Reactive boxers in agility?

[larrygs]

I am curious about those who have reactive boxers and their success in agility. Layla is leash reactive plus she gets even more aroused with all the commotion and energy level at agility competition. I know some just manage around it. However, I don't want her stressed, plus it isn't any fun for me either.

I am currently working with behaviour trainer and making really good progress. The goal is for her to be near or walk past screaming, staring, and/or barking dogs without reacting to such provocation. I think this is particularily difficult for boxers.

I am wondering if others with reactive boxers have actually succeeded with retraining enough to confidently walk around in the agility environment. I consider the training we are doing to be a life skill that pays off in many ways so it will continue. However am I fooling myself? Is it really possible to get to the point of calmly participating in agility competition?

 

[johann]

Not in agility, but i know quite a few people who compete in rally and obedience with very, very dog reactive and borderline aggressive dogs. They do a lot of "doggie transport treating".....shoving a really yummy treat in front of the dog's face and leading thru whatever dogs they need to get by.

Johann isn't too leash reactive anymore, but he was in the past. He's now pretty good at ignoring barking/staring dogs with a brief reminder tap (literally a fingertip tap on his forehead) from me. A dog that's really snarking and lunging towards him will get a reaction from him.....I've been known to pick him up (all 90 lbs of him) and carry him a few feet to safety.

It seems promising that you're noticing such progress from her with the training. This type of reaction seems like it takes a lot of repetitions of calmness to re-train them into not reacting. Good luck with Layla.

 

[BendyBoxers]

I've noticed in Obedience training that there are quite lot of aggressive or what I guess you would call 'Fear Aggressive' dogs.. it's really sad.
All I can say is that I am teaching Dexter that the Obedience building itself is a 'fun' place. I bring him there on 'off' days and use the building for playing games, while there is open agility practice going on. That way he habituates to the sounds and sights etc of the yelling, barking, and booming that goes around over there and in his mind associates it with playing ball AS WELL as 'Obedience Training'.
I sort of scan the environment and try as best I can to anticipate when a dog is going to be reactive or bark/ lunge. I then try to time my Clicker and/ or Dexter's ball (I bring his squeaky ball, his One and Only, to Obedience for positive association and to bring out his enthusiasm.. seems to have worked).. if I time it just right, the squeaker or clicker has DRAMATICALLY reduced his startle and/or negative response- sometimes to ZERO. I can sometimes, if I catch it early enough, do a 'Watch Me', then have him hold it while the other dog is having it's 'issues'.
If all else fails, I guess cheerfully do a recall in the opposite direction? I'm obviously against any 'corrections' for the dog reacting.. because they feel threatened- and sometimes rightfully so. They just need to learn to place total trust in their handler IMO.

 

[larrygs]

We have been working on the reactivity issue and felt we were making good progress. We are working toward a pretty low threshold. She is to remain relaxed, is certainly expected to look at dogs, but not begin taking more than a casual interest in them. I know, this is really expecting a lot. However, she needs to develop self control and confidence all is ok.

I started this thread after one of our agilty classes. We began the class really well. However, some other dogs were misbehaving. Layla got more and more curious and energized to join in. So we left the class after only one run, feeling somewhat discouraged after all the work we have put in. Afterwards I was thinking of not wasting more time by going to the last class of this series, as well as dropping out of agility.

So we end up going to the last class anyway with low expectations. Of course this time Layla did absolutely great. Completely relaxed, ignoring the other dogs, and did great on the course. Since she is a boxer, I think it is her plan to drive us nuts.

 

[DiverDiva]

You could look at the book "Contol Unleashed" by Leslie McDevitt. I am using that approach with Mali. The instructor in Mali's agility class also uses ideas from Susan Garrett's "Crate Games". We started with all dogs in crates and one at a time out working. Now all the dogs are out of their crates on leashes and one at a time works on the sequence. We are now working on moving the dogs from hard crates to soft crates and eventually to their own mat.

Mali may never be calm enough to be able to compete in a trial but she can weave like a border collie, so different from Oscar, who struts the weaves like he's in a parade!

 

[larrygs]

LOL, I got a visual of Oscar on parade. That is similar to Layla's style. Instead of being low and driving through, she sort of bounces, high stepping past each pole, very proud of herself. Of course, when she misses a pole, she knows something isn't right and trying to figure it out.

