# Long line training for teen viz aggression towards owner



## piajames85 (Jul 11, 2021)

Hi everyone, 

I haven’t been on here for so long! Our 19 month old boy was doing pretty well. Loves playing with other dogs and crate trained. We noticed a few months ago his behaviour with me, the Mum, changed mainly when we were out on off lead walks.
We would be standing or walking with a group of other dog owners and dogs and it would be time to go. I was tell him we were going now or get the lead out and he will just instantly switch into attack mode. Jumps up at me, barks and bites my arm of clothes really roughly. It didn’t happen all the time and was told he is probably over stimulated. I don’t work school holidays so had 6 weeks off with him which was great and he barely attacked me but the past month since going back to full time work, he literally attacks me every walk off line. Every now and Then he will do it to his dad but rarely. 
I told our dog walking who trains v’s and we did a long line training session yesterday but my v is a completely different dog around him, behaves and does what ever he asks. As soon as I took him for awalk in the fields afterwards with his new long line on, he chased theball for a bit then cracked the shits and started attacking me. I did my best following the new steps but my dog is so stubborn, when I’m standing on the line so that he can’t jump up at me, he would rather did a hole or eat grass then sit and reset.
He was neutered 2 months ago and definitely jumps me less. 
Basically, I’m wondering if anyone on here has had the same issue? Feeling disheartened with this long line and hoping it will work in time but right now I feel that I have no real bond with my boy!
Thanks x


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

You have a smart teenage dog. He is basically just seeing how far he can push you. Of course he will act better with the trainer, that is not uncommon. He has no history of getting by with this behavior with the trainer, and trainers have better timing than most of us owners.


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## rchik43 (Apr 12, 2020)

> >he will just instantly switch into attack mode. Jumps up at me, barks and bites my arm of clothes really roughly. It didn’t happen all the time and was told he is probably over stimulated ..


Sounds my my Male V ( 2 year old). He seems to do it around 30 -45 minutes into a walk...or sometimes while hiking in the woods etc. There are even certain spots on the walk he seems to do it at. I think, yes, over stimulated. @Gabica had suggested something to me a while back, which usually works well, to snap him out of it...distract him with something, throw a bumper, ball...or sometimes I just 'Who's THAT!!'., like a saw something...and it switches his focus away from the rough play. Sometimes ...I take some kibble/treats...and throw it into the grass and say 'Go find it'...and he starts sniffing around and gets busy with that. Even if he is on a leash ..you can throw these distractions right by you. He probably gives off some signals that he is about to get into this mode, so try do these distractions before he gets into full-on rough play.

Back up plan...if it does not work...carry a squirt gun and send a stream to his face...and disrupt the play, he will most likely stop. After a couple of times he will probably stop this. No sense getting bruised over this. I have been there. I used an e-collar to train him on stronger recall in the woods, and the way I use it is...I say 'Here' , he will most likely come back...but if not, I say 'No " and then stim him ( correction) right after. While I was only using the e-collar for recall, he started associating the NO...with a stronger correction and started complying better in other situations/commands too....so, if he starts getting a bit crazy and I need him to cut it out, I say NO...and most likely he will stop. One other thing...its a strange observation with mine...sometimes on hikes he does that, I think when he is thirsty...These dogs are so full of life!!!

The post title says Aggression...I feel that this is not aggression...he is just playing rough. I think its a pretty common theme for them to play rough...even when he plays with other dogs, he tends to be rough...so he ends up playing with only some dogs that can match that. 

Also, I think he is doing all this with you and not the trainer...because he is very comfortable and secure around you..so he is pushing you ( like @texasred mentioned).


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## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

+1 for "teenager syndrome". Ellie is turning 2 this month, she has been testing us. Things like jumping and nipping our clothes like when she was a early puppy, then lets dig a hole in the garden where she knows she's not allowed to. We just went back to basics. I like @rchik43 's idea of carrying a squirt bottle as a reinforcing tool for "NO" or whatever similar word or sound you use. We used a squirt bottle with great effect to break Ellie's counter surfing habit and mulch eating early on. I'd say an e-collar would also work when out off leash but I believe with your locale that may not be an option.


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## Bud D (10 mo ago)

Our Buddy would play on lead and then attack me he was about 6 months. Basically, it was scary. On reading older V formum posts, Gabica mentioned using a squirt gun to squirt her dog in his face when he acted this way. **IT WORKED FOR ME ** He no longer acts this way.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

Bud D said:


> Our Buddy would play on lead and then attack me he was about 6 months. Basically, it was scary. On reading older V formum posts, Gabica mentioned using a squirt gun to squirt her dog in his face when he acted this way. **IT WORKED FOR ME ** He no longer acts this way.


I am glad it worked for you, but I cannot remember ever using that method myself... I am actually the anti-squirt method type, I want my dogs to associate water coming from a device I am holding towards them as positive. mine are great with eating even when in stressful competition situations, but lesser so with dinking... so I tend to carry with me for those type of occasions a squirt bottle to ensure they keep getting hydrated and avoid me having to force drink them.


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## Bud D (10 mo ago)

I'm so sorry Gabica, I thought it was your post. But it did work. He has settled down and become very gentle which is great. He loves the water and swims often in our pool.


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