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  1. #1
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    Teaching to hike without a lead

    I'm so scared to let him loose! We've been walking around our 1 acre lot on a 30 foot lead for a while now. I've been teaching Archie to follow me with "this way". He's generally good with it. Not 100% though. We've been practicing "come" a bit too on it. He returns most of the time. But if he sees a bird or catches a sent then forget it. I would really LOVE to take him hiking. I took him on a short trail this summer to see how it'd go. It included a wide open trail and a very narrow woody one. Keeping him on a leash was less than ideal. I thought I was gonna fall half the time if he pulled me. It was stressful. So, I'm wondering how do I get him to hike with me without a lead? Or is there a more appropriate way to use a lead when hiking? He's 9 months old. Walking on a leash isn't going that well (shoot me). Do I just wait until his recall is more reliable? Suggestions please!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog zd262's Avatar
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    I'm really not a fan of this leash for regular walking, but I love it for hiking and running. Bubba is *pretty good* at walking on a leash, but when hiking sometimes he has to scramble down rocks, or when running sometimes he HAS TO PEE RIGHT THEN and this leash helps with those situations. When regular walking or in a busy place this leash doesn't give enough control IMO (but based on the reviews others used it this way). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    In terms of getting better at being off leash, find treats Archie really loves (freeze dried liver and other gross freeze dried treats were Bubba's favorites), and use that when he's on the lead for recall. Mostly it takes tons of time and practice.
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  3. #3
    Senior Dog MightyThor's Avatar
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    I hike frequently if off-leash areas with Thor. In fact, I have over 1000 acres of public land out my back gate where leashes aren't required so he gets out on an offleash hike or run almost every single day.

    Three behaviors were required before I started letting him off leash: a solid recall, a solid 'leave it', and dialing down the exuberance in his greeting style (it can be overwhelming to both people and other dogs). We practiced at dog parks to see how well he responded with the distraction of other dogs (his kryptonite). Heel is also important but i didn't have that one down as solidly when we started off leash - it was more important that I could get him to come to me and sit when called.

    I know it's a lab thing, but he doesn't like being far away from me. He'll wander and sniff and if he gets more than 20 yards ahead or behind me he'll turn and wait or run and catch up. If my husband and I are hiking together with him and get spread apart on the trail it distresses him a lot - he likes to be close to both of us. I'll sometimes lag behind on the trail while taking pictures and he doesn't like that at all. I've never had him run off after anything. Sometimes he'll perk up after a squirrel or a bird but a firm "leave it" brings his focus back to me and the trail.
    Mighty Thor, "So Much Dog", born 1/6/2014
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  4. #4
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    He is 9 months old, and not ready to be off lead in a wild hiking area. You could do some practice in a large fenced in area, but until his recall is 100%, and he hasn't learned his manners yet, he hasn't earned the right to be off lead in an open area yet.

    You really need to get a handle on his leash walking, he isn't a 90 lbs Labrador, he is a medium/small 40/45 lbs dog right? Teach him not to pull you, so you don't feel like you are going to fall. It sounds like he needs another round of training classes or some one on one training classes to get this fixed while he is young, the longer he disrespects you while on leash, the longer it will take to break his habits. You can try a (properly fitted and used) prong training collar to help him respect the leash, and you will have to remember to be firm with him, a trainer can help you with that. Good luck!

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  6. #5
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shelley View Post
    You really need to get a handle on his leash walking, he isn't a 90 lbs Labrador, he is a medium/small 40/45 lbs dog right? Teach him not to pull you, so you don't feel like you are going to fall. It sounds like he needs another round of training classes or some one on one training classes to get this fixed while he is young, the longer he disrespects you while on leash, the longer it will take to break his habits. You can try a (properly fitted and used) prong training collar to help him respect the leash, and you will have to remember to be firm with him, a trainer can help you with that. Good luck!
    He almost pulled me off my feet while we were walking on a steep hill among rocks and I had a bad knee. He's fine on the street. I mean, I handled Jules at 100 lbs (at his heaviest). I can handle a 40 lbs puppy We kinda hit a plateau with leash walking and I don't know how to break it. We walk. He pulls. I retreat. He follows. Repeat. It's better than Jules. Jules would pull and never stop pulling. Archie stops pulling and returns to me. But when we walk on he continues to pulls again. We have been taking classes continuously since he was 10 wks old. But they don't spend a lot of time on leash walking which is really annoying. I addressed this with the trainer last week. He gave me a tip that I tried but I just cannot get the same kind of result. Anyway, I'm really frustrated with the whole leash walking to the point where I've just been keeping him on the 30 ft lead in the yard. Really don't want to do that though. I'm resisting getting training collars/harnesses will all my might because I want to take the CGC test eventually. I know I'm doing something wrong. I just don't know what or how to do it better.

