Well, it many have been a fluky one off, so you might want to hold the me training Jimmy bit.Well done on getting your hard work and patience to pay off. I'm glad he came to no harm on his adventure and it;s great you were able to get him to stop like he did. Jimmy wouldn't have done that, so you can come here and train him
As you say, at least he was safe. I turned Eddi away so he couldn't see it. I don't know if he knew it was there but he saw the guy and I'm sure he could have smelled the dog. Anyway, they walked slightly above us, as I kept Eddi turned and talked to him and tickled his neck. Not much reaction, he did try to look the way they were going, and that's all. Off we went again, I put him on his Halti a bit later as he was pulling, unfortunately there are chicks and ducks behind one of the house - where the dogs are at the gate sometimes - and he often pulls to get a good stare at them. I took him off his Halti and we were back to our nice walk again. Then the guy with two dogs was coming towards us, now I know I have to manage Eddi but he's seen me struggle with him barking and he will not go down the bank, ever. Other dog walkers will turn the other way when they see us, but not him. Anyway, I took Eddi down the bank and over the road and I had to hold him between my ankles and talk to him and toss him treats. The guy took a few minutes to pass but Eddi only whimpered. I said 'look at me', which he rarely does in the house never mind when he's full blown distracted. For a nano second, not his head, but his eye swivelled towards me. The dogs passed, I went up the bank and he kept looking back towards them. He makes me laugh, I say 'let's go' and he comes but gives out a baby yelp as much to say, you're not fooling me, I know they are there. He did 3 baby yelps before we continued in happy dust all the way home.
Remember that all these triggers will cause a build-up of stress and could result in him having a meltdown when spotting a relatively minor trigger towards the end of the walk. And also, although it's great that he controls himself when you ask him to, what you're really after isn't just more self-control in the face of encounters where he would otherwise kick off, but him not seeing any need to kick off in the first place.Today, he wasn't ever 'beside himself', which is good for the hormones. He was straight back to normal each time. We are a long way off from your last sentence, I know that, but he would have kicked off big time in each of the scenarios I outlined up to a month or so ago.That's awesome progress, Doggie1
Why can't he go off lead?
Poor little chap.
Join our vibrant online community dedicated to all things canine. Whether you're a seasoned owner or new to the world of dogs, our forum is your go-to hub for sharing stories, seeking advice, and connecting with fellow dog lovers. From training tips to health concerns, we cover it all. Register now and unleash the full potential of your dog-loving experience!
Login or Register