@JENGOSMonkey said in Puppy Aggressively Biting:

@mickey I was taught to grab the pups bottom jaw. Thumb under the tongue and curled index finger beneath the lower jaw. Do this when the pup starts biting you. Apply a little downward force on the jaw. They will not like it and should stop biting. If the pup continues to bite apply a little more downward force until they stop.

This is usually very effective when they're young and first start exhibiting biting issues. This is usually the best way to prevent it from becoming a real problem when they get older.

However, OP's puppy is 8 months old and has been rehearsing this behavior already. If the dog has a real problem with biting, then the thumb under the tongue may amp the dog up and encourage him to be more fierce.

Of course this depends on how relentless and tenacious the dog is, and how long they've been rehearsing the behavior and learning to enjoy it, but Basenjis (in general) are known to fit this description. A lot of times the problem dog won't bite your finger in their mouth, but when you take it out, they lunge right back at you.

This technique is still worth a try though, but if it doesn't work or if the dog keeps biting, then you may want to stop.

Rewarding for not biting is NOT how to use rewards.

If he's being more aggressive with the biting, that would account for it. That, and the fact that he's been rehearsing it, is only going to strengthen the behavior.

I would recommend ceasing rewards completely, unless you hire a trainer to show you how to properly do what you're attempting.

I've written a few posts about what to do for biting, but I'll give some brief bullet-points:

• Don't invade the dog's space
• Normally, I would recommend handling drills, but I think you should hire a professional.
• Normally, I would recommend starting to teach the puppy how to lick, but I think you should hire a professional.

I really think you'll get more out of someone showing you what to do in person, one-on-one, with your own dog, as opposed to trying to interpret written advice on a forum.

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

@elbrant said in Wet weather exercise:

I wish I could take the credit for Doodle. But she was trained and taught before I brought her home.

If she is still reliable you can take credit for that. So many times a well trained animal goes to a new home and within months the good manners and training evaporates. Seen it many, many times with horses, not quite so often with dogs but they don't tend to change hands so often.

Unfortunately people often reinforce bad behaviour without being aware of what they are doing, and then complain because the "stupid" animal has developed bad habits!

I concur. If it isn't maintained, then behaviors erode.

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

@Scagnetti said in Wet weather exercise:

In the end, there's only one real consideration for pet dog owners: what can you live with? If you can live with your dog, then you're doing the right thing.

Absolutely agree with this.

I take it you are into IPO/Schutzhund, which is not my sport. Sheepdogs are more my thing. It was interesting having both a Border Collie and Basenjis, completely different temperaments. Sheepdogs are the most biddable of creatures and will work hard for your praise alone. Basenjis definitely want to know what is in it for them!

I think one of the training mistakes is that people use R+ without really understanding operant conditioning. IMO, clicker training is great for teaching new behaviours but so many miss the bit about changing to intermittent rewards. Once a behaviour is on cue it doesn't require constant reinforcement. That can create a dog that will only work when there is an ample supply of treats available and/or the dog is not sated. Treats or for that matter praise lose value when too readily available. Also, it helps to know when and how to use the other tools in the bag....

I think that most of us can find the reason for our problem dog (or horse) by looking in the mirror! ;-)

Yep. But I'm into it all, really: AKC Obedience, Rally, etc.

Also bomb-sniffing dogs, police K9 training, etc.

Pretty much everything except showing.

And yes, most people don't know how or when to change the reward schedules to intermittent reinforcements and then random reinforcements.

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

I think that most of us can find the reason for our problem dog (or horse) by looking in the mirror! ;-)

This is absolutely so.
That being said, I've never had a problem dog. :)

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

@Scagnetti said in Wet weather exercise:

What works for one dog may never work for another dog.

Truer words....

My point about the mental vs physical leash wasn't leash specific, just that physical control no matter via what tool doesn't allow the dog the chance to make mistakes and learn.

When I started with dogs nobody used crates except for dog shows. Confining to a room was about as far as it went with puppies until they were housebroken and learned the behaviour expected of them.

