Quote: alyssa myracle

Is there a less distracting time or place that you could be walking him at?

Not that I can think of. Considering everything is a distraction for him. Streets have dogs and people, woods have critters. There are less people outside at night, but the dog is also more nervous at shades. He'll stare at a distant trashcan, watching if it's gonna move.

 Quote: connie sutherland

Have you taught "heel" -- not necessarily formal, but walking by your side with a slack leash -- without the distractions of the sidewalk? That is, in your back yard, or indoors, or somewhere else where people and dogs are not plentiful.

Yes, he does alright on my backyard. I've been teaching him the "watch me" command lately. He sticks to my left leg and he gets a treat/praise as soon as we get an eye contact.

 Quote: connie sutherland

And on walks (which I agree are important), how fast are you walking? What happens with another dog? By "torpedo," do you mean excited interest or snarling aggression?

Excited interest. Most likely, he'd poke him for a chase game if I released him. However, if this dog was dominant, Diablo would avoid him. This is what happened with other dogs in the past.

 Quote: connie sutherland

Do you allow frequent "free" or "okay" periods on the walk, so that his free sniff-and-be-a-dog times are plentiful but are at your discretion, not his? Do you choose venues where you are relatively distraction-free for his free times?

I don't allow any "OK" time as far as leashed walking goes.

OK, This one will probably confuse you again, and you might find this silly...bare with me : So far it's been either black or white. I got two 6ft "leashes": a standard, flat blue cotton leash, and one of those yellow braided cord. In his past training, he has learned to be "on duty" with the leash, and "free" with the rope.

With the rope on, he knows he doesn't have to heel (but still can't act stupid). The leash is used for formal training, while the rope is used for "behavioral" training, as in correcting him only when he pulls/jumps/acts silly.

I also used to let the rope on him when he roamed the house, but currently I use it to tether him (back to ground work, even if he's housetrained).

I usually walk him with either the cord or the leash.

I figure this is not a common "trick" for you guys, but I guess I could use it to my advantage... If I used the rope, he'd at least would be relieved of the stress of training. We'd just have to deal with distractions.

Or do you think it would be better to give him several short "breaks" while on-leash to let him know that he can get back to work anytime I see fit?

I do indeed recommend that he be given "free" time (I use "okay") at your discretion.

I stand still and they have the length of the leash. I stand still so that with one in particular there is no conception that the dog is leading/pulling me.

There are Border Terriers in my extended family, and they are psycho lil bassids. They are as prone as your dog to stare at a trash can and will it to move. BUT they are both much different/calmer with their stronger and more assertive pack leader.

I now believe that some behavior that might make me think "screwed up" in another breed is sometimes part of certain terriers' personality. I could be wrong...

To me, that just means that the dog needs even more calm handling.

 Quote: francis daigle

He'll stare at a distant trashcan, watching if it's gonna move.

Still, there are much less distracting times of day, right?

 Quote: francis daigle

Yes, he does alright on my backyard. I've been teaching him the "watch me" command lately. He sticks to my left leg and he gets a treat/praise as soon as we get an eye contact.

Have you considered two commands (not two leashes)? One for formal heeling and one for no-pull regular walks?

I think the two different leashes is just making things more complicated and restricting what you perceive you are "allowed" to do with your dog at any one time.
I would prefer to use one leash and a verbal or visual cue for formal or informal behavior.
Now if I'm dealing with my stallion I will use a different halter and lead rope when I want him to breed a mare, otherwise screaming and jumping up are strictly forbidden.
With a dog it's much easier to switch between formal and wild behaviors and you can switch them back and forth at any time regardless of equipment.

Very interesting. Let me recap my homework:
- Maintain the daily walks, with the leash.
- He must heel unless told otherwise. Corrections as necessary.
- Allow multiple "OK" times, in which I just stand still and let him sniff around.
- After a moment of "OK" time, I'll see if he's more relaxed and try some play/motivational stuff (no pressure).
- Then, back to heel and follow the leader.

Last question: should I correct him for peeing/marking? He WILL do it if I give him a chance to.

I see some of the below as being flavored slightly differently.

I'd maintain the daily walks in the least distraction-y time possible for now. I'd start at home with an informal heel (just walking without pulling, pretty much).

I would do unpredictable free times.

I wouldn't particularly look for doing play/motivational-ob-training stuff on walks right now, with his focus challenge.

I'd work more at home on the informal heel than I would on corrections on the walk for pulling.

This is all JMO.

 Quote: francis daigle

Very interesting. Let me recap my homework:
- Maintain the daily walks, with the leash.
- He must heel unless told otherwise. Corrections as necessary.
- Allow multiple "OK" times, in which I just stand still and let him sniff around.
- After a moment of "OK" time, I'll see if he's more relaxed and try some play/motivational stuff (no pressure).
- Then, back to heel and follow the leader.

Last question: should I correct him for peeing/marking? He WILL do it if I give him a chance to.

 Quote: connie sutherland

Have you considered two commands (not two leashes)? One for formal heeling and one for no-pull regular walks?

I know I could use "OK" for the no-pull walk. He knows he's somewhat released when I issue that command.

However, it gets back to the "will it affect my leadership if I let him stay ahead of me all the time?" question. It's why I was more enclined to your "stand still" idea.

"Pack leader goes first", right ?

 Quote: francis daigle

I was more enclined to your "stand still" idea.

"Pack leader goes first", right ?

Yes. That's why I stand still at release times. I have one pushy dog.

 Quote: francis daigle

Last question: should I correct him for peeing/marking? He WILL do it if I give him a chance to.

How can he do this if you are marching along briskly and then stopping for breaks when he is "allowed" to do this?

One thing about a small dog that I like and that I use as a shortcut in the no-pull thing for informal "let's go" :

If I am walking briskly, the dog is going to be able to keep up but not comfortably able to pull ahead. At that point, when I have a slack lead and the dog is where I want him to be, I mark and reward.

I also do turns to make it clear to the dog that he'd better not get ahead of me: He doesn't know the route!

I turn both away from the dog and into the dog, because in different ways they reinforce the need for the dog to follow me and not try to set the route.





Edited by Connie Sutherland (07/15/2008 02:22 PM)
Edit reason: typo