Ripple is doing really well on his long line and harness, poo eating has virtually stopped while he is on the line. By allowing him to sniff the poo and then he looks at me for a treat, it appears his poo obsession is over. However, this is not true at all - I let him off the line in the woods and he promptly bolted back along the path to eat a huge pile of poo that he had not even sniffed at when we walked past. In fact I hadn't even seen it as he had showed no interest in that part of the path as we were walking. I almost feel as if he is making an idiot of me . How on earth do I translate the behaviour on the line to off the line? I am obviously being outwitted by a labrador.
I don't think I can help with this @SteffiS but I wanted to say well done on using the long line effectively. I got into a right pickle with it and gave up, after it had been chewed into various pieces I have to add. Maybe it's just going to take more time on the long line
I have never used a long line as the dog will behave on it, but not off it! Though probably, if you keep him on the long line longer and develop a habit of 'we don't eat poo' and with a good reward, you may well win in the long run. No, he isn't making an idiot of you, he is just being a dog and taking advantage of 'free food'
Same thing with us Steffi, we used it for the self rewarding/chasing of wildlife, good as gold on a long lead, back to old habits soon as its off. Maybe we didn't stick with it long enough.
If the poo eating is back as soon as freedom is given from the long line it really just means that the new behaviour just hasn't 'stuck' yet. More practice Do you drop the long line to give a little more freedom or do you retain a hold?
Well done for doing so well with Ripple As a long term long line user with Charlie, 3 years to be precise for recall training I know how difficult it is. Definitely stick at it for longer, can you up your treats to something higher value? We worked on dropping the line too, running in the opposite direction to have Charlie follow us. You won't regret it so keep going and you WILL get there x
Sounds like I'm in it for the long haul then. I don't drop the line much but I do leave it very slack if I can, probably that's the next step then. Thanks @charlie - luckily I get on well with the line, much better than I thought I would, and Ripple seems happy enough being on it.
I think using the long line is definitely a long-term thing and agree with @JulieT if it all goes wrong off the line it probably just means you’ve not persisted on it long enough. Definitely progress first to letting go of the line, letting it trail and keeping in the range of the end of it to grab in an emergency, the danger of holding the end all the time is that it is more likely to occasionally go tight as the dog is just mooching around normally and these occasional accidental tightenings are constant reminders to the dog that they are on a line. Although you can’t help it getting snagged on bushes etc which is a pain. I feel for you, we have been suffering with the long line for a year and a half now because of the Pig’s hunting and problems round deer and pheasant scent, I am not sure we will ever crack it with her but think that is due to perhaps it being too ‘hard wired’ and not enough controlled training opportunities with it. At least poo doesn’t run away so I think you will succeed in the long run!
Unfortunately some training takes longer with some digs than others. Definitely start releasing the lead and work at keeping Ripple engaged with you - much the same as those early off lead training days. As @charlie says play turnaround type games. I would also have a really scrummy treat that Ripple really, really loves and use it solely for leaving/coming away from poo. You will get there with Ripple
Yes, good idea - it usually needs to be even stinkier than the thing you want them to come away from, like tripe sticks
Oh Ripple you tinker! Stanley seems to have developed a taste for cat poo at the minute He had a nice big helping on his walk yesterday then threw up about 5 minutes later. I was just stood there with the dilemma of.. I know I’m supposed to pick up dog poo but do I have to pick up dog sick that consists of poo?!
Oooh that's Monty's fave,cat poo. So much smellier than any other type of poo! It taunts him every day from the litter tray
Ripple very rarely throws up any poo he's eaten; but drinking out of a muddy puddle seems to make him bad at both ends - makes no sense to me how a puddle can be worse than poo.
I know just what you mean! I sometimes think Cassie and Ripple are twins from the same egg! I'm interested to read this thread @SteffiS, I'm on the brink of trying the longline for this too. I've been exercising Cassie in nearby fields where my neighbours dog that does the high desire orange poo, that Cassie will hunt out 50/60 yards away, doesn't go. I've been working really hard with the Total Recall on location exercises, improving my zone of control, with good effect but I know that the poo with be the real challenge. As @Lara says poo doesn't run away, but for me that is the problem! It sits there, providing what is apparently the greatest self reward ever! So she can have that and then come bounding back to me as if to say " ok, done that, now what where we doing?" I really must get hold of some tripe sticks! Well done with the progress you have made.
Completely with you there, and I'm not even sure tripe sticks will cut it with Ripple, for him poo is just the best .
@SteffiS , how are you using the longline? Do you use it to stop him getting to the poo, and then recall him?
