Difficult Walks

[Laura and Angus]

This is part vent part plea for suggestions. Walks have become a real difficulty with Angus...he is now 6 months and has started to test us at every turn. Last night he kept repeatedly jumping into our bed and he never gets to sleep in our bed! It finally took my boyfriend putting his shirt (the one he was wearing!) into Angus' bed before he stayed in his own bed. So this is about his behavior on walks...every time we take him for a long walk, he has 2-3 "freak-outs" as we call them. He starts grabbing the leash, jumping on us, and biting my gloves or clothes. Sometimes it works to just keep walking and ignore it, but sometimes I've had to stop and hold him against me saying "settle" and wait until he calms. I've actually had to put him down on the ground on his side before, saying "no bite" and "settle" because he is so out of his mind/out of control. We've also used treats to get him to sit and heel - he acts like a perfect angel for the treats and then he's right back to having his "fit." He is now 45lbs and throwing his weight around makes it pretty tough. *Sigh* Feeling so tired and frustrated right now. Angus is currently in the kitchen for a calm-down period....which is for both of us.  

We will be starting with training in two weeks since he gets neutered Thursday, but I'm wondering if anyone has encountered this behavior...any recommendations?  Should we just stop and wait it out or keep walking? What works for you all with difficult behaviors on walks? 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts! 

[Mary Hall]

Cowboy, who recently turned 6 months old, would go nuts grabbing the leash and shaking it like he was crazed.  When he did that, I would stop, pick him up and walk home... walk over.  We still went for walks and eventually he that behaviour pretty much stopped.  

As for the pulling, he will still do that; but he has a harness that can be hooked to the leash at the front of his chest as well as at the top of his back.  Connecting the leash to the front has worked wonders to correct the pulling.  Now that's the only way we walk.  

[Laura and Angus]

That's great news! Yes a few people mentioned that kind of harness, so we may be getting that eventually...currently working with a trainer to practice extinguishing this behavior and pretty much constant praise for walking properly haha. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Our AnnaBelle has this problem.  Normally about once on every walk or every other walk.  Don't freak out, but she is going to be 2 in March (lol).  I call it the walk zoomies as it is about the same type action as when she gets the zoomies in the house.  It is like her patience is just done.  We have been on vacation and doing a great deal of walking and here is what I have found that seems to help with her.  I really try to keep no slack or danging leash as that attracts her attention and can get it started.  I just fold it up in my hand.  If it happens, I stop, and use a calming technique that "Doggie Dan" taught us for calming.  You, first must remain calm.  Take your hand, palm up and on the back of the neck just slide it underneath the collar and then close your hand so your fingers are on the top of the collar.  Just talk calmly, keeping in a sit.   Make sure to have the leash folded neatly in your hand so nothing is dangling.  Once he is calm, keep a hold of the collar and just start to walk slowly.  As he remains calm just let a little more of the leash out till you are in a good heel.  Worth a try to see if it will help.  I use the Freedom USA harness that has a hook in the front and a hook on the back of the neck.  It really help with the pulling.  But I keep her regular collar with the tags on it on her as well but don't use it for walking, just the calming method.

[Laura and Angus]

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone! I totally agree with you that it seems like a "zoomies" situation and since he can't just take off, he seems to turn his attention to the leash or me. It seems like frustrated/pent-up energy. When he's old enough, I'm going to try taking him with me for runs, but I hear that I shouldn't start that until a year and a half, so we're kinda far off from that....

So I'm definitely going to try the method you mentioned on our next walk. I know that I have to be better about keeping myself calm - sometimes I can and other times it's certainly tough! We keep his regular collar on at all times, so I'll be able to try this out even when he's wearing the harness or martingale collar. Thanks again!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

The keeping calm is the hardest part.  Particularly if they get your hands with their teeth.  I just want to yank a knot in her tail, but know that I really have to remain calm.

[Laura and Angus]

Yes definitely...I have to do a lot of deep breathing on our walks when mr. puppy is having fits...it's hard!

[Lily and Rocky]

Our dog occasionally bites her leash or jumps during walks (she's mainly a puller, for which we use a harness on her snout).  Our trainer told us to do the following:  If she's biting the leash but not pulling or otherwise interfering with your set walking speed, just ignore.  The moment she starts pulling or gets too crazy, stop, step on the leash so she's tethered in place (l leave just enough length for her head to be about six inches off the ground).  Stand and ignore.  Once the dog is calm, keep walking with no praise or acknowledgement.  If she acts up again, repeat.  We had several painfully slow walks with this technique but she has mainly stopped fighting with her leash.  

Our trainer also told us no treats for bad behavior - i.e. if she picks up my slipper and I say drop it and she does, I say "thank you" in a flat voice and ignore.  If she is playing fetch and I tell her to drop her ball and she does, I praise and give a treat.  Good luck! 

[Laura and Angus]

Ahhhh interesting! The no treats for bad behavior is something we'll change immediately and I'd like to also try out the tethering. Our walks are already painfully slow, so frankly it couldn't be any worse. Thanks so much for sharing!

[Lily and Rocky]

I should add that I asked our trainer how long I was supposed to stand there and ignore the dog while she was tethered, and my trainer told me it would be a good time to check my email on my phone and physically turn my back on Ginger while doing so.  Bad behavior removes all that human contact that the puppies crave.  

[Laura and Angus]

Okay, good to know. It can be hard to be patient, but that's sounds like really good advice. Thanks again! I feel like I would have asked that very same question ;)

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

My doodle started this "teen age" behavior around 6 months and we used the calm "step on the leash/tethering method" along with ongoing training classes and everyday practice. Either that worked or he grew out of it:)  But  I found that this behavior pretty much disappeared or was much less if he had a chance to run off his crazy puppy energy at least once a day for 20-25 minutes.  Doodles are very active dogs.  A good pup is a tired pup and leash walking alone will not tire him out.  Puppy play dates or even 1-2 mornings a week in puppy day care might help.  This is pretty much typical adolescent behavior.  We've all been there :)  

[Laura and Angus]

Thanks for confirming my "fears" that we have an adolescent on our hands ;) I do feel better knowing that this is part of a stage -- since my boyfriend and I have been telling ourselves these words for the last two weeks. I agree that we need to have more run time. He's the best pup when he is able to run like a madman at the dog park or at my parents' house. It's just hard sometimes since we don't have a large fenced-in yard and the weather this time of year can be limiting :( Going to look into doggie day care because I know he would love it! Thanks for thoughts and for sharing your experiences!