Re: zig zagging! on lead [quote author=JulieT link=topic=1949.msg16282#msg16282 date=1373564429]Angela though, why do you say a harness is "cheating" - I don't see it that way. Isn't a device (so far a harness) to cope with the pulling when you are not training heel with a collar what we should be doing? [/quote] I agree. The harness is not cheating. Nor is a head collar if that's what it takes. We never walked my old dog on a neck collar (except for obedience trialling where we would have been disqualified otherwise) as he had a neck injury. That got me into the harness habit. My vet, now retired, actually said he did not think that any dog should really be walked on a neck collar. I always walk Obi in a harness too. Blackjack, great to hear that you have seen a bit of improvement Going back to basics is a good idea, Angela
Re: zig zagging! on lead Sorry Julie,just come back to this thread. The harness seems to be a cheat to me because it has allowed me to be lazy and not concentrate on teaching Dexter to walk without pulling....ive been able to ignore that he is doing it because the harness stops him.now I've not been able to use the harness its made me realize the level it's reached....the harness masks what he still desires.....to pull like a train!but I'm on it now...day 2 of my magnetic circle going nice and slow now ..... Totally off the subject but I've lost my voice today and Dexter is comical how he is looking at me ....as if to say,what's wrong with you?Should have put that on Kate's off topic thread!
Re: zig zagging! on lead I wonder if that's right though? Don't you just use a straightforward harness, not halti or headrestraint thing? Just from what Pippa said - don't let the dog associate the collar with pulling. Maybe it's just that's exactly what Dexter has done. And he doesn't associate the harness with pulling as much? If it's a straightforward harness, isn't Dexter just as capable of pulling in it as on a collar? More so, really, it's probably easier for him to pull in a harness. Sorry I'm going on, but I'm working it all out and trying to figure out what's going on with Charlie. I'm also clicker training walking in the harness, so I'm interested with what will happen when I move back to a collar. If I do at all now Rachel's said that about Obi being in a harness all the time.
Re: zig zagging! on lead Sorry Angela, and sorry to hear the cold has removed your voice - hope it's better soon. Also meant to tell you - I had an OH experience that made me forget my "zipped up" policy. OH was clicker training walk on a lead (OH hates clicker training, thinks it's really silly, but is playing along with the walking nicely programme for now), and Charlie stopped to sniff a poo. OH hates this, very much. So launched into mad distraction mode and USED THE CLICKER AS A NOISE DISTRACTION. He clicked, clicked, clicked rapidly as Charlie was sniffing the poo and refusing to walk forward...Argghhh....
Re: zig zagging! on lead Congrats - you've now got a dog who will sniff poo on cue Just kiddin'. I think the point you made in the post just before that is a really good one.
Re: zig zagging! on lead Yeah - having been using the command "go sniff" when releasing him from heel - think I'll change that now... :-\
Re: zig zagging! on lead [quote author=JulieT link=topic=1949.msg16393#msg16393 date=1373633238] Sorry Angela, and sorry to hear the cold has removed your voice - hope it's better soon. Also meant to tell you - I had an OH experience that made me forget my "zipped up" policy. OH was clicker training walk on a lead (OH hates clicker training, thinks it's really silly, but is playing along with the walking nicely programme for now), and Charlie stopped to sniff a poo. OH hates this, very much. So launched into mad distraction mode and USED THE CLICKER AS A NOISE DISTRACTION. He clicked, clicked, clicked rapidly as Charlie was sniffing the poo and refusing to walk forward...Argghhh.... [/quote] Confiscate the clicker. ;D
Re: zig zagging! on lead I've been walking Dexter to his walks on a sensation harness that I clip the lead onto the clip on the front of his chest and that greatly reduced his pulling.When we get to the park we mix it up with walking on the harness,free running and me clipping his lead onto his collar and with no other dogs and people in the park we can get a fair distance on heel with intermittent rewards and me saying Heel about every 6 steps...the minute that stops and I'm not reminding or rewarding he takes off like a bullet.Ive read so much about this the last few days that I realize that my training steps aren't all complete...I've only done 2 stages of Pippa's 4 and I've not increased duration before I've introduced distractions.Im cocking up all over the place on this. So,thinking along your lines Julie..have I taught Dexter that when he is being 'trained' ie the lead is unclipped from the harness and clipped to his collar and he sees treats in my hand