Jump to content
BC Boards

Leash Biting (You Tell Me)


Recommended Posts

Have you done any 'impulse control' work?

 

I think I'd be working on Dr Karen Overall's 'Protocol For Relaxation'... Certainly wouldn't hurt...

 

Yes we've done some impulse control, doggie zen, that kind of thing. Probably not enough. Will have time to do more this summer.

 

Right now I'm trying another strategy: replacing the bike rides with loooong walks. I figure she's much calmer when we walk, maybe that's the behavior I want to reinforce. And maybe all she wants on the bike rides is to stop and explore (hence her frustration). So far on these walks I've taught her what "sniff" means and also encouraged her to explore more. She really seems to enjoy that - I point out things for her to smell and then she does. Also when we pass birdfeeders I can point them out and say things like "up! water!" (she knows what water is) and she jumps up to have some. It's very cute.

 

She is far less excitable about other people or dogs when we are walking. Does sniffing have a calming effect? I think it must just really engage her mind. Also she likes to stop and explore and sniff and plus pee on things. Peeing on things seems to have become important to her. I watch her in heavy-dog-traffic locations throughout the neighborhood and can see her smelling something, then immediately wanting to pee. But it's not angry or anything, she's not stiff, it's just instinctive I think.

 

Anyway she does this thing when she's happy on a walk, and happy with me leading her, she touches her nose to my knee or leg, wherever is convenient to reach, and makes eye contact, like ok, you tell me where to go. She never pulls after she does it, and she always has relaxed posture during it. She often does it after I surprise her by telling her to go in a direction she doesn't expect. She started doing it right after we taught her "touch" and doing some trust exercises. So, since we've started these long walks she's been doing it a lot and she's only pulling say the first minute of the walk. After that, after I have her sniff and do some obedience, she walks calm. I'm going to try next time pointing out things for her to sniff as soon as we walk out of the fence, so she can start the apparently calming behavior as soon as we walk out instead of forging ahead.

 

Still having trouble with putting on the leash - albeit not as much - since I started walking off when she jumped up and going to play online scrabble. Now all that's left is the nipping and standing. I'm going to eliminate the standing first with the same process (walking off and playing online scrabble anytime she stands) and then the nipping (last). I tried walking away when she did anything but a sit-stay but she just. can't. control herself. Bizarre.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...