Chasing Reflections getting out of hand...

Question:
 Oakley is completely OBSESSED with reflections...
it used to be cute, and still is at times, when he is just chasing his dog tag reflections, which are just on the floors and walls...that is fine by me.
But now he has learned that the dishwasher sometimes causes reflections, as well as anytime you take something out of the cabinets, or when cooking...
I dont care if he is sitting there and staring, whatever...but once he sees one (1/2 the time i think he is making up seeing one) he goes NUTS...bouncing off walls, jumping on counters...howling, barking, etc. Most of these occur on the ceiling, which is why he goes so nuts, cuz he cant get to them.
I am scared he is gonna get hurt one day jumping around the stove...especially when its on. He already nosed a hot butter pan that was balancing on the sink, and would have spilled it had there not been another pan there to catch it.
Yes, i know we can put him in another room, or get him away from the stove, etc. but i dont see how this will solve the problem...plus, we dont cook a ton...its just that my grandma is here, and she does, lol
The worst thing about this....is that he is so insanely focused on them, that he will not listen. He will occasionally sit, but not for long, even when we tell him to stay...He gets the same way when seeing a rabbit or a squirrel
I swear it seems like my dog is so insanely ADD that he manages to block everything out except for what he is interested in at that moment.
This goes for when we are on walks too...we are currently training him to not only sit at every curb ( he is already a master at that), but now, in order to start moving again, he must make eye contact with whoever is walking him. Sometimes, he is great, and looks up right away...but if there is a noise, a cat, squirrel, rabbit, another dog, etc...no way, he wont do it...especially if its behind him...cuz, hey, when he looks up, we go forward, we dont turn around...so he will NOT look...he just stares at whatever is preoccupying him and NOTHING (that i know of) can break his intense concentration.,...
How do you get his attention?? Treats are pretty ineffective in this situation...although i havent tried that much...but since they dont distract him from the reflections, i cant imagine it will distract him from another animal.
THanks in advance for any help :)

Answer:
I don't know what others would do, but Precious is an EXTREMELY rambunctious dog. I refuse to give her any meds for being a happy hyper girl. I love her for it. But sometimes, it gets a little overwhelming. Just the other day, she got one of her spurts of energy and ran from one couch to the other and knocked a lamp over and almost the table had she hit it a little harder. I just go over to her, put my hands on her face and tell her to sit. I get on her level and tell her in a firm voice to sit down. I don't spank her, I don't yell. I am just very firm with her. She has to know that I am the master and the alpha. She should not have run of the house.
I know exactly how you feel. It can be very frustrating, especially since they have no idea what we are saying. Precious just scrunches her eyebrows together and turns her head. But with my voice being firm, and me kind of "forcing" her to sit, she knows that means to calm down.
I am sure others will have other methods. But this is all that works with my Precious.

Answer:
he's not always crazy about them...when he isnt seeing them...
but this morning, he got up later, and usually, the time he gets up, there is a place in the kitchen where the light really shines on his dog tags...
so he was running back and forth lookine EVERYWHERE for it...
ive been firm with him, that doesnt work really....i usually make him sit, rub his chest, and tell him 'calm' which works while im holding him...but then i get up, and he starts looking again...
i feel bad punishing him for playing with reflections...especially since sometimes its just fine...it keeps him occupied, and gives him some exercise too (obviously that in no way goes toward his daily exercise, but just additional)
is it a problem though? Is it abnormal for a dog to be so obsessed?

Answer:
I just read a post about this same type of problem on another forum. A good point was brought up about obsessive compulsive behavior in dogs being a real problem that can be treated with medications if the problem takes up the majority of the dogs time. It was also recommended that you distract the dog with a toy he likes or a treat to stop the chase and get him focused on something else. Also it is not abnormal for a bored dog to think up ways to entertain itself, make sure he is getting plenty of energy and with a high drive dog like you describe him as being he will need some extra attention and exercise to help wear him out.

Answer:
i was reading about how it can be pretty serious as well...
they were saying a dog could be having seizures...and if its a huge problem like this, when you try to take a dog away from the lights, he will bite, cuz he has no control over himself...oakley does not do this. I take him away all the time.
Yesterday, when he was sleeping, i was cleaning his water dish (which reflects a ton)...so i was testing him... i got him to look at the reflections, shining them on the wall, and told him to sit, and stay...and was shining it back and forth real fast...and he totally obeyed...and then i told him to go get it, and he attacked it, lol
so, he can be controlled...but its a lot harder when he does have a ton of energy (like the mornings, before i have had a chance to walk him)
But even so...i literally had to drag him into the kitchen (while he was still laying down) cuz he was sooo pooped...and then he sees the reflections, and pepped right up...and then was all hyper, and wouldnt go to bed...grrr...

Answer:
Well, if you can get him to sit or look at you for even a SECOND that is a behviour you can build on. You can't expect him to just learn sit, then do it whenever you say despite distraction levels. You have to desensitize your dog slowly to other animals if you want his attention around them. As for the reflections, I'd go with toys (seeing as you say treats don't work well) especially squeky ones.
You could also try feeding him in a very relfection filled area. That way he simply has to be calm and relax to eat. For some dogs, obsessive behaviours can be forever. My mentor is a fantastic trainer but her Border collie is an obsessive shadow chaser and has to be on meds.

Answer:
he isnt much of an eater...so that doesnt really help...
he eats when he wants, but sometimes he just grabs a few pieces...he is VERY easy to distract from eating
How exactly do you desensitive a dog?
oh yeah...i was SOOOO SOOO proud of him today on his walk...i always make him look at me at street corners...but sometimes, it takes FOREVER, cuz he gets distracted by something else...just staring at cars, etc.
Today, he sat down (like always) and a car was coming, so i figured i'd just have to wait till that passed...but he like, half way looked up (huge accomplishment for him) then looked back at the car...and i was like "oakley" and he looked up at me!
yay for him :) he was really good about looking at me the whole walk...we never were at the corner for more than 30secs.

Answer:
You can MAKE him an eater. If he doesnt settle down and eat within five minutes, you pick up his bowl and walk away for an hour. He will learn he has to settle and eat fast. I'm at the library at the moment and don't have enough time to completely explain desensitization, but Doberluv is pretty knowledgable about it and housld be able to help.

Answer:
we used to do that...but he was so skinny when we got him, and so active,that he wasnt gaining any weight at all.
He would never eat his breakfast...and never even cared when it was taken away.
(rofl, side note: i think one of his bones just popped or cracked, and he looks so confused as to where the noise came from...sooo cute)
Anyways, back on track...
when we did that...he didnt eat...
we are now (within the past few days) only leaving his food there for an hour or 2...rather than always having food in his bowl (unless he eats it all obviously)...so yeah
thanks :), ill talk to doberluv...or search for it, cuz i have a feeling that is a topic that has been discussed :)

Answer:
LOL. I just saw this thread after seeing the one on desensatization.
Before I forget...I'd only set the food bowl down for 15 minutes instead of two hours. Not only will he learn to eat when it's given and prevent pickiness, but it will assist in showing him just one more thing that you provide for him. If it's always there, he won't "appreciate" it as much. LOL.
Yes, obsessive compulsive disorder is not a good thing. There's something wrong with the synapses in the brain. And if it's to that point, I doubt any training is going to make much, if any difference. I think they use beta blocking type drugs to calm this down. You might talk to your vet about it and see if he thinks it OCD.