I have come to the conclusion that man should have been born with three hands if we were meant to clicker train a new puppy on a leash. What worked so well in the back garden appeared to unravel once we hit the street. At times I would accidentally click because I was all thumbs, trying to manage the leash, and rummage through the treat bag on my belt. Of course Ted was going to want to investigate every smell and sensation right outside our house. The preliminary garden work did come into its own once he settled and walked to heel for a decent part of the walk - although our planned fifteen minute outing look all of 40 minutes. Happily his first encounter with other dogs was with a pair of insouciant old labs who stoically stood and let him lick their mouths and invite them to play with him. They declined, of course, but a good socialization exercise for him. He soon overcame the noise of passing traffic, except when a huge lorry trundled by and he ducked into the bushes and took some persuading that all was well again. He was in heaven when a group of teenagers made a fuss of him, and made friends with a toddler in a buggy, once I was reassured that she was a veteran of a German Shepherd at home. Our third trip out was shorter but he walked to heel just about the whole time, except when we allowed him to sniff to his heart's content as our part of the bargain. We still have to work on avoiding being tangled in his leash, but all in all a decent start.
Needing 3 hands - tell me about it! I've just started using a long line for our great outdoors outings, and I cannot figure out how to reel in/reel out the line and keep track of the clicker and treats. It'll come with practice I guess. Sounds like you had a pretty solid first few pavement walks! I also find it hard to not get tangled in the leash lol, but I figure this will come with practice and obedience training (our first class is on Monday but it's without the pups ugh I just want to get stuck in!)
I have this type of clicker: http://www.traininglines.co.uk/dogsline-push-button-dog-training-finger-clicker.html It's great because you don't have to hold onto it, since the ring attaches it to your finger. I find it gives me a lot more freedom than a regular box clicker. It sounds like you're all doing well
I never used a long line, just kept changing direction so that the puppy learned to keep his eye on me! I did heel work, off lead, in the garden and when out with pup first time, went in the car to where he could run free. Introduced heel walking on lead very slowly and very short distance.
Ted's first walk this morning was a big improvement on yesterday. Round the block. Inquisitive rather than fearful of passing traffic. Encountered his first pavement bicycle, ridden by a paper boy who told me about his own history of labs at home. Aren't puppies great ice breakers? I reduced the number of clicks and treat when walking to heel and he was attentive for much greater distances. I've also learned not to give him commands to come, or heel, just clicking when he does the right thing for himself. It seems to be working. But there's a trip to the park later today....
Don't be in too much of a hurry to fade treats. You want to build up a solid history of reinforcement, so he learns that walking to heel is the absolute best thing possible.
Update: Ted still enjoys his walks and most of the time behaves himself. Walks well to heel, now that I've upped the treat to poached chicken! Am trying to work on his lunging at passing walkers and cyclists. So far by distracting him before he notices them approaching, by getting him to sit and look at me. I'd much rather he just let people go by though, but at this age it's all too exciting for him, so for now I distract him. Sometimes he realises what he's just missed and I feel a massive jerk on the lead like I've just caught a huge fish as he makes a belated bid to reach them, but he comes back quickly enough. Puppy classes next week. Can't wait.
We did the same. They really love that game for the first few months. When Holly did her first offlead walks in the woods we started a game where one of us would hide behind a tree when she wasn't looking. She would get lots of praise and a treat when she found us. Three years on we still play that game. The result is that she seldom wanders out of sight and regularly stops to check where we are.
@Deejay50, it's worth starting playing the Look At That! game as early as possible - with my next puppy, this is going to be one of the very first things I do. Rather than preventing your puppy from looking at potential triggers (which can cause stress in the dog and relies on you seeing them before he does), you get him to make the right decision for himself, by encouraging him to look at the exciting thing and rewarding him for doing so. The book Control Unleashed explains it in more detail.
Heh, your walks sound very similar to our walks! I also can't wait for our puppy class to begin, also next week. I just need distractions in a controlled environment. It's going to take a lot of work before we're able to walk past THE PEOPLE/bicycle/dogs in a civilised manner. She's so brilliant off the leash when there's none of the aforementioned in the vicinity, it's a pity to need the long line, but I can't have her getting run over by a cyclist or self rewarding by jumping all over a jogger. We'll get there @Deejay50 !
Three hands... I use a elastic band, which it's tied to my belt and clicker lays on the treat bags with the elastic band, when i do need, just take and click, after just return to treat pocket (separate one), or drop it, it just hangs on and i can use both hands to handle and treat the dog. First i tried to use the elastic band for my wrist, but was a little annoying... the belt's elastic band, is a fast and easy way to find the clicker when needed.
