leash walking
 

Is there anyone in The Villages that would like to train
a seven month old lab to walk on a leash? She pulls me
all over the place and I just can't seem to get her to walk
for me. I am willing to pay.

Carol, there was a leash training two-day session at the Lifelong Learning College that took place outside at one of the rec centers. I tried to find it in their online catalog, but I can't seem to come up with it. The first session was without dogs, the second with dogs. You might call the LLC to see if it's still available. Also, their new catalog is coming out soon, so look for it appearing online. They may repeat the class.

My experience with leash training a 6-month-old golden was... the instructor said, Oh, well, he's young yet... ! But that was in MI.

My other experience in hiring a trainer, with our first golden, was that when we got the dog back, yeah, he was trained, but we still had to work with him and become the "boss." that's the hardest part. He will be trained, but they're pretty darn smart. They know you're not the person who trained him. It's like a fourth grader's mindset when they walk into school and see they have a sub for the day. Whooo hoo!

Our current golden is using a Gentle Leader. It works like a charm, but everyone we meet thinks it's a muzzle. I actually don't care, because the dog's stronger than I am, and I need control.

Carol, I've sent you a PM. I think we can help. No charge.

Definitely get the Gentle Leader. Best lead I've seen for a dog, especially a young, rambunctious one.

To Carol: Good luck. In my experience (as the trainee, not the trainer), the dogs do not get the training :D. After you get some training, confidence and patience with a capitol 'P' will be your keys.

To Barefoot: Very nice gesture :mademyday:

Mine is 12 and still pulling, I figure she'll outgrow it any day now.

Barefoot, send me a PM too! We're still using the Gentle Leader after 5 years and two obedience classes avec leash training! I'd love to get rid of it as people think it's a muzzle ("Why are you muzzling a golden retriever?!"). But he's strong enough to pull me across the road if he sees a rabbit/deer/kitty/bird/piece of fluff...

For sure, we will meet up with you when we get to TV in November. We'd be happy to help if we can. I'm not a professional dog trainer, but I've had 11 dogs, 2 cats and 2 horses. I love working with animals. It helps that Fireboy is very strong, he is a retired firefighter. We don't believe in punishment, just consistency and firmness. Training should occur when the dog is very young, but you can teach an old dog new tricks. A few years ago, we adopted a mature 70 pound rescue with "issues". The people we got her from said she couldn't be trained. It took no time at all for us to train her. She just didn't understand what they wanted her to do, they were giving her conflicting signals.

In the meantime, the number one rule of dog training is that your dog needs to respect you as leader of the pack. Especially a large dog. Even if he is the only one in the pack! Some dogs just automatically respect their human as the dominant tribe member, some have to be taught. Let me ask you a couple of questions. Do you make sure you always feed yourself before you feed your pet? The pack leader always eats first. Do you make sure your dog sits and waits while you go out the door first? The pack leader is always given that courtesy by pack members.

With small dogs, if you're lucky, you can get away with spoiling them and babying them. But with large dogs, it's all about respect. I believe in rewarding positive behaviour rather than punishment, but with firmness and especially consistency.

As an aside there is a golden here who goes for a walk with her master. She is not on a leash but carries the lease in her mouth and walks right in front of her owner. What a neat dog!!!!

John

Thanks, Bare. We didn't/ haven't had an obedience or pack-leader issue with either of our goldens. They would sit/down/come/stay/leave it just fine, and recognize us as the ones in command. I fed them first because I choose to, and this one doesn't beg while we're at dinner--just sits quietly in the room.

I just haven't been able to get the heeling training down pat. I'm sure it's laziness on my part. That's why I thought this refresher course from Lifelong Learning College would be helpful. If it's offered again next semester, I may take it--unless you have taught us how to leash train!

Oh, and I disagree with you about spoiling small dogs. An untrained dog, period, no matter what the size, is a pain in the butt!

A little OT, has anyone seen the Goldens being trained for the Guide Dog Foundation, they are so damn cute. I heard there are something like 12 of them here in TV.

Are they puppies? If they're puppies, I need to go find them!

I'd say they are now maybe 5 or 6 months old, we saw them at the dog park when they were very young. It was comical, all the small dogs were in the big dog part, I still went to the small dog part. They were in there and VERY ACTIVE. After just a few minutes my dog was like SAVE ME.

The people fostering them said the Guide Dog Foundation brought down 12 in a van, they stay here for a year learning the basics, then they go back. I don't think I could give them back.

May I please ask a serious question about being the pack leader? I understand this, Barefoot, and believe it with all of my being. But, how does a dog respect you as a pack leader when you have to follow behind their BMs and pick up their poo? Excuse me for sounding so crude, but it has weighed on my mind since I've lived here and constantly see people walking around picking up after their dogs and carrying the "you know what" with them.

I really, really admire people who foster dogs, or take them for training. I've contemplated it, but I know that if I had a puppy for a year, there is no way in the world I could bear to part with it. I'd be a felon because I'd take the dog and flee across the border to Canada.


The dogs have an intelligence equivalent to a two-year old child, or perhaps if it's a aussie, a three-year old child. So I don't think they give a lot of thought to what people put in the bag they carry around. Or maybe I underestimate dogs. Maybe inside they're laughing their ass off.