Dog Obsessed Puppy - Help!

[ILikeToClean]

Puppy is now nearly 5 months so I know I should not expect too much, but he really is perfect - indoors! When we go for walks he is great - until we see another dog and then he is just completely obsessed with them. He literally stops and waits for them to approach, I cannot move him or if they are ahead of us will literally pull my arm out of its socket to try and get to them. He already weighs 13kg so you can imagine I need to sort out the pulling!

Of course we do greet other dogs and he is pretty calm and up for a play if they are (he is learning "etiquette") but the problem is he will not want to stop. Other dogs come up, say hello and then go about their business but he will try to pull me over to follow them and nothing I do works. We have to wait until they are out of sight before moving on and he is then panting and almost choking on his lead by this stage. He has even retched!

Have tried to make myself the most exciting thing ever, done the "look at me" thing, tried all sorts of treats that we just give him on walks, like chicken, liver, cheese etc, but he is not interested, he literally kind of "waves" me away from him, yet any other time he is very treat orientated and is a dream to train at home.

It's getting to the stage where I dread seeing people with dogs. He is just over friendly is all and I know he is still young, but not sure what else to do. Will he simply grow out of it?!

Please advise: should I get a harness to stop the pulling at least? If so, what sort? I don't like the idea of a halti over his nose but will try it if it works. I can't let him off the lead in case he sees another dog because he would be off! I have an extendible lead that I was using for when we go to the park for more freedom but he kind of pings on it which I hate so have stopped using it. Should I get a long line that I can kind of give him his freedom but "reel him in" a bit easier?

We tried a puppy class but was pointless as the trainer allowed the pups to be off lead and play first, so of course he didn't want to then do anything else and was just obsessed, leading her to call him a difficult dog!! I was so upset as he really isn't, he is the most chilled out dog at home.

We have signed up to do a different course in July which sounds a lot more focussed and formal, but in the meantime do you recommend a harness for walks around the block and a long line for park walks and any other suggestions as to what I can do? The last 2 days I have got really frustrated and ended up shouting at him and yanking him - not at all what I want to do to my lovely boy!

HELP!

Probably not much help, but mine weighs 39 kg and I just drag him off in the opposite direction if he's not behaving - he only gets to greet them if he's doing what I say.

I also have a flexi and a harness...that way it doesn't matter when he reaches the end. I couldn't get on with a long line, I'm not co-ordinated enough.

He is slowly getting better - oh and of course he gets loads of praise and rewards when he behaves the way I want.

I bought an "over the shoulder" lead from The Range which was brilliant when my lab went through the stage of being desperate to meet and greet every dog and person he saw, he'd often sit and refuse to move.
I'd just put the lead over my shoulder, across my body, and keep walking, no arm or shoulder strain at all. Dog has no choice and has to walk in heel position, he'd give in as soon as I put the lead in position because he knew resistance was futile .
I can't find mine on line to show you but . My lead is much nicer, a lovely soft leather so very comfortable. I went back and bought another one as soon as I realised how useful it was.

It just looks like a control lead? You get them pretty much anywhere.

Thanks for your replies.

Tabulahrasa - that is what (I try to) do, drag him off, but I only weigh 100lb myself so it's hard. Does the harness really help? What sort have you got?

Thegriffon - have never heard of an "over the shoulder" and as I am at work today the link you sent is restricted - but will look at home tonight as it sounds ideal. Do you think that would be better than a halti?

There are so many options for harnesses/collars etc, I find it all very confusing and don't want to waste money getting lots of different ones to try, just want to get the right one and obviously still continue with training etc, it's just to get us through to the training course!

Any other ideas?

The harness doesn't stop him pulling at all...it just deadens the jolt, lol. But that's why you're supposed to use a harness with an extendable lead, to stop them hurting themselves.