Agreed, everyone has different requirements of their dog. e.g. in our family growing up, there were rooms that were off limits. We didn't close doors, we taught the dog to stay out of those rooms and he complied. Our family dog knew high level obedience, although he was never shown. And never received food rewards, only praise.

Dogs have no difficulty making mistakes. Mistake-making is inevitable. Your argument reminds me of trainers that go out of their way to train negative markers and corrective markers. You don't need to set a dog up for failure, he'll get there on his own. The important thing is knowing what to do when they do fail.

Also, there's a time and place for everything. In the house, I don't want them rehearsing bad behavior or making mistakes. And for what it's worth, making mistakes isn't the only way of learning, in fact it's not even the best way of learning.

Crates have been used for a very long time. Definitely not as popular as now, but they were absolutely still used. Perhaps their use in dog clubs around you were rare, but sport dog owners have been using them a long time, as well as protection dog owners.

I have never shown a dog and never will. Dog showing and dog training are different activities. There's an amount of training needed to show, but it isn't even close to the same thing as the intensive, all-around training needed for an IPO dog or a Schutzhund dog.

In the end, there's only one real consideration for pet dog owners: what can you live with? If you can live with your dog, then you're doing the right thing.

All love.

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

@Scagnetti said in Wet weather exercise:

I wouldn't be able to achieve the high-level of behavior I desire to create without using a crate, and I don't know of any professional who can, with any breed, much less a Basenji.

No question, Basenjis can be difficult. Personally I think they are less of a challenge than most scent hounds.

I'm editing this post because this is turning into a thread hijack, but suffice it to say IMO the mental leash is stronger by far than the physical one, and if you can get your dog on your wavelength then anything is possible. The more practice the dog gets in controlling himself rather than being controlled the better he will fit into the household. As I said previously, they don't learn when they can't make mistakes.

I'm not sure what this is in reference to. I made no mention of a leash and a mental leash isn't going to do what a crate does. Although I think the mental leash, as you call it, is necessary as well, but it's not the same as a crate, they accomplish different things. The concept of self-control in dogs is absolutely paramount, but that concept isn't a tool, the crate is a tool that can do so many things so very effectively.

I would've liked to know what your original post said, perhaps there would be more context for me regarding the thrust of your point about a mental leash.

And I feel I should say this: there are a million ways to effectively train a dog. The tools used, the exercises done, and the focus given on specific skills, is all individualized to the dog in front of you. What works for one dog may never work for another dog. Another element is the trainer and how they act and live and what they project. The advice I give on this forum is general good practice information and standard behavior modification protocol. When I have enough information to give specific advice, I do so. But most of the time, and especially with puppies, there are just standard exercises that need to be done, and crate training is one of them. I don't say this is true of you, but most people who are against crates, don't know how to properly use them or even what they're used for. When someone does in fact want to know how to effectively use a crate, I'm happy to explain how.

---

@t89rex said in Wet weather exercise:

Thank you all for your replies. And it's always good to hear different views.

Longer term I certainly don't intend to crate him when I'm home but I can see the value in (a) getting him comfortable in there for when I do need to crate him when I'm out and (b) using it to get myself a little breathing room while he's settling in, so training for a dog who's happy in his crate is definitely a priority even if I hope not to have to do it all that often.

Once he's had all his shots and is close to adult size, I intend to run with him in the mornings (I usually do about 10 km) and give him a hourlong evening walk which I hope will give him enough exercise and entertainment to keep him settled during the work day. That feels like it might be close to a year before he's up to that kind of exercise load though so it's great to have some strategies for his puppy phase.

Very smart! Walking a puppy is often the worst way to exercise them.

I would suggest taking the dog to an enclosed area like a fenced off back yard or a giant field with a long lead, and do engagement work, i.e. chase with food with the dog activating you.

How it's done:

Have a bowl with some treats (I do this with their meal) placed where it's easy for you to access but impossible for him to reach.

