Feeling so frustrated today and wondering why everyone else seems to have a normal dog and mine is such a struggle! 18 month old female lab, absolutely perfect around the home. But...pulls on the lead, lunges at other dogs (over friendly not aggressive). Still nips when strangers stroke her, jumps up at other dog owners on walks, takes off like a rocket if she sees something she likes. I have had her on the long line for 2 weeks with no improvement. I could cry because she is no better now than she was a year ago. :-[
Re: When will it get better!? Please don't think that you have the only dog that behaves like this , you certainly don't, but sorry to have to say that its a training issue . The other thing which I think is important is this , if you get wound up , so will your dog, they do sense changes of mood , feel our anxieties, so, hard though it may be, try to relax . It seems that there are a few issues going on , do you let her off lead at all ? I would suggest that you try classes with her, but only small classes, large ones would just be far too exciting and wind her up .Work on recall , try Pippas book Total Recall which is excellent, so that once you have a decent recall , you can allow her off lead with more confidence . Practice recall at home, indoors and in your garden too, use high value treats to tempt her and only ever call her when she is already coming towards you , then you aren't setting her up to fail . Ask at the Vets about classes , I do think it would be a good thing to do, for both of you, good luck x
Re: When will it get better!? I have the total recall book, and am working through it, no success so far! Recall great except when hurtling towards a playmate, I can recall her away once she has reached her target though. i let the long line trail along the floor so she is effectively off lead but under control if you see what I mean. I just can't foresee a time when she will voluntarily ignore other dogs though. I know I sound like a rubbish owner but I honestly put in a lot of time and effort training her, we have one to one sessions with a trainer too.
Re: When will it get better!? Hello from Molly, my 18 month old girl and me. As you can see, we are in the same boat with 18 month old girls. Molly is very boisterous. It is only within about the last 10 days she has been able to greet someone without jumping up at them. I have worked long and hard to teach her to sit to say 'Hello'. I have repeated and treated until I was blue in the face. I also taught her to give a paw. I think it is a good idea to give them something to do, it distracts them from bouncing on people. Molly wants to be best mates with every dog she meets. She wants to bounce all over them. Not all dogs, or their owners, appreciate this. Again we have worked on the 'Sit'. She can sometimes stay seated whilst other dogs walk past. Again loads of treats and praise when she succeeds even for a few seconds. Don't think for a moment I have 'cracked it'. Some dogs she just goes nuts for. The walking nicely on the lead was a long haul. She walks nicely by my side now, most of the time, but see another dog or something tasty in the hedgerow and she tries to pull towards it. I turn into a concrete block. I reckon that in the last 15 months since I got her and started the lead training I have walked over 1000 miles with her. Some of it very slowly as I every time she pulled I turned into a concrete block. I dread to think how many pieces of kibble I have fired down her throat in that time. She knows exactly what her recall whistle means and will arrive, at speed looking all bright eyed and bushy tailed WHEN IT SUITS HER, other times, well I think the expression is "Go Whistle". So, you see you are not alone. You have a normal, young dog. Kate is right about the training. It is the key to having a dog that you enjoy having in your life.
