Author Topic: Advice on long lead in house  (Read 996 times)

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Offline sonny_mum

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Advice on long lead in house
« on: November 30, 2020, 10:37:59 AM »
Hi

I've just joined the CockersOnline Forum - I have a nearly 5 month old working cocker called Sonny. He's my first dog and if I hadn't found all the great advice on this forum I think I'd be losing my mind!

He is a lovely bright trainable dog but he is very nervous. It took a month before he stopped crying on his walks and a bit longer before he'd come out from behind my legs to meet other dogs. He's doing much better now and I'm really proud of all the progress he's making. He loves his puppy class and is doing really well there for such a young pup.

At home he has moderate resource guarding issues around novel items (novel forbidden are his fave) and occassionally locations. He can be quite sensitive to being handled (mainly when guarding). My kids (9 and 5) are being really good at not taking things from him and no spontaneous petting and we are doing well with swap for treats/ignoring/lots of praise for giving things up.

The main problem we have is him jumping on the sofa. He is SO STUBBORN. I can gently lead him off by his collar with a firm no but by the 6th or 7th time he's growling and snapping and i'd prefer not to have the confrontation as I know he probably feels backed into a corner. I've lured him off with treats only to realise we're halfway through a chicken breast and he's still jumping back on. Leaving the room works but its quite hard to get 4 of us to leave at once and he ends up racing us to the door. The only thing that works is blocking him getting on in the first place with a firm no and instant praise when he stays paws in the ground. If you are not already on the sofa though that doesnt work.

I wondered if anyone had any experience of a long lead in the house as I'd be able to gently lead him off if he got on and also get him out from under the sofa when he's chewing without having my hands shredded. I can't relent and let him on the sofa at this stage as I think he'll just guard it. I could ban him from the living room but he'd have no opportunity to learn how to 'be' with the family.

He gets enforced long crate naps twice a day and 3 20/25 min walks. I know he gets bored in the day even though I work from home we try to do a few play sessions in the garden. I need to learn how to do scent work with him so if anyone has any links to good videos/resources I'd be grateful.

Just wanted to finally say what a great resource this is. So much stuff (dominance theory etc) just will not work for my dog and so many well meaning people tell me to tap him on the nose when he misbehaves and its really validating to have people who understand that isnt going to work for a spaniel!

Thanks in advance

Offline Lobo do Mar

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Re: Advice on long lead in house
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2020, 12:40:09 PM »
Hi,
A house line really worked for us with Salty
I just tied a 1 m long piece of 6 mm rope to a clip off an old lead and used that
It was amazing how docile he became as soon as I put it on as he knew there was no chance of him winning :)
And if there was any dispute - I always had the upper hand without the lunge snap lunge chase chaos cycle
As I said in the thread on Salty - I think it was one of the main things that turned our relationship around
I know the under sofa shredder well!
But I must say he is allowed on all sofas etc as it is so nice to cuddle him :luv:
All above with the caveat that that worked for Salty and for me (a complete PITA and incompetent owner, respectively :lol2:)
Leigh

Offline sonny_mum

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Re: Advice on long lead in house
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2020, 12:47:32 PM »
Thanks Leigh I have read your posts about Salty and he seems very similar to Sonny  :021:
I'd love to have him up for a cuddle but until I know he'll reliably get off when asked I'll leave it. Also don't want to confuse him just yet.
Is Salty still on the long lead or were you able to take him off it?
Thank you for the advice

Offline Lobo do Mar

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Re: Advice on long lead in house
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2020, 01:02:26 PM »
He is off it now
I was worried about him getting 'addicted' to is and it was true that at one stage as soon as it was off it was open season, but pretty soon it wasnt needed
He already knows who is boss - me (mostly  :lol2:)

Offline ips

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Re: Advice on long lead in house
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2020, 02:32:45 PM »
Ah the old "not allowed on the sofa" job. We had same rule, it lasted about 6hrs as did not going in the bathroom or the bedroom, not sleeping on our bed lasted a little longer, maybe 6 mths....🤣🤣
Muddling along in the hope that one day it all makes sense.

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Advice on long lead in house
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2020, 03:08:47 PM »
Hi! Jean Donaldson‘s book „ Mine“, might help you with the resource guarding. Using treats to lure him off the sofa is a good idea to get him to understand the command - off, down or whatever you use but I found just using it as a bribe had the opposite effect, -:they‘re very quick to make the wrong connection and use it to bribe you instead! (If Humphrey decides he wants a biscuit, he‘ll ask to go out ten times in an evening in the hope he‘ll get a biscuit for being good and coming back again pronto!!  :lol2:)
Tapping the nose is what I was told to do 40 years ago, along with biting their ears to stop snapping and all the other outdated nonsense - I‘m at permanent loggerheads with a neighbour who insists on punishing his dogs by causing them pain and it doesn‘t work! Cockers, especially, are very sensitive and respond much better to positive methods, far better to teach an alternative behaviour which can be praised than scolding for behaviour you don‘t want , (if that makes sense?)
Don‘t know if you‘re familiar with Zak George? He does a lot of Youtube dog training videos and only uses positive methods, - might be worth having look, I like his style, he uses lots of dogs and lots of breeds instead of pretending to be training a dog that is obviously quite perfect to start with!
 :D

Offline sonny_mum

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Re: Advice on long lead in house
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2020, 03:49:15 PM »
Thanks bizzylizzy - I've read 'Mine' cover to cover and it really helped me understand his behaviour better. I'm using elements of it at the moment and it seems to be helping.
He knows very well what off means and, ips, I'm so tempted to let him stay up because its adorable when he looks out of the window as though to say 'who is she talking to??' when I tell him off. I'm standing my ground for now though!

I havent seen the Zak George vids but I will check them out thanks for the tip!!