Take some food in your hand and wait for him to look at you. Once he gives you eye contact, run backward, away from him and let him chase you.

When he catches up to you, stop and give him food. Then wait for him to give you eye contact again and run when he does. Keep doing this, running around, feeding him until the food's gone.

---

This teaches many things, one of them is that the dog learns that his behavior and actions have a direct effect on you and what you do.

When the dog learns that he's the one making you move, he loves it and really gets into the activity.

Another thing this exercise does is strengthen your relationship; this is invaluable.

Also, this activity will help get your dog used to following you and running to you instead of away from you, making the recall process a little bit easier because the dog already knows how to run back to you and already loves doing it.

---

If you're serious about training, and care about communicating with your dog, you can use markers (or a clicker) in this exercise, if you've already charged them. Before you start the session use your begin marker (mine is "ready"). Whenever the dog looks at you mark it with your positive marker (mine is "yes") and then run. And when you've come to the end of the session, use your finished marker (mine is "all done").

---

There is no doubt that this is an athletic endeavor. I've seen several people hurt themselves badly by tripping over themselves, and have heard of other people hurting themselves by running into something, which is why you need an open space for this exercise. A field with a long lead is usually the solution for apartment dwellers.

All the best.

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

@Scagnetti said in Wet weather exercise:

eeefarm

You left out an "e" ;-)

I would absolutely agree that confinement works well for specific purposes, not the least of which is making your attention more valuable to the dog since it is rationed. However, it is a poor trainer who can't figure out how to deal with various problems and modify behaviour when necessary. I prefer to do that and end up with a dog that is reliable in the house without constant supervision and without crating once they have learned your expectations. Of course one takes proper precautions until the dog has proven him/herself trustworthy.

And yes, I have experience dealing with mature dogs with problems that I managed to resolve successfully. Not to mention several dogs I taught to be reliable off leash in the city, back when there were no leash laws. Dogs trained by me would not cross a street unless at heel. Back in the day we didn't consider that too big a deal.

My apologies. It was done in haste. (If it makes you feel better, rereading my post, it wasn't the only spelling error.) :)

I have no doubts about your capabilities, friend. We differ on several things, and agree on several things, but it's obvious you know what you're talking about. That being said, I wouldn't be able to achieve the high-level of behavior I desire to create without using a crate, and I don't know of any professional who can, with any breed, much less a Basenji.

My initial comment was a response to the OP regarding his inquiry about using the crate more effectively. But in my last post I directed it to everyone else who wondered about the point of using a crate.

I hope to one day be able to make high quality videos of me training different skills with a Basenji puppy, but I don't know how to use cameras. Perhaps I'll hire a professional.

We all live with dogs differently and we all want different things out of our dogs. I'm also willing to bet that we all have different reasons for having a dog.

In addition, I'm certain that we all have different expectations for our dogs and how they should behave and what they should do. As you guys are pet owners, you probably don't need to focus on things that I as an active/sport/protection dog owner need to. And, truthfully, you guys can probably live with more than I can.

Furthermore, as a trainer I do more things with my dogs than you guys do, things that you guys probably couldn't do with your dogs, and probably wouldn't want to do. The crate, as you know eeefarm, is wonderful for social isolation, confidence-building, and many other things that are essential if you want to get a dog to do things with you in certain environments with serious distractions. The crate is also an incredible tool for teaching all kinds of skills, behaviors, concepts, etc. Most people haven't a clue about the true value of a crate when it comes to changing behavior and helping mold character and personality. Even pet dog owners would benefit greatly if they were educated on how to properly use a crate.

And it's true, there's millions of people who don't use crates and their dogs and their household are absolutely fine...but then again, there's millions who don't use crates and their house is constantly being torn up, or their dog has emotional problems or mental problems (obsessions, compulsions, neurosis, ticks, etc.) or is reactive, and a lot of this can be avoided by using the crate. Having a dog that is well-adjusted to being in a crate, and can self-satisfy in a locked crate, and on command, is such a valuable thing.

