fearful pup

Question
Karen I really hope you can help I hav an eight month old mini schnauzer from 3 months of age I paid a dog walker to exercise him I now think this was a big mistake he has become fearful of every one we meet when out walking him he shows this through barking and going out of control on the lead to the point I just cant handle walking him. It became apparent that th dog walker had been placing him in the back of a van with five other dogs not in cages. All the exercise he was given was off the lead even though he has no recall ability. I have now hired a lady to walk him during the day whilst I am at work she walks him on the lead and is trying to lead train him, she says he is displaying fearful aggresion. In the house I have to keep the blinds closed because if he sees someone pass the house he barks and will not stop please help any advice. Thanks

Answer
This may not be fear aggression as schnauzers are very territorial. But whatever it is, he needs some training, which he apparently has not had. Get him into some good training classes ASAP, and keep him there for several months. Work with him every single day. Also start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with him. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm You need to learn to be alpha to the dog.

Most schnauzers don't like water, so get yourself a spray bottle that you can set to shoot a stream of water. When he barks, spray him in the face with a stream of water as you tell him in a stern voice to "BE QUIET!". When he quiets, immediately tell him in a happy, upbeat voice that he is a "GOOD BOY; GOOD QUIET!" You could even give him a small treat when he quiets down, if he is food-motivated. Take both bottle and treats with you on your walks. If the water doesn't work, you could switch to diluted (50/50) Bitter Apple, but you must be careful not to get that in his eyes. I would just spray it in the area of his mouth. (For treats, I use my dog's own kibble... just taking a large handful... or two... out of his daily ration when I am training.)

Another thing that works for some barking dogs is the citronella collar. When the dog barks, he causes the collar to shoot a nasty spray up into his face. Some schnauzers are too smart for this collar, however, and they will grit their teeth and start barking non-stop until they have emptied the citronella. A friend of mine has an old-lady rescue schnauzer who does just that. In your case, it might be worth a try.