cordeliandemon wrote:we had a rough start and hes only now started to build a bond with me in the past 2 or 3 weeks (finally starting to settle down and ask for cuddles without constantly trying to gnaw on me/growl when he gets uncomfortable)
With this new information, his pulling toward cars behavior may be that he either doesn't trust his environment, doesn't trust you, or both. This is not meant to be a slam... Work on relaxation protocols (i.e. place or base) at home and outside the home . He needs to understand that he can control his reactions to the environment. Place/base help that...a lot. And don't force cuddles. Not all dogs are cuddlers...some dogs require more personal space than others and if you force the issue it causes stress and stress builds. Place/base is a really good way for him to realize and understand that he does, in fact, have his own personal space (besides a crate) where he can be part of the family, but can also be left alone and evaluate the environment.
cordeliandemon wrote:i cant help but get the feeling this behavior is stemming from a recent and disastrous trip to a trainer for a "behavioral consultation" pre-obedience training. literally everything that could have gone wrong this man managed to fabricate into being.
I would say that this is probably not the case since it just involves cars. If he were exhibiting aggressive or fear/aggressive behaviors in more than this part of his existence, maybe. But I don't think that this is what you have.
Prong collars. Like Lisa, I use one with Tyson. However, that being said, be VERY careful. If you use a prong incorrectly, you can actually exacerbate things and make the problem worse. I am still of the mindset that you somehow need to condition him to the cars without using a correction right now.
You said that this car thing unavoidable because of your proximity to the road. Can you do some exercises with him at the end of your driveway? For instance:
1) Walk to the end of your driveway (or someplace relatively near to the road, but close to home) with him on leash keeping him fully engaged with you with either a favorite toy or treat. (There is usually at least one thing that a dog will go bananas for and forget what's going on around him...cheese, liver, peanut butter, a ball, a rope, etc). It may take some trial and error, but find that one thing that he goes bonkers for and use that for this type of training only so that this special treat doesn't become a norm.
2) Put him in a sit and practice basic stuff (sit, down, recall, etc). He might be able to work through the car thing if he is "working" himself. If you see/hear a car coming them make sure you are working him with his focus on you and back towards the road (balance the pressure).
3) Do several repetitions of basics and even if no cars come during this time walk back to the house (again, keeping him engaged on you). Do this several times a day.
The key here is to keep him engaged with you the entire time from the time you leave your front door until the time you get to your training spot and then until you return home. These dogs love to work (even if that work is training) and if you can get his brain moving in that direction it will help. It will also help to build trust and a bond between you two.
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