Dog goes INSANE at walkie time, help!

kaya

it is dissapointing that so many people get a dog then worry about training and behaviour afterwards, if you dont know how to handle a dog do you not think you should it would be responsible to do some research before buying one?, come on people its basic stuff, i bet your all the first to be up in arms when you read a headline about a dog attacking a child but you all seem totally clueless about real basic stuff

Caffca

kaya wrote: »

it is dissapointing that so many people get a dog then worry about training and behaviour afterwards, if you dont know how to handle a dog do you not think you should it would be responsible to do some research before buying one?, come on people its basic stuff, i bet your all the first to be up in arms when you read a headline about a dog attacking a child but you all seem totally clueless about real basic stuff

Rather uncalled for kaya. If you'd read the thread you would have read that OP did arrange formal training as soon as the pup was old enough, this didn't happen apparently through no fault of their own; they re-arranged but then pup was sick and have now got classes planned for May. Despite this they are still doing socialisation classes.

Research is all well and good and you can do loads and become a walking encyclopaedia if you want but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to put it into practice - every dog is individual and responds differently to different training styles. With a new dog, regardless of it's age, you have to learn what training method works best for that dog.

The OP is a responsible owner in that she recognised there was a problem and sought advice from other (potentially more experienced) dog owners on what to do. Often when you are in the middle of a situation, it is hard to know what to do, the situation becomes insurmountable and no amount of logic / prior research can help (this is not limited to dog ownership), you need an objective eye/opinin. Not only that she has already acted on that advice and is seeing improvements. What is wrong with that?

hayley11

Thank you Caffca Like you said, I did everything I could to get him in training, it's just unfortunate how things have worked out. He starts it next Saturday though, really looking forward to it.

I'm pleased to say Paddy's walking has come on brilliantly since I got the great advice of you guys. He sits quietly while I put his lead and harness on, he sits at the door when I tell him to and he walks much, much better. He does still pull but I am doing the techniques mentioned on here every time we go out so hopefully over time he will stop pulling altogether.

POSSETTE

pruney wrote: »

Haven't read the whole thread but thought I'd add that I have a cavalier and she's always done that and is now 7! Very recently, she's changed behaviour slightly and actually started listening to me when I tell her quiet but unfortunately the puppy then starts chewing at her back legs in excitement and so she starts barking/yelping/crying again. I went out once with her and she was barking as something or other in the street and this woman came up to me and said that she had 3 cavvys and they all did the same and she was deeply embarrassed every time she took them out lol.
In fact I do feel quite sorry for my Molly (that's the cavvy) as she has recently tried very hard to obey me when I'm telling her to quiet (think she might feel she has to set an example to the puppy, her new baby!) but then Bella (the puppy from hell - bless her!) starts biting her legs again and it all falls flat.
My cavvy also barks whenever we visit family or go up the playing fields, she knows when we're getting near and starts to cry and whine. They always hear her coming before we've even knocked on the door lol.

where did this conversation take place? silly question but it could well have been me you spoke to!! i have 3 cavs and i have said that to someone!! freaky eh?:eek:

ForestBluebells

Is there a reason you are using a harness?

A good old slip lead placed high up on the neck is great for teaching dogs who pull how to walk to heal.

At the moment, your dog doesn't respect you, the level of excitement you describe in a dog is actually very unbalanced and isn't pleasurable for him to experience.

You basically need to show him what you expect, you expect him to respect you and walk with you not try to lead you. Walk with your head held high and walk with purpose. Dogs naturally walk faster than us so walking too slow can make them want to pull. Don't let your dog go through doors before you do as this is disrespectful and will encourage the pulling, he needs to respect you enough to let you go first. Also dont tell him its walkies, just get his slip lead, slip it on and go. If he starts pulling give him a quick check, your not pulling him back as he will then pull against that and pull more, just a quick check and release to break the behaviour he is doing. A good trainer can have your dog walking to heal in minutes, it can be done with every dog!

To be honest, you probably need to hire a behaviourist to help you with the various little problems you are experiencing and go to a good training class as you cant beat them for teaching your dog to listen to you in such a distracting environment.

hayley11

Thanks Sambo, I think a behavourist is a little extreme though. He's come on amazingly since I posted this and this is the only real problem we had with him. He's very obdedient, he's a fast learner, he's great with other dogs and people.

We use a harness because he was pulling and we were worried about him hurting his neck/throat, he kept making these weird noises when he was pulling. We're happy with the harness anyway.

He starts his training on Saturday as well, so hopefully he'll improve even more.

ForestBluebells

Have fun at classes

jhe

we tried everything to get our seven month old pup to stop pulling and choking herself when on the lead, we have had her four month now,someone who had taken there dog to training suggested i try what they were told, to take a squeezy bottle of water and squirt her when she pulls, i felt it was a bit cruel so i squirted the ground in front of her,only had to do it once although i had to carry the bottle and shake it an odd time. walking her now is a pleasure for us,if she starts to pull i call her name and she responds with her tail wagging.

pruney

POSSETTE wrote: »

where did this conversation take place? silly question but it could well have been me you spoke to!! i have 3 cavs and i have said that to someone!! freaky eh?:eek:

In Loughborough where I live. I wonder if it was you?

Sunnie

This might be quite a lengthy process in order to get your dog to be calm. It took me a long time to get my dog to where she is now and even now she still tries her little doggy dance when I get the lead out but as soon as I click my fingers she will sit and remain calm.

It is all about de-sensitising which a lot of people have already mentioned. I went to the cupboard to get the lead and if she got excited I would sit back down again once she laid down, I went back to the cupboard and got the lead and if she got excited I sat back down again.

Working towards every stage of going for a walk and if she didn't remain calm to sit back down again and wait for her to be calm and forget about it. Eventually you will be able to do all stages with her/him remaining calm. It took us hours the first time to actually get out the door, 40 mins the next time, half an hour, 20 mins etc ......