How can I stop my dog barging into us?

[Fivefour]

Our greyhound is 3 years old. He's blind in one eye (someone did it to him before he came to us) so he's a bit clumsy anyway. However, he's always pushing past us and barging through. It's annoying in the house but not a huge problem. The difficulty comes when we're out in the park.
He really enjoys running around and is generally well behaved but he sometimes knocks into me when running past if we're walking along the path. It's worse for my children though as obviously they're smaller and can be knocked over.
I don't think it's deliberate barging, just he's excited, big and clumsy.
Any suggestions what I can do about it would be gratefully received.

[quoteunquote]

Ok,

You have already found the problem,

lots of one eyed dogs do not bump into things, I've had blind dogs that don't,

you will have to work as a pack(family) team on this, everyone as with all dog pack training have to do the same, consistence is always the key in dog training.

However, he's always pushing past us and barging through. It's annoying in the house but not a huge problem

Yes it is a huge problem as he doesn't realise it is unacceptable, It has to be unacceptable everywhere, it will be easier for him to understand if it is unacceptable everywhere,

when you come home or are leaving home do you make him sit while all the other pack(family) members go through the door?

You must do this, it really important message, he must know to wait for all who are superior to himself within the pack to proceed before he can move on, once given command,

If he does push pass you anywhere ,you must make him come back, sit and wait, EVERY time, if you do this consistently he will get the message eventually(given it is a greyhound it won't be instant),

when you are out and about and he knocks into someone, he must instantly lose his freedom for at least 10 min. recall and put on lead, repeat each and every time he knocks into anyone,

You do feed the dog after all other pack members have eaten?
You don't hand feed?
you don't allow upstairs?
You don't allow on furniture?

It's essential that the dog decides that he is going to make an effort to be aware, at the moment he has no reason to make that a priority, once he has put it to the top of his list of important things to remember, he will no longer knock into humans, at the moment he has no intention to make an effort,

He should be very conscious of his place in the pack(bottom), if he is knocking into the children he is not, you must take that seriously.

[Fivefour]

Brilliant! Thanks so much, I reckon you've cracked it there.
He is a bit rubbish with doorways, we'll be working on that straightaway!
To answer your questions: Yes he eats after us, no we don't hand feed and he's not allowed upstairs or on furniture.
Thanks again.

[quoteunquote]

Yes he eats after us, no we don't hand feed and he's not allowed upstairs or on furniture.

good, it's always hard to explain to people why that matters so much from the K9's point of view.

once he has learnt that he must consider humans when moving through space in the home environment, his external spacial awareness will increase.

[Flatbread]

Quote, what is wrong with hand feeding? I do that with my dogs a lot. I really enjoy it, they seem to love it too. Plus it allows for some additional training of sit, wait etc.

[toboldlygo]

headdesk

There is no pack. These are not wolves. The dog is not out to dominate the family.

Fair enough if you want to teach that dogs wait at doorways, don't go upstairs, eat after humans etc. if it suits you and your family but the dog will not interpret this as part of some higher plan.

Hand feeding is an excellent method of dog training (dog's food ration is put into pockets, used as 'treats' throughout the training session or day for wanted behaviour).

[toboldlygo]

-headdesk-, rather.

[Scuttlebutter]

Fivefour, Quote is unfortunately advocating training methods which are based on a completely outdated view of dominance, using so called "status reduction" techniques. As such, they are complete twaddle, and will make no difference at all to how your greyhound sees, which is the root of this issue. this

I would suggest going back to your vet and asking for a referral to a specialist in optical issues. They will be able to explain to you exactly what your greyhound can see, the restrictions in his sight and how your dog is perceiving the world and his place in it. Breeds of dogs vary in terms of how much binocular vision they have (depending on the location of their eyes in the shape of their skull) - greyhounds with two eyes will have about 75 degrees, less than some other breeds, though of course they are brilliant at seeing things moving a long way straight ahead of them.

We've got greyhounds, and they absolutely will not run into you unless they have badly misjudged distance or we suddenly move - as they are going so fast, it is therefore impossible for them to change direction at the last minute.

Most greyhounds find sitting a physically very uncomfortable posture - no reputable behaviourist or owner would ask a greyhound to do this, especially on a hard surface. Some smaller ones can, but larger hounds, especially if they have big thighs find it almost impossible. I've done my Bronze, Silver and Gold with one of our hounds, and in class tutor was happy for hound to remain standing or to go into a down.

It's rare for me to agree with anything Flatbread says, but I also see nothing wrong with hand feeding - particularly when combined with training. Again, this is a key part of training classes.

