on lead

[ips]

That's a lovely bit of walking. Is that the harness you cobbled together yourself?

I've been teaching Henry to stop when I stop. This morning we did some sit-stays and down-stays in the park with lots of other dogs barrelling around and he did really well. I then practiced some off-lead heel work. Problem was, he stopped and sat beautifully when I stopped but I was half way across the field when I realised he's put himself in a stay as well and hadn't set off again with me. Cue addition of release cue...

Thanks LG
No that is a bought harness that I normally use if she is on flexi lead which she is now due to season.
I tried to upload pics of my home made job, don't know what happened but the whole post disappeared 😞.  Will have to re post with pics. To be honest though after much experimentation over the last week I am not convinced with these front attach jobs. Think I will stick with the one on the vid for now and carry on with the training  👍

[ips]

Currently on hols in caravan in Keswick. Lead training has been going well UNTIL  we got here. The excitement of swimming in the lake etc was too much and she pulled me around the caravan site and made me look a right "insert suitable term" . That was on collar and lead. This evenings walk I put her on the harness and without a shadow of a doubt she does not pull anywhere near the same, as I have suspected for some time. The popular belief that harness encourages pulling is utter nonsense Imo.
I remain on a quest to find a quick to put on and off job and will be having a look at the VERY good shop in Keswick tomorrow. They stock ruffwear and hunter amongst others. Will report back.

[Londongirl]

If it makes you feel any better, my OH sees police with sniffer spaniels on a daily basis near his work and even those professional handlers have a dog at the far end of a lead half the time!

[ips]

I would like to say it does, but it doesn't 😁

[bizzylizzy]

If it makes you feel any better, my OH sees police with sniffer spaniels on a daily basis near his work and even those professional handlers have a dog at the far end of a lead half the time!

EXACTLY the same thing occured to me on the weekend! . and had to remind myself, yet again, that I need to stop trying to put a square peg into a round hole, - Humphrey is a Cocker Spaniel!! Enough said!! I got SO cross with him yesterday, nose on the floor, pulling like a freight train and jumping all over visitors but then we've been to the vet today and he's such a joy and so laid back and friendly with everyone, i have to ask myself - what sort of dog do I want? Can't have it all!

[ips]

I feel such a failure sometimes though. And I feel a bit of a fool when she pulls at times.
I cant get my head around how I have been able to train some pretty good stuff and yet something one would think should be pretty basic I fail on.  On our walks from home she has been really good but its obviously not proofed yet. Grrr

[bizzylizzy]

I feel such a failure sometimes though. And I feel a bit of a fool when she pulls at times.
I cant get my head around how I have been able to train some pretty good stuff and yet something one would think should be pretty basic I fail on.  On our walks from home she has been really good but its obviously not proofed yet. Grrr

I really sympathise and feel exactly the same - some days I can be tolerant and some days I really lose my rag but I have to continually remind myself he's not doing any of it to be awkard, he just cannot help himself, he's just being who he is.

[ips]

Fair comment. Flamin frustrating though isn't it  ??

[bizzylizzy]

Fair comment. Flamin frustrating though isn't it  ??

You can say that again but then who wants a dog that's so obedient it has no character? (Don't answer that!    )

[Londongirl]

My OH said this to me the other day: 'Maybe we just have to accept that there are some things that we will never be able to 'fix' because they are not broken, they are just the way he is. It's what makes him Henry.'

I know I've been guilty of focussing on what is 'wrong' over enjoying the many things that are 'right'. It's got a lot more to do with what makes me, me, than anything to do with the dog!

[ips]

Fair comment. Flamin frustrating though isn't it  ??

You can say that again but then who wants a dog that's so obedient it has no character? (Don't answer that!    )

Ok I wont, but you know the answer 😁

[ips]

Update for anyone remotely interested.
Currently away in caravan for week hols. Looked at harnesses in the very good pet shop but nothing suitable. Decided to get a new brown rope lead to match her current harness and a new brown collar for ease of use when your not going far enough to warrant the harness (yes slip is easiest by far but I have fallen out with slip leads as I have alluded to before) anyway no suitable collar apart from a half choker thing, very soft padded job in light brown with chain on. Instead of fully choking the little madam with a slip lead this lies very loose due to weight of chain bit until madam pulls when it tightens but only to the size of her neck, in fact even then there is a bit of room. This was not purchased as any kind of training or anti pull device it was purely an alternative to a slip for very short walks anyway it turns out that she walks very well on it in fact today we have been around town and in a park and yes there were occasions that I had to stop and reposition (well she repositions herself now then I continue to walk) her but all things considered such as none proofed area, high excitement and big temptations she was by far the best she has ever been over an extended walk (walk not lead training)
Not sure if it is the new fangled colllar or all the hard work Lynn and I have done or a mixture of both but a definite improvement so there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I even allowed myself to feel very smug indeed whilst walking past dog owners being pulled along. 😁

Hopefully you can make out from this picture how it works.



Ps
Many many dogs in Keswick as it is sposed to be the most dog friendly town in UK, I have noticed many different breeds and that 80% are using a harness and prob 60% at least pulling on the lead. What one can conclude from this observation I am not sure but there you go

[piph]

Haven't the time to read all the way through 9 pages of this thread, so apologies in advance if anyone has said this before.

Ozzy, although a show cocker, not a WC, has pulled like a train from day one.  I resorted to a Halti very early on, and although his neck muscles are incredibly strong and he could still pull without it turning his head, it at least gave me some measure of control as he couldn't pull quite so hard.  Most of his walks were off lead, and he too was really good at walking by my side without a lead  When he was about 18 months old he was castrated and couldn't be walked off lead for a good few weeks, so I used an extendable lead, still using the Halti as well.  This continued until about 8 months ago when I had to start using an ordinary lead as he started to eat other dogs pooh.  He had become so used to the extendable, sometimes long and sometime shortened, that it didn't cause too much problem.  He is 5 now, and he has begun to walk on a loose lead a lot of the time, until another dog or human comes into view.  But I can cope.  He can walk very nicely to heel when the mood takes him, and most of the time we have no need to use the Halti any longer.  The only time I have to use it now is when I take both Ozzy and our GR pup Jess out together on my own.  Then they both pull in different directions! I think that I will have to introduce Jess to a Halti (or some other head collar) before too long as she has started to pull now.

The moral of this long and boring story is:  keep at it, take it in stages and it will come, at least to some extent.

Good luck.

[Londongirl]

All I can say, ips, is that eze does NOT look impressed. 

[ips]

That's her usual serious look 😁
LG I can assure you that she was quite happy 100% comfortable with it. It is much better than a slip (Imo) as it does not constrict. It is no tighter than a normal collar and the benefit is that unlike a normal collar when the dog is at heel this type is totally slack (like a slip)
You have read enough of my posts to know that if she was in anyway unhappy I would have removed it within seconds. Oh and unlike a collar this is not left on it is used exactly like a slip.
Just to clarify I still consider a harness to be the most comfortable for the dog and still intend to use one but for very short walks this set up is easier. The only reason I left it on all the time today was because she was walking so well with it.
Regards