A lot of what I write is to help others learn/see another perspective, refresh an idea they already knew. But also in trying to help others, it makes me think about what I do so I can better myself as well. This one is definitely one of those …
Dogs want nothing more than to make us happy, and they (usually) don’t ask for much in return. They also just do what we teach/allow them to do. Always set rules & limitations young and stay consistent.
When we first got Willie I thought I was letting him be a dog by allowing him to stop and smell each and everything he wanted to. It was kind of cute/not annoying when a little 10# pup stops dead in his tracks to smell a spot on the grass, that’s much different when he’s 80#’s and does it though! So as a pup he learned to stop whenever he wanted. That was something that frustrated me when & I had to “fix” when he got older. He still wants to stop a lot, and a lot of times it’s a spot he just sniffed a couple minutes ago! I have to remind myself not get frustrated with this, because he knows better I think. Started cute, became a nuisance.
I’m not saying don’t let them stop & smell at all (it’s rewarding to them!), for a pup start with only stopping every third time he “asks” (and he should ask nicely, not just anchor down). After he’s asking nicely at this pace, make it every 6th time. Gradually make it more, your walk will soon have less “annoying” stops, and your dog will still be doing his dog thing. If trying to break the habit, give him a “eh-eh, lets go” when you don’t want him to stop, keep going, reward him with praise & pat (or treat) when he’s back next to you. Sometimes when they are particularly interested in a spot I will turn around and pass it by a few times until they do ask nicely, and when they do (or if they just get disinterested in the spot) I give the “ok” and let him go to & smell that spot as reward.
Another thing I had to break Willie of (he still likes to occassionally do it) that I thought was cute is he would put the leash in his mouth and act like he was walking himself. At first he didn’t pull at it, he just carried it. But he was learning that the leash was his & not mine. Eventually, he did start tugging at it and speeding up so that he was controlling the walk. “Willie, why are you being an ahole!” is what I would ask (yes I talk to my dog like he’s a human too). He was just doing what I taught him was acceptable, not being an ahole! It started cute, became a nuisance.
To stop this I gave a firm “eh-eh”, stopped the walk, and ignored him until he stopped. He would then try to get my attention by barking and trying to get in my line of sight, I stayed ignoring him until he calmed down and offered a sit, looking at mefor direction. This is when I would reward him with a “good boy, let’s go” and pet when we started back walking. Wow, three rewards for calm! Praise, pet, & the walk. It didn’t take long for him to realize the calm behavior was more rewarding than carrying the leash, and it stopped.
He also always liked to pick up every bit of trash and carry it with him for a minute. Also someting I thought was funny at first. Some dogs need a job. Thing is I didn’t set limitations, so this too became a nuisance.
I often have to remind myself on the walk that for him it’s a new walk each time, even when going back by a spot he checked out, or a thing he just carried, and that he’s just doing what I taught/have allowed him to do. I also now know better and am teaching other people’s dogs, so it’s more important for me to focus on the habit & not the cuteness of the moment.
Let them play with stuff, do a little work, sniff a lot of things; but we have to remember what we’re teaching them, set the limitations, and to be consistent and fair in consequences when they try those limits.
