So today I took Edsel to our nearby town for a walk along the river at a public walking path/park. We haven't been on a formal walk in a while. He started out his usual excited self, some mild pulling on the lead. But mostly he just always wants to get just out in front of me enough that I feel the need to constantly stop so he'll back up closer to a heel position and start over. He's not mad pulling or jerking, just further out front than I like for meeting and passing by folks and dogs. Because it was very quiet there today, nearly no one else about, I dropped the lead and he immediately fell back into a perfect heel position and remained there through pace changes, twists and turns. I decided to unfasten the lead from his collar and he immediately then moved out to the same forward spot he drifts to when I'm holding the lead. I did several rotations through all the options and it was always same result. So basically, if he has lead on collar but is dragging it, has a perfect heel. Lead on and I'm holding it or lead unfastened from collar and he walks forward. I thought that maybe I was projecting stress or anxiousness when holding lead, though I really don't feel any. But that wouldn't make sense for the same response when the lead is off. I'm baffled. Ideas?
Hmm. I was going to say how Lilly likes to be out front and feel slight "tension" on the lead though doesn't necessarily pull. We have discussed that in some older threads Thought that might have been relevant but now unconvinced.
I think it would be interesting to try different scenarios and see if Edsel behaves in the same way. If so, somehow he has picked up 2 types of heel walking. Have you been working recently on off head heel work? I trained Bramble off lead to walk first, then added the lead after, using the same cue that I use for her off lead, she defaults nicely now to my side, better than on lead, unless of course her environment is too stimulating. I guess the lead to her is one extra thing for her to consider. At the moment, we are in a very different environment to normal, being on holiday, so she needs a bit more guidance with her positioning. I see her looking at me slightly disparaging, as if to say "Do you really know where you are going? If so please do let me know..." OK...I was a bit lost at the time, and I am pretty she could tell through my own body positioning, which I thought interesting.
So sorry everyone. I appreciate the input but shortly after posting this, things got a big hectic for a week. I haven't had an opportunity to take him back out and do a little more observation but hope to try to sort it out, if possible. He is a tad prone to unexplained neurotic behavior from time to time, so it's never easy to do. I started him out with on lead heel and moved to some short periods of on lead when we were living in town in Oklahoma. Back home here in Indiana, we've really done little to no off lead heel work. Off lead is usually just free walking and play and how he spends the majority of his time. Right now, he's either been stung or somehow injured his left hind paw. So activity the last 24 hours has been moping around the home. If not improved by tomorrow, we'll take our lead and pay a visit to the vet.
