Sniffing Everything!! - Small Progress

Do I have tricks to deal with managing sniffing? Oh yes I do! With scenthounds, when the nose goes down, the ears turn off. It's just the way they are.

I have used a couple different approaches. With Marlowe I put him on a VERY SHORT LEASH (you've got a shortie dog so this might take some creative scissor work as the 1 foot tab leash I used will be too short for you, but a 4 foot is going to be too long). This leash was so short, he had no option but to walk next to me. And of course I sweetened the deal with lots of treats. Treats for walking nice, treats for looking me in the eye, treats for coming off a scent to continue walking. Having such a short leash created a habit of walking next to me, which quickly also became associated with lots of rewards. Just like you don't want to give a dog too much freedom in the house too soon lest they develop bad habits by rapidly discovering all of the AMAZING fun things that can be done in the house when no one is looking, I feel that leash training should have the same kind of idea.

With Conrad we're actually currently in a campaign to brush up his sniff-control. Unlike Marlowe, who likes to keep moving while he sniffs, Conrad finds one spot and stops dead and digs in and will not move until he's had his fill of the scent. For this issue, I am training a "let's go!" command with the clicker. I don't mind that he sniffs, but I'd rather he just take a brief whiff and move on. It's coming along well. My criteria for "let's go" is simply that he begins to move again and looks up at me, he gets a click and treat for that.

I'd love to say that I've trained a good "leave it", but I haven't. Hopefully somoene will pop in for tips there because that's another good skill, especially for living in the city where people seem to think that the street is just as good as a garbage can. There's actually a block near my house where someone (I have no idea who) has decided to "feed the birds" by dumping big piles of white bread into the middle of the road. The dogs know exactly what block that is and they start jockeying for position as soon as we get near it. [:@]

ETA: After reading Gina's post I feel like I need to point out that neither of the things I do means the dogs don't get to sniff (and Marlowe is now on a 4 or a 6 foot leash, the short leash was for initial training only)--they just have to keep moving if I want them to keep moving. Our walk typically goes to a park--on the street unless there's pottying happening, we keep moving, but at the park, they can sniff all they want, I'll wait. Then we go back home and we keep moving for the most part. Sniffing is important, not just for hounds but for all dogs and it gives them a good mental work-out taboot. But I understand about living in the city and needing your dogs to walk close to you and not stop or veer off in another direction every 10 steps.

I think that by stopping at all, ever when he pulls you are rewarding him for going his own way. You need to continue walking and he has no choice in the matter.
 
I am not a heel Nazi myself....my hounds either walking alone or in a brace get ALL SIX FEET of their lead to range all around me. Our walks are informal...in a quiet area. When a car comes or we cross the street that leads to the elem school I stop and pull them in close. I often will snap 2 6" leads together to give them even more range when we walk at certain times...I reel them in when I have to.
 
For me it's a strength issue. None of my hounds is nearly strong enough to pull me someplace I don't particularly want to go...so I simply walk where I want and they are free to range all around me in a 6' radius.
 
In urban areas of course that's not feasible...so others will have input. As to picking up food and wrappers...I have an 'OUT' command they both will follow pretty decently...and if not...both are fine with me fishing around in their mouths.
 
I see it this way...these are hounds and they MUST be allowed to sniff or they will quite likely lose thier minds. Whether that is on a walk...or a more structured game of "hide and seek" or tracking in the back yard....is up to the owner. It's okay to have a formal walk if you have another outlet for their sniffing....if not? Well that to me is asking a lot of a breed like the Beagle.

I don't mind that he sniffs, but I'd rather he just take a brief whiff and move on. It's coming along well. My criteria for "let's go" is simply that he begins to move again and looks up at me, he gets a click and treat for that.

I agree.  I totally don't mind if he sniffs every single tree if he wants to but just keep moving along.  But I have literally sat there for 3 minutes while he sniffed an empty spot on the sidewalk. 

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  I think that by stopping at all, ever when he pulls you are rewarding him for going his own way.[/font]

That's what it feels like Gina.  I feel he knows that if he pulls long enough and ignores my command he will get a treat (he is very food motivated!!!).  I tried teh keep walking thing, but it's like he digs in and I feel like I am pulling him.  He will stop dead in his tracks and NOT move.  We do play the "find it" game at home so he can exercise his sniffer.  Sometimes though he will look for a couple of minutes get bored if he can't find it and then go sit and look out the window.  []

I will try the clicker and shorter leash thing.  I do notice that he is much better when I have stroller with me but I also keep him on a 3 ft. vs. 6 ft. lead.  So maybe I will try the 3 ft. when we are out for our walks without the baby.   I just feel bad that he doesn't have more room to roam on the shorter leash.  Like I said, I don't mind if he sniffs but the refusing to move or "leave it" gets a bit trying.
 
ETA:  Charlie does have a pretty good leave it as long as it isn't food []  If it is just a warpper, paper or sticks or something, he will drop it immediately and move on.  Now when it comes to food, that's a whole other story.  We avoided a street for a week once because he couldn't move past the dumped French Fries and ketchup on the side walk.  I literally had to wash it off myself and even then he had a hard time letting it go.

Since Xerk is a sight and scent hound I get this as well.  I play the "find it" game inside and "find 'em" game outside.  I reward him when he finds a live trail.  Huge rewards....like me running with him when we are on the trail.  (and that's the best reward ever...absolutely #1, Tops, or the even the Bonus Round.)
 
Conversely I have trained a good "leave it."  The visual/body language signal for that is for me to turn my back on him.  He wants to be where I'm going because he never knows when he's going to be allowed to "find 'em" whether "find 'em" refers to a rabbit, fox, deer, squirrel, chipmunk or what other trail it could be. 
 
I have to think 10 steps ahead-both in visual and scent trail terms-I don't like it when he sees or smells the trail first.  (not that I'm sitting there with my nose to the ground, I'm just paying attention about 30-200 feet ahead-looking for critters.) 
 
I also will go out sometimes and just let him sniff.  He's got 20feet in a circle around me to sniff.  So let him sniff his little nose off.  But when it's time to go, I go and he follows.  And when I really want him to follow closely, I change pace constantly or I'll stop and stare at something to the side.

I don't know. I guess I just walk on...I don't look back. Mine have never dug their feet in and flat refused to follow....I just weigh more and when I move they rather have to lol. There's tension in the lead for a second maybe? then they run ahead of me to get to sniffing again....silly hounds.
 
I walk them on buckle collars...what's Charlie walking on?

We switched him to a basic nylon harness because of the pulling.  I felt like he was chocking himself.  Do you think it would be better to switch back to regular buckle collar?

lol [] that's the difference between our approaches maybe. When this digs in, you ain't goin' nowhere unless you want to leave your arm behind:

I do know that harnesses GIVE power to a pulling dog....so yeah...I think a collar would work better...perhaps even a head collar if you are comfortable with that.

lol HL...I used to walk 100lbs of Akita....a high collar works wonders...LOL.

I think the Easy Walk Harnesses are great. Even with a large dog, if you keep walking, they will follow. With a head halter there's a chance of straining the neck muscles.

a head collar

 
What's a head collar?

[linkhttp://www.dog.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=101580+000+BLK&srccode=COMMJUNC]http://www.dog.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=101580+000+BLK&srccode=COMMJUNC[/link]

Head collar:


Easy-walk harness:

I think I would be more comfortable with the easy walk harness.  He wears a harness now so I don't know how different this one would be.  Here's a picture of him with the one he wears now.