Nihon Ken Approved Loose Leash Walking Tips?!
Hey there all. I was looking for a good thread on how to properly train loose leash walking and couldn't find one so I thought I'd start one up. I know there are tons of resources out there for this, but its hard to tell what methods are effective and will utilize the whole positive reinforcement methodology. On top of that, I think we all agree Shibas are not your typical dog breed, so what applies for a Lab might not work for a Shiba.
So? What do you do to stop the pulling pup?
So? What do you do to stop the pulling pup?
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You can get one custom made by Bark and Giggle Boutique HERE
Or you can get the Easy Walk Harness from any Petco/Petsmart HERE
if you want to train buy the book of Turid Rugaas http://www.amazon.com/My-Dog-Pulls-What-Do/dp/1929242239/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248969655&sr=8-1
Its a super soft method for making your dog comfortable on the leash.... Im training with my leashrocket Sophie after this method and we are having great achievements!!! Walking your dog without beeing pulled around is really a great experience
just checked out the hp of these customized harnesses... they are really pretty!!have to find out if the ship to austria
Stop walking and wait until they give slack on the lead and look up at you (praise for this), start walking and when they are at heel, say "dog, heel" and praise. Or, you can turn suddenly when the pup goes off in the wrong direction and is forging ahead, then when they catch up to you and are at heel, say "dog, heel" and praise. OR, you can hold a cookie in your pocket or hand on the left side and let them follow their noses and say, "dog, heel" when they are in the correct place with lots of slack on the lead, then give them the cookie.
I like it when they look up at me as they do this stuff, with whatever method gets them to walk loose lead. I mostly just want the dog to pay attention to me when I ask because I might need to give it a life saving command.
It was actually easiest to loose lead train all the 4 Shiba I have had the experience of lead training by letting them drag a long line and have me not even hold the lead (or just the end of it). They really rebelled whenever there was tension on the lead, so be sure to keep the slack. It was also more pleasant for them this way because I was relaxed and wasn't choking them unintentionally with the leash.
at the moment Im calling her back before the leash goes tight, when shes at my side she first got tibits but now a praise is enough to make her look happy, if she pulls on the leash Im just holding against her and as soon as she gives me her attention Im showing her the right direction with my hands... our results are great! Sophie is orienting on me, seeks my presence, reacts to my recall and direction givings and is only pulling on the leash when shes looking for the best toiletplace
usinga new harness when starting a new way of walking outside is a great way for showing your dog that the old ways ends now... and if you dont have the time to train you just use the old harness/collar and your training wont be harmed... perhaps you try out one of the front pull harnesses together with the training
I trained her using a harness and slip leash. When ever she would start walking in front of me I would give the leash a quick jerk and make her come back to my side, then walk with a loose leash till she would start walking in front of me again and repeat the tug. Of course this was after the year of a short leash unless she was doing her business.
Oh, my aching arm
Get your dog to walk without pulling! But how? We are masters at allowing our dogs to drag us down the street. The most asked question at obedience classes and private consultations is "how can I get my dog not to pull on his leash?"
As far as dogs and leashes are concerned, we want to arrange things so that loose leashes "pay off" and tight leashes don't.
Historically trainers encouraged folks to act like a tree the moment their dog began to pull on the leash. This method does work nicely with puppies, but it just doesn't work for the adolescent or older dog who has learned to pull you around.
The following method requires first, that all or most reinforcement will come from behind you and second, that you will toss the food to the ground—not far—so the dog has to look for it.
Let's play
Loose-leash walking is going to begin as a game. Here are a few simple steps you will train BEFORE you do any walking with your dog:
1.Put your dog's leash on and just stand still. When your dog releases the tension on the leash, click and show him the treat in your hand. Let him see you place the treat on the ground by the outside of your left foot. Once he's eaten the treat, move to the end of the range of the leash so it is taut and stand quietly. When he moves to release the tension, click. Show him the treat and place it by your left foot. You don't care about eye contact. What you are teaching is that releasing the leash tension gets clicked and treated. Do this a number of times.
2.Continue to stand now that your dog is not pulling. Now you will click for eye contact. After the click, treat by your left foot. Remember after he has finished eating the treat to move to the end of the leash.
3.Again, just standing with your dog on a loose leash, looking at you, toss your treats right past your dog's nose to about three feet away. When dog eats the treats and comes back to you looking for more, click and treat by placing the food by the outside of your left foot. Move and repeat.
4.Again toss the treat right past your dog's nose. When your dog finishes eating it and turns around to come back to you, you turn your back and start walking. (Just take a few steps in the beginning.) When you dog catches up to you, but before he gets past your pant leg, click and treat. Repeat.
