9 months and still not walking properly

[Amy & Bernie]

Hi all, I'd appreciate any feedback or tips you have on getting your puppy to walk properly on a leash!

Bernie is 9 months, and while we realize he's still very young, he's already 65 lbs and if we don't get his pulling under control I won't be able to walk him much longer!

We use the gentle leader but he still pulls, just not as much, so we're convinced he's not really  "learning" anything.

And when we take him out on his regular collar, to the car, out for a pee on a car ride, it's like a free for all, and we were hoping to avoid that as well, we didn't want not wearing the gentle leader to equal crazy time.

We've done training walks around the neighborhood, short ones, where progress is only made when he's not pulling, and after about 30 minutes he does well, but no matter how many good training walks we have under our belt, all is lost when we head out on a real walk.

I realize walking is rewarding his pulling to a degree, but we live in Tacoma, WA (lots of rain, which seriously cuts into dog park time) and we don't have a fenced yard (which cuts into play potential), our walks are important.

Thanks in advance, it's much appreciated!

 

[Adina P]

What does your training look like?  What is his motivation for walking by your side?  What is his motivation for NOT walking way in front of you?How far is Tacoma from Renton?  I have a trainer recommendation  for Renton WA.  Are you/have you been in classes with Bernie?  

[Amy & Bernie]

Renton isn't too far. We've only been to intro puppy classes, but he was great there! The scene kept him interested I think, the trainer even used him as an example walker, which seems so unreal to us. I carry small treats, and tell him "good walk" when he's walking properly, and give him praise and treats to keep his focus on me. But in the split second he decides he doesn't want a treat he starts pulling again. As soon as there's tension I say "no", pull him back to me, make him sit, and we sit there til he looks up at me, gives me his attention again. Then we start to walk, and immediately I restart the "good walk" and treats, trying to keep his attention, then he decides he's not interested and pulls.

I know he'd benefit from classes in general, but we're thinking we're going to end up with the same problem, him being extra attentive in class because it's something new and interesting, and it won't transfer to his regular routine. Just typing that I realize it's our issue as much as Bernie's.

[Adina P]

Classes are for YOU not the dog. It's where you go to learn training skills, keep accountable, and learn some more. If the training isn't working in real life then class is where your trainer needs to help you fix that--or time for a new trainer or method of doing things. When training isn't 'working' it means that WE, our dogs' trainers, are either doing it wrong somehow...OR we need to move on to something else because what we are doing is never going to work. Personally I don't go on casual walks with my dogs until they are SUPERB on leash. All outings are for training. It's always a working walk until we pass that point of contention. Because I know I won't enjoy a casual walk if I can't be casual...and I can't be casual with a dog that isn't reliable because that will just reinforce poor reliability. It doesn't hurt the dog to only go on 'working' walks. Same exercise but more focus.

[Judi, David & Maddie Irishdoodle]

We use a #2 Haltee to walk Maddie who is approx 60 lbs now.  It is a joy to walk her with the haltee otherwise I feel like my arm is being pulled out of its shoulder socket.  I even used it at her obedience class and she doesn't mind getting it put on for her walks.  Not sure if thats the type you've used but I do know it works for us.  Good luck and you'll probably get lots of suggestions on DK.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

What are you doing on your short walks? For example, you start on your walk, and he pulls a little, what is your response?

[Amy & Bernie]

We say "no" at the first sign of tension, bring him back to us, stop to a sit and wait for him to look up at us, we learned that in class, that he only gets to walk when his focus is back on us. Then we proceed, I say "good walk" as long as there's no tension, and I hand out small treats for looking up and paying attention to me. But without fail he decides he's done paying attention to me, could care less if there's a treat involved, and charges off into a pull.

[Amy & Bernie]

Exactly! He loves staring at me and tripping over himself when I have a treat in my hand, but even in the process of chewing he starts trotting forward and eventually ends up pulling. It's so frustrating! And I know my being upset makes him less likely to want to listen to me. But he's an incredibly smart dog otherwise, too smart for his own good I've started saying, and seems to have just decided this whole walking thing is not something he's interested in doing our way.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Sounds to me like he is just being an adolescent. :) I think you are responding properly, as long as when he charges off you are stopping and making him sit as with the other pulling scenarios. 

 

Polamalu is 13 months, for the most part he is great on the leash, but we still have to give corrections. 

The other thing you can try is giving short pops on the leash in the direction you want him to go. In other words, if he tugs forward, pop the leash firmly straight back to bring his shoulder to your side. If he drifts a little wide to the left, pop the leash directly into to your right so that he comes closer. If he lags behind, pop it straight to the front to bring him forward. Then you will do your walks with these constant corrections. This was something we did in the Intermediate class. 

[Amy & Bernie]

Like a horse! Bernie is like a small pony so I'll try this, just constant reminders than I'm leading and he needs to be paying attention to what I want. I've even tried the whole "turn and walk the other way" when he starts pulling in one direction - another reminder than I'm leading the walk - but once he realized we've turned around he races ahead to pull me in our new direction. I seriously think he knows what he's doing sometimes and is just messing with me...

[Adina P]

I think it's because 'NO' and being made to sit is just not that deterring. He obviously doesn't find it a good enough reason to keep focused. And you're not teaching him what you want specifically enough. It is way harder to teach 'dont' than it is to teach 'do'. 'Dont pull' is too vague of an instruction in my opinion. He needs to learn heel and he needs to learn a clear and desireable reward is associated with heel as well as a clear and undesireable consequence is associated with breaking heel.

[Amy & Bernie]

Good point. He's very adaptable. Very little bothers him - so it makes sense that he's picked up all his "tricks" and commands that get him treats and praise so easily, but the jumping, mouthing and pulling are still issues. Not that we want him to be "afraid" of us, but we want him to understand when we mean business. I can almost hear my mother laughing in the distance...

What do you recommend as an undesirable consequence? "No" is useless when he's excited or over-stimulated, I've read it's bad to use his crate as a time out place when he's being rowdy - so we haven't done that - and I'm always apprehensive to discuss anything physical on here because there's so many people with different viewpoints that I don't want to upset or offend.

[Adina P]

I think a good balanced training program that has rewards and consequences is what the two of you need...in my biased ;) opinion.  I sent you a private message on this.  I don't have 'a' technique for you to use at all times.  Obviously the consequence to lunging ahead of you can't be the same thing as for a broken down or whatever.  

Dogs won't be afraid of you if you make the consquences impersonal, clear and fair.  Meaning you aren't randomly yelling at your dog or being harsh for harsh's sake.  You don't try to intimidate.  You just teach a command, practice it and then introduce a reason for him to want to do it.