Lead Training

[jimmy8 6]

It's just so easy to make mistakes it seems. Especially when all you want is the best for your pup.

[terryd 8,641]

You are lucky you have a nice clean slate. Consistency seems key which is harder than sounds at least for me. Don't let bad habits start by not put the dog in a position to cock up if you help it. Don't have him walking perfect one day then let him lax the next day. Some thing I all ways do. Even today walking across the fields dog in heel behind but he was sloping out the back and kept stopping and looking across the field. I had plenty of warning but just just kept calling him on instead popping lead back on. Sure enough off he went like a rocket across the field as he knows there is sme times a rabbit over the brow. I whistled him back and he flew back and straight to heel again These things happen and redeemed him self later so no worries. Cheeky sod that he is

Edited June 12, 2017 by terryd

[jimmy8 6]

Had a good day on lead today not got a long line yet only got 2mm line and it seems too thin and on the video posted the guy used 4 mm

The only issue I encountered today was a group 2 blokes a couple of women and some young teen girls.

I was ooh ing along minding my own business when this group appeared, I'm walking towards them and h when they get to about 20 ft from me they start fussing about the pup.

I advised them to ignore her until she looks settled then if they like they can stroke her. The group almost upon us now seem to have ignore my plea and a bloke now 3 ft away from me talking in a baby voice with his arms wide ready to embrace my dog says It's ok!

No it f***ing ain't pal (I wish I'd said)

I explain it wasn't behaviour that I wanted because I havea young son at home.

I upon saying this received the filthiest look from upon all of the group.

where do people get off thinking it's ok to approach a strangers dog amd do what you f***ing well please!!!

[Nik_B 3,790]

My dog developed a nervous problem that cost me serious cash to fix and even then he is still very cautious, same sort of deal except we were at a junction in a road and some stupid cow lunged towards him from behind to fuss him, he panicked and tried to get away and almost ran in to the road....that was my first experience of stupid 'dog lovers'.

 

I do everything I can to avoid other dog walkers with the pup (and the big dog who now gets in to fights) now, I fail to see what we stand to gain from her interacting with unknown dogs, she had the big lab for company and he teaches her her doggy manners and we have her more interested in a ball than anything else which is the way I want it.

 

I do know exactly what you mean though, you wouldn't walk up to a car at a set of traffic lights and start giving advice to a driver about clutch control , why do people think they can come up to you and your dog, there are so many times I've had idiots trying to pass on their 'knowledge', tell me what I should be doing or interfere with our training.

 

Stay away from them all, your dog should see you as god and personally I wouldn't let it play with other dogs unless you know the owners and it is a controlled environment.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Jimmy what kind of dog do you have?

[jimmy8 6]

I got a staffy x mate, not my choice but..

I had a border terrier a right beaut he was good as gold trained quite well but he passed away at 2

[jimmy8 6]

I'm hoping i can get her doing a bit

[terryd 8,641]

Had a good day on lead today not got a long line yet only got 2mm line and it seems too thin and on the video posted the guy used 4 mm

The only issue I encountered today was a group 2 blokes a couple of women and some young teen girls.

I was ooh ing along minding my own business when this group appeared, I'm walking towards them and h when they get to about 20 ft from me they start fussing about the pup.

I advised them to ignore her until she looks settled then if they like they can stroke her. The group almost upon us now seem to have ignore my plea and a bloke now 3 ft away from me talking in a baby voice with his arms wide ready to embrace my dog says It's ok!

No it f***ing ain't pal (I wish I'd said)

I explain it wasn't behaviour that I wanted because I havea young son at home.

I upon saying this received the filthiest look from upon all of the group.

where do people get off thinking it's ok to approach a strangers dog amd do what you f***ing well please!!!

 

I know one thing cool and calm wins the day. Dogs pick up on stress,excitement a mile away and you can end up with the opposite of what your looking for he says

[BGD 6,436]

Am I the only one who prefers their dogs to pull a bit? I don't mean dragging you down the road like maniacs but out in front with the leads tight. I can't stand having them right under my feet walking to heel.

[jimmy8 6]

If that's what you like mate, each to their own.

[mushroom 13,254]

14 weeks and still pulling?

 

Ffs it's simple;

 

When it pulls yank the lead as hard as you can, then boot it in the ribs. You're aiming for pain and fear!

