# Leash Training



## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

Ok guys..it's back to rudamentary skills. 

When I first got Pote I walked him on a short leash and he learned to walk at my heal. Being the sucker owner that I am I got him one of those leashes that extends out 25 feet and now he only knows that. So if I have him on a short leash he PULLS the ENTIRE time. It drives me crazy!! What's the training techniques on how to get him to walk at your heal again? I've completely forgotten.

BTW he's back on a short leash. Right now all I'm trying to do is anytime he pulls I stop and say 'no'. When he walks beside me on a loose leash I give him praise and when he starts to pull again I stop and say 'no'. I know there was a better way though..wasn't there?? 

(on a lighter note, I got chastised by the neighbors carpet cleaning guy today..lol. Capote started barking at him and I bent down and put my hand on his muzzle like I normally do and said 'no'. The carpet guy was like..'it's ok..he can bark' ..and I was like..'no..I'm trying to teach him not to bark at people when we walk by' ..lol. I felt like a mean owner, but still..I want Capote to be trained that people are ok.. )


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

I think you mean turning around and walking in the opposite direction whenever he pulls. I call it the "crazy walk." You really do look crazy when doing it, but it does work.

As far as the barking thing, I wouldn't worry about what others say. If you want him to stop barking, then that's your choice. He is your dog after all.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I agree about the barking. There will always be someone who says "Aw, it's alright. I dont' mind being (jumped on, barked at, licked, nipped...)" Just know that you do what is right for YOU.

The 'crazy walk' seems to be a good tool to use on pulling dogs, but I think you were doing o.k., with stopping and saying 'no'. Start walking only when he stops pulling. Thing is, if you want Capote to heel at your left leg, then that is the only acceptable behaviour worth praising. To a point anyway. It can take some time and patience though.... :biggrin1: Not sure if I made sense there ! lol


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

That is the same method I was going to suggest.

When I walk my lab, I find people walk around me, but if I am waking my boys they stop, want to know what kind of dog, and then when they start jumping on them and I say no, they say it's okay. I just tell them it's not okay with me, I don't want them jumping on peolple. Maybe they would like me to go get my lab and let her jump on themound:


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## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

They worked great when I lived in the apartment. Then instead of having to walk everywhere in the grassy areas I could just stand in one place and let him roam around on his own but still on a leash. I like the long leash..it gives him a lil freedom when we walk..but he pulls on even that now.. So he can be let out 25 feet and he'll still want more and that to me is a lil silly. P


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## Leeann (Feb 28, 2007)

Oh yea the crazy walk again, that was the only thing that worked for me with Riley. I'm finding out that what works for one does not always work for the other, Monte learned real quick when I would stop but Riley he was another story.. Good luck and try different ways see what Capote responds best to.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I used a retractable leash when I had Asta . They seemed to be the rage at the time then even though they were never recommended by obedience school . I got quite proficent with it ... reeling him in and out and locking it when necessary ..
It is out of the question for me with two dogs .. I see people doing it and they do it well but it is too much hassle for me .
The trainer did not encourage using them either with two so I stopped .. Tulip has never used anything but a retractable leash so it is really an individual thing . 
Ahnold walks very well on a leash - he learned from Kimberly . Cosmo is still a work in progress . He has been hard row to hoe - he was doing well as a puppy and then he hit the terrible twos .. and we had some difficult days ..
He would just take a break and sit down and not move .. He has a different temperment but we are learning to get along .. and he iis doing much better ..
I had to get him to a place where the petsitter could walk the two and she did fine with them while we were away so I guess we made progress ..
- I walk him on very short leash like the walk Cesar shows you .It took a while but he is doing quite well now .. I do not use a halter anymore - it really seemed to bother him .. He would keep looking at it and then look at me like take this thing off .. 
Asta always wore a halter - he was not crazy about it as some fit better than others and and he chewed through a few I . I felt better about a halter with a small dog . Cesar says it is better to use a training collar high up on the neck and that is what I do ..
I think the important thing is to make them keep their head up so they cannot sniff and track . Well initially I had a problem with that because I thought it is what dogs do .. I do give them a chance to sniff and smell for a few minutes and then we move on and take a good walk ..
Exercise reallly makes a difference with them - they seem happier and they rest better.
My dogs are just companion dogs so if you want to show your dogs you should consult with Melissa ,Kimberly or Tom .. They have the information on teaching dogs how to walk and work in a show ring ..


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Mindy, good for you for teaching Capote manners even when others tell you it is OK. You are doing great!

You already have great advice on re-training him to walk next to your side. The crazy walk will make it a quick fix. Those retractable leads are great for ruining your training, aren't they?

Kara, the retractable leads are good for open areas where you want to give your dog a little freedom to run (park, beach, field, etc.), but they are not good for places that are really crowded. They can wrap around a person's leg fast and they burn and immediately remove the skin! My husband used to love to take Mister Trump and Ahnold to the soccer field across the street and give them 50 feet of freedom and they took it. I went with them in shorts one time when the boys were chasing each other and one of the boys decided to circle me in a runlikehell and burned the skin right off my lower leg. It only took two seconds for a horrible burn.



