Help Please! Problems With Going On A Walk

[Alison Ma]

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With a choker, I sit it just below her ears.

When she jumps, I say no, and she will sit down and bark like "lets keep walking" kind of bark.

When she pulls, if we pull her back to us or to our side, she sits as well.

She knows that she shouldn't but she keeps doing it.

Hi Alison, the important thing is to want to fix it but at the moment it's the blind leading the blind. Judging by what you've said above Lola doesn't understand that a check means don't pull. She thinks the check means sit, so she sits then you walk off and she pulls again, you check and she sits and so on. She thinks she's doing what you want her to do. I've been training dogs since I was a child and it is something you have to learn, it's not difficult but it's one of those things where you need someone to show you not just how but when.

A trainer or and obedience club will help you. Don't be embarrassed we all have to learn, no one is born knowing these things. Good luck!

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Well, that makes sense! When I pull her to the side, she sits. So, she isn't understanding that we want her to stop pulling.

Definitely going to stop that then.

[Alison Ma]

I sure am going to walk her everyday. I don't want her to be sad and depressed, or bored at home.

I live near Parramatta. Do you know of any around my area?

I attended a training lesson at a school in Bankstown, and everyone looked at me like I wasn't welcome because of how she was acting.

Did you see SaS's post.

In Sydney, NSW I reccomend Craig Murray from Premier Dog Training who can come out to you and work with your in your dogs own environment: 0408 113 874.

Everyone would have been looking at you because your dog was behaving like a pork chop, not because you weren't welcome. That's why you go to training - to get help getting past it.

However, I agree that a private trainer is going to get you a lot further than group classes.

Yes I saw that.

I am going to call him after work and see if he can help me out.

[persephone]

Alison- there are plenty of things you can do in the back yard - things to keep her occupied

perhaps kick a ball around for her- play 'soccer' I do this with my dog sometimes

put the leash on and just walk quietly around the yard- praising her EVERY time she is not pulling

Practise getting her to sit and have the leash put on . Praise, take the leash off. get her to sit , put the leash on.... practise until it is the most boring routine ever.

keep your voice quiet and calm..dogs react to voice tone ... excited rapid voice? dog gets the same!

and you might want to try THIS at mealtimes

[persephone]

I am going to call him after work and see if he can help me out.

You are doing so well!!

Lola is a lucky girl, having an owner who is willing to work at learning how to get the best from their dog!

[Alison Ma]

Alison- there are plenty of things you can do in the back yard - things to keep her occupied

perhaps kick a ball around for her- play 'soccer' I do this with my dog sometimes

put the leash on and just walk quietly around the yard- praising her EVERY time she is not pulling

Practise getting her to sit and have the leash put on . Praise, take the leash off. get her to sit , put the leash on.... practise until it is the most boring routine ever.

keep your voice quiet and calm..dogs react to voice tone ... excited rapid voice? dog gets the same!

and you might want to try THIS at mealtimes

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I do those things with her now. We play in the backyard when I am at home.

I haven't thought of that before. I am going to practice putting the leash on and taking it off.

We went away for a week and when it came time to going for a walk, she wasn't excited. She went out for walks all the time when we were away.

I have another dog at home too. A 10 year old Dalmatian. She still acts as if she is a puppy when it comes to walking, I am going to do the same with her.

[rose of tralee]

It's great that your plans are going ahead, Alison.

We have a 9 yo dally (also Lola) whose walking manners are improving as well. Never too late! Can you imagine how I felt last night to hear OH winding her up (as if the sight of us putting joggers on wasn't enough) saying, Do you want to come WALKIES, Lola?!! DO you?

[sas]

It is just a normal harness. The harness seems to work the best. We tried the choker and the poor thing ended up vomiting. The halti was a huge failure. So, you recommend a no pull harness?

It just gets very frustrating. I went to a pet store on the weekend, and I didn't see anything about a "no pull harness".

I spoke with another owner of a husky/malamute and she told me that the halti works great. It is very disappointing when you can't take your dog on a walk when she mucks up.

I hope you mean a check chain rather than a choke chain....a check chain becomes a chock chain when you put it on incorrectly and it can't release.

A check chain wouldn't have worked for you because you haven't trained the dog how to walk on one because you probably haven't be taught how to use one.

You gotta ditch the normal harness.

Just because one tool works for someone with a similar breed doesn't mean it will work for yours and then as I said previously a tool isn't going to work unles it's fitted correctly and you have been shown how to use it properly.

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I never intentionally choke her, its because she pulls so much she ends up vomiting.

I'm going to try a martingale collar, see how Lola goes with that.

Thank you :-)

How about letting a trainer help you find a suitable tool and show you how to use it?

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But what will I do in the meantime, keep using my harness?

