Does anyone have any suggestions for a dobe with a prey drive beyond reason. First a little history...............she's 16 months old, gets 45 min. of outside time in the morning and evening. That is outside time with me throwing a frisbee or ball. If the weather is bad - we use the treadmill. She also gets a 30 min. session of obedience work (just standard manners type). There are days that she gets all of this and then some but she is still bouncing off the walls.
inkie: That I can handle (mostly). But her desire/need/want/obsession to "chase" things is driving us insane. I won't bore you with the standard things most dogs likes to chase - those are annoying and I'm working to get a handle on them. The one that is a real problem is with insects. Like flies! God forbid one gets in the house! She won't rest. And she's aggressive about it, not aggressive in the usual sense but aggressive to where she's actually moved furniture or knocked me down, trying to get to the "offending creature". It's a full body slam to anything that happens to be in her way. To show how freaked she is with these things, we thought if we made the noise ourselves (zzzzzzzzzzzzzz) she would get used to it. *HA* No desensitizing for her!!! She flips out but charges at our face like "oh god - that buzzzing creature has my mommies mouth". :help_up_2
Of course it was funny at first. But with warm weather arriving it's gotten to be a real issue. Even going for walks, most owners complain about them not heeling - not Widdy. She heels very well -- ahem -- UNTIL.............the first buzz noise and then she's completely zoned out. I've tried treats. I've tried commands (especially "leave it" and "look"). I've tried redirection. I've tried getting in her face. Nothing works. It's like she loses all senses when she thinks there's a bug around!
So I was hoping someone could/would offer an idea I hadn't thought of.
Of course it was funny at first. But with warm weather arriving it's gotten to be a real issue. Even going for walks, most owners complain about them not heeling - not Widdy. She heels very well -- ahem -- UNTIL.............the first buzz noise and then she's completely zoned out. I've tried treats. I've tried commands (especially "leave it" and "look"). I've tried redirection. I've tried getting in her face. Nothing works. It's like she loses all senses when she thinks there's a bug around!
So I was hoping someone could/would offer an idea I hadn't thought of.