What's the best way to teach your doodle to ignore others while out for a walk?

[Brenda Showfety]

I have been struggling with the best way to teach our 10 month old doodle to walk on a leash past others without trying to pull me over to say hello to them. Today, I took her for a walk on the beach and there were plenty of other people with dogs walking. I saw numerous people turning their dog around and kneeling down to distract them as we approached. Is this the best way to do this? I seem to think that wouldn't teach them to deal with it but it could require distraction forever and not teach them to deal with passing others. What works for you all?

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

We always turned and went the other way if she started misbehaving. The more we did that the more controlled she became. I would say NO and turn, she would look back and I would tug her leash and say come. After many times she would behave until we got closer, eventually she learned that misbehavior meant she would not see the other dog at all. She now will walk right by another dog without any flack at all. I can't say the same for the other dogs though - ha ha. (The added benefit is that the other dogs owners are amazed and I get a "what a wonderfully well behaved dog" a lot!).

This took at least the entire summer. We did it almost every day at a lake with an asphalt path so there were lots of other dogs to practice.

[kristine & Auggie]

Our trainer suggested that we start by  giving a treat to  our puppy on our walks everytime he looked at me.  That trains them to keep looking at you and giving their full attention.  So far, this is a work in progress lol

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Yep, the LOOK command. Sometimes it's hard to get a puppy to do that when a dog is coming! Ha ha - Daisy would glance, meet eyes and then keep right on being a spaz.

[kristine & Auggie]

Ya not woking so well for me either and spaz is a good word for my puppy.  He doesn't know a stranger, cats, dogs, people, cars, he wants to drag   me  across the street to do a meet and greet.  But, I really want to get a handle on control before we start heading out to public places.

[Adina P]

Training the 'heel' command. 

[Cherri Lynn Kading]

I am really hoping someone gives you a miracle answer because I still struggle with this, too! The only thing that has worked for me so far is to hold a treat in my hand, then I make sure Jacki knows it is there and then she will pay attention to me until the distraction (people, dogs, etc) have passed. There are still times when the distraction gets the best of her and she drags me to meet the neighbor or the other dog or whatever it is!