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sinex

Posts:9

03/15/2010 5:48 AM
Bailey is now 4 and a bit months old, the training on the whole is going great, really great, biggest issue is walking to heal! he sniffs and sniffs and snifs and pulls, we have tried treats, laying the law down, i know he's young, I know he can do it-done it in the past for about 2 mins!, how come he can't get this, like he gets voice hup, wait, whistle commands (some times a sniff is more important), hand commands, he gets it all on the whole bar walking to heal! Both mom and dad are working dogs, Advice appreciated

pixie bee

MH
Posts:4450

03/15/2010 6:15 AM
Hi and welcome. Here's my take on it. If I had a 4 month old GSP that took to heeling like other training I wouldn't be too happy.The reason is- this breed was bred to be bold and independent - a hunter. I know it's a royal pain in the tush when on a leash - but hey - you could've bought a 3lb foo-foo dog instead. He's still very young and training needs to be fun and low pressure. Try tiring him out then go for a walk on a loose leash. Try walking in another direction just when you read that he wants to pull. It's real important to give the tug in the other direction JUST as the thought to pull enters their mind or even better - before it enters their mind.Once they get even a split second of what they wanted they have satisfied their need and a tug or correction can mean very little if anything at all. besides -is there really anything wrong with them taking us for a walk????How else would we get our daily workouts?????? Francine

"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle

pixie bee

MH
Posts:4450

03/15/2010 6:15 AM
I almost forgot really cute puppy!

"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle

Texas Belle User is Offline

Austin, TX

MH
Posts:7844

03/15/2010 8:47 AM
I agree for the most part with pixie especially since you are talking almost 5 months. He is still a puppy in a dogs body. I use the reverse direction method with my dogs and most of the time with patience and persistence that works. I however, I do not like or tolerate dogs that pull. I want them to walk nicely without pulling (not necessarily heeling, just not pulling) from a pretty early age (by a year old). So, you can also use the half hitch around their stomach which will stop the pulling. You take a long leash and loop in a half hitch right in front of their hind quarters. It tightens if they pull, they stop. Allot of field people use this approach. Also, what kind of collar are you using? I train with a choke chain or a pinch if I have a hard headed puller. With my male I had to use the pinch because he could drag me down very quickly and is was stubborn as a mule. He knew what I wanted, but would challenge me over and over. He learned very quickly to respect me and I was able the fade the pinch collar quickly. All of my shorthairs could pull me down and drag me if they wanted, even my smallest female who is the only one who has actually done that. So, no I don't like pullers. I have actually gotten all three of my dogs to where I can walk all three together which is really nice when traveling. My dogs are 6 YO, 5 YO and 1.5 YO. I have been able to walk the girls together for a long time, but couldn't until recently add my boy into the mix. My boy is the 1.5 YO. Good luck!

Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna) Yellow Rose GSPs "A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato

TessaGA

Georgia

MH
Posts:2387

03/15/2010 12:59 PM
Your pup is too young to heel. Heeling is a lot of pressure. At that age, I was glad to get a loose-leash walk kinda by my side, on all four legs instead of two, with very short distances of heeling and some figure 8's thrown in. Now she is 20 months old and I expect more. I live in the city with lots of traffic and foot traffic and a heeling dog makes the walks much easier. Unfortunately, she is still creeping forward quite a bit. At any rate, a 1-2 hour heel is a lot to ask so I give her some loose leash freedom as well (loose leash meaning no pulling on the leash).

To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]

sinex

Posts:9

03/20/2010 10:43 AM
Gencon lead, its a miracle invention, walking sorted in 20 seconds, go get one

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