@fran.cousans A couple of tips that may help, one with the stopping, as long as you are absolutely sure there is nothing stressing Pepper, sometimes when a dog is unsure or not confident they may just stop and stay close to you. Training a "walk" cue, which is trained off lead initially, the garden is a good place to start. Throw a treat to the side to encourage the dog slightly away. Then walk purposefully ahead for a few paces, no ,more than 5. If the dog comes to your side in a heel, say "good" or click or whatever marker you use. Rinse and repeat.Extend the distance to about 5 paces before adding a "walk" cue. You do need really high value treats. So you are walking, use your walk cue, Pepper comes to your side after 5 paces of Pepper walking alongside you click...and drop a treat close to her mouth. When you have this nailed, you can add a lead, use the "walk" cue. When you have this really, really consistent try it outside. I would stop, then try the cue, in a bright, happy voice. Reward when she has walked alongside you for a few steps, then repeat. The other tip for holidays, and exciting places is using a "settle" cue. This is a really useful one as it manages a dogs expectations. We taught a settle cue for Bramble now 7 months really early, and it has proved invaluable!
Looking forward to hearing how your holiday was (I presume you're already on holiday by now?). Re the stopping, Snowie also stops, refuses to budge. We know he does this because he wants to go somewhere else other than in the direction we're walking. @Beanwood has spelled out so clearly to teach a walk cue, and without realising that is what I do, I say "heel" and Snowie immediately comes to heel -- one thing we got right with training, he responds to "heel" without thinking. Also "cross" to cross a road, he will start walking immediately he hears that cue. How I wish we'd trained "come" in the same way!!! If Snowie stops when I want to go in one direction I usually check to see what it is that is pulling his attention (unless I really don't have time). If it seems reasonable, I make him come to heel and then we walk together to where he wants to go -- I suppose my way of feeling like I haven't given in!! Interestingly, if he pulls away from the direction I'm going, his point of desire is not necessarily in the direction he's pulling; he's just pulling opposite to me. He might want to veer only slightly to another point.
Hi all, home now! We had a lovely holiday and on the whole Pepper was very good. Each day we had a moment of real naughtiness (usually disappearing after another dog/scent) but she learned to settle down really well (thanks for the helpful video!) and to walk to heel beautifully the vast, vast majority of the time. Sadly she is no less excited about dogs than she was before we went away. I also thought that she'd calmed down lots around other people and given up the jumping, but walking on lead in our village just now she pounced on someone totally unexpectedly! So that's rather disheartening. Interesting to hear about Snowie stopping too... Peps did this a bit on the way home tonight, think she had caught the scent of something.
Just about to go for another walk, praying that she won't revert back to leaping on people now that we're home!!
Hi there we have 8 month old Fudge who has reverted back to a 4 month old pup at the moment,mouthing,jumping up at people and pulling me along like a rag doll!!We just came back from a week in Cornwal witch I was secretly dreading.He was so good.Long walks on the beach tired him out and swimming in the sea.We even took him to St Ives on the train well once my husband had to pick him up and throw him on as he point blank refused!I think the total change of scenery and meeting so many other dogs really helped and all the other dogs are so laid back.Needless to say we are back home now and time to get back to basics with training.
