Dog pitch a fit

[Kendall Aliza]

So I posted in here about my dog latching onto my leg, likes he going to hump it, everytime I walk him down my hill. Anyway, I've been making him go into a sit and maybe do another trick everytime I feel like its about to happen.
I decided to take Shadrak for quick walk about two hours ago and he attempts do the grabbing onto my leg business. I tell him no and set him down (he had latched himself around my leg) I told him to sit and gave him a treat for doing so. As I am about to go back to us walking down the hill, he does it again! When I set him down and tell him to sit this time he pitches a fit. Trying wrestles with me and seemingly almost trying to bite me!!!!! I end up grabbing the back of his kneck(not very hard) to keep him off me and I put him in my car. I leave him in there for about 10 mins (he likes being in my car and its cool out so this is not cruel btw). I am thinking that we can go back about our walk now that he has had some time to calm down. But I was WRONG! He does the exact same thing except he pitches more of a fit this time and I honestly think he meant to bite me! So I grab the back of his neck, to keep him off me again, and he settles down a little at this point. So I start making him do downs and stays, etc,. before I try to walk him back inside because I dont want him trying to do this to me for a thrid time.
After we get in the house I go out back and play a game of fetch with him and run around with him and then we do some more basis obedience work and then a game of tug. Now he is, of course, passed out but I am beside myself! What is going on!??
Here are some new things we've done lately that might be related(?):
started sleeping in my bed about a week ago
stopped taking steriods he was on. he was taken off slowly though.
went to a dog park today, first time. nothing bad happened while there.
he wasnt listening to me at the dog park, too much going on
we are on NILIF but I dont do it for attention and he has started getting a little more demanding of attention (hes start nudging me and putting his nose in my lap)
hes 12 1/2 months

Sorry for such a long post, but I am really concerned. What should I do if he pitches another fit again? Just telling him no is not going to work. Did I do the right thing by grabbing the back of his neck??? I am worried that this is goign to keep escalating.

[Kendall Aliza]

I feel like by having to grab him, if you will and put him down made the situation worse. I think it made him more aggressive and trying to wrestle with me. But I had no choice because I had to get him off my leg. Hes due for a nail clipping and his dew claw was tearing me up. When I was putting him into the sits and what not I was rewarding him btw.

[Casey Laurie]

I'd take him off the bed and include attention in the NILIF program for him until he gets through this. It sound like you have a rowdy teenager on your hands and he is testing limits. Is he neutered?

[Kendall Aliza]

Yeah I am thinking that hes just testing my limits. Do you think I handled it correctly? What should I do differently next time? Yes he is neutered, though it was done a little late at about 8-9 months.

[Casey Laurie]

I honestly couldn't tell you if it was the right thing or not, but I think all that we and anyone else can expect of us is to do the best we can with what we've got. You used your knowledge and skills to do what you felt was best at the time. If there is a better way, then hopefully someone with more experience can show you what to do next time.

[Monique Shimm]

Perhaps you just need a bit more information. You said that he does this on the hill near your home. Perhaps you can enlist the help of a friend to walk your dog with you beside them. On the hill, does he attempt to do the same thing to you or the person holding the leash? What if you stood further away, does he lunge to get to you to do the same? Maybe if someone else was holding your dog, you can more easily see his body language - and see what your dog is doing and when the behavior starts. And then maybe you can start treating him when he does appropriate behavior. You can wait until he sits or lays down or just ignores you because he can't get to you. Then you can treat.

The problem seems to be that you can't control the situation ie. keep him off of you. Once you control his access to you then you can start decreasing the distance between you and your dog. If you can't find a friend, then you'll need to hire a trainer or maybe hire a dog walker. Worth a try.

Also practice all the commands that you are giving him away from the hill. Then start decreasing the distance from the hill... You can start noticing when is he more compliant. Don't wait for him to start jumping all over you... then it's too late. An advisor may be able to give you more specific advice. But try that in the meantime.

[Frances Grady]

yicks i feel your pain

[Luciann]

well the late in life getting him neutered i doubt makes a difference. My male chi just got neutered at the age of 2 yo, but he was about 6 months old that he tried for a shot time to hump my leg, he does not try now nor does he get inquisitive at night time, since he and my female sleep in the bed with me.

I would think first putting him off the bed is a start and definitely add the attention to the NILIF program.

you worry that how you handled it was wrong, I think that is the wrong way to look at it. I have learned we do things that we know to do to stop a behavior, think of it as getting alternative ways to handle it.

but you also hear that the humping is a domance action, and i wonder if that might be part of the test he is putting you through?