Thumperlove said:


> Gucci is SO funny because she will get *frustrated* with the crazy walk and just HUFF and lay down while grumbling. ound: It is hilarious and hard for me not to laugh.


 Ha ha ha! That sounds exactly like Tinky. She makes no bones about when she dislikes something. Even when we were doing our obedience training for Rally, if she didn't want to do a "down" after I gave the command, and if I dared to repeat it, she would huff and then drop as if "Well, you're no fun!" Heck, Tinky occasionally lets me know that she doesn't like a person also. She will physically turn her back to him/her and refuse to turn around and look at them. I always make sure Tinky screens her potential puppy owners because of this. LOL!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Crazy walk works!! Other people look at you crazy too!:brick:


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

OK, can someone please explain what the apparently universally known 'crazy walk' is? I mean, I understand what the aim is, but I'm not sure I understand how it works. *Thanks*


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I would do the crazy walk in the house when Cosmo was a puppy and he loved to do it .. It is the real world he does not like - games are fun .. 
It is hard to crazy walk with two and Cosmo is so dependent on Ahnold for reassurance . 
I agree with Kimberly about the burns from the retractables also be careful not to get your fingers caught and the other thing is sometimes you get caught off guard and other dogs approach you and they have the same leash and the next thing you know you are tangled in a mare's nest .. You are in a tangle - this has happened to me fortunately I first always asked if they dog was friendly and it was fine we just got caught in the moment you might say .. 
Today I am a little more cautious as some people do not seem to know their dogs that well .
Also I see so many dogs not being trained and socialised well . We saw this adorable golden who had just been attacked and he had a torn ear .. He was attacked on a street in Sonoma- the man said the dog came out of nowhere and the people did not even apologize .
I could handle Asta as he was used to to a retractable from a young age but some dogs just are too hyper and enthusiastic for a this leash . You really have to pay attention to the brand you buy as some of them are better than others ..
Also you need one strong enoughfor your dogs's weight .. Also some dogs chew through the cord . Asta did that to Tulips once - Donna & I were sitting chatting and the next thing Tulip takes a hike as Asta had chewed through the cord as he was bored .. 
When my Greman shoerthair got older and more calm he really loved the freedom it gave him . I would have never used it with him when he was young though .
Just an FYI - a lot of trainers do not recommend them - others seem ambivalent and let you decide.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Look up crazy walk on a thread - Kimberly has explained it more than once ..


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Thanks Kara, that was short and concise, so I won't have to dig through old threads!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

If you want to teach loose lead walking, then yes, the crazy walk is best. You walk with the dog on a loose lead until he/she begins to pull. As soon as they pull the lead taut, then you turn the other direction. For an overly excited or ambitious dog, this can definitely make you look crazy fast, because you can turn and change directions in just a few steps or less. If you stick with it until you begin to make some progress, the dog will catch on quickly.

If you want to teach your dog to heel, this is not the method for that position. Amanda probably has some better ideas, but the one I was taught was to use a long wooden spoon with a sticky treat like peanut butter down at the side of your leg so the dog is in the proper heel position.

I just found a great video on teaching heel.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Thanks Kimberly !!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Anytime, Cosmosmom! You guys have to come down this way one of these days. Then again, you have to quit traveling so much to do that. 

Give your boys some extra loving from me, please!


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## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

My best friend got caught when we were out walking the dogs. Capote went after her Truman and his leash went flying as well. 

Unfortunately so did her toenail. :fear: The leash went beneath it and ripped part of it off. Extendable leash = bad around flip flops and best friends for future reference.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

I use the retractable leash for a short while with Gryff. Alec did get tangled in it once and it made a mark on the back of his leg. I had no control over Gryff at all. I use a 6' leash now -- I still have no control over Gryff though. We haven't really started heel yet. We'll get to eveything slowly but surely.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Yes Ihad the experience of the flying leash as well . it can take off like a missile .. The first time it happened Asta was freaked .. It happened a couple of other times and he got used to it .. I realized you have to really pay attention when you use it .. 
I think it is better with a more sedate dog . Tulip is very easy and more sedate but boys are a little more animated .. 
Now I stick to normal leashes no more retractables - I am still looking for the perfect leash ..


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I mostly use a retractable when out with the boys. I'll either have them on a coupler, so I'm only using one retractable or we'll use the two I have if we're more people, say when going visiting or something. I've walked Ricky and Sammy with two retractables in the early days when we got Sammy and it was hard on my hands. Those things are a little heavy and big, but I had no choice because it took me forever to finally get a coupler. It was a bit challenging! lol 

I have the leash short to keep the boys close to me, heeling for almost the whole walk. Like Kara, I hold it in one hand, using the other to control the walk, but tugging when they get ahead of me or lag behind. When we stop on a grassy area, then I let the leash out and they go sniffing around - it gets "interesting" when one wants to pee/poop and the other one is pulling on the coupler because he wants to go play! LOL Poor Sammy often gets dragged around because he's much smaller than Ricky. lol

I do have other, regular leashes and we also use those, but the retractable gets used more often.


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