It's not news to you that my Charlie is an excitable dog. : It's worse now we're on restricted exercise. There is one corner of the park we can't cope with - a busy entrance for people with kids, prams, skate boards, and dogs. A busy play ground, busy tennis courts, and very exciting bushes with squirrels and pigeons. But if we could cope with it, it would make my life much easier over the next 4 months, because I wouldn't have to drive round to the other side of the park. Normally, I'd take him to the common, and let him run until he was puffed out before lead training with distractions like this. I can't do that now. I tried 20m inside the railings and towards the distractions. C&T for calm with roast chicken. We were a disgrace, and he was so excited the walk home was a nightmare too. Like one of those dogs that you are glad you don't own. :-[ Do I give up, until he is fit and I can try when he has less energy, or keep trying? If I keep trying, it might help with his management more generally, as I've got to keep up the impulse control training. Obviously, 20m was just too much, and I should just get to the gate tomorrow, or close to the gate - only as far as we can stay calm - then just one step inside if he is still calm the next day etc. Anyone got any tips? He was turning his nose up for chicken today, so can fall back to messy sardines, of course as a first strategy.
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park Julie, were the more distractions because it's the weekend? Maybe you could try at a quieter time and with Charlie's favourite roast beef if chicken has lost it's appeal. Keep trying a little longer, as you say this will help in future months. Just tiny steps at a time C&T building up distance and calmness until Charlie can cope and he will Just go to the gate tomorrow and home, end on a positive, as you have said your boy will do it
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park Given all the other challenges you and Charlie are facing right now, I would be inclined to grit my teeth and drive round to the other side of the park... I think you deserve to enjoy the walking you can do for a bit, and the consequences of Charlie losing it in such an exciting spot would make me wary right now. But I might just be a wimp Clare
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park You are both right...might be quieter at another time. And why push it? Difficult. Part of me wants to make some more progress before things get even worse, part of me knows Clare is right. He could harm himself.
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park How easy is it for you to lift Charlie into your car Julie? If you can manage to sort this park walk out it may make life a little easier in the long run, but I do understand your worries about Charlie harming himself, it's so tough. Children will be going back to school in about a week so maybe things will become quieter for you to have a little try then ??? I do feel for you all the decisions you are having to make for your boy
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park [quote author=charlie link=topic=3812.msg43481#msg43481 date=1388342304] How easy is it for you to lift Charlie into your car Julie? [/quote] Not easy at all - my little city car is tiny, and doesn't fit a dog cage. . It's the main reason I'm trying to avoid the drive. The dog walker flatly refuses to do it, for the risk Charlie takes a flying jump in or out. But some light - OH has just said he is buying me a new (second hand) car, with proper dog cage, and kitting his car out with a dog cage too. So that will help. If it works out, I can sell my little city car. It's really lovely of him. Although, I was going to get my defender from Cornwall and drive it back on New Year's Day - it's so easy to get Charlie in and out of the defender. OH was fine with that. Then decided the pup couldn't travel up the motorway to his surgery in the defender (the one we have is too narrow for a good cage), as it wasn't safe enough for his pup. Safe enough for me though!
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park I don't sadly have any useful tips, but in the long run, he is surely going to end up a calmer dog. I know when Lilly went to stay with my SIL as a youngster she was always just lead walked and came back much calmer on lead, just because that was what was needed. (didn't last though) I wish I could help you somehow.
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park That's great about the new car solution While one option is to work slowly on a calm approach to the gate (when it's as quiet as possible), I'd probably just do whatever you find easiest and least stressful for you. Once the new car arrives that will probably be the car trip option. Maybe on quiet days you can do a little bit of work with the gate at a much greater distance, but don't make it harder for yourself than it has to be. You have enough on your plate without setting high training goals at the moment.
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=3812.msg43491#msg43491 date=1388346737] I wish I could help you somehow. [/quote] You do. And everyday someone on this forum helps - just by listening, giving me tips, sharing thoughts. I'd be lost otherwise. The funny thing is though, when he bounces up to (yet another) vet, and jumps up. I want to shout "but you should see his recall!". "You should see him retrieve!". I never trained for all this quiet nonsense! Wish I had now...
