Hi there, as I continue to train our pup heidi, we have had fantastic results. After learning how to use the e-collar correctly, and play tug, I can proudly say that Heidi it not only the best behaved dog I have owned, but by far the happiest and most playful. There are a few new issues though that I wanted to get everyones thoughts on.

First, lately when I am getting ready to leave home, Heidi goes into her crate without problems. However, the moment I get to the bottom of the stairs, there is an explosion of barking, whining, crying, and attempting to escape. In fact, once she broke the entire side of the crate down and escaped, it is now zip tied shut. Another time, I actually came home to find that the raised edge near the door was bent, nearly 3.5 Inches, which I am simply amazed at. Heidi has never had a problem with her crate, in fact she still stores her elk chew before going to bed, and does so herself every night.

What is causing this behavior to emerge?

What would be the best way to resolve it?

Our other problem comes with leash walking. Once again, even with a prong on the only time heidi will remain at my side and not insist on charging forward is when there is no leash. She has no problem off-lead. She did this as a puppy, and it went away with training, but it has now been almost 4 weeks and nothing I have tried has changed the behavior. She will actually tug on her flat collar to the point where I have to let her off before she hurts herself.

I have no clue where or why this behavior started up again, but it certainly is irritating.

I would just leave her off lead, but the laws of the city forbid me from doing that.

Thoughts, ideas, concerns?

1. I would probably analyze the new behavior. I would be very careful not to somehow reward it, and I would be thinking carefully about how I rewarded it in the past.

I'd experiment with leaving and then coming back randomly before the flash-point, similar to the way I would for all leave-taking triggers. (I would do all the usual leave-taking desensitizing stuff, including random pretend-to-leaves, immediate returns, listening for how long the behavior lasts, and so on.)

When you have an idea about how the behavior was inadvertently rewarded in the past, if you post back, we can probably help refine the re-training.



2. How did you teach loose-leash walking? I ask because that will affect how you work on the problem now.

I agree with you that I would not leave her off-leash. It's something to resolve, rather than reward, aside from all the other reasons for not doing it.

JMO!

Edited by Connie Sutherland (07/12/2011 02:42 PM)
Edit reason: add numbers ;)

Also, how long are you leaving her in the crate at one time?

I don't even go upstairs unless she is silent, just like I would with a new puppy who wanted out of her crate. She rarely is in there for more than 2 hours at a time during the day.

The prong is fitted nice and snug, behind the ears, as instructed via the leerburg website.

In the past, we just don't go for a walk if she didn't want to calm down. I would literally have to stand in the driveway for 20+ minutes before she would relax and walk by my side instead of tugging.

And she will pull sometimes to the point where she will actually yelp, yet of lead she wouldn't even chase a deer now. For some reason she stops looking to me as a leader, and begins to do whatever she wants, and off lead looks at me for every little decision...odd isn't it?

Connie, I don't know why I didn't think of that, let me try to de-sensitize her as she is definitely aware of the signs that I am leaving. Give me at least 1 week to see if I can alter the behavior.

 Quote: Jeffrey Hill

The prong is fitted nice and snug, behind the ears, as instructed via the leerburg website.

In the past, we just don't go for a walk if she didn't want to calm down. I would literally have to stand in the driveway for 20+ minutes before she would relax and walk by my side instead of tugging.

And she will pull sometimes to the point where she will actually yelp, yet of lead she wouldn't even chase a deer now. For some reason she stops looking to me as a leader, and begins to do whatever she wants, and off lead looks at me for every little decision...odd isn't it?

What size is the prong? (I'm wondering if a smaller size-with more links/more contact area- would suit her better, since you KNOW she's got a pulling issue)
Is she getting any exercise other then the walks? Have you tried working the edge off before attempting a on leash walk? If it were my dog, she wouldn't be able to pull to the point of yelping, I'd have corrected her, and made her return to a correct position. Why let her continuously pull?

"Better off lead".
Not uncommon. Any tension at all on a leash can create an opposition reflex from the dog.
This opposition reflex is what makes a husky pull and the same goes for a dog pulling some little old lady down the street.
When she's on lead with the collar just make a ton of about turns without telling her. She'll get the hint if you snap into the turn quick enough.

Are you using a clicker and treats? Or a marker word to let her know what you want? I have had great luck with Jethro by having my treat pouch on and clicking and treating him in a nice, loose heel position at my side. We have gotten very good at popping treats into his mouth as we are walking. I reward him for being in position, and for looking up at me. Sometimes, when he is overexcited, I lure him into position with a treat and keep him there with rewards. Then, I pace the treats further and further apart and voila, we are in a nice, fast, loose walk - his head is somewhere near my hip (but I am not too particular, I just want him walking WITH me).

When Jethro is full of beans, it is asking a lot of him to settle himself when he has a lot of drive. I play his games with him, including Sit, Down, Sit, Down, Sit, Down (push ups), Paw, Touch, Other Paw, This Way, Sit, Down, etc. until he is synched up with me and we can move off at a fast, energy draining pace.

How old is your beautiful pup again?

 Quote: bob scott

"Better off lead".
Not uncommon. Any tension at all on a leash can create an opposition reflex from the dog.
This opposition reflex is what makes a husky pull and the same goes for a dog pulling some little old lady down the street.
When she's on lead with the collar just make a ton of about turns without telling her. She'll get the hint if you snap into the turn quick enough.

This is what I have been doing, she really doesn't seem to get it.

I use a large Leerburg Prong Collar.

We train 4-5x a day, play fetch for 45 minutes every morning in the backyard, and again at lunch, and again after dinner.

She gets a lot of exercise, and has even more stamina.

We train with verbal markers, she will not however accept treats outside of the house, not even bacon, just her tug reward, which we continue attempting, she still will pull like a possessed demon once that leash goes on.

" she still will pull like a possessed demon once that leash goes on."

How about indoors?