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Teaching to walk on lose lead
So, here's what I do (about 10 months old German Pointer):
1. Put leash on dog, in backyard 2. If he pulls on leash, I stop, say 'ah-ah", give a slight tug on the lead, and make him go behind me, on my left. When he does, give a treat 3. I proceed to walk, and hold a treat in my left hand, about waste level, if he is not pulling on lead 4. As we leave the backyard, on a lose leash, I reward him every 20 steps or so, if he keeps walking alongside and behind me. At this stage, he is constantly using his nose to get the treat out of my closed hand. 5. If he pulls on the lead, I say "ah-ah" in a calm voice, and also give a slight tug on the lead. I wait for him to stop, go behind me and we start to walk again. I give him a treat as we start. Seems to be working, however, need to ensure instructions are understood by the rest of the family, if correct. So, is above basically correct? Is it best to do this constantly, for a few weeks, in a setting where there are few, is any distractions? I am using chicken strips, about the size of an olive, this seems to be the #1 motivator thus far. PS - I ONLY use chicken for teaching how to walk. Also, how do you stop from getting too excited when he can sense we are going somewhere fun, like the leash free park? Thank you |
#2
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Teaching to walk on lose lead
Time to start decreasing the use of treats in front of nose, and making
rewards for staying in place irregularly irregular in timing.... pretty much random. Now is a good time to start playing Oops or Sneak Away.. No treats, no corrections with leash, no warning/commands about stops or turns. Put leash in left hand with about 3-4 feet of leash between you and dog, put hand on belly button. Place right hand over left hand. You will Not move hands. Give your walk command.... like "let's go", and start walking. Don't just go in a straight line; make turns, change your speed. Every time the leash is out straight, you move a different direction from the one the dog's nose is pointing toward..... back up, to your right moving sideways, pivot and reverse your direction, pivot and move at a right angle to your right. You can make a comment like "silly dog", "oops", "point for me" when you have to make one of those moves and he gets a tug because he wasn't paying attention. When he changes directions before he gets a tug, he gets short verbal-only praise.... "good", "atta boy", "right on". I start moving at a rather staid pace, and increase it as my dog starts to catch on. Sometimes, I'm up on the balls of my feet, almost dancing, moving fast when I change directions. The rules can get more strict. Instead of waiting for the leash to go straight because he's headed away from you, make your move when his attention strays. A neat thing about this game is that you can use it to "warm up" for the walk, and use it whenever he starts pulling or glomming onto everything else around you. Yeh, the neighbors think you're NUTS. So? About the excitement..... You can start to counter that by approaching the park, but walking past it one time, maybe two or three times, then go there once. And maintain that irregular "reward" of going to the park until he's calmer. You can also have him sit, facing you, not the park, just before he starts to escalate. Praise, give treat for sitting for a few seconds. Make your approach to the park with a series of sits, holding his attention for short periods. If, perhaps, he can't do that, you leave and go home that time. Excitement as you enter the park is a given. Remember, he's still a baby boy! You can allow him to boing and bounce, but require that he doesn't pull and jerk at the leash. When you were, say five or six, and approaching the playground at a park, you were excited, too, and bounced and chattered..... {grin} Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia, USA |
#3
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Teaching to walk on lose lead
On Dec 5, 7:34*pm, (Jo Wolf) wrote:
Time to start decreasing the use of treats in front of nose, and making rewards for staying in place irregularly irregular in timing.... pretty much random. Now is a good time to start playing Oops or Sneak Away.. * *No treats, no corrections with leash, no warning/commands about stops or turns. Put leash in left hand with about 3-4 feet of *leash between you and dog, put hand on belly button. Place right hand over left hand. *You will Not move hands. *Give your walk command.... like "let's go", and start walking. *Don't just go in a straight line; make turns, change your speed. *Every time the leash is out straight, you move a different direction from the one the dog's nose is pointing toward..... back up, to your right moving sideways, pivot and reverse your direction, pivot and move at a right angle to your right. *You can make a comment like "silly dog", "oops", "point for me" when you have to make one of those moves and he gets a tug because he wasn't paying attention. *When he changes directions before he gets a tug, he gets short verbal-only praise.... "good", "atta boy", "right on". I start moving at a rather staid pace, and increase it as my dog starts to catch on. *Sometimes, I'm up on the balls of my feet, almost dancing, moving fast when I change directions. *The rules can get more strict. Instead of waiting for the leash to go straight because he's headed away from you, make your move when his attention strays. A neat thing about this game is that you can use it to "warm up" for the walk, and use it whenever he starts pulling or glomming onto everything else around you. *Yeh, the neighbors think you're NUTS. *So? About the excitement..... *You can start to counter that by approaching the park, but walking past it one time, maybe two or three times, then go there once. *And maintain that irregular "reward" of going to the park until he's calmer. *You can also have him sit, facing you, not the park, just before he starts to escalate. *Praise, give treat for sitting for a few seconds. *Make your approach to the park with a series of sits, holding his attention for short periods. *If, perhaps, he can't do that, you leave and go home that time. *Excitement as you enter the park is a given. *Remember, he's still a baby boy! *You can allow him to boing and bounce, but require that he doesn't pull and jerk at the leash. *When you were, say five or six, and approaching the playground at a park, you were excited, too, and bounced and chattered..... *{grin} Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia, USA OK, good advice, txs! |
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