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Leash Behavior (or lack thereof)

Behavioral Issues
  • J

    I just switched all three of my dogs to Martingale collars. Prior to that we were using a choke chain, a harness and an old martingale style collar. Two of my dogs are fine, the harness dog however is quite feisty and since we stopped using the harness she is crazy when we're trying to walk. Depending upon the length of our walk we have to cross two busy streets. Last night she had Guppy on his back in the middle of one of the streets wrestling with him all the while a car was coming and I was tangled in leashes. We got away safely but I'm not sure what to do with her. Not walking her isn't the answer, I thought about putting her back on the harness but I want her to learn to behave on the walks. Any suggestions??

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  • lvossL

    It is really hard to train new behaviors if you are trying to work multiple dogs at once. When you do not have time to actively train the dog while out on a walk, use a harness so she does not practice the bad behaviors. Set aside time to train her to walk nicely on the martingale. Reward her for good behavior. As she gets the idea of where she is supposed to be and what she is supposed to be doing, then you can start to go to variable reinforcement. Until she has a good grasp of what is expected, don't use the martingale on her when you are walking her with another dog and she will have the opportunity to practice bad behavior.

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  • Shaye's MomS

    Jacquie: I stand by the Easy Walk harness - the ring being in front of their chests gives you more control over where they are headed. Walking our B's with just collars, of any kind, can be a real problem, and walking three, as you have made clear, is a mess. To save my shoulders and wrists, mine are never out without their harnesses when I'm walking both. Walking one is possible on just a collar by putting it high on their necks, just under the chin, and keeping the leash short. (Like they walk them in dog shows; I call it Shaye's "princess walk") But that's tiring and doesn't teach them much. Ivoss' reply is right on. PS how you doin' out there?

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  • Buddys PalB

    You can try walking her with the familiar harness on her as well as the martingale. Try this a few times with just her. You may feel a little like a puppetier, but concentrate on the leash attached to the harness and she'll feel the collar on her neck at the same time. when you heel or stop apply a little pressure on both leashes. This is in essence sensitizing her to the 'new' sensation and she will eventually get it if there are no harsh tugs etc….Try to stay calm, do not correct with the leashe(s), and if she 'death rolls' just be patient and keep safety in mind foremost. (get her untangled calmly after her tantrum should it happen.....) PRAISE-PRAISE-PRAISE when she is walking calmly and she should get it, throw in some treats along the way and have a fun tone to your voice for reassurance!

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  • DebraDownSouthD

    My suggestion is that you start with short walks with just her, a couple of times a day, teaching loose leash walking. While heeling is not a fun way to take walks, you may also need to do that.
    http://www.clickerlessons.com/looseleash.htm So easy you'll feel faint once you try it. :)

    Debra

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  • BettawhippetB

    I've had to re-train Kiora on leash walking now that she is an only dog. When I used to walk her with Ananda she would match her speed more or less…turns out walking by herself she pretty much thought anything goes. What I did was as soon as soon as she applied pressure to the leash I would stop until she let it go slack. Continuing the walk was her reward for having a loose leash. If she stopped and sat she got a treat as well. Now she is walking on a loose leash pretty consistently...she only tugs if she gets worked up about something and then she will stop, sigh and then sit....

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  • Buddys PalB

    @Jacquieoutwest:

    I just switched all three of my dogs to Martingale collars. Any suggestions??

    Hey Jacquieoutwest! How's it going?? what have you tried and did it work????

