Ok so 5 month old Tess is doing pretty well with her training. However something that is defeating me is that when we are out and about and she is on her lead, if she sees another dog coming up behind her I cannot get her to walk at the side of me. She constantly wants to go to them. (to play) If they are in front yes not a problem, she will walk along at the side of me on command. She will sit and stay until they go past but no way can I get her attention to walk with me as I want hr to. So my question is what am I doing wrong or what should I be doing. Thanks for your help. Len
At five months she’s doing really well! Try a very tasty treat on her nose or ask for a ‘sit’ (same thing, tasty treat distraction) until the dog has passed. Keir is six months old and still distracted by dogs, front, side or rear .
Yep she will sit and stay until they go past but she won't keep walking until they do go past. Have even held a treat (her favourite yum yum (liver)) above her nose but no way will she take her eyes off the dog that is coming up behind.
I’d do the ‘sit’ thing for a month or two more and see if maturity helps. My Mollie was nine months before she could reliably walk in front of another dog.
Yep think you may be right. Maybe I am asking too much of her at this time. She has come on so so well that I guess I sometimes forget just how young she is. Thanks Boogie
My grl isn't happy, at 3 yrs old, being followed by dogs she doesn't know. I don't worry about it as she us perfectly happy once they have passed. I put it down to a safety awareness and being vulnerable to attack from behind.
Our rescue dog Charlie doesn't like been followed either. Maybe changing direction/crossing the road and giving her a little more distance from the dog might help. x
Mm not sure if it an anxiety thing JoJo I think its down to the fact that every dog she sees she wants to play with. I am hoping she grows out of t. Of course I don't her not to want to play just when I say she can. If you see what I mean
Its weird isn't it Charlie. Problem is the walk it tends to happen on is along the river at Warkworth which is narrow so can't really change directions. I think it is going to be as Boogie says. Get her to sit and stay for a few months and see if she grows out of it.
My girl isn't anxious about the dog, I put it down to a natural instinct of being aware of strangers following you - it's how ancestors survived
Thanks Jojo. Perhaps I didn't make myself as plain as I should have done, My fault. I wouldn't mind if it was just her looking back at other dogs. That I could cope with. Its when she stops an wants to wait for them to catch up. If you see what I mean.
Nothing much to worry about there @Len Smith, just use it as a training exercise. You could do some 'look at me' where she gets rewarded for giving you attention rather than watching the dog gradually the dog becomes less interesting because she is being better rewarded for attention you on.
Thanks Jojo yep I do try the LAM as well. Now just now as we were walking the rive path she was doing just fine. Looking back but still walking with her "come bye" (walk next to daddy) then wham bang the dog behind came bounding up and it wanted to play so all training went out of the window. But up until then she was doing not so bad. But today was a good day more or less for her other training like recall. She can have a 9 out of 10 today and a nice cup of tea when she came home
My boy is the same - and I think it's a mixture of excitement and concern that a dog is coming up behind him. I either sit and wait for the dog to pass, or give food rewards every step. I increase my enthusiasm level - so throwing the treats for him to catch or roll them along the floor for him. I make sure the other dog isn't getting closer so he never has the dog get close behind him while he isn't looking.
Mmm yeah think you are right. she will sit and wait and I line the idea of throwing the treats. Will give that a go. Thanks
A good fall back is to train a 'catch' which means catch the treat/s I'm going to thrown to you. You don't need a lot of room and it gets focus on you waiting for the treat. If the situation is difficult you can even throw a small handful to distract
Yeah I think it is just a puppy thing but its distraction thing that will clinch it like you say, eventually