I'm pretty sure the trainer who I mentioned would be able to squeeze you in this week.

What I was aiming at when I was saying before you trying anymore different tools just wait until you see a trainer otherwise you're wasting your monye on tools that your dog is going to ignore

[percyk]

do lots of practice with treats or toys ...do this at home down a corridor or just up and down the room

she has to understand what you want

she has too many distractions outside but she still gets to walk

in the old days we were told a puppy shouldnt go for a walk til it knew how to heel...any excitement...you head right back...

teach lola sit and stay and drop

keep at it

get that eye contact going ...so this means bigtime favourite treats

chicken...bbq is really good for those early days

dont feed before a walk so she is eager to work for you

if she is big and strong then it is best to get a trainer before she hurts you...pulls your arm whatever..

best of luck and dont give up

[Alison Ma]

It's great that your plans are going ahead, Alison.

We have a 9 yo dally (also Lola) whose walking manners are improving as well. Never too late! Can you imagine how I felt last night to hear OH winding her up (as if the sight of us putting joggers on wasn't enough) saying, Do you want to come WALKIES, Lola?!! DO you?

I know right. As soon as we put a joggers on, Casey on older dog knows what that means, then going to get their leads.... They are already going nuts.

Walking out the front door, down the stairs. More like being pulled out of the house and down the stairs!

[Alison Ma]

do lots of practice with treats or toys ...do this at home down a corridor or just up and down the room

she has to understand what you want

she has too many distractions outside but she still gets to walk

in the old days we were told a puppy shouldnt go for a walk til it knew how to heel...any excitement...you head right back...

teach lola sit and stay and drop

keep at it

get that eye contact going ...so this means bigtime favourite treats

chicken...bbq is really good for those early days

dont feed before a walk so she is eager to work for you

if she is big and strong then it is best to get a trainer before she hurts you...pulls your arm whatever..

best of luck and dont give up

_____________

Yeah, we tried putting her harness on and taking it off, then putting it back on and taking it back off. To make her feel as if it is boring and just another routine kind of thing. So, that next time we take her on a walk, she won't be so excited.

I am attended a course in two weeks, and I will see what that does. Hopefully, they are supportive as they say they are and will help me, my partner and Lola.

[Alison Ma]

I'm pretty sure the trainer who I mentioned would be able to squeeze you in this week.

What I was aiming at when I was saying before you trying anymore different tools just wait until you see a trainer otherwise you're wasting your monye on tools that your dog is going to ignore

I took Lola for a walk this afternoon, just up and down our street and see seems to get that I don't want her to pull. Whenever she hears dogs barking, she gets distracted and starts to pull. I just stop and turn back.

Any kind of excitement, I would walk back to the house.

[rubiton]

Also does she obey you at home? Often manners on walks are influenced by small things at home - our dog ignored me when let off the lead in the park. So I tried the NILIF (nothing in life is free) exercises (such as making her drop & stay in the same place for 20 minutes such as at your feet while watching tv - if they get up and move you just put them back in the same place and release later when you choose), we walk through the door back inside first unless she is told to go before us (otherwise she gets called all the way back outside and has to wait), etc.

The other thing is when she gets too excited before going for a walk we just sit ther and stare at tv for a few more minutes - dog goes from too excited to calm pretty quickly now since being clam means heading out the door quicker. Just stop what you are doing and sit down and stare at the tv.

BUt try and find a good obedience club or trainer as your dog just sounds like she needs training (as do you to give her the right signals and for her to understand what youwant). Our dog still gets very excited about cats and will try and charge and lunge if they are close to the path - I taught her left and right years ago and its very handy as even when bouncing against the lead and harness as she will bounce left or right and clam down once we got past (I use a harness and choke chain together which stops her choking or getting her head down to pull but I weigh twice what she does so at worse I can hold her but a husky cross malamute would be a lot bigger and stronger).

[persephone]

I am going to call him after work and see if he can help me out.

Alison- so , how did you get on with the trainer?

[Alison Ma]

Also does she obey you at home? Often manners on walks are influenced by small things at home - our dog ignored me when let off the lead in the park. So I tried the NILIF (nothing in life is free) exercises (such as making her drop & stay in the same place for 20 minutes such as at your feet while watching tv - if they get up and move you just put them back in the same place and release later when you choose), we walk through the door back inside first unless she is told to go before us (otherwise she gets called all the way back outside and has to wait), etc.

The other thing is when she gets too excited before going for a walk we just sit ther and stare at tv for a few more minutes - dog goes from too excited to calm pretty quickly now since being clam means heading out the door quicker. Just stop what you are doing and sit down and stare at the tv.

