Cloud the teenager
Apologies for being away for so long but last few months have been a bit of a rollercoaster  Very good but busy!Our adorable puppy Cloud has now grown into 14 months of (adorable) Teenage Monster. He can barely remember his name let alone commands. Still the most lovable boy ever but HUGE and BOUNCY and very BOISTEROUS! Training is getting a little challenging at times. He has always been really good of the leash and comes back on 1st call. Now, not so much, he just goes off into La La land pretending to be a) deaf or b) 'I've forgotten my name. And tips on working on this through the teenage months would be appreciated. As he loves being able to run free and we dont want to keep him on the lead all the time. He has also developed a fascination with trying to chase cars away. I swear my arms have grown 5 inches pulling him back as he tries to protect us from the evil car monsters. He is only allowed of the lead in area miles from roads, but it is tiresome when a one hour walks turns into two hours of yelling for the lovable furry monster to 'Come Here". Any tips or other teenage tales much appreciated. Cheers Debs xxx and Monster Boy Cloud |
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| Monster Monty is almost that age too - 15 months. At 10 months he started being naughty, before that age he had stuck close by me on walks but then he started going ahead, dashing off and chasing deer. Had a scare one time when I lost him but he turned up back at home. I decided I better go back to basics. At the beginning of the walk I have him on leash, I make a big effort to get him to walk by my side. If he pulls which he does a lot at the beginning of the walk, I turn around and walk the other way, and then turn back again. I give little, leash shakes/tugs to keep him at my side, or I stop if he is really pulling and wait until the leash is relaxed. If I am on a narrow path I get him to walk behind me. When there is a safe place to walk off leash, I will let him run ahead, but if I see signs of dashing away, I recall him, or get him to stop, or wait, and then get him to walk by my side or behind until I think the dashing danger is over and then give him the release word to go off again, which is "all done" for us. If I don't trust him to run off I will put him back on leash. At the end of the walk he goes back on leash and is soooo much better than the beginning of the walk as he is tired. With the chasing cars I would try not let him pull at any car, it will mean a very slow walk to begin as you will be for ever stopping or changing direction in walks. Maybe walking him around a parking lot to get him exposed to lots of cars would help. I think he will eventually get used to cars if he sees no danger or interest in them. I am interested in how other people treat this, I am going on one way I was taught which worked well with our Newfy. |
| Nice to see you Debs! (Behave, Cloud! Good boy.) I would seriously consider a prong collar for while he is on leash to prevent your knuckles from scraping the ground in the future. They look medieval, but they do not hurt at all. They spread the pressure of pulling onto many points, similar to people who lie down on a bed of very sharp nails and rise unhurt. The prongs on the collar are not sharp, they are rounded. I have many times taken mine off the dog, strapped it around my neck and yanked on it several times quite hard to the surprise and amusement of those who turn their nose up at such a thing. It's the difference between grabbing something with your whole hand or grasping it with your fingertips. Getting your dog under control ON lead is probably the first step in having him under control off lead. I might try a 25 foot lead before letting him run free anymore. Anyway, those are my suggestions, they're worth just about what you paid for'em!  Welcome home. |
| Actually, Ron - I dare say you're spot on in both recommendations, though some places they can't get prong collars because people don't understand how they work, so that may or may not be an option for them. Pity if not because as you well know it's like having power steering and brakes. I also use a long line on dogs I'm just starting off offlead, or who need remedial training (Sybil  ) You let them drag the line. It's not a sure fire thing in a big, open area, but if you can get close enough to step on it a few times that's half the battle (oh, ####! evil monster upright can make me come!   ) I say come and if there's no sign dog has any such intention I step on the line, reel the dog IN TO ME and then cheerfully praise them. I also tend to walk with pockets full of hot dogs and call dogs back to me just to give them a quick treat and then release them many, many times so that coming to me becomes associated with good things. Mind you, this is NOT the solution to a surefire recall (not that I believe there is such a thing, at least not 100%, but some are better than others...) This will only work if there isn't something more attractive out there, such as a car to frighten away, a squirrel to chase or whatever your individual dog deems more interesting than recognizing his own name.  (and he is at an obnoxious age when indpendence must be explored) But it does, over time, tend to up the odds that the dog will come to you. Kristine |
Thank you one and all. Great to be back! Really good suggestions. I don't think you can get prong collars in the UK, but we will try. Ron please can we have a picture of you wearing one  We will try the long leash idea. Geoff is being sent on a mission to get one in the morning. Thanks guys will report back soon on our errant lovable hormonal teenage monster. xxxxxxx From Debs, Geoff and horror boy Cloud xx |
| Long leash is a good idea but just watch your hands. My newfy decided to run home, I wasn't paying attention to the leash and got really bad rope burns, cuts, on my hand. Also the leash kept getting tangled....sigh. Now he is trained I use a 2 foot leash when walking in public so he is near but he is okay off leash now so he is mostly off leash. I uses 3 foot leash for Monty as I find it easier to control him for training. Long leash will be good for learning his distance limits. |
