Ferris is now 16 weeks old! He is a lovely puppy – really eager to please, easy going and obedient (most of the time!!) apart from when we go out and he is on the lead. He walks beautifully on it (and indeed off it) in the garden – trotting along by my side quite happily. He is even pretty good outside in the lane. BUT, as soon as he sees another person or dog, or in fact anything remotely interesting, he starts to pull towards it and despite my best efforts – treats, changing direction, squeaky toy etc. I cannot seem to overcome the problem. I have recently been advised to continue to train him in the garden and not go out into the real world until he is ‘bomb proof’ however, I don’t see how he can learn to not do something unless he is encountering it. I seem to have experienced a whole raft of different training suggestions in the last few weeks and nothing seems to work. My only other experience of this ‘problem’ was with my last GSD – 14 years ago – and I confess that the favoured training method of checking the dog with a sharp tug did actually work!! Clearly this method is now deemed unreasonable but I am at a loss to know what to do for the best.
Liz Dixon
Have you tried to change what you are training? So instead of trying to stop him pulling when he sees something interesting, ask for some close heelwork focusing on you. That may sound like the same thing, but is taught very differently.
ReplyDeleteSit on a low stool and put Fenris into the heel position and try to encourage him to wrap his head round your leg and reward him there, ideally while he's gazing into your eyes. Mix this with some off lead walking - every 3 steps reward him close to your leg, with a smile and a stroke and a small treat (smile comes first to encourage him to look at you for a guide as to when he's doing the right thing). When he gets good at this, change the treat interval (but not the volume) so 6 steps would get 2 treats, 9 steps, 3 treats etc, then back to 1 every 3 steps, so he doesn't know when he will get it or how much.
If you keep practising this you can then close heelwork him past interesting things instead (remembering that even top competition dogs can't usually sustain this much longer than 2 minutes). When he's past the hazard, if you've got a toy he really loves, chuck it for him to play with when he's past, throwing it to the opposite side to the 'hazard' which helps keep his attention turned away.
In the meantime, when he's on the lead, don't let people or dogs say hello to him, as that encourages him to move towards them for attention, reinforcing pulling on the lead no matter what else you try to do.
Have you tried to change what you are training? So instead of trying to stop him pulling when he sees something interesting, ask for some close heelwork focusing on you. That may sound like the same thing, but is taught very differently.
ReplyDeleteSit on a low stool and put Ferris into the heel position and try to encourage him to wrap his head round your leg and reward him there, ideally while he's gazing into your eyes. Mix this with some off lead walking - every 3 steps reward him close to your leg, with a smile and a stroke and a small treat (smile comes first to encourage him to look at you for a guide as to when he's doing the right thing). When he gets good at this, change the treat interval (but not the volume) so 6 steps would get 2 treats, 9 steps, 3 treats etc, then back to 1 every 3 steps, so he doesn't know when he will get it or how much.
If you keep practising this you can then close heelwork him past interesting things instead (remembering that even top competition dogs can't usually sustain this much longer than 2 minutes). When he's past the hazard, if you've got a toy he really loves, chuck it for him to play with when he's past, throwing it to the opposite side to the 'hazard' which helps keep his attention turned away.
In the meantime, when he's on the lead, don't let people or dogs say hello to him, as that encourages him to move towards them for attention, reinforcing pulling on the lead no matter what else you try to do.
I would take Fern to a park or a safe place where he can meet lots of dogs and people - every day - and let him off the lead.
ReplyDeleteObviously you will have practised your recall before you do this and you need to keep practising! (with a treat)
You want him to get to the stage where he takes new dogs and people in his stride.
It's so good for them at that age to be able to approach other dogs on their own, but obviously you have to keep a look out.
When I'm walking my dog on the lead on a pavement and I see another owner with a friendly-looking dog approaching, I always let them say hullo briefly - unless I'm in a frantic hurry.
Julia Lewis
I think the right amount of socialisation is necessary. My puppy, Merlow, has met so many other dogs that currently he isn't that interested or curious about other dogs in the park. Of course that will probably change in the coming months when his testosterone kicks in.
ReplyDeleteAllow your puppy to safely meet other dogs and recall him away, maybe with gentle help from the lead and a treat. Then also as a reward, allow him to play some more.
Also try and encourage eye contact and work on a 'watch me' command. That way if there are unknown dogs nearby, his attention can be fully on you.
With the socialisation it is important to build it up slowly. The garden will be on no use as there are zero dogs in it. The park maybe too much as there maybe too many dogs in it. So slowly and gently introduce Ferris to one dog at a time.
How about setting up a few greetings with dogs and people you know well? Walk Ferris towards them until you're 3-5 feet away from them and then make him sit and wait and keep him there until he's calm. At this distance he should be able to discover everything he needs to know about the Very Exciting Thing by sniffing the air around it.
ReplyDeleteOnce he's calm and paying attention to you (I tend to wait for eye contact, but not ask for it) encourage him to "go say hi". By then he should have already learnt enough from his air-sniffing to carry out a nice, polite greeting.
This also teaches him that to go and see Very Exciting Things he must pay attention to you and do something for you first.