mastering the walk

Welcome! Your dog is such a cutie! []

It's important to understand that your dog is still very young and to think of taking things in baby steps.

I usually recommend a harness for these little guys, especially if you are setting boundaries with the leash. With a small dog a retractable is okay so that you can give them their free time, but still keep them safe. But you can still set a boundary point. I wouldn't recommend a retractable for larger dogs, though.

I would practice in the house and use a gentle reverse of direction and turns to get the dog to start watching you for the changes. It also puts the dog behind you if they move ahead. I would also start using a boundary word such as "eh" to set a boundary when your dog is heading in a direction you don't want and you want his attention back on you. Pick a release word to indicate free time too. This is about communicating. I would not expect the dog to stay at your side or behind you for long periods of time right now. Your whole leadership will not go down the toilet if you allow this young dog periods free time ahead of you, as long as you are directing the dog when to do so, and making progress by using Cesar's basic philosophies in other areas of the relationship. 

Most dogs want to be lead and naturally look to their leader for direction. Your dog will learn as he grows if you are trustworthy, consistant, and fair.

Remember, gentleness, baby steps, and patience is the key with this young one. Do you have the book "Cesar's Way"?

Thanks for such great advice!  No, I don't have any of Cesar's books.  I'm going to have to check at the library next time I'm there.  Luke has a harness - and I've already started using a "sshht" sound and a gentle tug on the leash when he starts to walk toward the street . . . so I guess I'm on the right track.
Practicing indoors is a good idea.  Thanks for that tip!

It's sounds like you are on the right track and being very gentle. Keep up the great work with this guy. By the time he reaches adulthood (2-3 yrs old) you will be so glad you started this now. []

thanks for helping me keep a positive perspective.  I really have to remember to take baby steps!  The best things in life always come little by little.

I have a pom.  Aren't they the cutest things ever?  Mine walks with a harness also.  I use the premier easy walk. I always worried about the other ones slipping off.

I am not a fast walker either, but the pom has to jog to keep up with me. I use a long lead with mine so he can get plenty of run time in.

Anyway...I just wanted to say congrats on the pup.  I wouldn't worry too much if he walks ahead of you.  As long as he is polite and not pulling and looks to you for direction, you both will do fine.

One thing I will add...my pom loves clicker training.  When I first got him he didn't know any commands at all.  But the last few months (I started the end of December I think) I have been clicker training and he knows, sit, stay, down, curtsy, bow, spin, touch,, and I may be forgetting a couple.

They are really smart little things.

Hi JM,
it's nice to see another Pom owner on here!
 
I've been clicker training Luke the past couple of weeks and he really seems to like it too.  The only command that he does solidly every time is sit -  but he's almost got down, stay and stand.  He also knows what I mean when I say "go to bed" and he goes to his crate. 
 
Thanks for the advice on walking.  It sounds like we're on about the same page with our walking philosophy.  I guess that with all of the stopping and sniffing that luke likes to do, he has to do a lot of jogging to keep up with me too!
 
Feel free to PM me any time with some pics of your pom!

Hey,
I just wanted to give an update.  I took some treats and my clicker on our walk last night and I saw a drastic improvement.  I started out by clicking when Luke was walking by my side - and he seemed to like that quite a bit.  Then, whenever he would start to run ahead of me, I would turn around and start walking the other way.  It didn't take very long for him to realize that when he walks by my side he gets treats and praise.  Then I started introducing the verbal cue of "walk" whenever he was walking calmly by my side.  I'm hoping that he will be able to learn when to walk by me and when he can roam around and explore.  Any advice on how I might be able to introduce a "release" cue?
Since I had treats with me, I also was able to work on the come command . . . whenever he would stop and smell something very interesting - and he didn't seem to want to continue walking - I would stop and say "Luke, come" and then shower him with praise and a treat when he came.
I just love +R!  the dog loves it, and I love it!  []

ORIGINAL: elmoemily

Hey,
I just wanted to give an update.  I took some treats and my clicker on our walk last night and I saw a drastic improvement.  I started out by clicking when Luke was walking by my side - and he seemed to like that quite a bit.  Then, whenever he would start to run ahead of me, I would turn around and start walking the other way.  It didn't take very long for him to realize that when he walks by my side he gets treats and praise.  Then I started introducing the verbal cue of "walk" whenever he was walking calmly by my side.  I'm hoping that he will be able to learn when to walk by me and when he can roam around and explore.  Any advice on how I might be able to introduce a "release" cue?
Since I had treats with me, I also was able to work on the come command . . . whenever he would stop and smell something very interesting - and he didn't seem to want to continue walking - I would stop and say "Luke, come" and then shower him with praise and a treat when he came.
I just love +R!  the dog loves it, and I love it!  []

 
Thats great, for "releasing" commands you can go to the clicker section in this forum
 
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tt.asp?forumid=72]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tt.asp?forumid=72[/link]
 
They have there several people with a lot of experience on that []

Sometimes I get SOOO envious of you little dog people. Ella, being a pit bull mix, can pull me ALL OVER THE PLACE. Normally, she doesn't. But once this nicer weather came, she started sniffing all over the place and it's been near IMPOSSIBLE to get her to walk next to me. She is SOOO distracted by sounds, sights, and smells.
If she starts pulling, I plant my feet and won't allow her to pull me anymore. Once she realizes we aren't going anywhere, she turns to me and I call her back. She comes back. It's getting better.

