The past few times we have been on our off lead walk Rolo has done his crazy eyes and butt tuck and ran straight at me. He has his mouth wide open and it looks and feels like he wants to bite my arm off (imagine police german shepherd stopping a criminal)! It's always as we have walked our 22.5 minutes one way and are turning round to go back. I have just been turning my back as he gets closer so as to stop him thinking it's play time. Any suggestions?
Re: Attacking me on our walk H still sometimes jumps up on us quite aggressively if we have stayed off the path especially in one area we walk on occasion where there is a narrow path through woodland. He has also stopped and refused to go any further if we walk on straight along the main path and not turn off to the field to play ball. Are there different routes you could take or turn around and go back on yourself then turn back along the path. Vary the length of your walk, if he's walking nicely then go a bit further. Stop and play ball for a few moments at different places. Bring in a bit of variety so he's not anticipating the turn around point.
Re: Attacking me on our walk I remember Tatze doing this at about the same age - there's still a sewn up rip in my raincoat to remember it! She simply grew out of it and learned to contain her pure joy/excitement. Gypsy never did it once. She is much calmer than the Labs - I put it down to her GR genes
Re: Attacking me on our walk Do you mean like this? http://youtu.be/x5hBbcv2IZo In all seriousness though this will pass. Try and keep him guessing when you'll go home and when you won't. The 5 min rule is a guideline, don't let it cause you a problem. Intersperse your walk with very short highly rewarding games. Find it is a good one, get him snuffling stuff out of the long grass that's coming on now spring has sprung.
Re: Attacking me on our walk You were very precise in your 22.5 minutes. Do you by any chance have an alarm on your phone to tell you it is time to turn back?
Re: Attacking me on our walk [quote author=bbrown link=topic=10828.msg161386#msg161386 date=1430921359] Do you mean like this? http://youtu.be/x5hBbcv2IZo . [/quote] Yikes! ;D ;D ;D
Re: Attacking me on our walk Exactly !!!! That's your bat s**t crazy (but insanely well trained!) Malinois for you......I always knew I gave the ex-police dog round the corner a wide berth for a reason ! She's stunning but you wouldn't mess 8)
Re: Attacking me on our walk I would suggest making it playtime. Pre-empt the charge by turning back a few minutes earlier and immediately produce a toy. Play with Rolo, making it exciting and fun, for a few minutes, then walk for a few minutes, possibly on lead, then let him off and produce a new toy for a different type of game. Repeat! Honestly Molly improved hugely since I introduced the 'play curriculum',back in the autumn, in all sorts of ways - keen to stay near me, walking to heel off lead etc. It will tire Rolo more too.
Re: Attacking me on our walk You could turn round at 22 mins and catch him off guard?! Or stick him on the lead for a short period just before he's goes silly? I had a similar issue although Monts is quite a bit younger. I still have the scars. On the suggestion of the guys on this forum, I learned to recognise it and quickly get him on the lead before he goes bananas!
Re: Attacking me on our walk [quote author=Mollly link=topic=10828.msg161394#msg161394 date=1430926590] You were very precise in your 22.5 minutes. Do you by any chance have an alarm on your phone to tell you it is time to turn back? [/quote] Errr.....Yes I do! Is that bad? Is he hearing the alarm knowing what it means and thinking f**k this if I attack she may give in! Lol. I know this is gonna sound crazy but for the first time rather than thinking to myself oh no he's doing his bum tuck, here it comes or this is where he usually attacks me I made myself think about something else like what I was going to cook for tea, the weather or anything but not about the attack and you guessed it, it never came! I think I am causing a lot/some of Rolo's problems I'm thinking he's gonna do this or that and he does rather than thinking I'm going to recall him and he will come back. We have at the grand old age of 9 months passed our bronze award at puppy training. It actually only took 5 weeks but swapping trainer half way thro at 5 months and my dads accident made progress slow. He can now progress to the big boys class with the teenagers I just hope he doesn't pick up any bad habits.....not likely! Thanks for all your great tips, I see I am being rather predictable. I always go to the same place because I don't want to meet another dog, but I would love him to have another dog he could walk with and romp about with but it has to be a dog that can hack a ton of boisterousness! Hard to come by! Lol Kris
Re: Attacking me on our walk Why not play a game with him on his walk, or do some training? Then he won't need to try to get your attention, and you can interact with him instead of drifting off and thinking about the weather? Maybe try to have some fun together, and distract you both. Well done on the bronze!
Re: Attacking me on our walk I have found that Tara will more happily walk, without any "attack" or "stop for no reason" intervals, if she is on strange ground. I am lucky enough to have 8 - 10 walks near home. These include public parks, old mining spoil heaps, closed railway tracks, etc. I find that if we go on the nearest, so regular, park walk, she does get bored with it. All this becomes irrelevant, of course, if there are other dogs to play puppy wrestling with!
Re: Attacking me on our walk I was just thinking that if your phone alarm goes off it might trigger a reaction. The phone alarm is not a bad thing, I often use it if I have an appointment and need to get back from my walk. Perhaps you could put it on vibrate in you pocket. It may be nothing that is setting him off. They really are bonkers at this age.