Re: When will it get better!? Harley is nearly 20 months and is a big puller too . I have a K9 head collar that my dog walker used when she first started walking Harley. It has made a huge difference to me. I now only have to use it when we go to exciting places. If we go around the block or to the shops she will walk on her harness with next to no pulling, but other places the only way I can stop her pulling is the head collar. Not everyone agrees with head collars, but due to my health I decided I was happy to use it and will continue to do so until she stops pulling. It makes our walks on lead much less stressful With the jumping on people, you could try stepping on the lead so she can't jump up, or ask people to turn their bodies away if she goes to jump and only allow them to say hi when she is sat. You are not the only one who has these problems, a lot of lab owners especially will have assorted issues, but remember they can all be worked through with training. Harley is still a work in progress and always will be I think
Re: When will it get better!? Hi there! Just to say you're not alone too I was in tears earlier this week because I just don't seem to be able to get anything right and I've tried SO hard..... every day, patiently, consistently, conscientiously.... I've read everything going and never take a day off from the consistency. The hard thing for me was on Sunday when I had people to visit who were passively critical of Bonnie's lack of perceptible trained-ness! I'm too soft, apparently, a good old fashioned newspaper on the nose would do wonders, Bonnie's too timid (because she barked at them and wouldn't come to say hello when they sat on her sofa!! ) But Labradors are so easy to train, they said ..... It's ridiculously hard to stay calm, patient and upbeat about it when you feel like you've been failing consistently for ages. Even though you know it's exactly what the pup needs. I absolutely get that! But you're not failing, you are steadily and gently letting the training go in.... you're doing great by your dog, you care and that's massively important! We're starting a new class after Easter and I've got all my hopeful (Easter) eggs in that particular basket! (bad joke ) .... I don't know how I'll feel if we don't start to see an improvement after that. I often wonder if it's because I'm dealing with the issue on my own (a single pet-parent!!) but I've seen other posts where it's caused arguments between partners so I guess it's swings and roundabouts. Some things I've found helpful to keep me upbeat: - make your dog part of your daily routine, get them involved. We now hang the washing out together. "Fetch a peg" has become a new training game for us and it makes me laugh! - focus on the things s/he does well. I am terrible at forgetting things like Bonnie walked to heel all the way home today, I'm still focusing on the rubbish recall in the park. Some people (me!) will go to Buckingham Palace and notice the corgi poo in the corner - look up at all the shiny things once in a while - don't look at the poo!!! - Keep a sense of humour about it. I've given all her toys silly names - we have Moriarty; George the one-legged giraffe, Funky Bird and Bug Eyed Pup. When we play with them it makes me laugh that I use these silly names. - Have some you time. I sometimes wonder if a very clever pup will pick up what they're supposed to do SO quickly you have to find new and inventive ways to reinforce them. I know Bonnie knows all her commands; I don't want to use treats all the time, so I'm thinking up new ways to use her commands in weird situations. We have to pass a bus stop full of people every morning who watch as, every day, we get more and more exactly-the-bloody-same about pulling on our lead. ??? Keep going and remember - don't always be looking at the corgi poo in the corner!
Re: When will it get better!? Beautifully put there, Bonnie. (sorry, I don't know your name, just your doggy!) It's so hard not to feel like a failure in the face of criticism from others, and most of all from yourself. There are no shortcuts, though; no easy answers. When we feel low that our dogs aren't getting it, we need to remember that it's a long journey and we should sit back and enjoy the ride. If we only focus on the destination, we'll spend the whole trip bored and frustrated, but if we stop to smell the roses (and have the odd skinny dip) on the way, we'll laugh, have fun, and, ultimately end up happier when we do get to the end. Keep that attitude, Bonnie, it's going to give you and your dog the best relationship in the world
Re: When will it get better!? Great tips, Bonnie There are some things that our dogs find hugely motivating...like getting to where they want to go and flinging themselves at people. Training them not to do these things does take a consistent effort sustained over a looooong period of time. It's frustrsting at times as progress seems slow. But there is progress!! As well as not looking so much at the Corgi poo, remember to look back at where you started
Re: When will it get better!? It's much easier to type it on a keyboard than to live it though! My heart goes out to OP. Having said that, it was good to remind myself that we are having fun along the bumpy way!
Re: When will it get better!? [quote author=Oberon link=topic=10353.msg153936#msg153936 date=1428005829] Great tips, Bonnie There are some things that our dogs find hugely motivating...like getting to where they want to go and flinging themselves at people. Training them not to do these things does take a consistent effort sustained over a looooong period of time. It's frustrsting at times as progress seems slow. But there is progress!! As well as not looking so much at the Corgi poo, remember to look back at where you started [/quote] I think sometimes we only see what they are not doing, not what they have already achieved. [quote author=Bonnie link=topic=10353.msg154043#msg154043 date=1428055708] It's much easier to type it on a keyboard than to live it though! My heart goes out to OP. Having said that, it was good to remind myself that we are having fun along the bumpy way! [/quote] It would be no fun if it was all easy peasy. We're Lab owners, we like a challenge! Having said that labs are not a spot on Italian Spinones for being challenging!
