Pit bulls starts barking nonstop at the wipers and lunges forward toward the windshield
I have two pit bulls. They are very social dogs toward other people and some other animals. I did not raise them, but got them when they were 1 1/2 years of age. Whenever we use the wipers in the car, one of the dogs starts barking nonstop at the wipers and lunges forward toward the windshield. It makes driving in the rain virtually impossible. I have no idea why he acts like this (the other one does not); is there anything I can do to modify his behavior?
Yes, you probably can modify your dog's behavior, with some time, patience and the right tools. Begin by getting into the car with him several times every day, just for a moment, right before any major positive events, such as before a walk or before a meal. Get in, sit with him restrained and quiet on a leash (no wipers yet), praise and even pet him when he is very calm, but pay no direct attention to him (give no eye contact). When you are driving you won't be able to focus upon him, so make sure your behavioral modification technique doesn't require you to direct your attention to your dog. After the quiet moment in the car, proceed with his walk or meal. Next, for many days, several times per day, start your car and turn the wipers on "delay" or your slowest setting, while the dog is still in the house. Bring him outside on his training collar and leash, and begin to walk slowly toward the car, keeping him under control. At the point where he becomes interested or seems aware of the wipers, but before he acts upon that awareness, stop moving and place him in a sitting position. Praise and pet him, but if he barks or lunges, begin to walk backward pulling his leash until he is walking toward you, with his back to the car. Once he is following willingly, praise and then begin to walk forward toward the car again. Do not wait to back up until he is barking; start as soon as he alerts (perks up with focused interest) to the car. By walking directly backward and pulling on the leash, your dog will be forced to turn his back upon the noisy wipers and head toward you. Praise him for following. You should notice gradually that you can draw closer and closer to the car before having to pull out and back away. Each time you get closer, stop and positively reinforce your dog. You should get to the point where, outside of the car at least, he is indifferent to the wipers and much more interested in keeping his eyes on you. Both the desire for positive reinforcement and the desire to avoid being left behind when you back up will compel your dog to keep his attention on you. The next challenge, once the dog can ignore the wipers when he is outside of the car, is to have him get in while they are still going. Open the back door of the car, if you have, and with his leash still on, prompt him to jump in. The instant he gets in the car, say "Let's go!" and help him hurry right back out, without giving him time to so much as look at the wipers. Practice the "get in/get out" exercise with the wipers going, before each meal and walk, once he has been brought up to the appropriate level of desensitization. When this step seems easy, proceed to yet another more challenging training level; now require him to sit quietly in the car for 30 seconds while the wipers continue to operate. Always end on a positive note. Be sure if he does misbehave and lunge or bark at the wipers that you use a "remote," or impersonal, correction. An example would be to shake a pop can with pennies in it at the exact moment his leash is pulled. The sound will help interrupt his attention, redirecting his focus away from the wipers. But don't make any comment or give negative attention to your misbehaving dog; wait until his behavior is correct to offer positive comments. When you can sit in the car with the wipers on, play around with varying the speed and with turning them off and back on. Have your dog on his training leash and collar, and if you can enlist help, have your helper be the one to turn the wipers on and off. Sit in the back-seat, next to or behind your dog. If he barks or lunges, correct him with a pull on his leash to make lunging unsuccessful, and with a simultaneous shake of the penny can to interrupt his focus away from the wipers. Praise and positively reinforce his quiet moments and have his visits to the car always lead to something he enjoys. Soon he will not only stop his negative behavior toward windshield wipers, he actually may begin to like them!
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