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park Jac made a good point there Julie, won't Charlie become calmer as short lead walks is all he will be getting therefore all he will expect? ??? The more you do, the more they need physically and mentally. My friend has an enormous 42kg almost 30" to the withers Labradoodle Harry, Hattie's best friend who is the same age as her and he gets walked for about 45 minutes a day total, Hattie gets walked anything from 1 1/2 to 2 hours per day plus training along the way. Maggie doesn't do any training, no interaction with him during walks and he doesn't seem to need it he just plods along rarely ever breaking into a run unless he is with Hattie as she leads him astray ;D. Do we set ourselves up for more than our dogs need I wonder, although I wouldn't have it any other way
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park [quote author=charlie link=topic=3812.msg43507#msg43507 date=1388350719] The more you do, the more they need physically and mentally. [/quote] I'm sure that's true, yes. And it's coming back to bite me now - our time with Charlie was all about off lead, high energy, on the beach, and cliffs, and the common. Hundreds, and hundreds, of hours on recall games, retrieving, ball games. We managed him fantastically well, and had an absolute high energy ball - and, quite frankly, who cared if he sometimes jumped up? We thought counter surfing was funny. Suddenly, I want him to be ok trotting round the block 3 or 4 times a day....the transition is slow...and I'm running out of time.
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park Helen is right, he will adjust to the exercise level he is getting. Over the course of their lifespans, my 2 spaniels adjusted to various walks depending on whether we found ourselves in rural or urban environments. Back in 2010, we wound up in Amesbury just as I had a severe flare up of rheumatoid arthritis - I'm on the good stuff now and doing just fine, I just prefer to point out to people though that I am young and arthritic. My run-for-two-hours dogs adjusted to short lead walks only, because it was the easiest thing for me at that time. As long as I took them out, they cheerfully settled for what was available three times a day. If you can get the car situation cracked and can walk from the other side of the park, chances are he'll be ready to tackle the super exciting gate in his own time... I think that the more time that passes with Charlie restricted to lead exercise, the calmer he will become on the lead anyway and the more distractions he will naturally be able to cope with. Ultimately though, you have to work with what you can cope with, and whatever that is, is the right solution for you. There's perfection, and then there's the very best we can do in our circumstances. Clare Oh, and they reverted to run-for-two-hours dogs afterwards! You WILL get your hooligan back
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park Oh Julie I didn't mean to make you feel worse, what I was trying to say but badly is that I am sure Charlie will get used to his short lead walks in time and won't expect any more. Your high energy ball of chocolate fun will be back before you know it. I am sorry
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park [quote author=charlie link=topic=3812.msg43510#msg43510 date=1388352184] Oh Julie I didn't mean to make you feel worse, what I was trying to say but badly is that I am sure Charlie will get used to his short lead walks in time and won't expect any more. Your high energy ball of chocolate fun will be back before you know it. I am sorry [/quote] No, no, I know - it's just a two sided coin. I hope I see the other side soon!
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park Oh Julie,everyone has given you much better advice than I ever could ,this must be so stressful for you,I hate deadlines and having this deadline where you feel under pressure to have a sedate and calm Charlie must be incredibly worrying.take it a day at a time...try not to mentally count down the days ,just use every day as a chance to practice and cumulatively at the end of this preparation period you will have made progress xxx
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park [quote author=JulieT link=topic=3812.msg43470#msg43470 date=1388340784] It's not news to you that my Charlie is an excitable dog. : It's worse now we're on restricted exercise. There is one corner of the park we can't cope with - a busy entrance for people with kids, prams, skate boards, and dogs. A busy play ground, busy tennis courts, and very exciting bushes with squirrels and pigeons. But if we could cope with it, it would make my life much easier over the next 4 months, because I wouldn't have to drive round to the other side of the park. Normally, I'd take him to the common, and let him run until he was puffed out before lead training with distractions like this. I can't do that now. I tried 20m inside the railings and towards the distractions. C&T for calm with roast chicken. We were a disgrace, and he was so excited the walk home was a nightmare too. Like one of those dogs that you are glad you don't own. :-[ [/quote] Haha! 4 months later...we can walk inside the railings now. Just done it. Been walking up and down that road, and in and out of that entrance, turning back at the first pull, for 4 months! Mad, it should take this long, really...
Re: Excitable dog, exciting park [quote author=JulieT link=topic=3812.msg72097#msg72097 date=1398855719] Haha! 4 months later...we can walk inside the railings now. Just done it. Mad, it should take this long, really... [/quote] Big congratulations and not mad a tall.you've done it properly and thoroughly,lovely to look back on posts like this and see brilliant progress x
