Our 7 month old puppy is being a nightmare, we are now starting to get used to wearing her harness, getting in and out of the car so thought that progress but now when we are out for a walk and enjoying ourselves we have a problem getting her leash on! She bites us really hard ect, we need to be able to get it on easy for when like today we come across another dog and need it for safety! She came when called which was good and I had great waiting but when she saw the leash she bucked and bit! Any advice?
Hi there. In one of our obedience classes they suggested a high value reward whenever they respond to their name by coming, but before dispensing hook the collar with a finger. That way they know getting caught is part of the deal. If you use a clicker, click after you hook the collar with a finger and then some wonderful treat. Every time.
When ever I called my pup back to be put on a lead we played for a bit and treated and trained and treated so the whole event lasted couple of very fun and positive minutes. Seemed to work for us. It was kind of an extension of the recall training. I was scared to ruin any of the work I put in so it kind of became the norm.
When Coco goes back on lead, that always signifies another fun game, even now. He's never seen it as a disappointing thing.
Another tip is to not always put the lead on after a recall - sometimes just do a recall and then release your dog again. This breaks the 'oh no its lead time' association that can sometimes be made with recall.
Yes, also do recalls with yummy treats, put the lead on but then immediately take it off and play again. Do this a few times each walk. End the walk in different places so the pup can’t anticipate. I use cat food pouches for a jackpot reward - Keir will do anything for one and they are really easy to handle .