Re: Basic advice, leash training

cshenk wrote:
Best I have seen so far is:
Every time your dog pulls on leash and you continue the walk, you are rewarding her for pulling and lunging. Every time your dog gets out of control it is essential that you instantly stop the walk, stand still and wait for her to calm down before continuing. It is a tremendous effort in patience at first but it will pay off if you persevere. You may only get to the end of the block or even your driveway on your first outing, but if you give in to your dog's demands, then she will continue to pull. You can speed up the process by asking her to sit- stay for about 5 to 10 seconds every time she begins to pull. Of course this will only work if your dog already has a reliable sit-stay.


A few suggestions. One of these may work.


First is a modification of the technique above. The idea is the same-- to teach the dog that pulling doesn't get him anywhere. Instead of stopping and standing still which means it may take a moment for the dog to realize that he isn't going anywhere, you change directions in an upbeat happy fast way. With this method, the dog IS getting somewhere-- as long as the leash is loose. The instant the leash is tight, the dog doesn't get to whatever he sees in the distance and had him distracted. At that moment, he has to switch. Walks don't go far, but the dog does get exercise.


Second is clicker training a heel. In the house, you clicker train your dog to place his nose by your knee (or thigh or wherever it would fall if he were walking perfectly by your side). Then you move the operation outside. Then you ease up on the behavior that gets him a click/treat. It goes from having to be in perfect heel position to having to be on a loose leash.


Third is clicker training walking on a loose leash. I think this is harder because it's less exact, but others will disagree. When the leash is loose, you click/treat.


Are you sure you won't consider a choke chain or prong collar? The choke chain was a disaster for Cubbe, but it worked nicely for Sheppe. A few training sessions with it, and she didn't pull anymore. I'm no advocate for choke chains, but I believe they can be appropriate for some dogs. You'd want to have someone show you how to use it properly.


--Lia

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