Playtime walks vs. Best-Behavior Walks?

[GMJ]

Hi! I have labradoodle pup that is working REALLY hard to behave on his walks and I applaud him for that. He falls short at times and obviously, that is all on me!

Here's the situation: some walks for us are very goal directed, meaning we are in a crowd or rather congested area where his safety and other folks' convenience requires him to hang close and be steady.

At times though, I believe the dood needs to be permitted to meander a bit and sniff around if time and safety allow it. I mean, he IS a dood, after all...

I know in advance what we will be getting into on our journey. If it's going to be all business, I keep that consistent from the start, even before the crowds set in. If we will be sniffing and exploring, that begins from the minute we cross our front door (same as the all-business outings).

In spite of that, I think the messages are mixed.

We always walk on a harness and with the same leash, just at different tension depending on circumstances. 

Is there a possibility that changing to a different collar and leash would help him understand the different circumstances?

He is EXCELLENT at picking up first cues of what is next in every other aspect of our day, and barely needs a reward to learn anything I've shown him. This remains a tough area for him, though (although goodness this little boy tries so hard and tells me very clearly when he's confused!)

Thoughts?

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Our walks are usually a mixture of heeling and sniffing. When we start out, I say, "Let's go," and slap my left thigh two times. They understand this to mean that we are not dillydallying. If they start to stray, I slap my thigh twice again and say, "Heel." I might even give a short, quick tug on their leashes to get their attention. This usually gets them back to a close walk. When I decide that they can sniff or leave my side, I usually just loosen the tension on the leashes and they recognize that it's okay to meander a little. I always use the same leashes, collars and harnesses. I was thinking that if you want to use treats as training rewards but don't want to upset his tummy with too many different foods, why not just use some of your puppy's regular kibble? Just remember to skip a little when it's mealtime.

[Gail and Bailey]

We walk in a large rambling park that often has lots of walkers and some with dogs.  If we are approaching someone I will say “Place” and Bailey knows to come sit at my side.  We continue with a “Heel” command until we are past the other people/dogs and then I say in a bright tone of voice “OK” and she is free to wander again.  It took some training of course but I have done this since she was a year old.  I took her to training classes before she was one year old and they required us to use a prong collar on our dogs.  She equates the prong collar with “being good” on leash and it is difficult to get her to behave as well without it.  I am sure I could get serious with her and ditch the prong collar but she is happy with it and I am too.   So it is our answer to stress free happy walks.  

[Mammadood]

How did you learn how to teach them these two different types of walks.  I've been working on the same thing, but Freddie doesn't get when it's disciplined walk time unless I've just given her a treat and then she just trots next to me looking up waiting for the next treat until she gets bored and goes off to smell something and then pulls on the leash again.  Do I have ot give her treats constantly to keep her in the heal/disciplined walk state?  She's only 12 weeks old! Or should I practice more around the yard before taking her out. Thanks for any advice on how to train this! 

[Gail and Bailey]

Your pup is just a baby. Keep your training sessions short ...maybe 5 minutes,,,,,but repeat them several times a day.  Right now you should just try for getting her to walk with you and not pull.  Find a good training class and sign up as soon as she has had all her shots.  Working with your pup on training is a wonderful bonding experience and should be fun for both of you.