Advice Please?

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Just some thoughts please.

Sorry it is an essay. My neighbour has 2 dogs. She has had a neck injury and can't walk one of her dogs. Both dogs are older and pretty undisciplined as I found out having coffee there one day. I offered to walk her 10yr old boxer cause she can't manage and the dog loves to go for a walk. But she tells me the dog is DA and feral on a lead.

But I do walk it and it's not that bad. Not that good either thou. She is reactive to dogs behind fences etc and does bounce around and carry on. As its been a few weeks now she is much better with me already and walks loose on a longer lead. I have some treats if we go near another dog barking and she comes to me if I call as long as she hasn't already started the behaviour of lunging.

I met her out walking mine today and we spoke about walking her dog. I was thinking its only temp but now I can't see her getting well enough to handle the dog. I wondered about the sister but she is too timid of dogs. What I have been doing is walking mine for a hr , then hers for a little while. But agility training time has to be done as well now.

Today after I had done mine, we got the boxer as well. We walked everyone together. I left first and she followed with my 2 small ones. The boxer thought this a bit weird but she came with me and the neighbour followed a few houses back. I gave my neighbour some treats to encourage mine as nobody much else walks them. My boy was great and focus's on her althou next time he better go in a flat collar not his limited slip one.

But my real question after this ramble is my chi x foxy. She was in a harness and she pulled a fair bit to get to me. Specially if I spoke to my neighbour. With the treats she did listen sometimes to my neighbour and stopped pulling. She walks normally at my heels, just behind. And here she is pulling out front sometimes. She is normally pretty timid in the streets but today she was too worried about where I was going.

She doesn't seem to worry about the boxer which is interesting as she is scared of many other dogs. I think if she got loose she would fly to me. Not something we can let happen. I was hoping the boxer wouldn't be a problem so I can kill 2 birds with one stone? But it seems the chi is.

So is doing this bad for the chi? Or good for her to get used to? I just don't want to make her worse. It has taken ages to get her comfy enough round other dogs so that she compets in agility (needless to say her distance work is a struggle). A bigger dog near her is enough to get her to freeze. I'm sure dog parks would be her nightmare ( we don't go now).

My other concern was if we get attacked by loose dogs. Not worried about the boxer honestly but mine. The chi can be picked up by my friend but I see myself stopping any attacking dog from getting near my small boy. Even at the risk of the boxer. Harsh but true.

Undecided what to do? Better to do all seperate but maybe the boxer not as often. Drag the sister out and train her ( my fave option). Just do all three together for a while till the two dogs get over themselves?

Regardless of if I walk the boxer or not - do you think having somebody else walking my dog is harmful, not necessary or good for her?

Thanks for any advice.

[Aidan3]

I would normally offer a management tool to someone with an injury, in most cases a front-attaching harness. This offers some leverage, but I'm not sure about the extent of your neighbour's condition. A hands-free belt might also be an option.

[HugL]

Your boy is on a limited slip collar or flat. Is there a reason the ChiXfox is on a harness? My experience is that harness were designed for pulling as they are located around the strongest part of the dog. Have you tried this one on any type of collar?

Hard to give advise without all the facts - sorry

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Hi thanks for your replies.

Aidan2 - I had thought about tools for her. Sadly even that is a bit far off as she has a neck brace on for weeks so far and still counting. She can take it off now however all the neck muscles have gone. II don't think her neck could even handle any pulls at all on leash. Eventually I think she will go back to walking the dog in a place nearby where she can avoid other dogs. A tool such as you put forward may help then. Not ideal.

HugL - I know its hard to see the whole picture. I was more concerned about having the chi x pulling to get to me. She only pulls as she is not used to walking with anyone else. With me she is light as a feather on lead. When I walk mine they are on normal collars and then off lead alot of time. The boy has flat and I only own the limited slip as its a club collar. I put him in the slip for my friend to make sure she didn't feel any pulling. But next time he'll be in flat collar as my friend doesn't use the slip collar as I would.

The chi doesn't really need a lead, only to be legal. Unless in obedience class or running agility I don't really see her next to me. She follows just behind me. I do work on getting her next to me and sending her ahead but that is something I have to ask her to do. Her neck is so little I avoid collars, I think the harness stops me from accidently putting pressure on her neck. But I know what you mean - I too wonder why people walk dogs in a harness. That is why sled dogs wear them - to get the most effective power from the dog pulling.

Thanks

Edited February 19, 2011 by skip

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Skip

I think you would have to "generalise" the training for the chi.

Something's different so you have to start again as if she knows nothing about loose lead walking.

Ie no going forwards while she is pulling (or what ever method you used the first time to train her) - you need to get the new walker to do all the training moves again. However given it's something she does know how to do - although only with you - she should learn much faster in the new environment (ie with a new person on the other end of the lead).

Can't help you with the problem of being attacked by other dogs. It's always a risk.

[skip]

Mrs Rusty Bucket Thanks, I didn't think it was like starting again but that is a good idea. You know I can't remember ever having to teach her not to pull, she has always just walked with me.

I did arm my friend with treats to encourage my dogs to focus on her. Worked great with the boy but then again he also runs agility for others as well. Very easy to buy I think

Worked with the chi x except at times.; So we can work on stopping those "times" and maybe it'll be OK. I might give my friend a few more instructions (without her dog present) to help this. I think she could manage that, she thinks mine are cute.

Thanks