Chickentrain's Dog Q&A

[black_cat]

Slightly related but I am very proud to say that when walking the GSP today (I was like: we should take her on a walk! and my friends mom was like: That's a great idea! so we walked her) I was able to get her headcollar on when others couldn't because instead of trying to force it on her, I just held it up with a treat on the other side and she put her nose right through

 

[h2oratt]

lol no they don't. They aren't in charge of anything

Except to keep a registry of purebred dogs.

 

[chickentrains]

I think that ND has a Y front but wasn't properly introduced to it so now hates it
either that or majority of walks are stressful for her (I wouldn't know if this is true) and she associates the harness with walks

makes sense

 

[h2oratt]

So here is a Y-front harness

The little hole up front goes over your dogs head, then you pull the chest piece down and clip the sides

View attachment 2597163View attachment 2597164

I never use a harness except for tracking or waterwork. Teach them how to walk on collar and leash. Get a martingale

 

[black_cat]

I never use a harness except for tracking or waterwork. Teach them how to walk on collar and leash. Get a martingale

But if you have a puppy that's at the beginning of it's training so they're pulling and they're choking themselves with a collar, aren't you just associating walks with stress/pain?

 

[ShrekDawg]

But if you have a puppy that's at the beginning of it's training so they're pulling and they're choking themselves with a collar, aren't you just associating walks with stress/pain?

Don’t let them pull and choke themselves. Train them properly from the beginning. When they start pulling just stop walking altogether. Or you can also turn around and go the other direction. And with little puppies, I would use treats as well to teach them the proper position from the beginning. Treat them for walking next to you and/or with a loose leash.

Hard when you have a bouncy puppy like mine who wants to jump to get the treat and prance/bounce up and down like a kangaroo instead of 4 on the floor He walks in the proper position technically but he kangaroos instead of walking we’re working on that LOL


But yeah...


Just start properly and you wont have those issues or you shouldn’t. Also I should note that most dogs won’t even realize they are choking themselves or think of it as painful cause they’re so in the zone and focused on sniffing.

 

[black_cat]

Don’t let them pull and choke themselves. Train them properly from the beginning. When they start pulling just stop walking altogether. Or you can also turn around and go the other

I tried that with ND and it didn't work at all- she wouldn't let up on the leash if I just stopped, and if I turned around, she just sat because she didn't want to go that way.

direction. And with little puppies, I would use treats as well to teach them the proper position from the beginning. Treat them for walking next to you and/or with a loose leash.

I'm assuming this is inside/in the backyard where there isn't new stuff to sniff?

Hard when you have a bouncy puppy like mine who wants to jump to get the treat and prance/bounce up and down like a kangaroo instead of 4 on the floor He walks in the proper position technically but he kangaroos instead of walking we’re working on that LOL

XD

But yeah...


Just start properly and you wont have those issues or you shouldn’t. Also I should note that most dogs won’t even realize they are choking themselves or think of it as painful cause they’re so in the zone and focused on sniffing.

OK!

 

[black_cat]

Is there a way to teach an adult dog to chill on walks? The four kids in my friends' family all hate walking the GSP because she pulls them too much. She has a headcollar, but still pulls pretty hard, and it's hard to use the headcollar correctly because she'll switch sides and I know that it's bad to have those pulling over her head, so I then have to stop her and switch which side the leash is on like every 5 minutes.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I tried that with ND and it didn't work at all- she wouldn't let up on the leash if I just stopped, and if I turned around, she just sat because she didn't want to go that way.

I'm assuming this is inside/in the backyard where there isn't new stuff to sniff?

XD

OK!

What works for one dog won’t necessarily work for another or what doesn’t work for one might work great for another so I wouldn’t base anything on what does or doesn’t work for one dog. Especially if ND is older and has possibly been trained already to get her way

Speaking of which, just keep walking. She’ll get up eventually and if she doesn’t, just tug on her leash gently but firmly. She’s learning that she can sit and get her way. Don’t let her. If you want to go somewhere and she doesn’t, make her. This doesn’t have to, and obviously shouldn’t, be done in a cruel way or anything, but it’s important she doesn’t get her way when she does that. Even if it’s just getting her to take only one or two steps your way at first.

But it will be far easier with a little baby too rather than an adolescent or older dog or whatever.

And yeah you can start inside first. They really shouldn’t be out in public till they’ve had all their shots already anyway.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Is there a way to teach an adult dog to chill on walks? The four kids in my friends' family all hate walking the GSP because she pulls them too much. She has a headcollar, but still pulls pretty hard, and it's hard to use the headcollar correctly because she'll switch sides and I know that it's bad to have those pulling over her head, so I then have to stop her and switch which side the leash is on like every 5 minutes.

I’m not sure about the walking on leash part but it sounds like she might just need more exercise in general? Which for a GSP is not just a walk around the block or whatever. She needs HARD running. And lots of it. She sounds bored and frustrated with lots of pent up energy. I think if she got more running in she might be more manageable on leash. Also more mental stimulation as well. And they may need to try a different tool if the head collar isn’t working. Perhaps even a prong (which really are not cruel like most people think) or a no pull harness (though I’d only do this temporarily as it could hurt the shoulders long term) or she may even be a dog that would work for food maybe? And reward her for being in the correct position. Might need to start inside first. But GSPs are extremely high energy dogs and a working breed so I’m guessing she needs far more exercise.