Does anyone know of a reputable dog trainer in the Wroxham, Norwich area who could help me on a one to one basis to train Chestre my 7 month old Red Fox Labrador to walk on a loose lead/walk to heel. He is my very first dog and so I'm a complete novice when it comes to this. I've tried walking him on a slip lead but I can't control his pulling as he's 25kg and is growing rapidly. I'm now using a figure of 8 but I'm still struggling. He's been to puppy training where we were taught to walk him on a loose lead and to use a treat as a lure and to keep on treating him. I wasn't aware that I had to train him on a loose lead in the back garden before going out and because I naively thought he would trot alongside nicely without me having trained him I now have to retrain him not to pull. I can't get him to focus on me as he's too busy sniffing the ground and is so intent on getting to where he wants to go. I've tried distracting him using a "kissy" noise to get him focused on me but he doesn't take a blind bit of notice. I've used cooked chicken and treats but these are not working as well as they did.
Hi @Celia , you are not alone in having this problem, far from it! If you look on the "stickys" in the Training Forum, you will see there is a thread for this. If you go to page 3, you will see that there is a video on "polite walking". I found it very helpful. I live the opposite side of the country from you, but if you google The Instute Of Modern Dog Trainers you might find someone near you.
Thank you. It's very much appreciated. I used to live in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire but I relocated to the county of Norfolk so that I could get my Labrador and to explore the many beautiful beaches, walks and Nature Reserves which it has to offer. If I'd known just how much hard work having a puppy was going to be I would have thought twice about getting him but now I have him and despite the fact that there are many times when I threaten to give him back I wouldn't be without him. I love him to pieces. Lol. Ceila xx
They sure are very taxing, and again you are not alone in wanting to give him back at times! My Cassie is 2 yrs 3 months, she is a nose on legs. I love her more than anything, she is challenging in the great outdoors but a wonderful loving companion, very beautiful. Stick with it and he will repay you tenfold. How wonderful to be able to take him to the beach. We are on the Welsh Borders, 2 hours from the coast!
Hi @Celia I would revert back to teaching your dog in a low distraction and familiar environment, such as the loungeroom. Only when she is not pulling graduate to say the hall. Then when she walks well there graduate to the back garden. Only gradually increase the distractions. The idea is to let the dog know how to succeed to get treats by walking next to you, and only take the show on the road when you have proofed the dog to medium distractions, a friend moving about, at home.
The thing about any training is...you first have to have a dog that is happy to give you some attention. Without focus and engagement, you can't train. I always think, when I see people trying to train loose lead or heel with a dog that is lunging around, or with its head glued to the floor, that it's all pretty pointless. You need to start by just getting engagement and focus, then you can start to train. One way to do it, which is the one most often recommended, is to train heel in the garden, on the drive etc. and by upping the distractions gradually you get some focus as you go along and so on. Or, you can just forget training anything but focus and engagement and only when you get that start training other behaviours. I prefer that, to be honest. It's a great deal less frustrating all round. Giving attention to a handler is a behaviour, and its a learned behaviour. It comes easier to some dogs than others, and some dogs learn it in the blink of an eye and with apparently little effort on behalf of the human, but it's still behaviour and you can train it.
We've taken our 5 month old field Lab on holiday to Cornwall, she is also a "nose on legs" and a nightmare on the lead. I've just logged into read up on lead training!. I've found a treat in the hand will focus her on me and she will walk reasonably well to get it at the end but next time out I'm back to square one!. To be fair she does sit reliably now so all's not lost..