Now, the OP might not be an active dog owner, but he is having a problem, and the recommendation I gave is what I would do if he paid me for my services.

And for what it's worth, puppyhood lasts longer than most believe, and the dog is still constantly learning outside of little puppyhood.

All love.

@t89rex said in Wet weather exercise:

Thanks for your help everyone.

Rather than start a whole new topic for what I'm sure will be the second of many, many questions I have I was hoping I could ask you all here.

Hugo sleeps very well during the night, and often goes all the way through from 10 to 6 without needing a break. He also very calmly lets me know when he does need to go during the night which is great.

The trouble I have during the day is that like a human child he really doesn't seem to know when he needs rest. Often he'll come and ask for a cuddle and then go to sleep on my lap but I don't think I'm doing him any favours training him to need me to sleep.

When I think he's tired I often just put him in his crate and try to ignore him if he whinges, but he's had a few accidents in there. I have trouble distinguishing between general "I'd prefer to get out of this crate and be with you" which I don't want to reward, and genuine need to go out and toilet.

Does anyone have any tips to help him self regulate his sleep a bit better?

Great question.

Distinguishing between the kind of whining is difficult. I'll get more in detail about what to do later in the post. Also, if he's giving you no problems at night, then a few other things could be at work here.

To begin, I would recommend experimenting with more exercise in general, regardless of how much he's getting now. Some Basenji puppies have a seemingly unlimited supply of energy. That, coupled with a curious nature and a persistent and hard-headed character, makes for a dog looking to get into trouble.

Tiring him out sufficiently is essential.

---

The above is just general good practice that you should make sure you're doing, but specific to you:

At 12 weeks old, he doesn't know how to settle, you'll have to teach him this. I typically teach this while the puppy is on an elevated bed inside an ex-pen.

Put the bed & pen next to wherever you sit (couch/chair/bed/etc.) and feed the dog treats consistently while you're doing something else (on the computer, reading a book, watching television, etc.).

You're going to want to do this training exercise after physically exhausting him, otherwise you may have some difficulty with it.

Another thing that will be useful is to capture the behavior when he naturally does it.
Example:

• he walks over to his bed or crate, and lies down and settles by himself
• you take a treat out of your pocket and toss it on the ground next to him and go back to doing what you were doing and letting him do what he was doing

---

A big thing that will help you is starting to focus on crate training. If you start doing crate training exercises when it isn't bedtime, then it'll accelerate your progress.

Get him used to being in the crate during the day, and for different amounts of time. If he only goes in the crate at night and stays there for 8 hours, he might think he's going to stay in for 8 hours in the day too. Show him that sometimes he'll be in the crate for 2 minutes while you take out the trash or put the laundry in, and other times he'll be in the crate for 4-6 hours when you want to go out and get dinner downtown. Give him different pictures of the crate and what being in the crate is.

---

Also, getting him to like the crate is a big consideration as well. I think I have older posts that go into this, but the threads may have been deleted.

I'll just give one tip about it this post: put the crate next to the place you sit, put him in the crate, give him a chew treat (bully stick, pig's ear, etc.) and close the door, sit down next to him and do something where the attention isn't on him (computer, book, etc.), and let him self-satisfy and enjoy doing something on his own but in your company. This will greatly help him develop a calm and relaxed disposition around you. You want to be sure that you clock downtime like this with him, otherwise, he won't settle in your presence.

---

Lastly, the whining in the crate. At this young of an age, I would immediately go to the puppy the first time he whines and put a lead on him in the crate and walk him outside for toilet. If he goes, or if doesn't go after a few minutes, walk him back to the crate and put him back in. This is going to teach him that he will have a chance to go to the bathroom. If he whines after this, IGNORE HIM. This is important, otherwise you'll teach him to whine when he wants to get out and/or whining will be his way of calling you.

Luckily this doesn't usually last too long. Pretty soon he should get the idea that he will be given a chance to go to the bathroom, and you should stop going to him if he whines. Once he understands this though, a lot of the whining should stop (for now). Then you'll have to work on the whining he rehearses from not liking the crate/the sensation of having space restricted, and then the whining he rehearses from not wanting to be in there (this last one is dealt with by simply ignoring).

