behavior when she sees people

Question
HI, I hope you can give some insight. I have a 1 yr old pit-chesap mix, she is spayed,dew claws removed(had 2 sets on the rear paws),& micro-chipped. She eats Purina Pro Plan, 3 cups twice a day. My husband brought her home when she was 4 months old, a lady working the front end of the hotel gave her to him( she didn't want her), my husband is a softie when it comes to animals.
Anyway, Roxy seems to have issues when around people, it's not that she is aggressive but the fact that she seems to lose all control. Roxy will jump on people not only out in public ,also at home (even if we 've only been out of sight 2 sec.), and nipping at us. She has pulled me down several times while walking and just seeing people working in their yards. It's as though she has to have everyone's attention (like she has ADHD). Roxy is 80lbs.& I love to walk her and I hope that she likes it too, but this behavior is quite annoying and scary, I am scared that she may hurt someone accidentally. Other than this problem she listens quite well except for when around other people.  

Thank you in advance,
Concerned Cathy  

Answer
Hi, Cathy. The problem with your dog is that she has never had her obedience training proofed around distractions (ie: other people). What do you do when she jumps on people, starts nipping, or tries to pull you towards other people in their yards? What kind of collar do you use to walk her? What commands does she know and obey at home? Have you ever taken her through an obedience class? I believe that doing that will greatly help her and you, both, because the class setting will teach her that she still has to listen to you even though there are exciting things going on around her, and OTHER PEOPLE!! LoL

I would advise against doing group classes in pet stores. Often, the trainers have little experience and a pet store is much too stimulating for a dog, especially one like yours! I would recommend that you look in the yellow pages under Dog Training and call every dog trainer listed. Explain the issues you are having, and ask about their training methods, how long they've been in business, how many dogs they have personally trained, etc. Ask about price last. What you want is a basic/beginner's obedience class.

If you do not already have one, I would recommend that you get your dog a prong collar. If she is pulling you down, then whatever you are using is not appropriate. What if she pulled you down and you fell into the street?! A prong collar will allow you to be able to control her better without fighting her or jerking your shoulders out of joint! I would suggest that you get a size medium, and take a look at http://www.leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm to see how the collar should fit on your dog's neck. I do not recommend 'choke chains,' slip collars, or head halters for training purposes.


There is no reason you cannot walk your dog without worrying about her jerking you off your feet to go say hello to someone. She is very capable of learning to control herself. You just have to teach her how! Unfortunately, I cannot type out all the stuff you will need to do, because it would likely take up 20 pages or more. The best thing I can recommend is to find a local trainer you are comfortable working with, and train train train! Once you have her respect, she will be much more likely to listen to you in public.



On another note, I would like to touch briefly on her diet. You said you feed her Pro Plan, 3 cups twice a day. Did you mean that you feed her 3 cups twice a day, or that you feed her a total of 3 cups daily, split into two feedings? If you are feeding her 3 cups twice a day, you are overfeeding her by nearly 100%! You said she's 80 pounds, which is grossly overweight if her body type is more like a pitbull, but not quite so bad if she's more like a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. One way to know is to run your hands along her sides. Can you feel her ribs underneath the skin, or do you have to push in with your fingertips to feel them? Look at her from above; does she have a defined waist, behind her ribcage and before her hips? What about from the side; is there a 'tuck up' between her ribcage and back legs? Could you e-mail a picture of her to me at blueridgerescue@gmail.com? I'd love to see her!

Additionally, please take a minute to read the information at http://dogfoods.angelfire.com You may want to consider putting your dog on something a little better than ProPlan. ;^)


Good luck, and please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!