So my new puppy is super fun to play with and getting basic training super fast but just going for a bit of leash walk is a challenge.

He turn into a crazy land shark and he goes for every thing. leash, legs, hand, boots if it moves he goes for it. Or he run circles around me.
I can get some walking done with a toy in his face.
I do let him run around on a long drag line and play a lot.

I can get 3 to 6 small steps of formal heel in the house.
He is just 11 weeks.

Many allow this but I don't.

For ME and MY dogs I don't allow all the biting at me, my hands, boots, leash, etc.

Not even for a future bite sport dog.

This can go against a lot of sport people's thoughts but just not MINE.

As for "running in circles around me" I would just stand there and let him realize it's not getting him anywhere.

With good marker training you can channel a lot of this energy into performing.

11 wks old

When I get a new pup at 6-8 wks old I want to see a marker trained sit, down, come by 12-13 but a high drive/energy puppy can't be expected to do any duration exercises for more then a few seconds.

 Quote: Bob Scott

Many allow this but I don't.

For ME and MY dogs I don't allow all the biting at me, my hands, boots, leash, etc.

Not even for a future bite sport dog.

This can go against a lot of sport people's thoughts but just not MINE.

As for "running in circles around me" I would just stand there and let him realize it's not getting him anywhere.

With good marker training you can channel a lot of this energy into performing.

11 wks old

When I get a new pup at 6-8 wks old I want to see a marker trained sit, down, come by 12-13 but a high drive/energy puppy can't be expected to do any duration exercises for more then a few seconds.

So Bob, do you take young puppies for walks (I mean anywhere besides just your own yard?) Since it's not realistic to expect a young puppy to be able to do things for very long, then wouldn't it be difficult to go for walks period? especially if there are any distractions at all (which pretty much everything is at this age!)

I always take my young pups for walks.

They don't have to be long in the beginning but it's amazing how fast a pups endurance will develope.

I have to clarify my "duration" comment.

Endurance is how long a pup/dog can continue to perform a given behavior.

Duration means how long I expect a pup to do stationary exercises such as sit or down.

With a pup I add seconds to duration in the beginning.

As to distractions, I don't mind them early in training "AS LONG" AS I'm not working on specific behaviors.

If I'm out with a pup or young dog and they see a squirrel, bunny, etc then all I may do is hold the collar and tell them "NO".

To use that much distraction early in training a sit or most other behaviors would be to much.

I also NEVER add distraction, duration or distance at the same time.

If I'm working on duration I NEVER add distance or distraction at the same time.

If I'm working on distance I go back to a short duration and less distraction.

If I'm working on distraction I go back to short duration and a short distance.

Endurance is built up at the individual pups development shows it can handle it.

To clarify my "NO" on the distraction issue.

"NO" and a guttural "AAAGGH" are primary manners control. They learn those Quickly.

I don't lump manners work in the same pile I put actual training behaviors such as sit, down, etc.

Training behaviors for me today is more about having fun with the puppy and marker training.

Manners commands don't have to be fun as long as it's firm enough to get the message across and fair enough that the pup isn't crushed by the correction.

That correction can be anything from the word itself to a scruff on the pup and lifting it's front feet off the ground.

That all determined by the individual pup temperament.

ok so how do I get him to stop eating my legs while walking. I do redirect with a toy. But my leg is the toy of choice as it moves!

I try to wait for him to calm down but that last only a few steps. The more I try to hold him off with a short leash the more he want to eat my leg, so that is not the way.

Dexter has very low drive so he never tried and my only high drive dog all came in older like 8 months and that never showed up to that level

So, Bob, what would you advice to save Arianes legs? Is this the moment, when a firm and of course always consistent No! would teach the dog to stop that behavior?

And if this doesn`t work within a certain time?Would it be the moment when you use a correction in the way you described above

And the other topic? What you wrote about not changing more than one variable at a time. Is this valid for ever or can we - once one variable is solid - go on to combine two or more?

Very interesting and useful stuff all this.

I simply wouldn't allow it.

I would work on the "no" command whenever possible.

It,s a very generic command that simply means stop what you are doing now.

If the pup wants to jump on people, the couch, chew on something not allowed, sniff at trash, whatever, the "NO" with the correct firmness in your voice will be learned quickly.

Again, the dog's response dictates how the correction goes.

My present GSD is 9 1/2 yrs old and he is handler soft. A "NO" if given to strong would crush him.

I've had terriers that needed anything from a word to a poke in the ribs with my finger to a good scruffing.

Even then I had one seriously Psychotic JRT that responded completely to my voice but would turn into a chain saw with a bled at booth end if I scrufed him and physically punished him.

YOU have to be able to read your individual dog's temperament in order to give a correct response, physically OR vocally.

Marker training has mande a HUGE difference in my training in the past 12-13 yrs but I will never have a hesitation to using physical corrections "IF" and "WHEN" needed.

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

So, Bob, what would you advice to save Arianes legs? Is this the moment, when a firm and of course always consistent No! would teach the dog to stop that behavior?

And if this doesn`t work within a certain time?Would it be the moment when you use a correction in the way you described above

And the other topic? What you wrote about not changing more than one variable at a time. Is this valid for ever or can we - once one variable is solid - go on to combine two or more?

Very interesting and useful stuff all this.

If it doesn't work within a given time then it's highly possible the command or the corrections wasn't strong enough.

Absolutely you combine two behaviors once the dog is solid with them.

This is was chaining is all about.

When we would go into a 3-4-5 min performance in AKC obedience all the behaviors the dog has learned are put together.

Same when I would go on a Schutzhund/IPO field for 10 mins or more the dog would be put through many different behaviours before the dog was rewarded OFF the field after we cam off the field.

The dog learns that it WILL get a reward no matter how many behaviors are asked from it.

As mentioned in my above post, the firm and consistent "NO" may or may not be followed by corrections but this iw\s where the handler NEEDS to know if the dog is not responding because it's refusing or it just doesn't fully understand.

Thanks so much, Bob, that makes it all clear.

What concerns chaining solid behaviors I always had somehow a bad conscience not to reward them for each one (randomly!). I've tried though and the make for example three successive spins or roll overs etc. without being rewarded in between. I can also ask for 3-4 different behaviors in a row with a reward event only afterwards.

What refers to the No! and corrections it was always my fault. I unfortunately often had too rapidly the idea, the dog must know it by now. Only when I understood he hasn't understood it fully and I gave him more training time, then it finally worked.

An actual refusal only happened, when I asked from one of my dogs to do something she was frightened of. Climbing a household ladder, which jerked and rattle a bit. Of course it was not my intention to frighten her but my stupidness not to realize this early enough. I had made the wrong conclusion because the other two did it without problem.
When I now want to train this again and she sees the ladder she makes an about turn and disappears!!!