Completely agree that your greyhound can be trained to have nice manners in the house (waiting to go out, no bouncing or barging) but this has nothing to do with dominance (or his eyesight) and everything to do with a nicely trained dog is simply much easier to live with.

By the way, do come over to the greyhound thread (A New Cushion for Pointies) - lots of sighthound owners there who will happy to welcome you.

[Flatbread]

Dogs, at least the ones I know, do form hierarchies. It is more obvious when there are three or more.

I imagine most pack animals form some type of hierarchy, otherwise it would be chaos. A bit like a company or a family with no clear leadership or rules.

[MagratGarlik]

Dogs form hierarchies with other dogs, but this is not the same as their relationship with humans.

[toboldlygo]

Ditto Magrat. Dogs have a pecking order amongst themselves (a pack, if you will) but this is nothing like their relationship with humans.

[stleger]

Is he running with other dogs? I have a whippety cross foxy type dog who forces his mates to chase him, and every so often runs into my knees. It seems to be part of his game.

[CakeMeIAmYours]

Hasn't pack theory been discredited?

[CakeMeIAmYours]

Ah, must read all replies before posting

[Flatbread]

Why? If they form packs with each other, how do you know that they don't apply the same same thinking to humans?

[CakeMeIAmYours]

Well, the people who carried out the research have actually admitted they were mistaken - Dogs do realise that Humans aren't dogs, so don't form the same hierarchy with us as they do with other dogs.

[toboldlygo]

Because they are a lot brighter than you are giving them credit for and know that we are not dogs?

The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson is an essential read, IMO.

[Flatbread]

Anyway, this argument is not going to go anywhere productive. But in my family at least, dh and I are the pack leaders and the dogs follow our lead.

We don't subscribe to dominance theory, just common sense and an observation of how our dogs behave with us, other humans and other animals.

I think quote offered good advice. You are free to offer any other suggestions without being zealots about it.

[Flatbread]

Look, you may be uncomfortable with hierarchy. But dogs are not. They feel comfortable with boundaries and knowing their place in the pack.

If that bothers you, it is really your problem. Sit on the sofa with your dog, holding hands and share popcorn or whatever. My dogs, and I am sure loads others here, are well behaved, balanced dogs because they know their place in the pack, and that they come below us in the leadership chain and need to obey our commands, not visa versa.

Any structure with a number of living beings in it needs an hierarchy. Otherwise it is chaos.

[toboldlygo]

My dogs have clear boundaries and do as I command (within reason) - I'm just under no illusion that it's because I eat my dinner in front of them and don't let them on the furniture.

[Flatbread]

There you go, do what ever signals to your dog your leadership position.

For my dog, who goes through the door is a very big thing. I make sure I do, and she waits for me. It is good manners and reinforces boundaries.

BTW, who eats first is not only a dog thing, it signals top dog even in the human world. In many parts of the world, men used to eat first, to signal their superiority to women. So yes, while it might seem stupid, I don't think it is a meaningless symbol.

[Flatbread]

Who goes through the door first, I mean

[squids]

I have a dane, he is the least dominant sweetest most submissive well behaved boy. He is clumsy for no obvious reason but we think he didn't get to run free until we got him. He hits things, us, trees, the other dogs.

My bitch has told him repeatedly and noisily that she is not impressed. He hasn't improved, don't think he can! Am sure he would stop hitting trees if he could. He is dim I suppose, if hours is half blind he probably can't change either.

Manners round doors matter, who goes first not a jot. Mine are trained to go first then wait. It's the training that matters, whatever you teach well they get more responsive.

[squids]

Sorry ... if yours is half blind...

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I eat at midnight, feeding the dogs after myself would be pretty fucking hard, as they need time to poop before bed, after supper and there is no way in hell I am waiting up until god knows what time, for them to do that.

They still get off the sofa when I ask them to. They still go into sit and wait the instant I touch their leads. They still sit before I put their food down.

They also sleep on my bed, sit on my sofas and curl up on my lap and are hand fed treats when I am being nice.

They do seem to have some kind of structure amongst themselves, but this is changable. For instance, the terrier has recently claimed the whippet's bed for himself, when previously he was not allowed within spitting distance of it, without her attacking him. She is now in charge of the special chair.

[ceres]

"My dogs, and I am sure loads others here, are well behaved, balanced dogs because they know their place in the pack, and that they come below us in the leadership chain and need to obey our commands, not visa versa."

my dog is also a well behaved, balanced dog. he is fed whenever is most convenient for us, sometimes before we eat, sometimes after. he is often hand fed. he is allowed on the furniture and sleeps on the bed. going through doors - depends who gets there first. he is well trained and does what he is told.

your dog is not a wolf and dominance theory is outdated. you have simply trained your dog to fit the theory.