[Renee Premaza]

Hi again Kendall,

When you say you "put him down", does that mean you're forcing him to lie down? Are you doing what is called a "dominant down?"

You also said that you grabbed him by the back of his neck. Have you done this before? If so, maybe that is why he's hating his collar.

I'm going on sketchy information here, but it does sound like he's in desperate need of leadership from you. First of all, put him on his own bed to sleep and avoid putting him on your bed.

Please read the NILIF article we have on file here and implement it to the letter. Consistency is extremely important, especially when you have a dog that is in the throws of adolescence. Does he behave this way with anyone else in your family or are you his only owner?

You said, " I am thinking that we can go back about our walk now that he has had some time to calm down. But I was WRONG! He does the exact same thing except he pitches more of a fit this time and I honestly think he meant to bite me! So I grab the back of his neck, to keep him off me again, and he settles down a little at this point. So I start making him do downs and stays, etc,. before I try to walk him back inside because I dont want him trying to do this to me for a thrid time. After we get in the house I go out back and play a game of fetch with him and run around with him and then we do some more basis obedience work and then a game of tug. Now he is, of course, passed out but I am beside myself! What is going on!??"

Why did you feel you had to take him out to play after coming home? It sounds almost like this was a "manic" day for everyone. When you came home, I would have given him some nap time. Many times when a dog becomes completely obnoxious, it's because he's flat out tired. Giving a dog a quiet, non-punishing timeout can work wonders to calm him down.

BTW, humping is not always a sexual behavior. A dog can hump because he's overly excited and aroused about something, and humping can be a displacement behavior (something he does to make himself feel better until whatever is bothering him goes away). I worked with a dog who went and humped pillows everytime a guest came over. This was the way he calmed himself down.

You might want to keep your dog's stress levels down at this point. If you've been training using dominance methods, this is probably freaking him out and he's feeling defensive towards you. Also, you mentioned something in your post about the dog doing something inappropriate, and then you got him to sit and gave him a treat. Here's something you need to know: if you're asking your dog to do a behavior while training him, certainly reward him asap. However, if you've asked your dog to do an alternative behavior to replace an inappropriate one he's been doing, you can and should praise him to the skies, *but don't give food treats at that point*! You risk the chance of chaining the behavior. For example, if a dog jumps on you, and you tell him to sit - reward with praise. If you give him a treat after he's jumped on you and then sat, you'll get: "I jump, I sit, I get a treat!!" Dogs are extremely smart! Use food treats for actual training sessions and when a dog *voluntarily* offers a good behavior. This gives him the information that he's making good choices without your help.

So I posted in here about my dog latching onto my leg, likes he going to hump it, everytime I walk him down my hill. Anyway, I've been making him go into a sit and maybe do another trick everytime I feel like its about to happen.
I decided to take Shadrak for quick walk about two hours ago and he attempts do the grabbing onto my leg business. I tell him no and set him down (he had latched himself around my leg) I told him to sit and gave him a treat for doing so. As I am about to go back to us walking down the hill, he does it again! When I set him down and tell him to sit this time he pitches a fit. Trying wrestles with me and seemingly almost trying to bite me!!!!! I end up grabbing the back of his kneck(not very hard) to keep him off me and I put him in my car. I leave him in there for about 10 mins (he likes being in my car and its cool out so this is not cruel btw). I am thinking that we can go back about our walk now that he has had some time to calm down. But I was WRONG! He does the exact same thing except he pitches more of a fit this time and I honestly think he meant to bite me! So I grab the back of his neck, to keep him off me again, and he settles down a little at this point. So I start making him do downs and stays, etc,. before I try to walk him back inside because I dont want him trying to do this to me for a thrid time.
After we get in the house I go out back and play a game of fetch with him and run around with him and then we do some more basis obedience work and then a game of tug. Now he is, of course, passed out but I am beside myself! What is going on!??
Here are some new things we've done lately that might be related(?):
started sleeping in my bed about a week ago
stopped taking steriods he was on. he was taken off slowly though.
went to a dog park today, first time. nothing bad happened while there.
he wasnt listening to me at the dog park, too much going on
we are on NILIF but I dont do it for attention and he has started getting a little more demanding of attention (hes start nudging me and putting his nose in my lap)
hes 12 1/2 months

Sorry for such a long post, but I am really concerned. What should I do if he pitches another fit again? Just telling him no is not going to work. Did I do the right thing by grabbing the back of his neck??? I am worried that this is goign to keep escalating.