Re: Pippa's book has arrived I received my book "Total Recall" yesterday. Have read upto Exercise 1 and getting cracking tomorrow as I don't have to work. Fingers crossed. Had a very difficult walk this morning. Pheasants are all out now ready for shooting season, Charlie dragged me along the ground and head first into a hedge followed by Hattie as she was on lead too, now soaking wet and hurt myself. When will he ever walk nicely on his lead (had a nose loop on too) !!! Helen
Re: Pippa's book has arrived Oh dear Helen , its horrible I know , when you feel you`re getting nowhere, fast : I found that Sam became a lot more responsive without his head collar , I bought it in desperation but he fought it all the way so when he was about 8 months old , I got a rope type slip lead, the difference was amazing . I`m not saying it was a quick fix and he still pulls at times when he is excited but on the whole, he has responded a lot better to the slip lead than anything else , dont lose heart, you will get there
Re: Pippa's book has arrived Thanks for your encouragement. Charlie is a very tall and strong boy and I feel I have no control - ha ha! if he is not on a nose loop (I use a slip lead looped over his nose as shown to me by a dog trainer as he absolutely hated and fought with the Halti). But those damn Pheasants are just too irresistable. When he starts leaping/pulling on the lead when he spots prey I can sometimes get him to sit and am working on "look at me" to calm him down and distract him with treats, although not always!! do you think that's the right thing to do? He is generally worse on his lead on our way out to our walk as obviously he is young and exciteable and at times excellent on the way home and then I remove the nose loop and he walks on a slack lead and I him tell him he is a good boy - but not today!! Rescue dogs are a breed all of their own - bless Helen
Re: Pippa's book has arrived The " Look at me " and distract is just what I do with Sam and Pippa said it was the right thing to do Helen so yes , work on that . Sam is also a strong lad, he weighs 34 kilos but no fat on him, he is lean but just big and only 15 months old so I know what its like when they pull ! I find just the same as you , its on the way to an off lead walk that Sam tends to be worse , on the way home he is brilliant . I just keep stopping when he pulls , even walk backwards sometimes, causing amusement to the neighbours : The mistake I made was to give the treat as soon as I got him to sit and look at me , now I show him the treat and he has it once the distraction has passed . I can well imagine the pheasant being a huge attraction , we sometimes pass a cottage where there are guinea fowl and chickens in the garden , nightmare :
Re: Pippa's book has arrived Thanks so much for that at least I know I am doing the right thing for a change! Charlie too is lean at 30kg but so tall and has very large feet and it has been suggested to me by several dog savy people he may have Great Dane in him but I don't know, we were told Lab x Pointer by the Rescue Centre so we go with that. I will do as you say about the treat though as that does make sense and will keep up with it. I hate Pheasants and all birds - there I've said it and I feel much better!!! I think a large part of the problem at the moment is he is not getting any off lead walks due to his non existent recall so a bit more difficult on lead. But hopefully if he is a good boy and does as Pippa says he will intime be released for an off lead walk - here's hoping!!! Thanks again. Helen
Re: Pippa's book has arrived Oh forgot to say, I do the stopping and walking backwards, walking around in a circle etc. and after a year it still a work in "progress" shall we say! Helen