Anyway, yes, envy. I definitely have that for you small dog people. I often find myself thinking, "If Ella was a small pom. I wouldn't have HALF the problems with her!"
Gosh, walking a small dog would be like having practically nothing on the end of the leash. I'd probably end up yanking the little thing all over the place.

ORIGINAL: chewbecca

Sometimes I get SOOO envious of you little dog people. Ella, being a pit bull mix, can pull me ALL OVER THE PLACE. Normally, she doesn't. But once this nicer weather came, she started sniffing all over the place and it's been near IMPOSSIBLE to get her to walk next to me. She is SOOO distracted by sounds, sights, and smells.
If she starts pulling, I plant my feet and won't allow her to pull me anymore. Once she realizes we aren't going anywhere, she turns to me and I call her back. She comes back. It's getting better.

Anyway, yes, envy. I definitely have that for you small dog people. I often find myself thinking, "If Ella was a small pom. I wouldn't have HALF the problems with her!"
Gosh, walking a small dog would be like having practically nothing on the end of the leash. I'd probably end up yanking the little thing all over the place.

If you really know the right technique then the size of the dog does not matter, i promise that you could walk a San Bernard or Great Dane if you know how, without the dog being trained before and in less that one day, even if they were use to pull all their lifes []

I know, but, when I have a DA pit bull mix and a off leash dog in my front yard as soon as I walk outside with my dog, that makes for some serious problems.

THANK GOD my dog scared the crap out of the other dog and he ran off.

So, am I ok?  I know many people - including CM - say never to let your dog walk ahead of you.  Would you guys suggest I correct his behavior?  I have tried walking him on a short leash and stopping when he pulls - but it just doesn't seem to work.  he always pulls on a short leash - but he never pulls when I'm using the retractable leash.

 
It sounds to me that you're doing well. You've discovered what works for you and your dog. That's wonderful. Often it will take people with new dogs much longer to "find their groove" out on a walk. []
 
A lot of people do say to never allow your dog to walk ahead of you. (They also say things like never let it walk through a door first, up or down stairs first, eat until you've eaten, etc.) This notion typically comes out of a misunderstanding of dog behavior, particularly dominance. What many fail to realize is that in dog packs the alpha does not always walk ahead. The alpha is a confident, benevolent leader in most cases and as such does not need to worry about who is walking where. Here's an article on dominance, which may be of interest to you: [linkhttp://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm]http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm[/link]
 
Good luck with your pup! (He's very handsome, by the way.)

ORIGINAL: Tilt

It sounds to me that you're doing well. You've discovered what works for you and your dog. That's wonderful. Often it will take people with new dogs much longer to "find their groove" out on a walk. []

A lot of people do say to never allow your dog to walk ahead of you. (They also say things like never let it walk through a door first, up or down stairs first, eat until you've eaten, etc.) This notion typically comes out of a misunderstanding of dog behavior, particularly dominance. What many fail to realize is that in dog packs the alpha does not always walk ahead. The alpha is a confident, benevolent leader in most cases and as such does not need to worry about who is walking where. Here's an article on dominance, which may be of interest to you: [linkhttp://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm]http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/dominance.htm[/link]

Good luck with your pup! (He's very handsome, by the way.)

I dont think that a link that comes from a clicker training webpage is too reliable to learn about dominance behavior, is like going to a Christian webpage to learn about Buddhism []

Using the search button you will find tons and tons of threads in this forum about dominance, seen from both sides, not just one, here is a good one:
 
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=228507]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=228507[/link]

ORIGINAL: espencer

ORIGINAL: chewbecca

Sometimes I get SOOO envious of you little dog people. Ella, being a pit bull mix, can pull me ALL OVER THE PLACE. Normally, she doesn't. But once this nicer weather came, she started sniffing all over the place and it's been near IMPOSSIBLE to get her to walk next to me. She is SOOO distracted by sounds, sights, and smells.
If she starts pulling, I plant my feet and won't allow her to pull me anymore. Once she realizes we aren't going anywhere, she turns to me and I call her back. She comes back. It's getting better.

Anyway, yes, envy. I definitely have that for you small dog people. I often find myself thinking, "If Ella was a small pom. I wouldn't have HALF the problems with her!"
Gosh, walking a small dog would be like having practically nothing on the end of the leash. I'd probably end up yanking the little thing all over the place.

If you really know the right technique then the size of the dog does not matter, i promise that you could walk a San Bernard or Great Dane if you know how, without the dog being trained before and in less that one day, even if they were use to pull all their lifes []

 
I think a lot also depends on thoroughly knowing, feeling, and gaining confidence in the techniques and ersonal instruction and experience in using them.
 
Kind of reminds me of martial arts training (oops, almost wrote marital arts). []  
 
Like Yoda says before he lifts Luke Skywalker's X-Wing out of the swamp with the "force":
 
"Do or do not, there is no try. Judge me by my size, do you?"
 
Oh oh, I used the word "force"...