Re: When will it get better!? You are so right, I too focus on everything I/molly does wrong and not on the good stuff - she isn't aggressive, doesn't bark all the time etc etc. I do think that some (not this!!) forums can make you feel pretty rubbish and assume you don't exercise/praise/stimulate/train your dog enough. Actually, I really do, way more than my parents generation, I just think we are hyper critical of ourselves and other dog owners. I don't think when I was growing up any dog owner worried about having the magic 100% recall before letting their dog off to charge around the park! I know I over think it and hold myself up to high standards which are probably not attainable (but sell a lot of books!)
Re: When will it get better!? You are exactly right, Rosemary. We don't see our successes, largely because success comes very slowly and we work very hard to achieve it. To the outsider, who hasn't been party to the daily drudge, it is sudden and noticeable. I am not blowing my own trumpet here but.........yesterday when we were out walking a neighbour told me I had "worked miracles with that dog". Now my immediate thought was that it was down to maturity. However, if I hadn't worked hard at "persuading" her to sit by my side when I spoke to people she would now be 60 lbs of muscle threshing about on the end of the lead. So maturity has undoubtedly played its part, but I have succeeded in that she has improved and I'll keep battling on About 15 years ago (there is a point so stay with me) I was reading Roy Hattersley's "Buster's Diaries" and he mentioned Norman Tebitt's totally controlled dogs. My reaction was. "I wouldn't feel comfortable with a dog that rigidly controlled" I like a dog to have a bit of spirit and personality, but I want to choose just how much If anyone fancies a bit of doggy light relief and humour I can heartily recommend "Buster's Diaries". Lots of smallish chapters and anecdotes to quickly put a smile on your face.
Re: When will it get better!? Aw Tiny, that's brilliant! Well done 8) You're often saying Bonnie sounds like Molly so I'm looking forward to the day one of our neighbours says that! You keep blowing that trumpet! There are many more non-Lab owners in the world than Lab owners so I suppose we're always conscious of the fact the world expect such high standards of our dogs! We're the small minority who know what it takes to achieve that! Buster's Diaries sounds great! Will have to get a copy
Re: When will it get better!? I remember reading Buster' s Diaries too - really funny and heartwarming.
Re: When will it get better!? [quote author=Mollly link=topic=10353.msg154256#msg154256 date=1428143915] I can heartily recommend "Buster's Diaries". Lots of smallish chapters and anecdotes to quickly put a smile on your face. [/quote] I'll get them... [quote author=Mollly link=topic=10353.msg154256#msg154256 date=1428143915] "I wouldn't feel comfortable with a dog that rigidly controlled" I like a dog to have a bit of spirit and personality, but I want to choose just how much [/quote] For me (and I would say this wouldn't I? ;D ;D ;D) it depends on how that control has been achieved. If I see a dog in a long duration stay for example, and it has been achieved through rewards, I fancy I can see the difference compared to a dog that is stock still otherwise a thump is coming his way....I honestly think you can tell. One is the right behaviour, the other is just no behaviour.... That said, either way, too much control is not something I have to worry about with Charlie... ;D ;D ;D
Re: When will it get better!? Welcome to the boisterous lab Club! Our Nero is exactly the same. Tried everything but he still pulls, lunges etc etc. I am getting a clicker to give clicker training a go to see if this helps You are not alone
Re: When will it get better!? We have all been conned. I reckon that the Labs got together and fixed it so we only saw calm dignified Labs. And we thought "They are used as Guide Dogs. They are so clam dignified and reliable". It was some weeks after we bought our lovely puppies home that we discovered that they were bouncing nut jobs, but by then they had wheedled their way into our hearts. Too darn late for us humans. I believe "The Lambie Network" may somehow be implicated, but there is no proof.
Re: When will it get better!? [quote author=Mollly link=topic=10353.msg154766#msg154766 date=1428314864] I believe "The Lambie Network" may somehow be implicated, but there is no proof. [/quote] No proof (that's how they work) but I think we all know the truth....