BUt try and find a good obedience club or trainer as your dog just sounds like she needs training (as do you to give her the right signals and for her to understand what youwant). Our dog still gets very excited about cats and will try and charge and lunge if they are close to the path - I taught her left and right years ago and its very handy as even when bouncing against the lead and harness as she will bounce left or right and clam down once we got past (I use a harness and choke chain together which stops her choking or getting her head down to pull but I weigh twice what she does so at worse I can hold her but a husky cross malamute would be a lot bigger and stronger).

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Thank you for your advice.

She gets moody. Sometimes she is happy to listen, and other times, I tell her to stay, I move 10 metres back, and then she decides to walk to me. So, I do the whole exercise again. Repeat, repeat and repeat.

Last night I did some practice with her. I put her harness on, took it off, put it back on and took it off again. Continuous, until it got very boring to her.

I then walked her through the house, stopping whenever she pulled. I stood at the front door with her, she got excited, I told her to sit and we stayed there for 5 mins (until her excitement wore off) I opened the front door and I walked out first. She got very excited then and nearly pulled me down my front steps. We stayed there for 5 minutes (until her excitement wore) off. I would do that every 5 or so metres.

Our main problem is exercising her. I need to take her for an hour walk every day. Once I have that in place, all will go into place.

The Husky Club of NSW is having a day course, which will help guide us in the right direction. We do an hour presentation, and then hour outside with the dogs.

I have a number of a trainer that another member of DOL provided me.

[Alison Ma]

I am going to call him after work and see if he can help me out.

Alison- so , how did you get on with the trainer?

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I spoke with my partner when I got home about calling a trainer. He told me to wait until we go to the training course on 28 March. I’m going to call Craig Murray, even though my partner doesn’t want me too.

It is like me and my partner aren’t on the same team when it comes to Lola. Once he joined us outside, he was a distraction to Lola. It is very frustrating to me, that once he steps outside with us, her focus is not on me, when it needs to be.

We did a lot exercises with her last night. I went outside, and put her harness on, took it off, put it on, took it off again. At the end, she was very calm and was happy for us to do this.

We stayed at the front door until her excitement wore off. Once she was calm, I walked out the door first telling her to stay, I could tell in her eyes that she wanted to please me, so she stayed. (its a look like “is this what you want me to do mummy”). We stood on our front veranda, and she got excited, she barks like “why are we stopping” kind of bark. Once her excitement worse off, we walked 5 metres, I continued this exercise for an hour or so. I just took her for a walk up and down our street last night because this is our problem area.

She gets distracted when it comes to other dogs barking, I need to have her in a confined area to practice.

[sas]

You and your partner need to be on the same page. I really do feel you need some one on one training before heading to a group obedience school where you may be left behind and then become stressed in the situation.

Perhaps you can express this to your partner.

I have learned in the past that if you're not on the same page, it can drive a wedge between the humans in the family and create stress and tention which the dog picks up on. The dog needs its' humans on the same page because dogs learn through consistency.

I don't think anywhere here can help you with anymore suggestions, it's going to be up to you and your partner to get on the same page and seek some professional training so the dog can finially settle down and be calm which is only fair to the dog.

[poodlefan]

Alison, you know that Lola is very excited by other dogs.

What do you anticipate her behaviour will be like at the Husky training day? My guess is she'll be beside herself.

I'd be suggesting to your partner that seeing a trainer NOW will help you get more out of that day and give you more skills to cope with her excitement levels.

[Alison Ma]

Alison, you know that Lola is very excited by other dogs.

What do you anticipate her behaviour will be like at the Husky training day? My guess is she'll be beside herself.

I'd be suggesting to your partner that seeing a trainer NOW will help you get more out of that day and give you more skills to cope with her excitement levels.

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I know. That is exactly what I said to my partner. Stuff him, I am going to call the trainer.

[Alison Ma]

You and your partner need to be on the same page. I really do feel you need some one on one training before heading to a group obedience school where you may be left behind and then become stressed in the situation.

Perhaps you can express this to your partner.

I have learned in the past that if you're not on the same page, it can drive a wedge between the humans in the family and create stress and tention which the dog picks up on. The dog needs its' humans on the same page because dogs learn through consistency.

I don't think anywhere here can help you with anymore suggestions, it's going to be up to you and your partner to get on the same page and seek some professional training so the dog can finially settle down and be calm which is only fair to the dog.

______________

My partner has this huge ego-trip when it comes to me telling him how it is with Lola. Last night, Lola was getting confused, because I am the one doing the exercises with her, but my partner is int he background yelling "sit, stay".

[Diva]

Last night, Lola was getting confused, because I am the one doing the exercises with her, but my partner is int he background yelling "sit, stay".

Explain to him that the dog can only listen to one person at a time, and you need him to think about that and step back sometimes so you can work with her too. I know, not easy to say that to his face if he's ego driven - but I think you are going to have to.