I like those Halti training leads, very versatile. I have one of exactly the same style in biothane now. Doesn't get wet and muddy!
He he ,we've just had an interesting time on our walk.....lets bear in mind how long and how much I practised 'look at me' with Dexter to help with his reactivity on the lead.....So off we go and I'm looking down at him to wait for him to he look forward to click him ...but because I'm looking at him ,he's staring intently up at me....even more than he would normally... So we looked like we were training for Obedience Heel! Walking along stuck together!!! So then I started looking forward and watching for him to look forward out the corner of my eye ,obviously when I clicked him he swung round for his treat.I think then I'd have done better to use the 'Beanwood Method' and throwing the treat to the floor would have kept him straight on as it took a good part of the walk for him to get that I wanted his head straight ...but he did get it ....although he's not straight for long ...in fact I feel that tonight I've made him twist more but I guess that will change when I can get longer between clicks......
Well done though! Your dog is going to look at you, that's harmless, time to time. And 'watch me' on cue is bound to be helpful to walk by massive distractions! At training, we get out of the car, all the dogs are excited and we walk in large circles. No clicking, no treating. Only when your dog has his head up, not sniffing, not pulling, walking at heel, do you start clicking. And you click for the right position and looking forwards. We each have 2 posts 25m apart (that we are walking round for the circles) and you build up so you expect 1/4 of a circuit before you click, 1/2 a circuit, 1.5 and so on.
I'm glad that Fiona put this post up because it is something that I've been really aware of recently and have needed to address.Really upping the rewards to encourage off lead checking in with me has had big effect on our lead position,I haven't wanted Dexter's normal lead position to be leaning in on my left but that's was starting to develop,much more than checking in time to time ...... The circuits sound a really good idea....it must release some energy and excitement but in a measured way x
Walking is MUCH easier than standing still for an excitable dog. So for a dog like mine, who wants to get out of the car and is desperate to sniff everything, pee on everything, go say hi to every human and dog he can see....it's ideal. We walk round the same ground until he calms down and is focused. Over time he learns that when he is calm and focused we start doing stuff...
Yes but the click has captured the desirable behaviour. It's like taking a photo of the picture you want. That the dog looks for the treat afterwards doesn't matter. As Angela says as you get longer between clicks the dog will be looking forward for longer
I started with a clicker heel and even though I tried to always click for looking forward I do get quite a bit of look up at me - but I've put posts out at regular distances round the orchard and I have found if I start with a sit and then walk to the next post and sit before rewarding and then walk to next post and sit that I get a better position and no looking up at me while we are actually heeling - in fact more looking towards the next post because that is now when the treat is coming. That's what we're trying at the moment and then gradually increase the distance between posts and/or add distractions (small ones!) en route About town etc, its harder because I do often click her when she looks at me instead of leaping on someone passing by or she manages to restrain herself from lunging towards a rubbish bin or .... that is still a work in progress
snowbunny, Thanks for starting this post. What exactly is the "stop and start method?" Are there any other posts describing this message? Also, I did not quite follow when you said, "Using the cue to myself of keeping my hand by my hip and, as soon as it leaves my side, stop." Could you please elaborate. This is some really interesting info!
It simply means what when the dog pulls, you stop. When the lead is loose, you start again It's just an indicator to myself of when I should be stopping. It's very easy to get into a situation where you're pulling back against the lead - in order for the dog to pull, you have to be resisting - otherwise the pull doesn't happen, you just move forwards (basic Physics 101). So, rather than getting yourself into this situation, which could lead to confusion in the dog ("exactly how much pressure needs to be on the harness/collar before I get stopped?"), you can do this: Hold the lead normally in your right hand, with your left hand picking up the slack. The bit between your left hand and the dog shouldn't have any tension in it whatsoever. It doesn't have to be loose, just not creating any tension. That left hand then gets held against your hip, your treat bag, whatever. Stay relaxed, but keep note of that hand. If the dog moves forwards, don't resist to keep it held against you, just notice how your hand moves away from your clothing and stop immediately. It's a simple thing that you can focus on, rather than an arbitrary amount of tension on the lead. If my hand is relaxed and against my hip, we move forwards. The second my hand moves away from my body due to the dog moving forwards, we stop.
I thought I'd revisit this post, having been in a different situation yesterday. I had to take the dogs to the vet for their pre-travelling worming tablets and, at the last minute, had to do it by myself. The vet is about half a kilometre from the nearest car park. I've never walked the two dogs together in the city, and knew it would be a nightmare! There are so many more smells, people, other dogs... and only one me. So, I had to go right back to basics. Clicker in hand, and very full treat bags - plus plenty of time before my appointment - I set off. I attached Shadow around my waist, because I find it far easier to manage the leads this way, just holding the slack in my left hand. Well, as expected, it was very slow progress. There was absolutely no hint of not using treats in this super-challenging environment. I was clicking and treating like a mad person, every time they had their heads up, walking nicely. It's tough using the clicker for two dogs walking at heel, because they both have to be doing it right in order to click - it's not like other things, where you can be giving eye contact to the dog you're clicking, or have it made obvious in other ways (the other dog is settled, or farther away from you etc). Anyway, we got there, and with time to spare! There was a lot more pulling towards smells than there would be in other, less populated or more familiar, places, but by the time we'd got back to the car, they were walking pretty well. So, extending on my original point, which I don't think I made particularly clear, I'd say that C&Ting the heel position is a huge help with lead walking in the early stages, or when you're proofing against something a lot more challenging. I certainly don't mean to dismiss it as a tactic, it's invaluable. But, for my dogs, in environments where they understand what is required of them, I can change the reward to the "real world" reward of moving forwards. If I'd tried that alone in the city yesterday, I'd have got nowhere fast.
I agree! When I take Tatze and Zaba together it takes me twice as long to get anywhere than it does with one dog!
I'm just starting to get some decent heelwork from Obi. That goes completely out the window when I have both dogs one day.....maybe I draw the line at getting dragged though and stop and reverse. That seem to reset and although there's often still a little tension on Obi's lead he's not really going for it.
I don't use treats for loose lead, but I always use treats for any kind of 'heel' including walking at my side without sniffing.
