had my little man out for walk, everything has gone wrong,......previously i have been walking him on the harness , when i said last week he seemed to have a limp i feel this was due to the harness as when we let him off lead he rolls over and bites at the harness, last night when my son was out with him he bite through it .......my son was heartbroken he had to carry him home, ..... was afraid he would run off into the road, i was very happy with the harness as he walked beautifully with it on.....someone else had mentioned there dog having a bad time with the harness, this is what made me think this was the problem would hate to think he was hurting with it on.....today took him out on collar and lead, he pulled me all the way up the street , i kept stopping and making him sit, still insisted on pulling......got to the fields, he didn't listen to a word i said..... no training done, he just completely ignored me......rolled over in anything he could find....put him back on the lead to head home, he walked reasonably well .....got home i had to shower him , on my own, big lump he is, towel dried him, he was biting the towel rolling over being naughty, put is deodorant on and brushed him,he as fell asleep as soon as i had finished ...............should i worry about is lack of training today, or should i put it down to a bad day..... thank you in advance
Re: downhearted, Your trying so hard it can't be anything other than a bad day, don't worry we all have them! You could try the about turn walk, I found it easier to Riley to heel if we kept moving just in a different direction and the changes of direction keeps them focussing on you as they watch to see where you go next. Good luck, don't get disheartened!
Re: downhearted, i have been walking off from him going in different directions, he does keep a good eye on me, always follows me , ...... everything else he just ignored me
Re: downhearted, Don't be downhearted, Lynne. There are days when I don't train, for all sorts of reasons, and during the shooting season I hardly train at all because I am too busy. Dogs have off days just like we have and it is nothing to worry about. As for the pulling on the lead, is it possible to split your lead walking training from your normal walk to the field? One of the reasons he is pulling you is to get to the field quicker and off the lead sooner. If you can separate the two you will have a better chance of keeping his concentration and focus on you. Maybe you can start with very short walks just a couple of minutes in both directions from your house but not to the field where he gets off lead exercise. Could you possibly drive to the places where you let him off the lead?
Re: downhearted, thats very good advice, why did i not think of that .....tonight will just do a short walk on the lead...think it is just an off day, he has been very good in the house,
Re: downhearted, Please dont worry Lynne , its very true that our pups ( and adult dogs ) have off days when everything goes wrong . Very often these coincide with us feeling stressed or worried, they feel this down the lead , so the more relaxed you are when you set off, the more relaxed and attentive Jasper will be , tomorrow is another day
Re: downhearted, Lynne I feel your pain.....Dexter has been doing brilliantly on a harness....don't get me wrong i know it is masking/moderating his pulling but I carry on training exactly as if it is a lead but im not doing the stop 180 degrees turns which i know pippa recommends and that would cure it with perseverance ( got a husband who is not on board with that unfortunately,so we have a consistency issue straight away!)chris walks him off lead ,not on heel but within a very strict boundary and his recall is very good most of the time. If you are having the good results maybe don't give up and try a new harness.....think about how collars are so different,jasper might get on with a different harness better?Dex is on a pet shop generic harness that was about £30 I researched it before I bought and there is an American company that have a product called the sensation harness......you measure your dog and order specifically.there's no delivery to dubai so I will measure Dex near to a uk visit and order one then,if you think it was a comfort issue causing the biting that might help? Dont despair ,Things were going so well with us i decided yesterday afternoon to take him out on his 'socialization walk' on his lead........bad mistake .......I was yanked across the park ,had to dig myself down so hard we nearly ploughed it!Park is busy at that time,I felt a spectacle ' why can't she control her dog?' Looks or so I felt! He didn't know his name or even care if he came home with me I don't think!!! I felt a right loser! Straight back on the harness this morning,PERFECT ! Recall excellent,it's the weekend here so the park was deserted at 6 pm( how it rolls here!)... Felt like shouting at all the houses that back onto it,come and see my wonderful dog!hes doing everything perfectly! But then I would seem a bit more nuts than they probably already think I am! Tomorrow will be better for you just like it was for me and do you know i have just taken Dex out now for his last walk before we go away for 2 weeks :'( and we didn't do anything training wise,i just wanted a nice walk with him,we just walked on harness,loose lead( ah he's just come and sat on my feet!)and we had a lovely time,he won't get any training outside our house for the next 2 weeks .....I worry but what to do,lovely members on here have said accept it,then get a grip when you get back so your Jasper won't suffer for a day or 2 break......and neither will you .Obi' s accident has upset you today too,so give yourself a break,you re doing a superb job xxx
Re: downhearted, I feel like every day is a bad day for us! Your doing really well! Hubby lets Amy walk all over in her harness and lead too where I try get her next to my leg. Good job he never walks her really! He says I walk to slow, that's why she pulls!
