Are you worried I'm a little crazy? Who puts a bow in her dog's hair? This photo is a joke. Mostly. All my friends have been posting about their kids going to school, so I thought I would get into the spirit of things. It's only like 30% serious. Plus I love it because I was just trying to get a picture of Osa but Micah didn't want to be left out.
A couple of the things they taught in class my brilliant little Osa already knew. We already taught her how to sit, stay, and I can put a treat on the floor and she won't eat it until I tell her it's ok. Sometimes I can even put it on her paw. When I put the treat on her paw, she looks away, like she can't stand the temptation.
One thing that was really, really helpful in the training class was the instruction for loose leash walking.
As soon as we clip on the leash and open the front door, Osa is tugging at that leash and trying to run. She looks like when Scooby Doo does that run but he stays in one spot.
I wish we would have taken a video. It was crazy to watch. And she made these little squeaking noises because she was trying to choke herself.
But loose leash training works if you're consistent. The trainer owns a 190 pound dog and he said a child can walk his dog with a pinky finger. Here's how to do it.
You should use a harness, not a collar. Collars are really only intended for IDs. Harnesses won't damage their windpipe. Get a harness where you can clip the leash to the FRONT. If you clip it to the back, the dog has great traction to try to drag you. If you clip the leash to the front, then when your dog tries to drag you, she gets pulled around.
The trainer had us take our dogs out into the store and walk the aisles. The trick is to let your dog walk as long as the leash is loose. As soon as the dog starts pulling, you plant your feet, stop, and say, "Uh uh" which acts as a correction to the dog. As soon as the dog stops pulling, then start walking and say, "Let's go!" If the dog starts pulling, immediately stop and repeat. One trick that was useful (because Osa is a HUGE puller) is changing direction. Don't let the dog tell you where to go. The trainer said, "It's your walk, the dog just gets to come with you. Don't let your dog be in control."
It was amusing, because the trainer always demonstrates with our dogs first and then let's us try. He said not to be surprised if he could control our dogs better than we could. As soon as he took Osa's leash and told her, "Let's go!" she was off like a rocket, trying to pull him along. He looked at us and asked if she always behaved like that. Uh, yes. After awhile she started to get the hang of it, but he warned it would be different outside than in the store.
We've practiced and practiced and it's taken a few days. Our first practice at home on our street it took ten minutes just to get down the driveway. Consistency is key, and we also learned something else. Osa doesn't like it when Micah (our old man dog) is in front. She will pull and pull until she gets in front, and then she starts behaving.
So we're working on it, slowly and surely. I've seen improvement but I'm not ready to consider her completely trained. But I am excited that it's working.
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