I did read Control Unleashed and believe it is a great book. It helped, but after several trials I realize we needed more than I got from reading a book. Fortunately, I met someone at a trial who also had a reactive dog but was still successful at competing. She directed me to a trainer who does behaviour work for reactivity. I was skeptical at first given what we were doing at the beginning. However am a believer now.

We have entered an AKC trial for this weekend. We'll see how it goes. Our focus is really on the behaviour training, realizing the real payoff are life skills. Yesterday we were able to calmly walk loose leash into a busy Petsmart. Such a simple thing, except for those of us with reactive dogs.

 

[DiverDiva]

Good luck!

Are you competing in the trial in Alpharetta? One of my friends is competing there with his two shelties. There is also another guy on the boxer agility forum, from Georgia, who has a white Boxer named Georgia. I don't know if he is competing this weekend, but keep an eye out for fellow Boxers!

I am going to Atlanta this weekend to run the marathon, but I just can't work out a way to go see that agility trial.

 

[Velveteen]

Looking forward to hearing your progress!! Our 3 year old is currently at Level 2 obedience, we are working towards taking the agility class. She can be a bit of a scaredy cat, concerned (overly ) about unusual objects or strange noises. I take her on a lot of errands, into dog stores, walking thru the center of town, and she is definitely getting better, ie no longer walking so crouched down!

At the same time, she is also dog obsessed and wants to go up to every dog, barking, snarling, scared or not. She normally just wags her tail at them, but we've had a couple near disasters... i.e., she's on a leash outside someone's house, and their two boxers let themselves out of the screen door and ran up to her aggressively, snarling, barking, and putting their paws/jumping all over her. Amazingly, she DID NOT react to this because I think if she did, there would've been a serious dog fight! I've never heard/seen her growl or show her teeth to another dog.

Anyway, I can't wait to try agility with her and see if I can get her to jump thru hoops and weave without crouching or running up to other dogs. Please keep us posted on what works for you!

 

[larrygs]

Diverdiva, I hope you did well at the marathon and enjoyed Atlanta! Yes, we were at the trial in Alpharetta. I think there were 6 boxers competing, which was really great to see. I am pretty sure I have met your friend. Those with boxers in agility is a small and supportive group.

All, we really have come a long way reducing the reactivity. Much more to do, yet I was reflecting how much less stressed both Layla and I were during the entire event.

As far as our performance, ..... well Layla had great fun in the ring and was a real crowd pleaser. On the first event, she decided to do a boxer burn at high speed over obstacles of her choosing. The second, a JWW, we did really good, smooth and quick with everything except weaves. We actually received several complements afterwards. On the third event, she did a boxer burn again. She wouldn't stop so I went to pick up her leash at the start jump. She proabably thought I was leaving and raced back, made a high soaring leap over the jump, sliding to a stop in front of me, happy as could be, gaining the laughter and cheers from all there but one.

I wasn't really mad given my goals. I also got some great advice later from someone who also has a reactive dog. She has learned to read the signals and noticed Layla had been distracted at the start by a dog practice jumping in her line of sight. Couple that with the fact a West lunged and started snapping at her right before we got in the ring. She didn't respond to the Westie, which was great, but I bet both were on her mind. I am recognizing some of her antics is really just blowing off tension. So we will continue to work on it.

LOL, it is getting to the point where people watch to see just to see which Layla will show up. BTW, others with boxers had there own share of burns this weekend. I was reminded it was the first day of spring.

 

[DiverDiva]

SO CLOSE! I almost got to the trial. I was staying with marathon running buddies who are also friends of my friend (also a marathon runner) who entered his two shelties in the trial. We were at the marathon expo and were planning to head over to the trial but it was getting late and I was unable to reach our friend at the trial because he left his cell phone in the car. Since we didn't know if he was still there they weren't too excited about going to the trial if they might not get to see his dogs run.

I'm so glad you achieved some of your goals. It's not always about getting a qualifiying run. Sometimes we have to take smaller victories, but if we are still improving, it's all good. My two mantras:

If only one of you is having fun, it better be the dog.

Now I know what we need to work on!