Leash questions

gillywilly · 07-22-2008, 09:26 PM

May-Z (who is almost 16 weeks) will walk on the leash just fine if she is leading the way but the minute I try to redirect her she puts on the brakes. So, my questions are:

1) Is this just typical puppy behaviour or is this a "test" for pack leadership as expected during the 5th critical stage of a puppy's development?

2) If it is a "test" for pack leadership or whatever, should I gently pull the dog until it comes where I want it to or not force the issue?

I don't want to damage the relationship with her and I but she's half Catahoula and I've heard they vie for pack leadership from a young age and I can't have that now, can I?

HELP!

Curbside Prophet · 07-22-2008, 11:30 PM

No test and chances are there never will be a test. What you'll learn from today's pop culture regarding the labels dominance, and the pack hypothesis, are so misapplied that they are virtually meaningless. So disregard those notions and make life easier for yourself. Define your problem in terms of what you do understand, and in this case you simply have a dog that's learning to pull, and who hasn't been taught how to walk on a loose lead. So let's start by teaching the dog why walking at your side is the most rewarding behavior.

http://www.dogforums.com/3-dog-train...ing-using.html (Loose Leash Walking Using Positive Reinforcers)

CalamityJane · 07-23-2008, 08:24 AM

A BIG "second that" on Curbside Prophet's advice. We have a 5 m/o pup, a Great Pyr/Malamute mix, who is already around 50 lbs. We have been working on the loose leash walking for several weeks, but only in the past three weeks working on it correctly. I read the article mentioned above, and also started puppy classes, which teaches the same way, with some additional tips.

The women teaching our class are wonderful, and very modern in their teaching. We are using clickers and rewards, and Jack is doing much better on his leash walking. It does take time, and much practice. We practice several times a day, but not for a 15-20 minute walk. We focus on the loose leash for a good 5-10 minutes, then I let him relax and "wander", but NEVER let him pull me where he wants to go.

We don't get very far on our walks sometimes, and you should see us at Petsmart

, where I'm stopping and backing up, and then trying "forward" again. But it really is paying off.

Good Luck.