The best advice for this particular crate issue is this: take him to toilet first, then after he goes, put him in the crate.

Also, like all else, start slowly with the amount of time you leave him in the crate during the day.

All the best.

Just to clarify, the exercise I mentioned above (food rewards while exposed to rain/wet ground) is done for the purpose of socializing the dog to the rain and the sensation of wetness.

If the OP is asking about getting the dog to go to the bathroom while it's raining, then socializing the dog to the rain/wetness will cut down the time you'll have to wait outside with him.

The earlier the puppy is socialized to the rain, the less of a problem it'll be when it's older.

@t89rex said in Wet weather exercise:

Hi all.

I'm a recent new basenji owner. Hugo is coming up to 12 weeks old and going great. Still some issues with chewing and nipping but improving quickly.

We're about to enter a third, unseasonably wet summer here on the east coast of Australia and as I believe is common for basenjis, Hugo won't countenance a walk in the rain. Do folks have any suggestions for how to help him get some exercise when he won't go out?

Thanks!

You walk in the rain? Or do you mean going for a walk after it's rained, when it's wet? Or do you mean going outside for the bathroom when it's raining?

If it's the second or third one, then you could just give him high value food rewards when he's out in the wet grass/cement. Pretty soon, he should stop caring, unless this is a serious issue, in which case you'll have to spend some time focused on this.

I suggest using something he loves but never gets, i.e. cheese dipped in peanut butter, or something similarly extravagant. You want him to really be motivated to go out in the wet.

Another thing is starting slowly with expectations and goals. If he runs out and runs back in, then that's progress. Keep training sessions and exercises short in the beginning, so that he you can end on high notes, and slowly increase duration the better he gets.

All the best.

I would find out what he scared of or what he dislikes about the car. Is it the car itself, the sensation of being closed in, the movement when the car is being driven? Then work on whatever the problem is, with food.

As for food, I use raw duck and vegetables. And I hand-feed all meals, so I never have a problem with not eating/partially eating. I would also recommend hand-feeding for anyone who does have a dog with food issues.

Shredded chicken is good (as long as he doesn't have any reactions). But that and some kibble isn't a balanced meal. You may wish to look into a vitamin supplement, specifically something that has a focus on omega 3 (since chicken is high in omega 6), Vitamin C & the B vitamins (because if all he's eating is chicken and kibble, where is his source of vitamin C and the B vitamins?), zinc & copper (same reasons).

All the best.

EDIT: I just realized this thread is a year old and was bumped by what is almost certainly a bot.

For the record, I'm not claiming to know the cause or reason for the behavior. What I did was give a prescription; Irrespective of what the problem or issue is, increased exercise would probably be a healthy way to decrease anxiety (whether it's seasonal, mood-related, etc.).

If a dog has anxiety (about anything for any reason) then their need for exercise goes up; this is required to healthily decrease stress. Whatever the cause for the anxiety, a simple and (usually) effective way to deal with it, is through increasing exercise time and/or mental enrichment time. This also holds true for dogs with pent-up energy/restlessness/boredom/reactivity/etc.

The posts directed at me were deleted, so I can't reply to them.

All the best.

@yahtzee92 said in Sudden Behavior Change (desperate to go outside):

@scagnetti said in Sudden Behavior Change (desperate to go outside):

If he's still anxious after an hour walk, then increase the amount of time on the walk.

Lmao.. the kind of responses that keep me from being a regular here. Read the post homie.

I did read it. You said you think it seems excessive to give more exercise. You are wrong. Obviously.

If you can't fulfill your dog's needs because you're infected, you can hire someone to do it for you. Many trainers make their bread and butter by offering exercise services.

If he's still anxious after an hour walk, then increase the amount of time on the walk.

I edited my post to make it more legible. I wrote this half asleep. All of the information is sound.

