Since I upped my level of interesting-ness to Coco we have on leaps and bounds with loose lead. I include games of "find it" and some impulse control (throwing food) while we're walking. Fast pace/slow pace, also sit/heel and other similar games. This also helps him stick close of off-lead walks. I'm lucky that Coco is motivated by food - I think this is quicker to deliver than a game or access to the environment - I may be wrong but I feel this helps for quicker progress.
It is definitely quicker to use food but only if the dog is motivated by it. Charlie will eat food, he likes food, but he doesn't change his behaviour to earn it. He won't give up trying to sniff or move forward faster in return for food. So, for me, I wasted stacks of time trying to train heel with food. Then I tried to train it with a ball throw and made faster progress but still slow because of the time it takes to use a ball (and that the dog gets very quickly that humans don't throw balls on pavements), then I eventually trained it with tug and that was quite fast. The other thing is that you get a very 'drivey' heel if you use toys. There is a vid somewhere of Charlie walking to heel for @bbrown, I'll see if I can find it. I couldn't get this result with food - no way.
Oh yes Rosie do that, it would be great to follow your progress, which there will be. I'm on a similar track with Cassie at the moment, I spent time when she was in season working on loose lead walking, but had to vary it with sniffing aswell for that period of time. I'm continuing to do this and off lead heel as well. For reasons rather long and boring I hadn't used the word heel since she was around 4 months, last week I thought I'd just try it -- I couldn't believe it but she came and walked at heel straightaway!! Just shows what goes in when they are little.
Red just 5 months is walking quite well on a loose lead most of the time so long as I am treating her heavily and we are managing daily 20 minute walks locally. When the lead is loose it's great and she seems to enjoy as do I. She is getting used to cars, lorries, cyclists all going by. Any tips for distracting her when we see other people and dogs? I am moving onto people's driveways, open lawns when somebody is coming the other way or crossing over the road if I can see people on the same side of the pavement up ahead. She will sit nicely, then lunge at the last minute .
I'd say not to distract her, but to teach her to watch calmly. LAT (Look At That - it's been talked about on the forum a lot, so you should be able to find it in a search) is your friend
We are taught to lure them past with a treat on their nose, when little. Once they are a bit older - 8 months or so, we use the cue 'look at me'. Some dogs are more dog-distracted than others. Mollie is fine. Twiglet was seriously bird distracted, I managed to train her to keep walking through pigeons by treating her when she chose to look at me rather than the pigeons. But her bird distraction came back nearly at the end of her Advanced training and she was withdrawn. She's a very happy pet now - and still bird distracted .
Thank you snowbunny - sorry, I didn't explain what I do very well. I do a lot of 'look at that' as we are walking along and even when we move out the way of people and dogs, I am still asking her to 'look at that'. She will sit calmly but then gets excited and lunges at the last moment as people pass. I suppose it's just lots of practice trying to keep her calm and maybe streaming treats a bit more than I am. I don't want to avoid situations but teach her how to deal with them. There is a lady who lives nearby and whenever I see her with her dog, she is trying to get it to look at her. It has always made me cringe. Sky has never bothered about other dogs so it's never been an issue for me passing anything. With Red this is different - I suppose constant training and her maturing will improve things.
Thank you Boogie. I will try a bit more luring with treat on the end of nose. Because I know she will react by lunging, I take an easier way out by moving out the way. Yesterday, I took her out when I knew all the school buses, cyclists and school children would be going along the road out of the village. It was hard going but I feel we need to be doing more of this especially as we are on holiday in a months time. Whilst, we will pick what we do carefully, she is going to be meeting lots of people and dogs etc. We will of course have both dogs with us which will be another thing to conquer. We have only tried one little dog walk with them together and it was not very successful. Hey ho, so many things to think about .
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a piece of roast chicken on the nose when the dog is in a situation they can't deal with. I think I've said before I've used this in Andorra with a horrible Pyrenean Mountain Dog that is confined to a small area and throws himself at the fence whenever we walk past. In the early days, I could use this as a training opportunity for Squidge, at a distance, but we still had to walk past and that was too much to ask, so a lure is fine then. Distraction, yes, in an environment she couldn't otherwise cope with. But, over time, it was less and less necessary, to the point we could do LAT as we walked past with no chicken stuck to her nose. Similarly, when people are walking past you, there's a hug challenge as the distance gets less and less between you. So, you need to start judging when that optimum point is to stick the amazing treat on her nose, so she's not practicing the lunging behaviour, but gets the chance to practice being non-reactive for longer and longer. It's definitely easier when you're the one moving around a static target, compared to the other way around.
Your message helped a lot I have been taking shorter walks and yes it is boring but I hope I`m getting somewhere, lots of treats and repetition! I`ll keep trying thanks.
Thank you for this snowbunny. Yes I saw your video of Luna and the Pyrenean Mountain dog . Unfortunately, I can't do the amazing treat because of Red's digestive problems - it's just her kibble which is enough of an incentive for walking on a loose lead with no distractions but doesn't 'cut the mustard' when people/dogs are around. The lunging behaviour does bother me a bit as she tries to do it in the house also when we have visitors - she just gets so excited as she will then throw herself on her back for a tummy rub - I guess just lots of patience and praising all the good things she is doing but I will try to luring with a bit of kibble on her nose .
Just done a walk into the heart of the village, past 3 people on our side of the pavement. First 2 she lunged a bit, not as bad but the third I had the kibble right over her nose and she walked past beautifully - needless to say lots of praise
Sorry Rosie if I have taken over this thread, didn't mean to, just get carried away as everyone is so supportive and helping me loads . Hope all is going well with Pongo?
I was experiencing the same with my boy. I recently got a HarnessLead (www.harnesslead.com). It really has worked well and there is no front leg restrictions as with a regular harness. Plus it's soft and easy on the hands!
Hello my puppy is only 10 weeks old and i have him on a leash . is he too young to start training not to pull? and is it the same method?
My 1 y.o golden Lab is excellent at this. He didn't require more than a week of light reward-based training. I would recommend reward based training to everyone. Beating and/or choke chains are both painful and cruel for the dogs. I would also not recommend a head halter as it causes a slight ridge in the lab's muzzle.
