Madness getting ready for a walk - update #1

[stuffster]

Hannah, you are a complete star!! Thank you so much!! We have exactly what you described with Alfie - screaming with excitement from the first shoe being put on, right until we get out on the walk. Purdey doesnt scream but she leaps around and bites at hands trying to get her lead on because she is so excited. Will try this and hope it works.

[bibathediva]

Sound advise from Hannah   as i have done the same with my 2...we had the biting of socks..so i just used to stop putting them on once they started to play tug of war with them   and ignore both of them until they had settled...then continue ...it can get very tedious doing that numerous times  but it does eventually sink in with them   and because we use to have jostling between them going out the door i trained them to wait at the door until i went out of it and only once called could they come out and sit and wait once out....i found that needs training  one at a time to start with   its only the last couple of minutes mine start to bark when in the car and that i can cope with   but Lola starts squealing once we have opened the boot luckily we have a 4x4 which means neither will jump out ,so i was able to train her to sit and be quite before i get her out the car,cant say the stopping squealing as been a great success as she still does it everytime but she isn't lifted out the car until she is sat and is quite,once on the ground though she is off again but again we don't move forward until she is sat and stopped screaming    the only other problem i have with my 2 is if they see a cat on the way out the door one sets the other off and we have barking/screaming/squealing mayhem   the only thing i can do with this is to put them both back in the house and shut the door and only when they are quite do they come back out...if they start again then back in they go and only when they are quite once out do we continue on our walk   but have to say OH doesnt do any of this as he hasnt the patience   so makes my job harder for next time  

[joanne_v]

This thread has made me laugh, purely because I don't feel so alone in the 'screaming cocker club'. Lily is ridiculous when we arrive in the van for a walk. Lyra is getting worse too but only barks. Getting ready beforehand is fine and going anywhere other than a walk is fine but the noise from lily before a walk is HIGHLY embarassing.

[black taz]

I am convinced if i didnt have a OH then Taz would be near perfect now.  OH repeats every instructions at least 4 times (then gives up!), he lets Taz pull on the lead, lets him out the car before sitting nicely (let alone sitting nicely for 1 minute!), never gives him a treat when he does get it right, and general undoes 80% of my training!

Its soooo frustrating.

As far as going for a walk is concerned, Taz is getting much better.  I started bringing a spare pair of socks down so i didnt have to chase him to get the original pair back, so now he doesnt bother at all.  I don't put his lead on until he is sitting, and now i am starting to make him wait with the door open until i say O.K.  Kelly as never been a problem at walk times, but she is so laidback anyway i am surprised she even makes it to the door!

[Linz13]

What a great thread with brilliant advice 

My two go loopy at the mere hint of walkies, and Maddi screeches like I'm pulling her nails out when she gets of the lead.  I'm going to try these tips and see if I can turn this around   

[bibathediva]

I am convinced if i didnt have a OH then Taz would be near perfect now.  OH repeats every instructions at least 4 times (then gives up!), he lets Taz pull on the lead, lets him out the car before sitting nicely (let alone sitting nicely for 1 minute!), never gives him a treat when he does get it right, and general undoes 80% of my training!

Its soooo frustrating.

!

we havnt got the same OH have we    as it doesnt matter how many times i say to mine *only ask Biba twice to do something then dont ask her again* Biba is a stubbon mare and the more you ask the less you get....you need alot of patience with Biba as she like time to think about if its worth her doing something  tis very annoying but quite amusing and a little bit smug  to listen to ,sit..biba sit..sit biba..sit biba ..sit..sit ..sit..biba sit ...are u going to sit or what  and she is still not sitting so i go over and say* Biba sit* and wait and lo and behold she will sit 

[sharonmansfield]

Oh my, other people with the same problem as me - No not the dogs OH!!!!
I think we could have a thread on its own here.

As for the dogs, I have one perfect angel, Jasmine who sits and waits patiently. Then I have Bella who screams and spins in circles with over excitement,
I put them outside in the garden when I get ready as even the hint of me getting my trainers sets them off. I wont put Bella on the lead until she has calmed down and is sitting, if she does not sit she does not get put on the lead, however she has yet to comprehend this as everytime I go out its the same ritual. I am hoping that one day soon she will link together that when she pratts about nothing happens. She does however also walk down the drive on her back legs like a human!!!! she is work in progress shall we say.

[Helen]

Hannah and Nic's advice is spot on...if you are consistent, it can be done but it will take a while and it's much harder with multiple dogs.  The preparation for a walk here is Jarv sits quivering with excitement and at the most a whimper under the breath....but he will sit for his collar, sit while I find my poo bags/shoes/lead/chuckit/whistle/hat/boots (poor little dog), sit for his lead and then he now automatically quickly shuffles back about 4 feet behind me so I can open the door and I can get out first ...tis hilarious (but quiet  ).   The lead/collar never went on if there was noise and over excitement and they soon learn that they ain't going nowhere until they've behaved nicely (the Springer I dog-sat was a nightmare but she learnt in 4 days how  )

We're not so good on getting out of the car so we are following the TopBarks technique for that at the moment 

[*Lucy*]

(the Springer I dog-sat was a nightmare but she learnt in 4 days how  )

Can I send my 2 down to you for 4 days?

[Helen]

(the Springer I dog-sat was a nightmare but she learnt in 4 days how  )

Can I send my 2 down to you for 4 days?

yes 

but it may take a lot longer with them, perhaps even years (not that I would dognap them or anything  )

[*Lucy*]

 


I'm also having trouble with Molly when on walks yapping her head off if we stop!!! (the people at the Lakes Meet yesterday will vouch for that  )

[jools]

I'm preparing for our evening walk. So far, I've only got as far as putting my socks on.The started going nuts so I stopped / put the socks down until they were quiet and sitting down. I'm going to give it 5 mins and try to get my boots on. I should really have warned my neighbours I was starting this; it sounds like the dogs are having open heart surgery without anaesthetic  Will keep you posted

[sharonmansfield]

Good luck Jools.

[Helen]

I'm preparing for our evening walk. So far, I've only got as far as putting my socks on.The started going nuts so I stopped / put the socks down until they were quiet and sitting down. I'm going to give it 5 mins and try to get my boots on. I should really have warned my neighbours I was starting this; it sounds like the dogs are having open heart surgery without anaesthetic  Will keep you posted

have you all survived? 

[jools]

Well, I put my boots on, ignored them and then went out to B&Q  I'm about to do the leads......this is always a big problem  I'll report back later.