Re: downhearted, once again kate you are right, think i got my self so stressed with him pulling on the lead, was doing so well with the harness but i think it may be hurting him,......going to see what advice my vet gives me tomorrow ....angela i will look into the harness you recommend, jade things will get better,
Re: downhearted, Aww so sorry you had a down day yesterday, Lynn. I feel your pain... I don't have pulling issues with Simba (one of the few issues I DON'T have) but I know how hard it is when all your hard work seems to be going for naught. Re: the harness - we actually tried a harness on Simba tonight. Not because of pulling but we want to use it for the van. First time I went out with him he was biting at it, and when he turned to do so he saw his leash and bit at that too. Needless to say I turned back. But on further reflection it seemed that the harness was too tight. Adjusted it, tried again, problem solved! So perhaps with a different harness you will have the same result!
Re: downhearted, lisa i have had 3 harnesses 2 he bit through one was 2 big, tried an halti,came back said we not using that again, i have told him we are taking him out on it in the morning he needs to get used to it , so here we go again, 15 sets of collar/leads/harness, i like the harness he don't so maybe he is not comfortable with it , will let you all know, will find the right one in time grrrr
Re: downhearted, I feel your pain! Having the same problem here with my "house line"... Gone through 3 in 2 days. Hence the chain one we are using now. He will likely bite through the nylon handle on the lead, but he can't chew the chain. I think. It's hard on the hands, though... I used a halti with my Border Collie. It was a bit nightmarish at the beginning but it didn't take too long with treats and perseverance that he settled in. I feel for you!! Hope you can find something that works. I am thinking of ordering a house line from a company that supposedly makes chew-proof leashes - I will check and see if they have harnesses too.
Re: downhearted, I had a look on their site, they just have leashes and car tether straps, etc. The site is muttgear.net, if you want to take a look. It's kinda funny how so many of their testimonials come from Lab owners....but there must be someone out there who makes a chew-proof harness!!!
Re: downhearted, bought one from the vets its a lupi......its like a rope harness, to walk him to the fields in, take it off him to run, then try and get it back on for walks home, will try it this week , i feel for you, you are working so hard...... my jasper as settled in now, just working on the pulling and doing step by step recall, so far so good
Re: downhearted, Probably no help, but a doggy friend of me once suggested a simple tip - no extra equipment needed! Presumably using either normal collar/lead or slip lead, take the lead down the chest (so the "D-ring" is under his or her chin, and bring it out behind the leg closest to you i.e. tuck it under the dog's armpit. This means that the lead is going to slightly pull the head down when the dog pulls, and in theory stops the pulling. I have tried it once or twice, but to be honest, don't need it as I use a figure eight slip lead over the muzzle if we are having a bad pulling day. Whatever lead/harness etc you use, I think perseverence so the dog gets a chance to get used to it is important. I know with the figure-8 that it took us 4-5 days of continuing use,at least, to get used to it, and when we use it now, she will take the opportunity to paw it off her nose if she can (although we only use it going to busy new areas e.g trip to the shops - rare!) jac
Re: downhearted, jac i have tried the figure 8 that is the halti......he did not like it, it was if it was hurting him, same with the harness, he walks beautiful but hes not comfortable with it,......he is going to be a big guy , so will have to sort the pulling
Re: downhearted, I wonder whether he doesn't like it because it restricts him? He maybe feels he loses control? I know its not easy to tell over the internet.....could he be "faking it" ;D It would be strange for a lead or collar or a harness to actually hurt unless it was put on wrongly, or if it were too tight, assuming he is in fine fettle and no sore bits. I just wonder whether all the chopping and changing is a good thing for him? Being consistent is so important with dogs as much as kids : jac
Re: downhearted, i am not sure jac.....think the problem is me i hate him pulling , pant pant panting
Re: downhearted, I know what you meant Lynne - feels like you are strangling him. When that happens to me I just stop and do a bit of the backward forward walking before going on. ANd if it continues, in theory, you just go back home without him getting the "reward" that he is expecting (that justifies the pulling) if you can work that out ??? jac
