Dog Community

walking on a lead

Posted : 6/12/2006 6:50:54 PM

Hi guys,

I'm having some (minor) problems when out on walks with Pocket and hope someone might be able to help me out. (sorry this might be a long one!)

Firstly, whenever she hears an unknown noise/sees a person she'll freeze and stare at them and usually won't move until either the noise stops or the person walks far enough away. Sometimes I'll be able to get her to keep walking by giving her a small tug on the lead and saying "let's go" and treating her once she gets by my side, but a lot of the time she just won't move and won't take the treat either.
I think that this might just be her being nervous, and having to check things out to make sure they're okay, and it seems like she's gradually getting better- I was just wondering whether there was anything to do that might help this?

Also, I'm having issues with her pulling on the lead- however it only happens on the way back, when we're a couple hundred metres from the house. I've tried stopping and calling her back to my side and treating her once she's there, but often she'll just stop at the end of the lead and ignore me when I call her back. So I'll usually start slowly reining her in and then giving her a treat once she's back by my side- but she usually not interested in the treat at all and as soon as we start moving again she starts pulling!
I've thought about why she could be doing this, and it could be because she wants to get home to get fed (cos I give her breakfast once we get back) or another anxiety thing?

The weird thing is that I dont have these problems as much when I walk her in the afternoon/evenings, or when I go a different route from the one I take in the morning, which makes me think that maybe it's got something to do with that time that big dog came charging at us from behind the fence and freaked her out.

Anyway, any helpful comments/suggestions would be much appreciated- at the moment I'm finding it incredibily frustrating, especially because other than this, she's wonderful on the lead.

Thanks in advance!
-Lavinia

Susa

Posted : 6/14/2006 9:49:39 PM

Hi Lavinia,
sounds a bit like my dog. She is a bit afraid of unknown things and it`s probably because I`ve missed socialising her enough to different situations though I always took her with me to her show her everything. We also went into puppy classes but that didn`t seem to be enough.
But there are dogs that just have a more fearful character than others.
I always try to show her new things, maybe there is something new in the streets like a new trashcan [8|] and she doesn`t want to go on, I let down the lead if she doesn`t want to come with me and then I go on and call her. When she`s coming closer I praise her a lot and I never leave before she came to me and sees that there`s nothing fearful to it. I even spoke to people who seemed to be "strange" to her and make them give her treats so she knows that there`s nothing harmful. It gets better and better but it`s still a long way I think and she will probably never be a very bold dog but that`s okay with me.

For the second problem it really seems that there`s a problem with that part of your walk for she doesn`t pull in general.
There seems to be a really bad connection in her mind and you have to find out what it is before you can work at it.
Is the other dog that freaked out still there in the morning or was it "just" once? When Pocket has made such a bad experience that can definately be the problem.
Does she seem fearful when she`s pulling? Does her hair "stand" in the back?

Vinia

Posted : 6/15/2006 4:48:25 AM

Susa,

Thanks for your reply!

ocket used to be a little bit on the nervous/timid side, but she's become a lot more confident as I've done more training, and as she's gotten older. The things that seem to spook her the most are dogs barking (particularly big ones) and there seem to be a lot when I walk in the mornings. With people it's not so much that she's scared of them, but more interested- usually I think she stops on the off chance that they might come over and say hello. She was a lot better the last walk we had, so I guess I just have to keep exposing her to new things and giving her lots of treats.

I've been avoiding that dog that freaked her out the first time- we don't walk round that corner anymore- but there are a lot of dogs around that area that bark when they hear us, so maybe it could be that. However, she still pulls even if there aren't any dogs around, and even if we're walking down a different street. Some of the times it looks like she's scared- her hackles will come up a little and her tail will go between her legs so it

robably is an avoidance/escape response, but I think maybe other times she just wants to get home to be fed?

spiritdogs

Posted : 6/15/2006 6:18:49 AM

It seems as though you are doing the right things, and increasing Pocket's confidence little by little. As she has more positive experiences, they usually tend to outweigh the bad. "The Cautious Canine" by Patricia McConnell has lots of good hints on how to deal with this kind of dog.

Vinia

Posted : 6/15/2006 4:56:41 PM

Thanks spiritdogs- I'll definitely look that book up and have a read. [sm=happy.gif]

I saw once on one episode of Stanley Coren's show with a pulling dog, that instead of just stopping, he'd walk in the opposite direction and then turn around once the dog stops pulling.
Would that be more effective instead of stopping and waiting until she come back towards me? I tried it a couple of times with Pocket (cos the tree thing wasn't working), but she'd walk by my side straight away, and then as soon as I'd turn around to go home she'd pull again!

Susa

Posted : 6/15/2006 5:20:30 PM

I used that method to teach my dog walk properly on the lead in general when she was a pup but I don`t think that`s the right way here because Pocket CAN walk without pulling. There is some other problem here, I guess, and when she`s some sort of frightened or is feeling unsecure that would probably not help her working and coping with her problem.
When she seems to be feeling uncomfortable don`t try to calm her by petting and comforting her, that way she "thinks" that there REALLY has to be something to be afraid of. I think, stopping is better. Try to give her some comfort by beeing completely calm yourself. Dogs are so sensitive and she feels when you`re nerved and she`ll know when you get nervous in expectation of her pulling. I find it so difficult to stay calm and not to get nervous myself, actually it is more teaching me than teaching her to do or not to do something.

Vinia

Posted : 6/16/2006 5:27:54 AM

Hmm, good point Susa.
I think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing (and maybe try tastier treats to see if she finds them more attractive) and seeing how that goes. I havent been petting and comforting her, but keeping my voice light and happy when I call her back to me. Like you said, I think the hardest thing will be me trying not to get worked up!

Thanks for all your help
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Vic Zurbano

Posted : 6/16/2006 9:13:01 PM

     Well, it seems like she is trying to be the dominative one over you when you guys are walking. You can't let her do that, because then she is going to think it's ok and get used to it. Then you will have to try harder everytime, what you need to do if sh hears a noise is just not even stop and call her to come and follow.

      Also about the house thing, that is just normal. my dog does that and all of my past dogs have done that. It is preventable though. When she starts walking to the house, just stop and call her by your side.

      Keep doing these when you walk and eventually she will get used to you being the dominative one. Hope I help some [&:]