Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject: How strict are you with lead walking?
Hi all
I just wondered how strict you are or were with your young labs - Tilly is 7months - when you are out on a lead walk?
Currently DH takes her out for a field play, so a bit of recall combined with play. I take her out on for a lead walk for about 25mins in the evening.
As it's only natural she wants to sniff EVERYTHING, I do let her do a bit....however if I were to let her stop and sniff as much as she wanted my 25mins would turn into 2.5hours!!
Are you really strict and say 'no' and carry on with the walk or do you just let them sniff away?!
My Tilly is 7 months and like you say they want to sniff everything when out, its only natural but i have her on an extendable so i just keep walking and more often than not she will come bounding next to me before the lad runs out but occasionally she needs a prompt. I suppose its like you said combine a bit of recall with Tilly's "own" time to let her have her sniffies!
The way I see it, is that the time to sniff is when they are offlead in the field/park/wood and not onlead. If I let any of my lot stop and sniff at every opportunity then we woudn't get anywhere! So when they do try it on, I just say 'come on!!' chirpily and carry on.
I'm very strict...I have two "don't's" when on lead.....Don't stop for a pee/poo and Don't sniff.....They can do that as much as they like off-lead, but while I'm walking and holding that lead, they are walking too .
Oyster is in the process of learning this now...As a Guide dog she will never be allowed to do either, so training starts at a very early age.
I soooo wish that I could stop Tilly from pooping on a walk, but she is so strong and she would pull me over if I didn't let her. I have tried to not let her on occasions and the poop is hanging out of her sorry if TMI!! So I give in and let her go....I know some people prefer their dogs to go for a toilet on walks, but in all honesty I wish she didn't and that I could train her to go before we leave.....never mind!
The way I see it, is that the time to sniff is when they are offlead in the field/park/wood and not onlead. So when they do try it on, I just say 'come on!!' chirpily and carry on.
I do tend to say, 'no this is walktime not playtime' and then tug her onwards - works sometimes others not!!!
in all honesty I wish she didn't and that I could train her to go before we leave.....never mind!
Oyster has to be encouraged to go in the garden too, so I time my walks (as much as possible) so that we go out just after she's "been". That way there is less of a chance of her needing to go. Another tip I was given if she does, what the GDBA call, dirty walks, is to not go out on the same route. If they use the same place (grass verge etc) each time you go out, avoid that area. Mind you, the most common reason for failing Guide Dog training is dirt walking, so I was told.
I made the mistake of letting our GR have a bit of a sniff when on the lead as a pup, so he thought the walks were for what he wanted to do, not vice versa.. After a LONG 16mths he's only VERY recently walking well on the lead.
Yorkie on the other hand, he's had it strict from the day he was able to go out on the lead. We don't stop for sniffing, wee/poo, and we leave any nice takeaways there may be splattered across the floor. At 6mths he's taken to it all pretty well, he does pull when he sees another dog but he's getting a lot calmer.
oohhh I am a bit half and half to be honest - I do 40 mins off lead over the forest in the am and then 20 mins on lead at night. Rubys lead work has only just got manageable she used to pull like a train
I always try to go just after Ruby has been as apart from anything else anevening stroll accompanied by 'eau de poo bag' isnt very pleasant.
I tend to let her have the length of the lead to wander a bit not 'snout in pocket' but my rule is as long as my arm is straight down beside my side then Ruby can have a bit of leeway (I like long leads btw about 1m)
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