| We used a prong collar in the beginning to get our Bentley under control enough to where we could eventually switch to a GentleLeader. Both did what they were meant to and Bentley became a joy to walk. We use a lead that is six feet long but it has a stitched in hand-hold just above the clasp and that works great as a quick short lead transition. This is Caitlyn's walkie lead. Good luck an POST SOME PHOTOS!!!! Vance |
| I also agree with the pinch collar. Teddy is 20 months old and acting like an idiot on the lead again. It's like he's never been trained! I put it back on him on this vacation trip because he sees people and wants to run and jump to say hello. I know part of it is he's not getting his runs in with not being home. Lots of pent up energy and being a teenage boy. I switch back and forth between the pinch collar and his slip collar on our walks to keep him guessing and it's working. I need to work with the long line as his recalls aren't great as they once were. The squirrels are busy this time of year and they make him crazy! Cindy |
| I think that the banning of prong collars is such a well intentioned disservice to both owners and their dogs. Don't they do ANY research on stuff they ban? It does NOT hurt in any way, shape or form, keeps some uncontrollable dogs under control and keeps them and their owners safer. I'm sure someday they'll ban collars because at that point even collars will be seen as cruel... after all, who can be yanked around by the neck that way like a noose? |
| I have't ever seen a prong collar and think they must be banned in England. Have seen "scare" reports for them when you look up things like "best training collar to use" etc. I must say they sound painfull but as you have said you have demonstrated on yourself they don't hurt. How do they work? A choke or slip lead which most trainers here want you to use aren't much good on Sprocket as you can't release it as gets clogged with hair and he does not ease off the presure so you can let it release-just pull pull and choke,cough and sounds real bad and not a "happy" walk. On the halti I am in firm control-he does try to pull and I walk with a loose lead to train to heel,and it's a happy walk. We don't meet other dogs tho so the training class was good for that and how to behave in "doggy public" but I am not allowed to use the halti.-Sorry-got carried away there!!x |
| Here's an oes.org article about the Prong Collar <--- here. The discussion starts off about the Monks of New Skete, but there's info about the prong collar (and a picture of it) if you scroll down just a bit. You can also follow the link to the full article on the forum if you prefer. The (Halti and/or the Gentle Leader) is also good for the purpose of being in control of your dog for everyone's safety. I have seen questions about neck issues, but I would guess they're overrated if your dog doesn't pull while on it!!! And that's the key. I don't know about the training issues, but for me safety comes before the inconvenience of adding time to training if that's the case. |
| lola spend a few days at sara's (her breeder)...brian is out of town and ive been swamped at work...any way, long and short of it, she showed me how to use the prong collar and lent me one with one of those long leads with the double handle..... i have to say kristine you are 100% right...it is like power steering ...lol...she is a DREAM to walk now...there is no fighting or pulling.... ps...ive been leaving her out of her crate at night, and we have had NO accidents....daytime crating still in effect.... she is soo good! |
| You're right, Darcy! I forgot to mention how much I liked the "power steering" analogy! It's perfect. I think I understand a thing or two about Darcy (stuff that I've gleaned from stalking her all of these years) and I daresay that she would NEVER put anything on her dog that she thought might hurt her. Can I get an "Amen" there #1?  ...and  YAY! on the nighttime freedom! |
| Amen and thanks to all. OK no joy re getting a Prong collar but we have progress. Means that Geoff and I have to be on high alert at all times but what we do is as follows. 1) We keep eyes peeled for any cars coming near. 2) Soon as we see one we tug gently on the normal lead and command Cloud to sit. 3) We remain with him sitting until the car goes by. Strangely this works and he just watches the car drive by. We have also bought and extending lead (double handed) and this seems to be working as well. Promise will post pictures very soon. Thanks again to one and all. Debs xxx |
Ron wrote: You're right, Darcy! I forgot to mention how much I liked the "power steering" analogy! It's perfect. I think I understand a thing or two about Darcy (stuff that I've gleaned from stalking her all of these years) and I daresay that she would NEVER put anything on her dog that she thought might hurt her. Can I get an "Amen" there #1? that is correctomundo ron!! thank you!!  the amazing thing is, all i had to do was put it on her...she got it right away... I don't HAVE to yank or tug at ALL...i looked like a bad doggie walking momma with the regular leash...you have to remember too that my living circumstances have changed dramatically.. we live in a 16 floor highrise...there are at least 3 dogs on every floor...from a 210 mastiff to a 2 lb mini schnauzer...lobby floor is polished stone and very slippery..along with a concierge who gives out dog treats (and EVERY dog goes running to him).... i had taken several nasty falls with panda in that lobby...to dogs, the elevator is magic....you go in, close the door, door opens and poof, there is a dog or 2 waiting for you....some not all that friendly..you have to be able to control your own dog.. best case scenario...puppy play with 3 leads getting tangled to worst case, your dog or someone elses lunging at you.. im sticking with the prong until lola gets it...i never thought i would but training here is vastly different from training in a backyard...and if she is as smart as i think...it shouldnt be long  |
| Thanks for the info and the link to the picture etc. When I use the halti it has the same effect. I don't have to link the lead on to it-just wearing it today (after I tried really hard to "heel" on just collar).Patience and persevervance is my motto I think!!x |
Sprox's mum wrote: When I use the halti it has the same effect. I don't have to link the lead on to it-just wearing it What a great idea!!! Maybe you could transition that to wearing a vest or something down the road ? That's great. |
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