on lead

[ips]

Not counting my pheasant poults BUT we seem to be making fantastic progress. Something has clicked and I have enjoyed (and I mean enjoyed) two days or rather evening walks of about one mile on a perfect loose lead, apart from about three occasions when she got to the end of the lead (not pulling though) when we were getting close to the footpath were she knows she will be let off to hunt, I can forgive this for now but I did stop on each occasion and repositioned her. Slip lead with all of the lead out and eze has been at perfect heel. I am not sure how this has happened, I have been doing a lot of off lead heel training and also had a few walks with the WYDWL lead kindly donated by murphys law, maybe its a combination of things I am not sure but either way I am a very happy chap.
I said heel just the once and started to walk without any further vocal command or praise as I have a suspicion that in certain contexts "good girl" has become a release command.
Going for a hat trick tonight so fingers crossed 👍

[bizzylizzy]

  - let us know how you've got on this evening!! 

[ips]

Mrs ips joined us, historically she never behaves as well when her mum is around. She was not as good as last two days, she got to the end of the lead quite a few times but was not pulling as such. We are definitely getting better no doubt about that but tonight was not as good as I would have liked. Anyway shouldn't be too disappointed considering the pulling is now a learned behaviour which I blame myself for. Onwards and upwards 😊

[Londongirl]

Onwards and upwards 😊

But not too far forwards...

[ips]

Ha, yes and that 😁

[ips]

Another walk this evening just eze and I. She was good as gold loose lead all the way, she got out of position three times when we got close to the off lead part of the walk but wasn't pulling. I stopped gently repositioned her and gave her a stroke. She is definitely trying now and definitely knows what is expected. I am a happy man 😊

[Blueberry]

Sounds wonderful!  Well done, and I'm encouraged by your success.

[ips]

Thank you.
Its taken two years of trying everything. I am not sure what or why its clicked all of a sudden but I suspect it's the off lead heel training I have been doing. Wrong way round really but there you go 😁
Concluded that getting frustrated and giving a lead pop or whatever just doesn't get through, neither does the going in opposite direction. Have decided calmly stopping and gently repositioning her to touch my left leg then giving verbal praise seems to get it through to her as to what I expect. I was determined to sort it but admit that I was close to defeat 😉

[Londongirl]

Well done, both man and dog.

There are certain things where I've found that Henry needs to make the choice to do what I want. I just need to be clear about what that is. With the lead training, the repositioning and praise really worked for us. A pop on the lead or walking the other way tells the dog what he's doing wrong (pulling ahead) but doesn't (in my experience) tell the dog what you DO want.

[ips]

Exactly.
I usually try to capture what I want and work from there. Until very recently I hadn't been able to "capture" loose lead 😊

[AlanT]

You have worked it out correctly I believe.

Off-lead heel training was much easier to get working than stopping on-collar pulling.  I've never really managed this. It's OK if I go quickly but my wife is tiny and slow walking. Then he'll pull me on a collar.

But then I switched to WYDWL and instantly no pulling.  Don't think this will happen if you have not got heel walking in place.

Anyway, enjoy!  I hope you don't "slip-back".  18-months now and the recipe still works for me.  Actually I think it's getting better.

[ips]

Thanks
Yes I agree with you. If they don't know that heel actually means close heal then you have little chance of the behaviour being offered on a lead. The WYDWL did work and the couple of times I used it could well have helped matters BUT for me I need to be able to use a slip when were working as its the quickest and easiest to use. Its very odd why all of a sudden its clicked into place but having said that I have noticed with various other parts of training that once she has "got it" then it becomes reliable. I think she is much better if she is allowed to work things out for herself. I suppose this is the crux of capturing and shaping. I am not thinking that were sorted or that the pulling will not emerge from time to time but were ten times better than even two weeks ago so I remain happy....for now 😊

[ips]

Update
Sunday evening walk was good again, this time instead of doing a one mile circular with a three hundred yard off lead section I upped the ante and did a half mile then turned and retraced my steps. This is a difficult scenario because once we turn she thinks (knows) we will be going into the field before going home so much pulling ensues. Pretty much perfect on the outward journey apart from the odd occasion she got to the end of the lead if she was on a scent (other dogs presumably) but I can forgive this because I let her stop and sniff as I don't want her to see this lead training as a boring walk for my benefit (this could be the wrong approach but I am thinking out the box given the history of the pulling behaviour) on the inward leg as I suspected she got in front eager to get to the field. I stopped said nothing calmly picked her up a few inches and repositioned her touching my left leg, gave her a stroke and a good girl. Had to do this about four times but she never pulled as such she just got to end of lead. My theory is to make heel a pleasant place to be not somewhere she should be anxious about hence the praise at heel and no frustration or lead pops or angry vocal. Improving every day I just need to remember to be consistent. Writing it all down on here will give me a reference point should I ever need a reminder.

[Londongirl]

This describes exactly my approach and we've had a lot of success with it. I let Henry get to the end of the lead for a sniff if he doesn't pull once he gets there (I sometimes help by stepping towards him). It's his walk too, after all. If he does forge ahead out of excitement, I stop and wait. He will often sit, have a ponder, then come back to my side of his own accord. Might happen two or three times when he's eager to get somewhere.

[ips]

I am pleased to hear that its been successful LG that gives me the confidence to keep doing it in the same way. I have always been of the opinion that I want eze to do what I want because she wants to as well not because she has no choice or is scared of the consequence of none compliance (hope that makes sense) so in my mind I am trying to make on lead walks fun and at the side of my leg to be the best place to be, for the last month or so I have only given food rewards/treats or ball etc when she is at heel (as I typed I realised I have got inconsistent with that so must try to remember, only at heal) no idea how much benefit this serves but there you go 😁