Dog training/socialization

I'm so sorry that I am taking over this board, but since a dog basically just fell into our laps, I had no time to plan before lol! Plus I know how many people here really care about their animals, so I know I will get great answers!

Dodger is well very trained as far as sit, stay, going to the bathroom outside, no, stop, calm down, etc. etc. However, he pulls like crazy when we go for walks (though I'm taking the tips you ladies gave me, and it is starting to help), and he barks and pulls like crazy when he sees another dog. Are there classes or trainers to help with these sorts of things? Do you have any particular recommendations?

I'd prefer Western to middle Nassau. If it's near the border of Nassau/Queens that's fine too. I'm open to all suggestions though.

Re: Dog training/socialization

Lucia does the same thing (pulls on the leash). Granted I don't take her for walks enough (There is a pen/yard where she goes).

When I do walk her, I try to say "leave it" and pull her away if there is something that caught her eye (squirrel, dog, bugs lol, etc). If I see a dog coming or ahead of us, I quickly turn her around and we move on. One trainer showed me how to quickly pull her, kind of like she spins in mid air to turn around. Eventually she learns to turn around bc she feels the leash moving and turns without having to be pulled. Hard to describe.

I don't know how to socialize her unless going to a park or something. She lives with 2 other dogs and those are the only 2 she likes . There is a small dog next door which she barks at like crazy (which is like 5 lbs and Lucia is 60lbs)

Re: Dog training/socialization

Posted by Tulips915

Lucia does the same thing (pulls on the leash). Granted I don't take her for walks enough (There is a pen/yard where she goes).

When I do walk her, I try to say "leave it" and pull her away if there is something that caught her eye (squirrel, dog, bugs lol, etc). If I see a dog coming or ahead of us, I quickly turn her around and we move on. One trainer showed me how to quickly pull her, kind of like she spins in mid air to turn around. Eventually she learns to turn around bc she feels the leash moving and turns without having to be pulled. Hard to describe.

I don't know how to socialize her unless going to a park or something. She lives with 2 other dogs and those are the only 2 she likes . There is a small dog next door which she barks at like crazy (which is like 5 lbs and Lucia is 60lbs)

Re: Dog training/socialization

Posted by JAAMS

Posted by Tulips915

Lucia does the same thing (pulls on the leash). Granted I don't take her for walks enough (There is a pen/yard where she goes).

When I do walk her, I try to say "leave it" and pull her away if there is something that caught her eye (squirrel, dog, bugs lol, etc). If I see a dog coming or ahead of us, I quickly turn her around and we move on. One trainer showed me how to quickly pull her, kind of like she spins in mid air to turn around. Eventually she learns to turn around bc she feels the leash moving and turns without having to be pulled. Hard to describe.

I don't know how to socialize her unless going to a park or something. She lives with 2 other dogs and those are the only 2 she likes . There is a small dog next door which she barks at like crazy (which is like 5 lbs and Lucia is 60lbs)

Thanks for the response! I'll try "Leave it!"

Your Lucia looks somewhat like my Dodger! Pit/shepherd mix by any chance? Dodge is on the small side I think (just over 40 lbs), so I'm convinced that he has something else that is smaller in him too lol

Re: Dog training/socialization

Charlie is a sniffer dog by nature. Who knows her breed, but when we take a walk she is in constant sniff mode. I swear the only 2 things she does when we walk (which is often!) is sniff and do like 3 drops of pee on every 3rd or 4th house's patch of grass that runs along the sidewalk. She doesn't even stop to pee, it's like this quick mid-walk squat and leave a few drops behind.

Okay, now that I've totally given you TMI on my dog.

She is a sniffer dog so she always wants to spend the time to sniff things. But our walks are for exercise for me, so she needs to understand that she goes at my pace, not hers.

And she is very good about that, most times. The first 5-10 minutes of our walk she is stubborn about it and will pull back if she's caught a good smell.

I just give her a gentle tug (I walk with her on a harness because she gets collapsed tracheas and if she gets a pull on her throat it makes her cough) and just tell her "Come On."

That's the only command I've ever used for it and she responds to it. She knows that if Mom says Come On it means business!

Pick whatever command you are going to use and just stick with it!

Also when we first got her we did a lot of practice walks where we walked together, stopped, practiced Sit and Stay, then walked again, and we practiced Come on Then too, where I'd let her have a sniff, and then said come on to get her to walk with me again.

15-20 mintues into her walk and I have to admit she doens't pull or stop for long sniffs or do much of anything becuase she's tired out and I like her that way, lol!!