I decided to take Lola in hand with her appalling lead behaviour in January. She was hanging off the lead at a 45% angle so that she could sniff without looking where she's going.

I didn't use a clicker as I couldn't coordinate that with a lead and dispensing treats. All these months later we're still at it. The leaning has gone but she still yo-yos to the end of the line, especially at the beginning of the walk (it's five minutes to the park but it has taken us up to 40 mins). I used a bunch of the different techniques. Just stopping was no good as she stayed at the end of the lead sniffing stuff and finding things to eat. It's worth having a few more ideas just in case.

I also started with lead training at home and in the back yard. I'd just say that progress may be painfully slow with many setbacks, but you will learn phenomenal patience.

Gooood luck and don't give up!

This thread demonstrates the truth of the answer to the question:

What is the most difficult type of training?




















Remedial Training.

Yes, I was going to suggest this, the 300 peck is a very effective method and has worked for some quite difficult dogs

When I discuss loose lead walking with owners, I am always concerned that they will give up practising because they do simply need to get from A to B sometimes without having the time to practice (and their dog needs off lead exercise).

For this, I suggest either taking the dog to a walking spot in the car, so the dog can be let out (after a nice "wait" for self control) with no lead walking, OR I suggest something like a Halti harness or some harness which will partially prevent pulling but which will also be totally different to the loose lead walking, which should be on a flat broad collar and lead (I personally really like the Halti training lead, it's brill ).

Also if you are clicker training, remember to abide by the rules of training, for example ensure you don't try to up the criteria too quickly (don't be a "lumper") and think about whether you are perfecting the behaviour in low distraction places before taking her out and about to higher distraction places... etc! Of course this applies to all types of training.

One of the best things I ever did was to teach my dog to offer one step of loose leash, then it was click and treat (the treat was immediate off leash reward, in this case in the Forest). I then got her to add in a second step, then another, and then we'd go back to just one, and so on until she was offering loose lead as a behaviour for her reward

It does take a while though - but it can be done and it sounds as if you are really going to get it done, as you clearly have the commitment (so in other words, you are half way there! )

Wys
x

Kikopup does some fab videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtq...e_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voW2V...e_gdata_player

I think she has some more but I am on my phone

You should go an see her next September when she is in the UK

Have you thought about making the start of this 3 week booster course a little easier on yourself?

Let her have a run and make sure she runs plenty, THEN walk home and praise/repeat while she is in the right place This way she learns what the word means in her first session since she is in the right place for you to say the word and click her? (special, special treats mind!)

Are you off work for three weeks or something? I'd do more than one walk a day and one of them ends where you started, so she has no reason to pull, one you stop off for fun somewhere, mix it up a bit.
I say that as I made the mistake of letting my boy learn a route that was leading to the destination apparently more favourable than anywhere else. In short it meant that I now had to spend 40 mins one day trying to get down a 5min road! (cos he got himself all excited..) SO the more walks a day you can do the better I think (initially) then taper it as you go to something more practical and so on.

I want to

UPDATE:
Well the original plan was abandoned on day 2 as it wasn't achieving anything. So we now have a new plan. First of all Maddi is carried the 5 minute walk to the field, so she does not get a chance to practice the pulling. I think people might think im mad as she's not the sort of dog people would usually carry and she's getting heavy, but at least its not far! Can't take a car on the route (did think of that).

Once we get there Maddi sits and waits while i take off her lead and we do a practice of wait for her impulse control then she's allowed to run free. I tire her out with fetch and find it games with her favourite tennis ball for a good while with a few recall whistle practices and sits and wait's in between.

Then we start walking down a quiet path, off lead. I start by walking backwards holding a handfull of treats in one hand and the clicker in my left. Then we use the 300 peck method (or there abouts) to have Maddi walking nicely towards me. Once she's got used to that I turn around (so im walking forwards) and Maddi walks by my side, and we pratice walking forward and also right and left and about turns. Shes been doing very well and i am seeing her progress each day. When I try to put the lead on I do find it complicates things having to hold so much though.

So we are interspersing the walking practice with off lead running and games and all in all its going well. Maddi also walks home by my side practising with treats.

Quick question - when do dogs reach adolescene. As im starting to see the beginnings of not listening to me. Maddi was fantastic at recall and still is - unless she has her tennis ball in her mouth; then she runs around in circles and won't come back. I guess the treat I have (her usual dry dog food) is now not as high value as the tennis ball! But when ive got the tennis ball off her and i recall her she comes back immediately?

If you have a second tennis ball will she come back with one for the other?
Adolecense can depend upon breed and the individual dog I think. Loui was about 7 months when he was lifting his leg etc but I would say roughly 10 month to a year the teen stage kicked in! and it lasted a while, least it felt like it

Loui also did this with the ball at one point and it is frustrating as you need to be careful where you can practice etc but what I did was find safe, really quiet places and then when he started that I just ignored him and went for a walk, eventually hed come running up and when he dropped his ball a treat or second ball would follow and then he learned it was fine to take his ball and run but then come back and get another throw, now he pretty much just brings his ball straight back and gets another throw. Whenever you get the chance I would say that when she does drop the ball close to you, throw it again really fast and walk off again. It becomes rewarding to bring the ball back again as they get another go (least thats what I felt with Loui)


I just did loads of different stuff at different times tbh, depending on how he was. It's all worth it in the end

Sounds like your new training plan is working better

Just as a tip for the lead walking, you may want to tie it round your waist so you have your hands free.
Otherwise I have dog on right. Lead in left hand. Clicker in left hand with lead. Treats in right hand by dog.
In the start to transition the dog to the heal also applying to having a lead on, perhaps just start with the lead trailing along the ground before picking it up, it may make things easier.

Good luck Keep us updated!