I do use a headcollar on a normal lead - not a halti, haltis tighten, I don't like the idea of that, I use a gentle leader because my vet's sell them and I can stand in there trying things on and they're quite happy to let me do that. it just sits on his face, in the same way a collar sits on their neck (like a horse's headcollar)if you see what I mean and it does make it a lot easier because he can't put his weight into the pulling.

I have used a lupi harness on a previous dog and that worked well, but this one would just walk on his hind legs anyway, nevermind if it was pulling it up, lol.

My lab is also dog obsessed and i use a slip lead on her. Our trainer advises it and it works well. It doesn't stop her pulling entirely but gives me more control over her.

It looks like this

Thanks all, so much choice, the lupi looks good, probably best to actually go in a shop and try some rather than online?

Found it here not advertised as a shoulder lead, its apparently based on police lead.
tabulahrasa - yes, same principle as a control lead but much more comfortable to hold, worn over the shoulder across the body it doesn't dig in at all because it's round and soft. Lasts well, been using mine every day for 2.5 years.

I like to try things on, but mine has an awkward shaped head, lol.

Thegriffon that looks good, thank you. Have emailed the trainer on my upcoming course too to see if she can give any pointers as she has the same breed.

I would recommend using a harness with a front/chest lead clip for a dog that leaps/drags towards things it's interested in. With front clips, when the dog leaps/drags/lunges, their own weight works against them to turn them back towards you. The better ones also have a back clip to which you can either attach an extra lead or loop the lead by clipping it to both the front to the back clips.

I've always bought Ezydog harnesses, but am seriously tempted to buy one of [http://nikki-brown.co.uk/lead-training/ these]] for lurcherboy. (Not sure about the chest looping business the trainer does in the video by the way. It seems to overcomplicate things to me when there's already a chest clip on the harness. )

Oops - I'll try that again shall I.

these

I use a perfect fit harness from Dog Games. Wouldn't recommend a slip lead. They can do damage to necks.

How does the slip lead damage necks? She hardly pulls at all with it on? When I use a normal lead she pulls like mad and I worry it will damage her neck more.

Could you get any one to one training sessions with your trainer now, rather than waiting until July for the course to start?
A month seems a long time to wait when dealing with a puppy. It must be rubbish for both of you having only on lead walks and you dreading seeing other dogs will be picked up by your pup.

Yes you're right I'm sure he's picking up on my anxiety. So many different types of harness I still don't know what to go for! Will see what trainer says re one to one, might be an idea. DDs want to take him to a paws in the park event on Sunday! Er... For him that will equal dog heaven fest!! Although if we walk him elsewhere before he might just be too knackered to be bothered

I can't be doing with harnesses - in my view, they just give the dog more to pull with. They get to use their entire body to pull rather than just their neck.

Teach the dog not to pull on the lead - that's the most important thing - and ultimately the most pleasant. Walking a dog should never be a battle of strength, it would make it such an unpleasant thing to do. Learning to walk on a lead shouldn't be hard to do, especially if you never allow a dog to learn to pull in the first place.

Littlewhite - don't worry about the sliplead, it sounds as though you're using it perfectly. I only use slipleads and have never, ever met anyone who has a dog with a damaged neck as a result of using one. A lead trained dog will walk happily with a loose sliplead loop around its neck.

I wouldn't use a sliplead on a young dog who isn't lead trained though - I'd go for a collar and lead and get teaching.

Daisy I understand that training him not to pull is what I need to do, and I am doing that, with some success when we are alone, it's more the pulling to get to other dogs/people. Harnesses are controversial as I realise they don't "fix" the problem, and there are so many different types, but I just think it might be a useful tool for the interim. So confused...!

I think it's a very healthy attitude to think of harnesses as a tool, rather than a solution. You are working on training him not to pull and just need a tool for support in the meantime, I think that's perfectly reasonable. If you were thinking that getting a harness was going to be the solution, then there'd be a problem.

I don't see any issue with using anything that works (except obviously anything that's painful or really unpleasant) because the difference between a collar or a headcollar or a harness might be what makes training easier to do.

