Need realistic expectations with a reactive dog
Hi all, I have a Malamute/Samoyed boy, 7.5 months old. I need real stories of people in the same situation as me (happy or not so happy stories). My situation:
- we got him when he was 2 months, been with us all the time
- his first encounter with another dog was with a very sweet well behaved lab and since then his brain just got wired that a dog is the best thing is his life
- been to puppy training and teenager training when he was 3-4 months. It was very hard for him to concentrate on me with other dogs around, but it was also a bit easier for me to hold him back then...
- he stops and stares at the other dogs on walks and if he is close enough he would pull, regardless if he chokes himself
- when he was a puppy we took him to the doggy forest, he would play a lot off leash with his friends, but he wouldn't care if we were there or not, his whole world were the other dogs
- he never had a bad experience with a dog, he was never aggressive with a dog
- I am working with an online trainer currently. My strategy is the "usual one": keep enough distance so he can focus on you, reward when he looks etc. I have been doing this for 4-5 months, but I can't say that things improved, we still need at least 15-30 meters for him to react a bit to me (depending if the other dog is interested in him too)
- at home he is a good dog, we train, he can be home alone, we play, I can take his food, I go first out the door, he is okish with loose leash walking etc. He is a bit of a teenager lately, but nothing that we cannot manage
- we stopped going to the doggy forest, now he plays with his friend maybe once every 2 weeks. His brain is completely off when he knows he will play (we drive there)
- we stopped greeting other dogs when walking, we greeted 3 dogs in the last 4-5 months and that's because they were right around the corner....
I have read tons of articles, talked to people, currently working with the trainer etc. The general opinion is that he should socialise but he cannot say hi when he is out of control and pulls like that. What I need is not advice from trainer or advice from a book. I need real stories in situations like mine and how they developed (and real timelines, even though I am afraid of what that could be...). Thank you!