I'm about to go into a time of prolonged and repeated urban walks with Ted and want to get it right. Our first attempt a few weeks ago (he's now 5 months and a few days old) ended in him and I being sent home in disgrace on our first family walk into town. He just leapt at everyone, wanting to play. It was deep-end stuff and I realise it should have been a much more gradual introduction for him. Today I decided to try him on a less challenging urban walk on a loose leash - across a car park, up a main road with occasional pedestrians and round the block, crossing roads. On approach by other people I have got Ted to sit while I distract with high value treat (for Ted, not the passer-by!), until the person has gone by. He's been fine at that so far. He walks well on a loose leash and only occasionally yanks when he needs to sniff at a lamp post or bush. What I'm aiming for is an event-free walk through our busy town. Have I started off the right way? Tips and strategies welcome. Please dont tell me I should've started weeks ago, because I can't undo that. We are where we are.
Who "sent" you home? Your family? I suggest it might be easier to have those walks with just you and Ted. Ted is likely feeling the excitement of all of you together and that's making it harder, I think. Oban didn't walk through our village on leash till he was 18 weeks, that's when vaccinations were finished, so I certainly won't be telling you earlier would have helped. Practice, patience, lather, rinse, repeat. Did you do group classes? It's hard to go outside after only working at home, classes introduce you to dogs and people who are under control, somewhat. It's easier to show them the behaviour you want in class, then move the behaviour outside. FWIW we didn't do classes either till 5 months, there just weren't any available. Keep at it, it's early days yet.
Yup, just keep practicing. You'll get there. If he's really excited, I find walking back and forth along the same 10m or so of footpath can help to calm the dog down. You may get some raised eyebrows, but who cares? Also bar in mind it's not going to be a linear progression where he gets better each time. You'll find some days are more difficult for no reason that apparent to you. So, don't be afraid, when that happens, to go back to the car park and just walk around that a few times, then call it a day on a high note. I've been out on a walk with my two today, and it involved about a kilometre on a tarmac road. It was challenging for them because of all the different smells, and Shadow especially kept pulling towards them. So, we went back to basic training. I can't have them pulling on lead, because it will soon be winter and, with snow and ice everywhere, it's really dangerous having a dog that pulls. My training strategy, alongside the "stop when the dog pulls", is that I have "go sniff" on cue. This means I can reward them for not sniffing by allowing them to do the thing they want to do. It sounds a bit backward, but it really works. So, we walk for a few minutes and then I give the "go sniff" cue, which means they get to have a good snuffle around in the bushes at the side of the road. Pulling still isn't allowed, but they can go to the extent of the lead, they can have a wee, whatever. Then, when it's time to head off again, I give my "heel" cue, and off we go. Rinse and repeat. Every now and again, I'll see them glance towards something and know they've caught a whiff, so I reward them for ignoring it - about 75% of the time with a treat, but sometimes by "go sniff". Even in the space of that kilometre, we made really good progress and they'd stopped pulling to sniff entirely by about halfway. Of course, this is an exercise we've done before, but with little practice, it just slips out of their minds sometimes
I wonder if it's the "walk" plus the "urban" which is making this a little too challenging? That's an awful lot for him to master at once. Could it be worthwhile to plan an hour or so (preferably when he's already had a good walk and is nice and tired) to sit outside at a cafe (or park bench would be an easier place to start if needed) where he could get used to the sights, sounds and people going by without having to deal with the whole "and I also must be good on the leash as well" aspect? It certainly might be easier for you! If possible, bring his normal little blankie or pad which is part of his usual chilling out spot at home, plunk him down and ignore him until he settles and then praise/treat the heck out of that settle. Also choose your seat/bench carefully so he's nicely removed from the path of children/dogs until he builds up some confidence and can handle more temptations. I'll put my usual caveat that I'm not a dog trainer nor have I yet had a crocopup Lab puppy, but this has worked a charm for me.
Oh my gosh, I love this! I've never known anyone else who had a "go sniff" command. All my friends thought I was bonkers (or some horrible person who doesn't allow dogs to be "natural") to train that command, but it makes walks so much better! Plus the sniffing (which all dogs love anyway) can then become a reward. Let's start a "go sniff" revolution and convince everyone it's a good idea.
Mine are not allowed to sniff at all! Sniffs and doggyness is for free runs - which they get lots of. Just like we shouldn't be texting and driving
Having a dog off lead often enough so it's not unfair not to allow them to ever sniff on lead is quite a luxury. I remember turning up to a Gundog trainer, just after Charlie had done 8 months - 8 long, looooong months - on lead walks in London after his first cruciate surgery, to be told that my dog should never be allowed to pee, poo or sniff while on lead. hmmm..... In terms of urban streets, I think the most useful is a dog being able to walk nicely on both a longer lead, and a shorter lead. I have a 2m Halti training lead and if it's at 2m and held in my hand loosely at my waist, it's a loose lead walk and sniffing, stopping, pooing and peeing is allowed. No pulling, of course. If it's doubled up and held in my right hand (dog is on the left so the lead runs in front of my legs) then it's a 'close' walk and my left hand cues 'close' - same as an off lead close. No sniffing, no pooing, no peeing. My cues are 'close' and 'loose lead'. I have a 'go sniff' cue too, but find the cue 'loose lead' also very useful because 'go sniff' generates a dash to the nearest thing to sniff (because that's how I trained it ).
Hehe, same here, so I make sure we get close to the "thing" before I cue it. It certainly depends on how much on-lead your dog has to do. Mine don't wear their collars from one day to the next here, let alone having a lead on In Andorra, they go on their leads most days for a couple of hundred metres, that's it. I have to make a concerted effort to do lead training, and when we go to the vet (in the capital), it's a real challenge for them with all the smells!! I can't even imagine what they'd be like in a "real" city
Dogs get good at what they get to do everyday. Give me a £ for the number of times I've heard 'my dog isn't great on a lead, luckily s/he doesn't have to be on one much....'.
Hehe, that's why I make an effort to get them to do stuff they don't normally do, because otherwise it's a headache when they do have to! Case in point, you know I've been practicing ignoring other dogs with Shadow (who, for the uninitiated, would get frantic when on-lead around other dogs, either through excitement or fear aggression, depending on the dog). On today's walk, we had a lovely, young, excitable dog start following us, no owner in sight. She'd come out of a house we passed, so we weren't too bothered with her following, knowing we could slip a lead around her neck (no collar, either) and take her back if necessary. This would have sent Shadow into a frenzy only a few months ago, but, having gone out of my way to take him into the village at least once a week to do some LAT training with other dogs, he barely paid her any attention. When we turned off the road and onto a track, she was still right with us, but I let him off lead, and he ran along the track, away from her. Very proud moment. I guess what I'm trying to say is, those of us who don't have to deal with other people, other dogs, traffic, walking on lead etc etc etc can find ourselves in a pickle when those situations do crop up, but, if you put your mind to it, you can get your dogs used to those things, too.
Not that I was using a slip lead, by the way; I meant pulling the lead through its own loop to make a rudimentary slip for the purpose of getting her home