  7. #6
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    If your training classes aren't addressing how to walk nicely on a lead, you are in the wrong school, and need to find a better fit. I know I would not continue to pay for classes without yielding a result I want. I have trained enough of my own dogs, that I never give them an opportunity to pull - so they don't.

    So, try a one on one appointment with a trainer, you will get more out of 1 hour with the right trainer than years of group classes with the wrong one. You do have to be firm, fair, but firm, when training. The prong collar could be used for *training* to break the habit, and along with the trainer, get him trained to walk politely on a leash, then the CGC would be a breeze. A dog doesn't just walk into a CGC knowing what to do, you have to teach them, with training, the prong will help with that while he learns. You are right the 30 foot lead is not helping to teach him to heel on a lead with no tension, which is what you need for the CGC test, no tension. A well timed correction would help wonders, and poorly timed correction will not help you, hence the private one on one session with an accredited trainer.

    You can do this! Don't get frustrated. t's not easy, you will have to work at it everyday, several times a day, but now is the time. If you were closer, I would show you what I do, and help you...

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  9. #7
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shelley View Post
    So, try a one on one appointment with a trainer, you will get more out of 1 hour with the right trainer than years of group classes with the wrong one. You do have to be firm, fair, but firm, when training. The prong collar could be used for *training* to break the habit, and along with the trainer, get him trained to walk politely on a leash, then the CGC would be a breeze. A dog doesn't just walk into a CGC knowing what to do, you have to teach them, with training, the prong will help with that while he learns. You are right the 30 foot lead is not helping to teach him to heel on a lead with no tension, which is what you need for the CGC test, no tension. A well timed correction would help wonders, and poorly timed correction will not help you, hence the private one on one session with an accredited trainer.

    You can do this! Don't get frustrated. t's not easy, you will have to work at it everyday, several times a day, but now is the time. If you were closer, I would show you what I do, and help you...
    Yes i was considering hiring a trainer for a couple personal sessions. I emailed them tonight to get more info. Just got back from our class. The usual instructor was out so we had a sub. Coincidentally we spent 20 minutes in leash walking! Finally! I feel like i need to go back to square one [emoji24][emoji24][emoji24] Do you happen to live around Philadelphia? [emoji51]



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  10. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by MightyThor View Post
    Three behaviors were required before I started letting him off leash: a solid recall, a solid 'leave it', and dialing down the exuberance in his greeting style (it can be overwhelming to both people and other dogs).
    We frequently hike in the park with our dogs - we take them in the less populated areas on the mountain bike trails, and have the same criteria for being off-lead with a recall being the absolute number one. None of mine are that excited about meeting strangers so that hasn’t been much of an issue.

    I also agree with Shelley about the importance of teaching loose leash walking, if for no other reason that it will help him to learn to pay better attention to you, which you will want for off-lead work.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  11. #9
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    So at what age did you guys have your dogs trained for loose leash walking?


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  12. #10
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    I would agree, solid recall is a must, it is required. We still to this day do 2 things, say we are walking 2 miles, the first mile is on leash, the second mile is off leash only if he is good on the first mile. Off leash is a reward, for him as much as me.

    Hemi started practicing little bit at a time like maybe last quarter mile of our walk about about a year and a half maybe 2 years. It took me that long to get him to stop with all the pulling, to leave other dogs alone, no chasing wildlife etc. If he was bad he went right back on leash, it's all practice little steps. One of the things we also did was we walked a path by a baseball field, which was all fenced in, we could walk there, go in, and I would throw a tennis ball for him, it was off leash practice. However it really took some time. One thing that also helped was the first times he went off leash he was also back packing. This really seems to help as the backpack gives him more a of a job, more of a purpose and he doesn't run around willy nilly with it. Also make sure you always have treats with you when on leash. We they turn and check on you, praise and reward, when they are walking nicely loose leash praise and reward. It takes time. Not something that can be rushed.

    If it helps, there are some guides at the Dog Scouts site, the checksheet is what is required to get his off leash hiking badge. Also the criteria sheet you may find a little helpful. 403 Forbidden

    For backpacking make sure you introduce the backpack slowly, and lots of treats. Here is the backpacking guide, this one is really good. 403 Forbidden

    Not sure why they say forbidden, the links do work.

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