A dog lunging in the end of a collar because the owner can't physically do anything about it is not going to learn anything other than that lunging is fun. If something else is going to help them manage to actually do some positive training better, then why not use it?

Like I said I used a lupi harness on a previous dog - he was a half grown rescue who came already pulling, with that and training within a few months he walked perfectly on a lead even when I stopped using it.

The current puppy has a headcollar because he's had medical issues that have interfered with walking and training, but the plan is to continue with training until we reach a point where it's no longer needed.

I'd rather use a harness or headcollar than struggle on getting no progress because it's taking so much energy just to hold a dog still in a collar.

Honestly he will get better with plenty of practice, my golden retriever was the same at that age but is a dream now he's 13 months old. I remember how frustrating it was though! It did take a lot of lead training though, both on my own on our daily walks and at weekly classes.

I'm glad you're trying a new trainer as the first one didn't sound too helpful! You sound like you're doing all the right things, just practice lots and eventually he'll get there. My dog was totally useless in the first few classes but he got there.

How is he when they are some distance away, say on the other side of the road? It's usually easier to train them to re-focus on you at some distance and then gradually work on getting closer. Also the better you can get him looking at you and walking to heel outside WITHOUT other dogs around the easier it will gradually become to train him around dogs.

Thanks for all your replies and support! I do think he is such a great dog in every other aspect that he will get there, don't want to wish his time away but I do think in a year's time he will probably be one of those lovely dogs you see ambling along and just looking at people and dogs without a care! Here's hoping...

Ithasgonetotheopera - good to hear your positive story about your GR, did you ever resort to a harness or anything? In answer to your question, no he still goes mad when dogs are on the other side of the road or across the way, basically if he catches sight then we have "lost" him, doesn't matter what we do, say or have treatwise! Or he will look at me, get the treat and then turn straight back to what he was doing before! I try to lead him away luring the treat but no matter how far we have gone, once he gets the treat he turns straight back! He is too clever to have "forgotten" about the other dog!

With this new training class, at the first session you don't even take the dog with you, and they don't really want the dogs to interact with each other (will be fun!) as they want them to focus on you solely at first. Think my lovely pup will certainly make the trainer earn her money!

We are going to look at harnesses etc tomorrow so hopefully will get him sorted in the interim!

Is he allowed off lead yet? I find our giant puppy ( 10 1/2 months 60kg) became much better at meeting dogs once he was allowed off lead.
Also walking with other dogs helps as well - if he has playmates , he is much happier to leave other dogs alone..... Having said that we still have some work to do with regards to meeting other dogs in lead , some he is calm with, some not so much.
We use a dogmatic which is really effective, but are looking at giving a canny collar a go, as I don't like the only having control of the head thing....

Just reading about the puppy class- focusing on you is important, but so is socialization......

MrsLaughan - he already went to a puppy class for 6 weeks where he was allowed to play with the other puppies and 2 puppy parties at the vets, he is well socialised but just a bit too friendly with other dogs! I don't think socialisation in the problem, he is too social. He will be 6 months when he starts there so I think old enough to start a more "serious" class, they do let the dogs socialise but only after the session I believe. What we found with the previous class was she would let them off the lead to play and he just wanted to continue with that for the whole session.

He has been off lead and is pretty good at staying close to us but this has been when there has been nobody around, and my DH and DDs are with me so there are 4 of us in case he sees another dog as I would be scared he would run off. However, I do meet another dog owner who has the most gorgeous well behaved GRs and I let him off lead with them as I know they will not go far from their owner and the owner is very experienced and would help me if necessary, and he just follows them, they have been teaching him etiquette and he loves them! Most of my friends with dogs have very small dogs and he is a bit too enthusiastic for them! I do see what you are saying though, if he had that freedom to play rather than swinging around on the lead with me holding him it would obviously be a lot more fun for him, and this is the aim, but at the moment I think he would just run off with them and not listen to us at all, and I have heard the worse thing you can do is call your dog and they don't come back, because they learn not to listen to you!