) We must assume nothing. All we really know from what we were given was there was a moving bike, there was barking and chasing, it freaked out the owner.] I think I would really pay attention to the age of the dog before the breed in this instance. Dealing with a 5 month old puppy of any of those breeds I probably wouldn't alter my advice to her too much. I am being very general here, as I think that how the puppy responds to the training and the importance of modifying the game plan accordingly is probably what I would suggest. If, on the other hand, this behavior is being presented by an adult dog, that is going to take more detective work. I would certainly try to find out exactly when this dog first started doing this -- ie. has he done it since he was a puppy, or is this something that he started doing very recently. Also, is this now happening every time there is a bike riding by, or just when a certain person goes by -- if it is also happening to the movement of the wheelbarrow, the dog could be starting to generalize bikes, wheelbarrows, cars, who knows what. Lots and lots of unanswered questions here. To give this woman sound advice, I would want to get some more very pertinent information before giving her a sound place to start, as it could backfire if there was, say..... some sort of traumatic event that resulted in this new behavior. [In a rescue or shelter dog, or an event that happened in the owner's absence, we may never know the source - and it really doesn't matter if we focus objectively on observable behavior and not real or imagined causes. This is where owner assumptions of "he must have been abused" complicate treating behavior issues.] I certainly wouldn't want the dog to become even more sensitized to the moving bike (or other things) as a result of my advice to her. Cathy [Yes! our motto- "first do no harm"! This is why compulsive methods make a mess of "correcting" behavior. They are reacting physically and emotionally to symptoms judged as "bad". Objective, fact based, behaviorially sound advice works - no guilt, no shame, no judgement - thus reducing anger or probability of abuse. Handler defenses might go up if you say "all whatever-breed dogs do that" or you might give them permission to dismiss the behavior as being impossible to change by stating it as "normal" for the breed. The owner can't take it personally if it's just "dog behavior." If we objectively quantify what's going on based purely on observable behavior and not the human reaction to it, and make a plan that reinforces the behavior we DO want, we will get there, safely and without fall-out and much more accurately.] AND LAST, but certainly not least! DANA! There are so many multiple and variable factors involved in diagnosis and treatment of problem behaviours that it's like trying to make two identical spin-art pictures. No two pictures are ever alike - no two dogs are ever alike. I
try not to be breed-biased (although I probably am) And I do say
"yes, it quite common that How does "my" reaction to the behavior in question change? Should it? Yes, It will change my reaction. Differences in age/breed will dictate differences in a training regime. Personally I feel she's overreacting, but I have not witnessed the behaviour so I can only make suggestions based on the owner's reactions and feelings. First and foremost, when dealing with all behaviours, (problem or not) there's always going to be some pieces of missing information; The dog's perception, and until they can talk, we won't know what they think. [Yes, indeed!] Then there's the human side. What I may see as acceptable may be totally unacceptable to the dog owner. When pondering a problem behaviour I go by this: (this is just me) 1
- Does it pose a threat to the safety/life of the dog and/or human.
If the behaviour can't be stopped could the dog lose it's life?
Now we can focus on the dog: Age, breed, sex, environment, temperament, etc. Age and breed pre-disposition is certainly part of the assessment. The 5 month old poodle has a better probability of not learning the chasing habit than does the 5 month old pit; the 'chase the prey' drive of the pit is genetically stronger. The amount of "practice" a dog may have had is also a factor. Habits are hard to break and old habits are sometimes never broken. Either of the two 5 month youngsters may have a better chance of breaking the habit than the 2, 3 and 4 year olds who may be real good at the chasing game. The 2 year old JRT probably harder to re-shape than the pom or the afghan. blah blah blah. Temperament: Is this a sensitive dog and chasing in fear "get away!" Too strong an aversive reaction may be too much and cause more fear and further damage. Is it bossy and chasing the bicycler "Out of my yard you...!" Improper methods could harm the dog (shock collar story). Sex: Intact adolescent male! Older intact male, older neutered male, etc. Factors. Still - overfeed and medicate. [Are we projecting here, or what? *LOL* I think we are having pizza and beer for dinner ...] ARE BREED AND AGE IMPORTANT? Yes, of course they are. The breed and age are essential bits of information to be able to give sound behavior advice for this particular dog. In order to determine the intensity of the behavior and what drives it, knowing the breed and the age of the dog are paramount. It is a very important part of the puzzle, but it isn't the answer or the solution. Additional
