The dogs are driving me all kinds of crazy lately. With some things they are so much better. My parents just visited and they didn't even mean bark at my dad...this is a major breakthrough for Bishop. They have calmed down a lot and they don't seem as anxious anymore. Or maybe there are just days that they seem better. I don't know what to do anymore. I realize we were ignorant when it came to owning and properly training our dogs. We are really trying now and I've heard that it's never too late, but I fear this may not be true for our dogs. Walking them is the biggest problem. We've been good lately about walking them every day...at least 5 times a week. They still get over-excited when they figure out we're going on a W-A-L-K and they are practically uncontrollable...especially when other dogs and people go by. We've stopped using the gentle leaders because Hudson was tearing up his face in protest and they became inefficient during walks too. Now we're trying to train them to walk loose-leash by our sides by stopping every time they pull and redirecting them to be at our sides. Today we tried holding treats in front of their noses to lure them forward, but not too fast forward. I'm so frustrated and I feel like such a goober. Short of calling Cesar, does anyone have any good advice for us??
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
This is how I feel
The dogs are driving me all kinds of crazy lately. With some things they are so much better. My parents just visited and they didn't even mean bark at my dad...this is a major breakthrough for Bishop. They have calmed down a lot and they don't seem as anxious anymore. Or maybe there are just days that they seem better. I don't know what to do anymore. I realize we were ignorant when it came to owning and properly training our dogs. We are really trying now and I've heard that it's never too late, but I fear this may not be true for our dogs. Walking them is the biggest problem. We've been good lately about walking them every day...at least 5 times a week. They still get over-excited when they figure out we're going on a W-A-L-K and they are practically uncontrollable...especially when other dogs and people go by. We've stopped using the gentle leaders because Hudson was tearing up his face in protest and they became inefficient during walks too. Now we're trying to train them to walk loose-leash by our sides by stopping every time they pull and redirecting them to be at our sides. Today we tried holding treats in front of their noses to lure them forward, but not too fast forward. I'm so frustrated and I feel like such a goober. Short of calling Cesar, does anyone have any good advice for us??
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hey, I know that nature walk. I walk Kyndra there just about every day in the warmer months...
How I trained my childhood dogs to go for walks, without dragging me behind them. When they'd start to pull, I'd yank real hard and yell heal. Stop walking them, command to sit and wait until they've calmed down, then continue. Repeat as much as needed for as long as needed. It may take a while but eventually they got the hint that to get anywhere they had to let me lead there stubborn asses and not the other way around. Good Luck!
I do the same thing as Nisi. Even when I take Luna out running. She is so wild and pulls like crazy when we start out. But now after the first 5 minutes out and me making her stop and sit until she calm EVERY time she pulls, the rest of the walk to run is a breeze. But it took a while to get her to that point and she still tugs for the first 5 min or so. It's a work in progress.
Thats what we do too. It works fine when you only have one of the dogs with you or if youre walking both dogs. (For me anyway. I actually outweigh them where as Jaime doesnt.) The problem is when one of them is being good and gets to keep going while the other gets pulled back because theyre pulling. As soon as the good dog gets a few paces ahead theres no stopping the other from pulling. They each have to be the one in front. This makes it very frustrating when you want to go on a nice family walk.
It's better to work with just one dog at a time until they both have the commands down.
Buy a third dog. You know, for added balance while you're being yanked around.
Yeah, you dont really get it Nisi do you Nisi? Theyre fine when its just one of the dogs but when you get them together its a competition.
I like your idea Josh.
hm, you don't seem to get it, Dave. You would make both dogs stop together until they are both calmed down and being good. That's just plain common sense when you walk two dogs together as a family. It's like rewarding one child for being good and expecting the other child not to cry or throw a fit about it. BUT, it's better to work with one dog at a time until they have the commands down and know what to expect out of their "Masters" before trying the happy, cooperative, family walks together.
That doesnt work either. Its like punishing a child because their sibling is being bad. That doesnt really encourage good behavior.
Hey, thanks for all the ideas guys. I feel so stupid sometimes, our dogs are almost 5 and 6 years old and things that seem like common sense to me just aren't working.
I took them out this morning after I dropped Dave off at work. As I was driving back I thought this would a nice, quiet place to walk the dogs...yeah after they both pooped on the corner at the entrance to the mall, they were confused and pulled me into the street as I was trying to pick up their droppings. I continued the "HEEL" and sit and they did calm down on the way back but I always felt like I was seconds away from disaster. We'll keep working with them, maybe our family walks will have to be disjointed for while, each of us taking a dog in different directions.
Dog Whistperer:
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