As for the medical aspect, there's no reason not to get that checked out. Always good to cover all bases. Usually 1 year and a half is when pet owners realize that their dog isn't actually trained like they thought, which is why I mention the training component.

@stianolini said in Started peeing in the crate again:

Thank you for good advice @Scagnetti. I am fully aware that this is on me, so none offence taken :)

Most of the advice you have outlined here is stuff we have already implemented.

We now only leave her in the crate at night, and if she cries I check up on her once, clean the crate and change blankets if needed, and then ignore her cries for the rest of the night.

One question, though. You say you would recommend taking her out the first time she cries so she knows she can go. The problem is that most times, she has already peed. Would you recommend taking her out regardless?

Yes, take her out regardless. And to clarify, I said take her out in the middle of the night to show her that she is going to be given the opportunity to go to the bathroom, so that she can start learning how to hold it.

I only take them out when they cry after immediately going in the crate, when they are very young puppies. I do this as the initial part of crate training, because they aren't familiar with the physical crate itself or with the feeling of being locked up (having their space restricted). Pretty soon, they understand what the crate is, and understand that they'll be given a chance to go to the bathroom. Your dog isn't in little puppyhood anymore, you may wish to just ignore completely.

Also, I would not "check up on her". I would only go to the crate initially to take her outside to the bathroom and then immediately return her to the crate and walk away until it's time for her to come out.

Again, I would advise against blankets or anything soft in the crate. If you leave her alone with anything soft, she will pee on it, and possibly tear it up. Several companies make crate liners made of rubber, I would suggest these.

And I would suggest putting the dog in the crate, when it's NOT her bed time, so that she's used to going in. If the only time she goes in the crate is at night when she's in there for 8+ hours, then she's most likely going to hate the crate.

All the best.

@stianolini said in Started peeing in the crate again:

Hi all,

My B is one and a half year old now, and have been housebroken for well over a year.

She sleeps in her crate in the living room, while we leave the door open to the bedroom.

During weekends, we usually pick her up in the morning and allow her to sleep a few more hours together with us in the bedroom. Lately, we have even picked her up at night if she has cried in her crate, whereas we have discovered in the past few weeks that she has actually peed in her crate before crying.

In order to correct this behavior, I went back to scratch regarding crate training and slept a few nights on a mattress besides her crate. The first night she peed, and I was able to clap my hands and firmly tell her no.

The next night, and a few nights after this she began sleeping through the night again without peeing her crate.

So, I started sleeping in the bedroom again with great success as she continued to sleep through the night and be dry.

However, over the past two nights she has started peeing in her crate again. Where I have removed and replaced her blankets before putting her in the crate again.

I am considering sleeping next to her again, however, I'm afraid she will make a connection that if she pees, I will join her in the living room.

Any recommendations on dealing with this?

PS. I have cleaned both her crate and blankets with a dog urine killing liquid.

Sleeping on a mattress beside her crate isn't the beginning of crate training, in fact, it isn't part of crate training at all.

Also, I'd be weary of reprimanding her for peeing.

It's seems that your crate training problem is a handler error, respectfully.

To begin, you're being inconsistent with putting her in the crate and then taking her out to sleep with you. If I were you, I'd pick one and stick with it (at least, until she has been properly and truly house trained), either with you or in the crate, not both. (I would recommend simply putting the crate in your room and keeping her in there until you get up, that way she's included but not on you or in your bed).

If she cries in the crate, the last thing that you want to do is "pick her up" or in any way coddle her or reinforce that behavior.

That being said, in (very) early puppyhood, when the puppy cries in the crate, I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt the first time, and take them out to see if they need to pee, but immediately return them to the crate afterwards, whether they go to the bathroom or not. However, at 1 and a half years old, she shouldn't be crying in the crate (or peeing in the crate). In your case, since she isn't crate trained, I'd take her to the bathroom the first time she cries, then put her back in the crate right after and ignore the crying after that if it continues.

