I'm just going to start off by saying that I might or might not have been in denial about my dog's training, or lack there of...In my defense though, I would also like to make it clear that most often than not it can be quite a curse to own a really cute, handsome dog! He is never more than a few steps away from someone who wants to cuddle him - even though he doesn't always conduct himself well in these occasions...O.K, no more excuses, it's time to face the facts! Salvador is in need of some serious training! Being allowed to roam free (back when we were living on the farm) and jumping on guests and couches alike has taken it's toll on my lenient nature (when it comes to him...) so I'm currently in the process of trying out some training tips and techniques.
Our biggest issue with Salvador at the moment is walking him on the lead. He really struggles with this as he grew up running around on the farm freely. I was hopping that after a few months of living in the suburbs he would settle down and become accustomed to walking on the lead although this has not been the case.
It starts with barking and extreme excitement at the mention of the 'W' word and then the barking and leash biting turns into a chocking game of tug'a war down to the park - not exactly enjoyable. In desperate need of some help, I started doing some research about dog training and I've come across clever training aids and collars, although I've decided to go with a training tip I read on a blog; about training your dog to walk on the lead without pulling.
This is how it works:
First things first, you want your dog to be in a reasonably calm state when embarking on the walk. This is easier said than done though so what I've been doing for the past two days is I walk the front door and take the lead off the hook. I then ask Salvador to sit. This is often greeted with barking and excited shuffling around, but I take care to stay calm and only clip the lead on when he is sitting and in a semi calm state.
We now try to exit the house without any wild jumping around and barking. If he fails to sit still while I lock up, we simply walk back into the house, do a loop through the house, and attempt going out and locking up again. I regret to say that you might be doing this a few times over the next few walks, but it has to be enforced and whatever you do, DO NOT GET IMPATIENT!
O.K so we are now setting off on the walk. Salvador is by my side (it helps to keep them on one side always so as to avoid any confusion) and as soon as he starts to pull forward we immediately turn around and walk back a few steps. The fist day I did this it took a while to sink in, but after a while I noticed him looking up at me more regularly as if he has become aware of my presence (FINALLY!). Two days in we are already having a much calmer walk although I'm not going to get too excited yet!
If you are going to try this technique out I would suggest doing it for a few weeks on a known route, somewhere where you know you two won't get too distracted by other dogs or people.
The more progress you see, the more you can venture out and try different walks.
P.S I'm by no means a dog training genius, merely a fellow owner in desperate need of training my dog.
Goodluck with your training and let us know how it goes!
Licks and Kisses
xx
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