Note: Make sure when you toss the food it goes right past the dog's nose. This is the warm-up. Now that you have the dog following you for a few steps it is time to start walking and reinforcing behind or next to you.
Training on the move
Your dog is on leash. You turn away from him and start walking. Your dog follows. As the dog catches up to you and is coming up next to you—maybe even makes eye contact—mark (click) and drop the treat next to your left foot. Don't keep moving and be sure the first few times that you let the dog know that you have food in your hand. Once he's finished his treat, start again. Show him the treat and then turn and take a few steps away from him, walk till he catches up, drop the treat next to you or a little behind.
Note: Dropping food next to your side or a little behind helps the dog to stay close to you. It prevents the dog from anticipating and forging ahead. So drop the food behind you or you can even let the dog take it out of your hand behind your back. Don't drop the food so far away that the dog has to drag you to get it.
Start again. Begin to walk in such a way that the dog is at an angle beside you or is behind you. As the dog catches up, drop the food behind you (or next to your pant leg). Once the dog has eaten the food and is coming back toward you, start walking away from him again. Try for more steps before dropping. Timing is everything! Don't let the dog get in front of you. If he does, pivot away, wait till he catches up BUT is next to you or slightly behind you (or his nose is at your pant seam), and drop the food.
Now it's your job to increase the number of steps before dropping the food behind you. Never drop food if your dog has gotten in front of you. Work towards walking more steps before rewarding. You can vary this and reinforce while he is next to you if you wish, or toss the treat way behind you so the dog has to hunt for it and then reinforce him for catching back up to you.
Keep it up
As your dog gets better and you can now walk quite a distance without forging and pulling, don't fail to reward intermittently. For your dog to walk without pulling he has to believe (because you rewarded him) that there is a better chance of good things near you than in the wide world. Use the long line if you have to control your dog and are not taking a walk. Remember, if you never let the leash get tight, your dog won't learn that he can pull you. What he doesn't know won't hurt him or you!
There are important benefits to walking your dog—dog walkers live longer!
Jesse
I had an epiphany about lagging behind recently. In the beginning, Sage used to plop his butt down and just stop, watch, and not want to budge. I didn't know he was a sensitive guy, and wary, so thinking he was a "normal" worldly dog, but a bit stubborn, I'd say Let's get the lead out, come on! and cajole him along. Keep it movin'...essentially- Don't think! Just go! He HAD to go forward- why? I didnt think about it. No good reason- because Reilly and I wanted to keep going forward, I guess? Not good enough reason.
Lately I wondered why he goes so quickly to FREEZE and FREAK, but never chooses FLIGHT or hide-behind-mom when "danger" appears. "I can't go away, so I will do everything to make YOU go away" Maybe b/c I didn't give him much choice to flee, but now I am teaching & encouraging him to avoid, move away from scaries, get behind me. I think we should pay attention to a lagging dog. What is he looking at, what are his ears doing?- NOW if he balks, I believe him and we change direction. I have to meet him on Sage-time and attempt to see his POV, then decide what a friend would do. (Silly boy, that's just a campaign sign, see? or, You're right, those people sound angry with each other, let's go this way instead.) What's it matter if we do the walk MY way? I didnt choose independent dogs because what I really wanted were two airheads that would follow me blindly over cliffs for a tennis ball or a biscuit- as long as its safe and successful for him, and our attentions are WITH each other, (and he poops) it's a good walk.
Our leash walks are "working" walks. We employ Suzanne Clothier's Auto Check In a lot, and stop and look at things together- I peek into stone walls with them. Anytime he voluntarily looks up at my eyes (not my hand) he gets attention, talk, a quick command/trick to do, or a quick succession of tiny tidbits. It pays off to check in with mom and to walk nicely beside me. I can't just walk the dog and think about other things- it's a team walk. Even if we stop to talk with a neighbor, I try to catch him being good- laying down relaxing, or sitting and looking up at me, waiting with his big old smile on, and I interrupt to give him my attention or a small tidbit. He's reactive, this is foundation training for Reactive dogs. If he is standing and staring at something, I interrupt that too and we move away.
He's a scaredy dog, but he is also a thinking dog. Probably an OVER-thinking dog, like his over-thinking Mama!
That has never been more true since I got my Shibas. Before when I was a dog walker and going out with collies, goldens, labs, etc, I could retreat into my own thoughts, but if I do that know, I miss what is going on with my reactive dogs and lose out on the oppurtunity to praise, to intervene before they escalate or freak out, etc.