Need advice please - Leash walking

Sidech · 06-27-2008, 06:49 AM

Hello, I just got my 7 1/2 months old male pup from the breeder last week. He's about 25 1/2 inches tall and probably around 60-65 pounds.

He is a pretty easy dog and learns fast. He listens to me off leash no problem.

He was pulling a bit on the leash on our walks so I started using the choke collar and it only took a few corrections before he stopped pulling. So no problem with that.

BUT - when he walks around me in general, off or on leash, he has a tendency to want to be very close and cuts me off.

Instead of walking a straight line, he walks at an angle, getting closer and closer to me. Off leash, he's often walking right in front of me, blocking me and stopping me from walking. I have to be careful or I could fall and either hurt him or myself.

So when we take a walk, he does the same thing. I've tried pushing him with my foot, my knee, my hand, nothing works. So although he's not pulling, the walks are somewhat a pain (for me...)

I was wondering, since he responds very well to corrections with the choke collar, if I should correct the same way when he starts walking funny. Or will that confuse him, since the corrections have meant no pulling and he respects that ?

I need a solution, all advice welcome. He's not stubborn, so a good method I use should work fast.

Thanks !

dusuwho · 06-27-2008, 07:18 AM

I'm possibly the least experienced here but I think it's something he will learn not to do. I think it's amazing he has learned so quickly to stay close so I doubt it will take long before he gets the jist of it.

I personally wouldn't be so cautious about him coliding with one of your leg movements. This I think will teach him a comfortable boundry for both of you. Also he could be corrected to walking slightly further back so his head is level with you. This will reduce his ability to cut in front of you.

Even though it may be annoying that he's doing this, I think it will soon get easier. He is a quick learner so coliding with you may be correction enough.

Lexxsmom · 06-27-2008, 07:23 AM

I have to disagree. Lexx has this habit also, and its terrible. He does pull sometimes, but when he's close to me, he walks on an angle with his front end nearly in front of my feet.

when we're training in the heel, he doesn't do it, but on a light walk, he does. Correction with my knee, feet etc, DOESN"T help. I've stepped on his feet more times than i can count!

Is he food motivated? if so you could hold a treat at your hip and get him to walk with his head there, instead of slightly in front of you. Unfortunately, lexx hates food.

dusuwho · 06-27-2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexxsmom

I have to disagree. Lexx has this habit also, and its terrible. He does pull sometimes, but when he's close to me, he walks on an angle with his front end nearly in front of my feet.

when we're training in the heel, he doesn't do it, but on a light walk, he does. Correction with my knee, feet etc, DOESN"T help. I've stepped on his feet more times than i can count!

Is he food motivated? if so you could hold a treat at your hip and get him to walk with his head there, instead of slightly in front of you. Unfortunately, lexx hates food.

Thats ok lexssmom I don't really know what I'm talking about, just a hunch. You're far more experienced than I so I'm glad you dissagreed. (I so wish I was right all the time) lol

Sidech · 06-27-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexxsmom

Is he food motivated? if so you could hold a treat at your hip and get him to walk with his head there, instead of slightly in front of you. Unfortunately, lexx hates food.

That is a good idea Lexxsmom, but unfortunately, I can't really make him heel, because he's a show dog. I don't want him to walk perfectly near me because the handler won't like that.

I correct him so he doesn't pull, but I don't make him heel on purpose.

Keep the ideas coming, I'm sure we'll find something !

**greenkouki** · 06-27-2008, 11:00 AM

does he favor walking on one side of you? I think if he understood a little better that he is supposed to follow you, he might be a more successful leash walker. I would say you could take two approaches when he walks into you, one, would be to stop, give a command, and reward. The other option would be to just keep walking and ignore the fact that he is walking into you and he could get the message that way. It's really hard to know which would be better for him. Thankfully he is still a puppy and should start to understand quickly. I would practice some recall with treats on a long lead to get him to start following you better.

GunnersMum · 06-27-2008, 11:13 AM

If this is loose lead walking, have you tried walking him on the other side? To see if it's just the way he walks or will he switch so that he leans into you again from the opposite way?

I don't know much about shows but isn't that considered side tracking and a fault to walk sideways? I thought they had to single track (put rear paws where front paws had been) If that's the case you'll want to get this corrected not just for your safety but to show him.

There are a few different methods for loose leash walking and I found that doing a 180 pivot when he got too far ahead corrected mine.

**2gooddobes** · 06-27-2008, 01:04 PM

Well he does belong to the Velcro Breed afterall.

Sidech · 06-27-2008, 05:29 PM

Okay, I'll try walking him on the right side instead of the left one.

Just to be clear, he doesn't walk too far ahead of me, he walks at knee height or one head further, which is okay. He doesn't pull either. He just walks into me, almost making me fall if I'm not looking down.

Sidech · 06-27-2008, 09:26 PM

Update : we went for our usual evening walk. I made him walk on the right side, but he did the same thing - leaning towards me, putting his weight on my leg and cutting me off.

Plus, he's used to walking on the left side now and he repositions himself to my left side. So I gave up on that idea.

Back to square one...

Any trainer with a good idea ?