Ready? Set? LUNGE!!
If you were granted ONE wish that would eliminate ONE training problem that you and your dog have been struggling with, what would it be? Something that you and your dog have been working on that has caused so much frustration between the two of you that you've just about given up hope, only to wake up the next day and find your dog executing your command perfectly.
If you could have ONE training problem completely solved, what would it be?
Mine would be leash walking. I wish I never had to train my dogs to leash walk ever again. I wish I could just hook them up and they would walk like it was bred into them. So that every walk was a peaceful, smooth walk and I didn't have to worry about those occasional or not so occasional arm jerks. No lunges into the ditch. No special collars or commands, just a great loose leash and heel, so that maybe I could walk more than one dog at a time! Could you imagine?? That would be a dream come true!
So tell me, what is yours?
17 comments:
This is not really a training issue...but I wish I could take away the pain of the past....the anxiety that our little one has suffered that we are not aware of...but know is there. She was obviously mistreated in some way, we don't know how...but it sure would have made a difference in her life...and ours...if we knew what happened. I wish we could wipe the slate clean so that she wouldn't have those awful memories.
Simple! Mum would like me not to want to eat KC, my cat! She says life would be so much easier if we could be in the same room as each other! Deccy x
I can so feel your pain about the leash walking. But I wonder if it's possible for dogs that pull sleds at some time of the year to walk nicely at other times of the year. That's a questions I'd ask other mushers.
I'm lucky that Honey walks well on the leash. But I'd love to teach her confidence so she doesn't fear moving objects so much.
It's going to be key if we can ever get her to ride in our bicycle cart with us.
Leash walking would probably be at the top of Mom'slist too, but she says we are all much better now. Top training issue - stop the digging!
No way, we say.
Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Leash walking & poop eating. Them's the two in our house.
We recently upped the ante and started walking 2 of our 3 dogs at once. I'm making them earn each block we walk - if their behavior sucks and they pull, we never leave our block and just walk back and forth. Once I started doing this, their walking on leash together got tons better. I guess it's just as boring for them to walk back and forth on 1 block as it is for me. It also helped to walk them in the middle of the road (we live on a quiet street) where there were less smells to distract them and make them pull. We're not 100% there and I've come to accept that we may never be 100% there but 2 dog walks are now pretty doable in our house.
I am sure you already know my answer: recall. I want a perfect, 100%, solid, bomb-proof recall. It would make my life one thousand times easier and make agility a lot more fun.
Bichonpawz-I understand your pain. I think there are many of us who wish we could start all over with our dogs who have been hurt. Even knowing some of the things that have happened to some of our own, doesn't make it any easier.
Pamela-Summer is easier than the winter. It's like all the leash training goes out the window when winter comes. And sometimes I forget that. :)
Sarah-I have done the same thing with walking back and forth and in the middle of the road. And it has worked for us as well. They did so great in the summer, but with the cold it is like we have to start all over again. I tend to get impatient and would like to just "go for a walk" rather than "train." Winter sort of threw of my game. :)
So glad you are finding something that works for you. Thanks for the reminder.
I would want to stop my obsession with squirrels. It drives mom nuts.
We would have to agree with Bichonpawz. Four of the Army are rescues with painful pasts that push into the present often without warning...Yo reacting like a crazed boy to burly men...Quinn running and hiding at the slightest challenge...Nuka nipping out of fear often when just being petted...and Puff's dead eye resignation to being held. All are making progress in overcoming the baggage but it pains us to see them stressed and fearful. It forces training to be slow and watchful and often, outside-of-the-box in process.
My top list also is leash walking., I want to train my dog walk peacefully...lol
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Barking when other dogs (or the postman) walk by is a biggee for us. We've been working hard on that one, using "Enough" as a command to stop. It's a slooooooow process, but sometimes I even think we're getting there!!
Leash walking & dog distractions :)
You're going to laugh but I'd wish that my dogs would stop eating wild mushrooms that they find in our forest. It's a huge problem for us every single year, even in the wintertime. We're in the midst of a huge wind storm which has blown down all the mushrooms that the squirrels stashed in the trees last summer. Yes, that means that, despite there being a very thick layer of snow on the ground, we still have the mushroom problem.
I'd bet that I'm the only one who wishes to solve their dogs' mushroom addiction!
At this point in time I would wish that Leroy would stop eating rocks:(( and that both the Newfs would listen more to the "wait" command. They always have to be the first ones out the door!
I think Frankie must have been a Siberian HuskyXBloodhound in a previous life. Yes, it is my fondest wish to have a relaxing loosh leash walk with him. Beryl is such a dream to walk on lead and he is a nightmare! Oh, and a perfect recall would be good too!
I share your pain and frustration!
I am totally with you on the leash thing! I will handle everything else, just let my dogs be saints on a leash!
My beagles and their baying!
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