[annrae]

hi everyone

i am new to these forums and also a dog owner for the first time. When i want to take my dog (a 1 yr old maltipoo) for a walk and try to put on the harness, he tries to nip my fingers and get extremely excited. When i finally get it on and we go he wants to twist on the leash and jump up on me. he does walk some of the time but the walk never is smooth and pleasant. Hes a sweet and loving dog mostly but when issues come up like this i don't know what to do.





thank you

annrae

[drfong]

At 1 year old, has the dog not been leash walked before? Did you just get it already this old or has your situation changed were now you need to walk him/her? I would sugest a choker chain or a prong collar as you will have more control over the dog. Also both are easier to slip on than a harness, especially the choker. Keep it high around its neck and don't give the dog much lead. I'm sure the dog will pick it up quickly. Just remeber to be firm but not hurt the dog. You are the boss so don't allow the dog to have tantrums. Also keep the walks short until it gets more consistant, then add length to the walks.

[GSD lover]

You can try getting a spoon and putting peanut butter on it. Or you can simply put a treat in your hand and close it into a fist. Hold whichever you are using at the dog's nose level and talk to it encouragingly at a quick pace. Give licks of the peanut butter or of the treat as the dog walks beside you properly. This will help to teach it to learn how to loose leash walk. To help with the nipping while putting the harness on use bitter apple spray on your hands or and cry if your dog nips you. Also, try giving the dog treats as you put the harness on to help it take the focus off the harness and make good associations with it. Try using and gentle leader or halti too for your walks. Helps prevent pulling.

[Curbside Prophet]

Reading into your post annrae it sounds like you need to take a few steps backwards. In order to teach your dog to walk on heel, he needs to have an understanding of basic obedience...like come, sit, stay. Sit, of course, is the natural starting point for walking on heel. GSD lover mentioned treating your pup when you put the harness on. A great opportunity to do that is when you're teaching your dog to come. It may be easier to start with a simple collar when you first walk your dog only because putting a leash on a collar is much quicker than fighting with a harness. Repeat this activity...ask for a "pup come," give a treat, and with your other hand leash his collar. Bam! you've got a leashed dog with no fuss. If the dog should resist, no treat! For the nipping and jumping, that's definately a lack of discipline problem that we can only blame on you. Please don't be offended because it's important that you take some of the responsibility. Why? Because once you correct these problems we want you to feel wonderful about your accomplishment. GSD lover mentioned crying or screaming "ouch" when your dog nips you. Along with that you should ignore your dog for a few minutes before attempting to handle your pup again. This is a form of discipline..ignoring means no touching, no eye contact, and no talking to your pup. Ostracism is a severe punishment that you should not be afraid of using. Do the same with jumping or excitement behaviors. Scream "off" for jumping or "no," then ignore your dog for a few minutes. Once you have these things under control, walking your pup will become so much easier. It's all about repetition and enforcement of your rules. Be more of a leader or the "pack" leader as they say in the dog world. Being the pack leader means your dog isn't walking all over you, or getting away with bad behaviors. What's a bad behavior? Anything your dog does that you don't want it to do. If you see something you don't like, correct it immediately, and reward for good behavior. Finally, never end a session on a negative note, and never use physical punishment or yelling to motivate your dog. If you should get frustrated, or if your dog is acting sheepishly, try again at another time. I could go on and on...I have a tendency to ramble, but if you have any specific questions, we're all here to help.

[Mastiffmom]

Great advise given already, so all I will add is Congrats on your first "furchild". Patience, and persistance It may seem like a never ending battle for a while, but you will have a wonderful companion for all your hard work!

[bigdawgs]

To elaborate on the ignore portion, I usually turn my back as well. As usual, good advice from CSP!

[annrae]

Thank you all who replyed to my message with some helpful ideas. I took a little from each one and my walk with my dog has gone a lot smoother. The peanut butter works well as a treat and the harnessing has gotten some better also. I feel if i continue each day he will be better at walks. As asked
in one reply, i didn't just start walking him, i have had him since a small pup, but i guess i was not walking him enough because he seemed to get worse . Where as at first he seemed to like walks. Again thanks for all replys.

annrae