Author Topic: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary  (Read 8764 times)

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Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #45 on: October 19, 2016, 09:19:50 PM »
Yes, and we really mustn't forget they're still very young, they're interested in everything and that's why they're so distracted. In contrast, this 6 year old, rather overweight lab just plods along at my side, very placid and obedient (but SO boring!! :005:)........

Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #46 on: October 19, 2016, 09:21:27 PM »
 I did have a lady come up to me with her two labs and say 'Oh, I'm getting a spaniel next time, these two are just so DULL.'  :lol:
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #47 on: October 20, 2016, 02:11:32 PM »
Wasn't planning to update so soon, but just had the best walk so far with Mr Henry. Very, very little pulling. We even managed to get from the car into the park with only a little tugging, rather than him barking his head off with excitement and meerkatting all the way. Walking around the park after a run on the longline, he mostly looked to me for his treats as we went along, but several times he trotted along just looking around. He also managed to not react to a squirrel at very close proximity. He saw it, stopped but didn't lunge, and quickly turned back to my side for a treat. This is a REAL breakthrough.

Looking back over the last few weeks, I am reminded that breakthroughs often come immediately after days when the training has gone badly.

The other thing to note is that this week I have been absolutely resolute on zero pulling. On our bad day on Tuesday, it took us fifteen minutes to get from the car to the park even though it's maybe ten steps in total. I just plain refused to let him drag me. We went somewhere else yesterday, but today we returned to the scene of the standoff and he barely pulled at all. Immediately we got out of the car he started circling round to walk beside me.

Now, there is every chance he'll be dreadful again tomorrow. So I'm writing this as a reminder to myself to be consistent and not give up at the first sign of backsliding, which I've been guilty of before.
 
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline AlanT

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #48 on: October 20, 2016, 06:46:16 PM »
Try a WYDWL harness.My wife could not hold mine on a collar but managed well on this.

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #49 on: October 20, 2016, 06:48:18 PM »
Yeahhhhh :banana: :banana: :clapdance: :clapdance:
Well done Henry!!!

Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #50 on: October 20, 2016, 07:10:11 PM »
Try a WYDWL harness.My wife could not hold mine on a collar but managed well on this.

We have a WYDWL and use it for street walks. But I want Henry to learn not to pull in any harness as we use other harnesses for longline training and walks in the woods. And the WYDWL is no good when I want to have him on and off the leash as the front strap dangling down makes him walk with a funny hitch. I never attach his leash to his collar.
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline AlanT

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #51 on: October 20, 2016, 07:26:03 PM »
I on/off the WYDWL all the time. I can do it as quick as an ordinary collar.

When off I clip it into a loop and wear it MYSELF!

Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #52 on: October 20, 2016, 07:40:54 PM »
I on/off the WYDWL all the time. I can do it as quick as an ordinary collar.

When off I clip it into a loop and wear it MYSELF!

My point is there are situations where I need to use a different harness. I'm not going to walk him there in the WYDWL then whip it off and fit the other harness. If Henry was allowed off the lead, yes I could just take off the harness. It is very easy as you say. But the fact that I can see him hitching up his leg makes me wonder if it's also affecting his gait when we are walking with him on the lead and the WYDWL. I can't tell as I walk beside him. So I'm keen to get him walking nicely in his other harness.
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline Pearly

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #53 on: October 20, 2016, 09:08:30 PM »
Real progress well done Henry (and you!)  :D

Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #54 on: October 24, 2016, 11:14:05 AM »
Monday morning update - some real progress on all fronts. Husband's training is coming along nicely! He's co-operating with the zero-tolerance on the pulling and getting those treats in fast.

I'm letting Henry have a good 10-15 minutes sniffing around on the long line before I put him on the regular lead. He is falling into walking by my side very quickly. Reacting less to squirrels, although we still get the odd meerkat moment. If he pulls to the side because he wants to sniff something, I stop, wait for him to come to my side, click and treat then walk him over to whatever it is he wanted to have a sniff at. I'm hoping that feels like a double reward to him, and lets him know nice walking gets him what he wants.

He is still mostly looking at me while we are walking, waiting for a treat. I'm still firing them in pretty quickly to really establish the habit of being beside me. The next step will be to lengthen the amount of time between the good behaviour and the treat arriving. I also try to reward when he is just walking along looking around, rather than always at me. I think this is the crucial time to NOT rush things but build on the good habit we are starting to establish. It's taken three weeks to get to this stage, and the first two weeks or so mostly consisted of me walking one or two steps at most before stopping.
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #55 on: October 24, 2016, 12:00:50 PM »
Rachael, that's brilliant!!! Well done, I really admire your determination! Really sounds like you're making a breakthrough!!
You say Henry has 15 minutes long line before normal walking, do you leave the house with the long lead or do you drive to where ever you go? My problem is, that when we leave  home, we walk for about 5 minutes on the normal lead and then I can let  him off (its just fields and paths), so he's on the normal line to start with and that's the hardest bit as its the way that everyone else has been with their dogs and cows ( >:( ) etc and I feel doomed to failure before I even start!! Coming back is much easier, (but then, breakfast awaits!!! ;)).
If I put him on the normal lead on the field paths and say heel, he'll play the game, probably because the smells aren't so exciting but on the street or at training classes, where I really need him to cooperate, he's still a nightmare! (I had thought of pushing wine corks up his nostrils! 😂😂😂)

Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #56 on: October 24, 2016, 12:40:34 PM »
I do have a short walk from the car to where I let him run and this part is still a battle in some places. I've cracked it at the park we go to most often by just not moving until he comes to my side. One day it took 20 minutes to walk ten paces. I was so exasperated. But guess what? The next day he remembered and played the game and has done ever since.

He still pulls like a steam train at the woods, where we only go twice a week. That's the next one to crack!
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #57 on: October 24, 2016, 02:56:55 PM »
Do you give any command before you click and treat? I always say "Walk nicely" but from Humphrey'/ point of view,that's probably open to interpretation  :005:.....

Offline Londongirl

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #58 on: October 24, 2016, 03:07:05 PM »
Nope. I just stand and wait. If it's taking forever and he's clearly forgotten what we are doing, sniffing the air, I sometimes make a little sound just to get his attention. Then click and treat when he gets back to my side and is already walking beside me.

I say 'nice walking!' and toss him a treat occasionally when he is actually walking nicely without looking at me for a treat. If you say it when he's not doing it, what is he pairing it with? Walking back to you? Standing waiting for a treat? I have made far too many mistakes pairing cues with the wrong action that I'm very sparing now in what I say!
Rachael (me) and Henry (him)


Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Henry's Loose-leash training - a diary
« Reply #59 on: October 24, 2016, 03:20:14 PM »
Yes, I've made that mistake - I only say it at the moment if he really is walking well, but I suppose, thinking about it, it is a bit unnecessary. Thanks!
By the way, this diary is really keeping me motivated, it was a great idea!