David from leeds with 1 year old black labrador

[dj226]

hiya everyone

I'm David from the leeds area, i have a black labrador called Mags. shes now just over 1 year old. ive had her since she was a pup.

im not sure if anyone can help or recommend me something, but ive aways teached Mags new things, which she can do and always likes to learn new things, she can sit, lay, roll over, stay, fetch, give paws.

Now the only problem im having with Mags is for her to stop her running off over to people when im on a walk and jumping up, ive tried all sorts but cant stop her doin this. its ok if the people are dog owners but if there not it can be a problem sometimes, ive looked at training classes, but not sure which is the best to go to. if anyone can give me any advice or any help on this, it would be a big help to me and Mags and would make walking alot more fun.

Thankyou David.

[Margaret]

Hello and welcome David and Mags.I hope someone will be along soon to help you with your problems.

[_Laura_]

Hi David - Welcome to LF

[Moj]

Hello and welcome :waves:

I don't think I can be of much help, as one of my dogs can still be over-exuberant in her greetings at times and she's nearly two!

I do take her to training and this has certainly helped. What the trainer suggested was loudly (and I mean proper shouting) saying OFFFFFFFFF as she went to jump - you've got to be quick and get your timing just right. We practised at training with both me and the stooges (other trainers and handlers)..... so everyone would be milling around and Bracken and I would weave in and out. They'd excitedly say hello to Bracken, and when she went to bounce BOTH of us would bellow OFFFFF, and when her paws hit the deck, she'd get lots of fuss. It worked for us, but we do need to revisit it from time to time.

The other thing I've done is to use a noise distraction. I shake my house keys at her. Initially, when she went to jump I threw my keys towards her. This distracted her and gave her a bit of a shock. While she put all paws back on the ground and looked round as if to say 'what was that?' I then praised her for having all feet on the floor. Now if I release her to go say hello and I think she's going to jump, I rattle my keys and that has really helped too.

Definitely go to training classes - this will help with your dog getting used to working with you in busy places with lots of distractions. You will get to the point where you can go out on a walk and tell her to leave/ignore other people and dogs as you walk by them. Hopefully others who are more local to you might be able to suggest good classes in your area.

[EllieW]

Do you have a seperate command for having all 4 paws on the ground? A lot of people seem to use 'down' for both lie down and stop jumping up. I use 'down' for lie down and 'floor' for all 4 paws on the ground. Poppy still jumps up at people from time to time but at least I have a command in place that she knows what I mean (even if she chooses to ignore it from time to time!!)

[gixju]

Hello and welcome to LF.

I do the same as Moj. Sultan has got a lot better using a big bunch of keys. But you have to be very quick. I keep them in my pocket, and if i can see a problem going to happen. I give them a wiggle, and thats all i need to do now. He looks up at me, with that, You have spoiled my fun look on his face.

Good luck.

[dj226]

thanks everyone for the replys , some useful tips there, which i have started to use, the keys def work!
only issue im havin though is wen im at one end of a field and theres somone at the other end and Mags sees them she will run over to them! i shout and call put she just keeps on running over, soon as she has greeted them and im still calling her to come back, she does come back, but its only when shes got to them b4 she will return to me. again if anyone has any ideas on that one, would be a great help.

[Moj]

work with her as best you can to get her attention even for a nano second before she bolts. Just before she goes to make a break for it, tell her to 'go play' or whatever command you want to use for a release. Eventually you'll be able to get her to sit and wait until you tell her she can go, or decide you're going to put her on her lead and not let her go. You can do the same with all sorts of things - waiting to be released for her dinner, waiting to be sent off on a free run when you initially take her lead off, waiting to run out after a ball etc. I'm really new to all of this myself, but that's the sort of thing I did with my pup..... so at least when she was hiving off, it was as much on my terms as it could be. When your dog does bog off, try not keeping calling her - all that does is teach her to ignore you. The keys work well for brushing up on recall too. If you call her once from the garden and she ignores you, lob your keys, then praise when she comes. In time if she makes a break for it before you've told her she can go, a little rattle of your keys, or a stern AH AHHH should stop her in her tracks.

[Casodil]

Please ignore if you are not a "treat trainer", by treats I mean tiny, tiny, bits of something yummy that usually stinks!

Have you thought of training her to a whistle?

Before feeding her - "toot-toot"
Sit watching the telly with bits of something yummy in your hand - "toot-toot", put the "treat" into her mouth immediately, don't hesitate, "toot-toot", treat, "toot-toot", treat x lots (fed up of typing it )
Do it from inside to garden, garden to inside.
I sat on a bench on our local common and did "toot-toot", treat,"toot-toot", treat x lots.
Then we walked (I'd got too young mad choccys at the time), as we walked they played and "hoolied", I prayed and blew the whistle - RESULT!! I stuffed whole Gravy Bones into their mouths (Mommy never do's whole ones!) I felt like a dog with two d**ks

Checkout training classes, don't join until you have sat in and watched a class (without your dog), make sure that YOU feel comfortable with the people and the methods of training. I feel that you and your dog would enjoy this and maybe who knows in the future - agility? flyball?

So I've rambled - David and Mags ENJOY!


Chel, Cassie and Dilys xxx

[jazzsmum]

Hello and welcome to you and Mags.