BikeJoring For Dogs? Need Advice Please(:

[BeccaB00]

Well, she does good with training..its just getting her to do that outside. She knows leave it fairly well. I say " Leave it!" to somthing she may be trying to get off the counter inside and she'll immediatly jump down and come to me. But outside, she doesn't care. I'll say "Leave it!" to any dead rat that my cats may have killed, and she grabs it and takes off. And doesn't come back till she eats it.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
You will get no where by giving commands that you can't enforce. Use a leash ALL the time!! If the dog learns to obey only when on leash, you may have to make her drag a line at all times! You really shouldn't have her outside unfenced off-leash anyway.....

By telling her to leave it and then not enforcing the rule, you cause her to disrespect you. She has learned that she only has to obey you IF she feels like it, because nothing bad will happen to her if she disobeys.

 

[BeccaB00]

I always reward..But I dont know how to 'punish' when I can't catch her...Like 10 minutes later after she eats it she wont understand if I take her inside.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
You are right about that.
Praise or punishment must be within 3 seconds of the act for the dog to make the "connection" between the two events. You are right, you can't wait till you "catch" her, that's why you need to do all of your training work on a leash so YOU maintain control.

I honestly think you would be better served spending money on some kind of training before you start buying bikes and harnesses. No I'm not talking a Petsmart puppy class. I'm talking YOU need to learn how to communicate with your dog.
I have this DVD and it works on how to praise, how to correct, how to use a prong collar if needed, how to train a sit, down, recall (come) etc. BASICS.
http://leerburg.com/302.htm

You do have the right idea, a tired dog is a good dog, but you need to be able to control your dog.

 

[BeccaB00]

thanks for your reply

Shes basicaly my first dog I've had that wasn't ALREADY trained, so I guess I kinda underestimated her, and needed more learning on my part..

 

[Tala]

Quote:

She's a smart dog. She knows what she has to do and what she can "get away with"
You do have your hands full, but honestly that's part of the fun if you are willing to do the work.
Working with her on things will help exercise her mind. A smart dog likes a challenge.

You might get a lot of useful information from the free articles from Suzanne Clothier as well http://flyingdogpress.com/content/view/18/94/ She helps explain dogs thinking about some things; like "rude" dog behavior - you mentioned your dog jumping up in people's faces, and how mama dogs teach their young (they don't use treats or rewards at all)

 

[Birdy_Buddy]

I love my scooter. I used to use a bike but I prefer the scooter because the center of gravity is lower which makes it much safer. Here is a youtube clip of my team near Truckee CA.

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[Chickerdoodle13]

Definitely try putting her on a leash when you go outside! That makes it sooo much easier to make her listen to you. I bet you'll see she is much better with commands on the leash.

My dog used to run around us and bite our hands when we went down to the barn. I used to get sooo mad at him!! But as soon as you'd try and touch him or yell at him, he'd run away from you (Not off the property, just far enough from whatever was going to yell at him). Eventually he stopped on his own, but on a leash he would NEVER try something like that!

 

[welsummerchicks]

I'm uncomfortable with the bicycling aids, and prefer to hold the leash in my hand as I ride the bike, so I can keep the dog in position. I also want the dog to be right where I can see exactly what he's doing, so I can anticipate a problem. I can't turn my head much, so the aids put the dog back where I can't see and anticipate. I think the bike is important - wobbly wheels or badly adjusted steering or brakes....this doesn't go well with exercising dogs. The brakes especially should be very reliable and stop the bike without tipping the bike - especially the front brake. One hand brake and a coaster brake is the best solution for having one hand occupied.

I'm extremely strict about the dog not crossing in front of the bicycle - just a touch to the front wheel can cause the bicycle rider to do a serious face plant.

if the dog really isn't getting it and is endangering the rider, well, it isn't always possible to exercise the dog that way. Especially if the person would be getting more than scraped or bruised...not a good idea for older folks, though having the dog pull a wheel chair is usually a hoot, as long as the dog can be controlled with the collar and leash.