and the clicker then he know he has to heel for 6 steps then he can lunge off....If this is the case I think I am on the right course now. I've gone back to square one and am working properly through Pippa's exercises as if we are starting from scratch and today felt good. The other thing that has helped is the halti purchase.I need to stop seeing aides as cheats and accept that my own skill level isn't developed anywhere near enough to dismiss their usefulness . mum tried to encourage me to use one way back in April when they were here,she's had them on the spaniels and even Derry still gets put back on his if he forgets his manners! .....but I was stubborn because I thought time and perseverance would prevail.it will,but I have to make sure I'm doing the right thing and not botching it.if I'm honest I didn't want a halti because I can remember Mum saying people used to think it was a muzzle when she used it on one of her cockers and lo and behold didn't I get asked before in the park if he was wearing a muzzle because he has bitten me!.....how could anyone think my lovely gentle Dexter would bite!but at the end of the day,who cares what people think,as long as we get to where we want to be! X
Re: zig zagging! on lead Thanks Angela, that's really helpful for me, appreciate the time you've taken to explain - as I survey my growing collection of harnesses and collars, and options i have on order, and try to keep on the right path! Front connection harness then. Sorry, I know I've been told that already.
Re: zig zagging! on lead How do you prevent dogs getting fixated on people and other dogs on a walk? I just cannot get his attention and my nice walking dog turns into a lunging loony tune. Like flubber on a lead! Literally this past 2-3 walks
Re: zig zagging! on lead Npm - time for a new thread.. The short answer is training, and a lot of it...
Re: zig zagging! on lead Oh I'm laughing my head off at 'flubber on a lead'.....if you have read through this post.....I'm not the one to ask....I'm cock up central at the moment! :-[ Ill tell you what I do and then my advice would be 'chose to ignore it' and listen to someone else :-\ If he's off the lead I'm on constant high alert as he shouldnt be so the minute I see a dog or person,I call him back and put him on the lead.If its a person and we are going to pass them I get him to sit as they pass by and he will do that happily (at first I used to stand with a treat in my hand right in front of him )unless they go to pat him...then he will at the very least get up....occasionally he still tries to jump up :-[ If we are just walking along on the lead,I always make him sit for people/bikes/prams and he does successfully.ultimately Im aiming for him to sit and wait when we see another dog as I always check with a owner that the dog is ok before we say hi.at the moment he will sit but once the dog gets closer he does his scud missile and not once has he successfully waited to be released so I hold on for dear life while I'm asking the question.This needs work and I need to find out how to do it....maybe the obedience class I am joining in September might help me with that as I can practice around other dogs . Still chuckling about flubber on a lead.....
Re: zig zagging! on lead In short NPM YOU have to be more interesting/exciting/amusing than anything else in sight as as said before.....lots of training. I take Goldie to the park where there is lots going on...seagulls, children with balls, other dogs, children on swings, runner, bikes and do heelwork and down stay-come training. Poor dog, last night i made her run past the group of seagulls to me...didnt bat an eyelid
Re: zig zagging! on lead NPM, and you also need to increase the distance between your pup and the distraction. Work at a distance at which the pup is aware of the distraction but is not so overwhelmed that s/he can't attend to you. At that distance, practice getting, holding and rewarding your dog's attention. Gradually you will be able to move closer and cope with bigger distractions. Remember that 'closer' and 'bigger' are two separate dimensions. Only work on building up one dimension at a time. So, work on moving closer but don't make the distraction any bigger. Or work on dealing with bigger distractions, but you will need to start with more distance. If you can rope people in to help you practice ignoring other dogs, bicycles, skateboards etc. that would be a great thing to do. Angela - we could even describe a collar and lead as cheating if we wanted. "You mean, you can't safely walk your dog through the middle of Piccadilly Circus without a collar and lead??? You big cheat!!!". If aids to training and safety and control are cheats, then we're all cheats.
Re: zig zagging! on lead Oh Rachael,you are dead right,your making me smile at myself.....got a story about the halti but ill put it on an off topic as its more about Chris than the halti....oh and the impending divorce!