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    strange behavior

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    DebraDownSouthD
    First, yeah they do the flip and butt in face. I see it as invitation to play/chase mostly. Kind of shaking my head here over the rest. You already have a breed known for dominance and protectiveness of property/family with the Boerboel. Basenjis (I assume you mean 6.5 not 65 years old :) ) are not known for tolerating same sex. Sometimes they do, but not a sure bet. Plus, your Boerboel is still a puppy. By age 2 or 3, that compliance with the Basenji being alpha can go down the drain at a drop of a hat. That happens, and he hasn't killed the basenji... you have to keep 2 packs running, ensuring they never have contact. Then you bring in a mixed breed... which is all a Mastador is. No way on earth to know how much it will take after the lab side or the Mastiff. AND it's another male. So now you have potentially 3 dog aggressive male dogs, with 2 of them large enough to inhale the basenji. I am not sure about the breeders who placed the Boerboel, certainly not the owners letting you bring in the Mastador. I want my male dogs to have a chance of a peaceful, unstressful life. I think the chances in your home are already approaching really low numbers, and the Mastador is going to bring that closer to zero. The safety of that poor basenji is beyond precarious. I wouldn't want those 3 males in the most experienced of homes, one already fully ready to and experienced in running separate packs. I sincerely hope you reconsider the Mastador. And no, getting a female won't help. Until the Boerboel is fully mature and you have a handle on what your pack is, adding any dog is going to up the risk of issues.
  • M

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    @tanza: Rather then responding to spam, send a note to the admins of the group LOL you firing my OWN advice back to me? I know, I know… fail.
  • sabaS

    Weird Behavior ???

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    KipawaK
    @DebraDownSouth: Fran, there are times when I might mean to be condescending, but I assure you that it won't be "a little" or usually any question. That you could take my comment above as condescending… I can only suggest you may simply want to block my posts because it is entirely unlikely I will write 100 words to say what I said in under 20 because SOMEONE might see my observation as insulting. Now if I had said it condescending, such as: How could you THINK it could be that? Don't you think any dog living with females would already have reacted? How silly! The person threw out the idea of periods, which sometimes could be it .. and btw, pregnancy hormones set some dogs off… but it hit me he had lived with them too long for that to be probably. It wasn't an insult to the OP, just a response. People contradict my ideas daily on here, doesn't make them condescending or insulting. THEN, I could see it. I simply tossed out a quick response addressing that logically it probably wasn't that. If you read that as condescending instead of my own view, I am sorry. One helpful rule for forums is that you look at any post and see if there is another TONE than the one you ascribed. If there is, take the other. Like your post. I COULD think you are a jerk, not at all "friendly," addressing this here and hijacking the thread instead of sending me a private message. Instead, because I see you post a lot and like you :), I took it exactly at face value... you simply are expressing your view and trying to be helpful. So please remove any tones you might ascribe to the answer. The tone in my head is simply factual, that I am not responsible for your taking that as condescending and probably won't be able to stop you seeing other posts that way. Now if I actually say something you cannot take any way than as an insult, feel free to let me know. But the above... sorry, Fran, it was simply a logical observation. LOL, and in fact, let me now be "condescending" to my post. (I am joking while making a point.) SOMEONE (but it will be me, since it just hit me where I could easily be wrong...) could have responded to my post and said: Yeah, but dds, you are wrong because maybe she has an infection or urinary tract infection also with a period, that might do it. See? Debra, not a problem. Thank you.
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    Since Sonny joined the family three years ago its seems everyone has invested in a pub style table! my house, my parents & my brother. he can't reach so he doesn't even try. sometimes its just easier to out smart them! :D The two things that just overwhelm sonny are cheese and steak…he'll do anything to try and get it and I swear he blocks me out and is lost in a trance! ;)
  • nobarkusN

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    My past Basenjis did great off leash right away and stayed right with me. This youngster is not aloof and loves to play and see everybody. So it was too early to try that test.
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    jessi76J
    @jys1011: How should you allow dogs to "meet"?? Neutral territory or in a home?? Should you use a gate in between first? Or just on leash?? I agree neutral territory is best - not in one or the other's home. if you must - do it outside. as for a meet & greet routine, I allow "first name, last name" first name = head or nose sniff. last name = toosh sniff. I let my dog meet & greet on leash, so I can correct any bad behavior. if all goes well, I let them play in a safe area (fenced or in house) and let them sort things out - supervised of course, incase a serious fight breaks out - but that hasn't happened (yet… knocks on wood).