 

The louder it screams, the more it will remember the lesson mate

[mushroom 13,254]

Do you where your roller blades whilst doing it?

Yep

Edited June 13, 2017 by mushroom

[Squeamish5 309]

@ jimmy8

How you want your dog to behave on lead will perhaps depend a bit on what the dog is and what you want from it?

My dog is just a pet, so I only really need him to be well-mannered and trustworthy.

No great consolation for you, but this thread reminded me that I have a long line, so last coupla days we've been doing getting into the car and then going round pets at home and wickes without using his normal lead.

Not too bad, for first attempts. (This dog is 18 months and I am bumbling novice trainer, who can't even touch a dead mouse).

 

But what I've done is get him to follow my finger, and to nose touch hand. So 'come In' or click fingers, or huh-hmm (if he's listening) brings him back to nose touch and then keeping in tight to my pointed finger at my side. It's not guaranteed that he does it, but he knows what it means and 70%+ wants to make me happy..... (Because I sometimes have ham in my pocket and am his ticket to the beach and the squirrelly trees.)

He def doesn't think I'm god. But then neither do I.

 

PS good on you for wanting a reliable dog with a young child at home.

[jimmy8 6]

@ jimmy8

How you want your dog to behave on lead will perhaps depend a bit on what the dog is and what you want from it?

My dog is just a pet, so I only really need him to be well-mannered and trustworthy.

No great consolation for you, but this thread reminded me that I have a long line, so last coupla days we've been doing getting into the car and then going round pets at home and wickes without using his normal lead.

Not too bad, for first attempts. (This dog is 18 months and I am bumbling novice trainer, who can't even touch a dead mouse).

 

But what I've done is get him to follow my finger, and to nose touch hand. So 'come In' or click fingers, or huh-hmm (if he's listening) brings him back to nose touch and then keeping in tight to my pointed finger at my side. It's not guaranteed that he does it, but he knows what it means and 70%+ wants to make me happy..... (Because I sometimes have ham in my pocket and am his ticket to the beach and the squirrelly trees.)

He def doesn't think I'm god. But then neither do I.

 

PS good on you for wanting a reliable dog with a young child at home.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Dogs are very easily conditioned both through positive and negative ways, personally I'd be wanting the positive training methods but to each their own.

 

I'd be going right back to basics and work on recall personally, you also want to think what motivates the dog, what is the best thing it can have? If it likes food or balls they you are on to a winner and I would imagine most pups do.

 

Start in the garden or in the house a couple of minutes max many times a day. For example our pup is called Lady, she doesn't know that is her name but she does know that Lady = something amazing.

 

So "Lady" then high value food, and again and again after 2 or 3 times it will get the message so build up the excitement, I'm not bothered about a dog that gets so excited it jumps up at me at this stage because I want the excitement but I understand if its a strong dog you don't want it hurting you kids, you can use a recall phrase instead (that no one knows) which will end up being more powerful that her name especially as it wont get over used. I get my dog so excited when I am doing these little exercises that now as soon as I say the word her head snaps to me really quick, you have conditioned the dog, the dog isn't thinking about what she is going to expect it is automatic. You are looking for that eye contact or response that you are encouraging, when I say "Lady" I don't reward her looking at my hand, the minute she looks into my eyes is when she gets the reward....it's all about timing.

 

Mix it up, sometimes a ball, sometimes food and sometimes a bit of tug play or something but you want her to be crazy excited when you are doing it otherwise it will be boring. I taught our cocker to retrieve to hand in 5 minutes today using this technique, treats don't work as the dog will drop the dummy expecting food so I have moved on from that. When the dog dropped the dummy in front of me she really wants interaction and me to throw it again so I take a few steps back, stooping down and say "bring it back" in an encouraging way and using my hand to guide her in, eventually she held it long enough for me to take it from her mouth at which point I immediately got her excited and threw it out again. It only took 2 or 3 of these for her to get the message!

 

Sorry if I haven't explained this well, Casso and Skycat are two people who post on here who I have listened to over the years and when I look back on all of my experiences I think they are the ones I would trust the most on training techniques. I think you have to be exciting and every interaction must bring the expectation of something rewarding, the rewards are all the time at first but you cut them down gradually.