Also, I would get up in the middle of the night and take her to the bathroom, then right back to the crate. You want her to know she'll always have the chance to go out. This helps greatly in teaching them to hold their bladder.

In addition, I would recommend not putting anything soft in the crate, because that will make her want to pee on it and it can possibly stimulate her too.

Finally, I would work on crate training when she's not going to be using it, i.e. throughout the day do crate drills with high value food.

All the best.

@antoinette said in 17 month old castrated male: From trained to untrained overnight:

@scagnetti said in 17 month old castrated male: From trained to untrained overnight:

I would recommend practicing (having him rehearse) going outside. If he's okay indoors, but behaves wildly as soon as you go outdoors, that means going outdoors is a big deal to him. It shouldn't be. A well-adjusted dog won't be stimulated and amped and uncontrollable (and possibly anxious/fearful/reactive) when going outside.

Practice going outside before going outside, i.e. get his attention indoors (on a lead), open the door, hold his attention while door is open, close door. Once you can hold his attention at the open door, you'll start going outside, one or two steps, then turning around and going back inside. Slowly you should go further and further outside until you can hold his attention away from the building and have him start regarding you outside in general.

Again, the process above is at your dog's pace.

Harnesses are a great tool for building motivation, because the dog can be restrained and frustrated, thus building drive and desire. In this instance however, there really isn't a need for a harness or extra motivation to go outdoors. And continuing to use it will ensure that he pulls harder. You should probably switch to a collar. In fact, you may wish to begin leash pressure training with a slip lead. You can socialize him to the slip lead prior to using it, by having him wear it while feeding/training and taking it off when done. You can socialize him to the collar by practicing taking it on and off with food.

I love these tips! We will switch to a collar (he is used to wearing one as we sometimes walked him on collar too) - hopefully this is just a phase but I really like your tips on really taking it back to basics with him to get him back on track! I will try this and then hopefully it will help him ping back to the way he was just a couple weeks ago - thank you :)

No problem.

Hope it all works out.

Keep us updated.

All the best.

@antoinette said in 17 month old castrated male: From trained to untrained overnight:

@scagnetti said in 17 month old castrated male: From trained to untrained overnight:

Where are you having the problems outside? Is it halfway on the walk or immediately after you step out of the door?

Do you have his attention inside before going out?

Is he on a collar or a harness?

I'll be able to give you more specific advice after those questions are answered.

Thanks for quick response! Answers to those questions ^^

• Problem arises as soon as we step out of the door
• We have lots of attention inside (even before we go out he is well-behaved and calm)
• He is on a harness (worth mentioning that he did walk nicely on a harness before - but willing to switch things up if that could work)

We live in an apartment unfortunately, so no yard or anywhere to safely let him off-leash. Point taken on pausing the long lead walks, we definitely don't want this to become "learned behaviour". We can also absolutely just do super short training walks with him instead of full walks - he gets super tired from brain games so we can tire him out inside that way.

I would recommend practicing (having him rehearse) going outside. If he's okay indoors, but behaves wildly as soon as you go outdoors, that means going outdoors is a big deal to him. It shouldn't be. A well-adjusted dog won't be stimulated and amped and uncontrollable (and possibly anxious/fearful/reactive) when going outside.

Practice going outside before going outside, i.e. get his attention indoors (on a lead), open the door, hold his attention while door is open, close door. Once you can hold his attention at the open door, you'll start going outside, one or two steps, then turning around and going back inside. Slowly you should go further and further outside until you can hold his attention away from the building and have him start regarding you outside in general.

Again, the process above is at your dog's pace.

Harnesses are a great tool for building motivation, because the dog can be restrained and frustrated, thus building drive and desire. In this instance however, there really isn't a need for a harness or extra motivation to go outdoors. And continuing to use it will ensure that he pulls harder. You should probably switch to a collar. In fact, you may wish to begin leash pressure training with a slip lead. You can socialize him to the slip lead prior to using it, by having him wear it while feeding/training and taking it off when done. You can socialize him to the collar by practicing taking it on and off with food.