comment from Lisa: Kim: I think that age/breed might make a difference. That is what I tried to address in my part 2. I agree with Lisa that we did not have the full picture in the beginning. When I wrote my answer I wanted to know what breed and age the pet was, but went ahead and gave various options that I believed would be successful. Now, if I had a complete picture I may be able to narrow down my suggestions based on other information provided. Triggers, duration of the problem, age of onset, age of dog now, breed, sexual status. Where I think Carol was trying to lead us was to be able to come up with multiple options, because, we are rarely given all of the information. At least in class we do have a couple extra pieces of the puzzle, but maybe not the time to put the puzzle together. Kim Cathy: It sounds like however differently we choose to verbalize our possible solutions to the problem, we all pointed out most of the same things. Like Kim told me, we all attacked it from different angles, but arrive at the same destination. cath Me: *S* Yes, the challenge of part one was to come up with multiple options based on learning theory only. Determining a course of action based on general canine behavior that applies to all dogs regardless of breed/age/knowledge of past history. Part two added the question, would knowing the breed/age (examples given) affect your advice/interpretation of the problem, and if so, how ? When we are dealing with shelter strays and second hand dogs in class of roughly estimated age/uncertain mix of breeds and totally unknown history, all we have is observable behavior and very little else. If we know the breed / age it is one more piece of the puzzle, but not the whole picture. How might different options of breed/age affect your advice was the part two question. The email in question happened to have been a single chase incident of a carefully chosen, very well-socialized, well-bred, temperamentally sound, lovely 5 month old Standard Poodle with a very savvy owner. (The equivalent perhaps of a certain future Belgian Shepherd pup in curly coat. *S*) The question posed: what if it had been the other breeds/ages listed instead? These are brain exercises. *S* The entire goal of this Q of the week was to explore how to deal with unknowns, to explore and be more aware of how breed profiles and assumptions color our perception and enhance or interfere with our advice. -meeeeeeeeeeee Cathy: Kim: The other observation......I thought about this but did not email at the time cuz I would have been up to 18!! She noted he was getting better with the wheelbarrow....What were they doing to work him thru that or was he getting better on his own? I can see why they may have reacted differently to the one time bike thing. Bikes go down the street with strangers on them and can some day "turn into" cars. There is potential danger to dog and human. Plus the embarrassment of a suposedly "really good" dog being an idiot! The wheel barrow is contained in the yard and only mom and dad are around to witness. Elimiates danger to dog/stranger/ and embarrassment. They are probably more relaxed and "Oh paaaleeeees" about it. Just more thoughts. :o/ Lisa: Good God, Kim. How many of these *thoughts* DO you have? You are like the energizer Einstein *G* Me: Is she fabulous or what? *G* Thanks, guys! My goal in this exercise was to remind you to concentrate on behavior FIRST. ALL dogs, from Poms to Pits, act like dogs and respond to behavioral modification within the laws of learning theory. The intensity, instinctive basis driving the response (the trigger) and confidence behind the behavior is breed, age and socialization driven and this information will become part of how you develop your plan of action and relate it to the owner. Regardless of the trigger, you will start and end with the laws of behavior and learning theory. Too often we hear the problem, ask the breed (EVERYone did - including me) and then start with assumptions based on that. We all hesitated at the prospect of trying to come up with a complete solution without knowing what the dog looked like. SO what about Milo? The dog in question is a 5 month old, going to be neutered next week, stunning Standard Poodle puppy. Milo is an incredibly sound tempered, well-bred, well socialized, very friendly puppy. His owner drives him to Spokane from Sandpoint for private clicker lessons. She is a "closet clicker" in a compulsive agility class, cuz it's the only place to train in her town. I'd go the desensitizing route and reinforce an alternate behavior at the same time, regardless of breed or age. Milo is probably heading into his adolescent fear imprint period (hits its peak at 7-9 mo, but often begins at 5-6 and some dogs are alarmed at novel stimuli thru a year of age or longer.) So, as all of our Ruffians wisely noted, the big picture goal is to make bikes and wheelbarrows and shopping carts and cars on the street no big deal, just part of life and teach him an alternative behavior. Clicking for "101 things to do with a wagon" might be fun. Taking him downtown as often as she can to watch cars. Sit in front of the grocery store where the shoppers go in and out. Hang out in front of the bicycle shop. With 5 month old Milo it is essential to think of it as more of a socializing need than a 'correct the future car-chaser' emergency. (And yes, desensitize/teach alternate behavior would be the same recommendation regardless of age or breed.) Because I know this pup and handler, I have great confidence that this is one of those rare individuals who will go above and beyond the call of duty to get through this probably normal stage of her puppy's development. Our goal is to help the pet owner view what happened objectively. Put it in proper perspective without adding fuel to her dramatic interpretation of what happened the day he chased the bicycle. Give advice without adding judgements of "good or bad" to the answer - but describe it clearly in behavioral terms, so the listener can look at it within the framework of learning theory, see the path to change, and dismiss the perception of "placid puppy turned monster" ... *S* The
method and process that went into answering this behavior question
are identical for "he won't sit" or "he barks when
the doorbell rings" ... or ... I hope those of you who didn't
email your answers, took the time to jot your answers down and compare
them to the Ruffians who did. The Q of the week is a terrific learning
op!
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