tracking

a.baker

New Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,130
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Michigan
#1
Another thread has inspired me ask this. (By the way my internet will be shut off any day now possibly today so depending when this happens I might not have a chance to view results. But I can look later when I get it turned back on ,who knows AT&T turns little by little off, yesterday our long distance got turned off). But any who...

When I take Bender for walks he is constantly in the mind set of tracking. This is one reason why I know he would be an awesome hunting dog. His mama was a bird dog and pure breed and his daddy too but his daddy had 1/4 lab in him. Bender wants any little furry thing that moves so very badly.

So this isn't your typical I'm distracted training but I smell a ground mole or a deer and I HAVE to get it. No treats distract and neither does any command or sounds. The only thing that gets his attention is a dead stop. I have thought about buying him a harness, when I can, that will pull his nose down when he starts to pull.

So this is like putting crack in front of a crack head and telling them to not touch it while they are having withdrawals LOL. Or where the great saying comes from you can take a country boy out of the country but you can take the country out of the country boy (or what ever).

So I need suggestions from dog hunter owners that are successful on leash walking their dogs. I noticed most of these types of dogs are able to roam their yard freely and stay within the perimeter (farm dogs/ working or herding dogs). They never seem to leash them no matter where they go. But I live on only 2 acres and on a busy road right outside of city limits. Bender always stays put in our back yard when he goes out loose (my hubby always does this, he is too lazy to leash). But I am a chicken so I have a super long clothes line rope I put him on.

This is also not an exercise issue. Its like immediately when we leave our yard he thinks he needs to track the first thing he comes across.
 

lizzybeth727

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
6,403
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Texas
#2
One thing I can suggest is to teach your dog to back up in loose leash walking position. By this I mean, the dog is taking several steps directly backwards - not turning around. This is not a natural behavior for dogs, and does take a little practice and back-end awareness. But, the good thing here is that dogs cannot walk backwards and keep their nose on the ground - their nose automatically comes up when they start thinking about walking back. So, anytime your dog puts his nose to the ground when you don't want him to, ask him to back up a step or two, then take a step or two forward while his head's still up and treat him for walking forward with his head up. Does that make sense?

I'd also let him sniff the ground as a reward for good walking. Put it on cue - either a release cue or just a "sniff" cue - and when he does something good just tell him to sniff and take a few minutes to let him explore a bit. In a thirty minute walk, I'd probably stop and let him sniff at least 10 times, at least to begin with.
 

Dekka

Just try me..
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
19,779
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
48
Location
Ontario
#3
Can he loose leash walk in a less distracting environment? Your yard, your kitchen, etc?
 

a.baker

New Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,130
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Michigan
#4
One thing I can suggest is to teach your dog to back up in loose leash walking position. By this I mean, the dog is taking several steps directly backwards - not turning around. This is not a natural behavior for dogs, and does take a little practice and back-end awareness. But, the good thing here is that dogs cannot walk backwards and keep their nose on the ground - their nose automatically comes up when they start thinking about walking back. So, anytime your dog puts his nose to the ground when you don't want him to, ask him to back up a step or two, then take a step or two forward while his head's still up and treat him for walking forward with his head up. Does that make sense?

I'd also let him sniff the ground as a reward for good walking. Put it on cue - either a release cue or just a "sniff" cue - and when he does something good just tell him to sniff and take a few minutes to let him explore a bit. In a thirty minute walk, I'd probably stop and let him sniff at least 10 times, at least to begin with.
Thats an idea....
 

a.baker

New Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
1,130
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Michigan
#5
Can he loose leash walk in a less distracting environment? Your yard, your kitchen, etc?
In the kitchen I never tried. But in our yard he is much better of a listener when he is off leash. For some reason putting the leash on (even in our yard) makes something click inside that its time to hunt something down.

When hes free he runs and runs, but when hes on the leash his nose is stuck to the ground going in this direction or that and sometimes he dead stops (sometimes poop from another animal) and starts digging at the ground (I think thats because of ground moles, we have a ton) or he will stop and sniff the air (pointing pose usually a rabit is aorund or a deer was just there).

My hubby just let him out and he saw a squirrel. Bender started for it and my hubby yelled his name to come back and he did. I can guarantee if he was on the leash he wouldn't even hear a voice (doesn't matter who, sounds or treats, he does this with hubby too), he gets in this zone no matter environment, except again I haven't tried in the house. Its like he wants to either be free or he just has to be the leader. He thinks when we go out on the leash we are looking for something, he doesn't seem to grasp the simple idea of going for a walk, he's on a mission and wants to be the first one there.

The body language is in total tracking mode, not the "I see something over there, oh now somethings over there".
 

Dekka

Just try me..
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
19,779
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
48
Location
Ontario
#6
If he can't LLW in your own yard that he is familiar with, you need to keep going back steps until you find somewhere where he can. Even without the tracking issue.

Going for a walk around the block is like university to a dog who hasn't finished grade school (but many of us just expect dogs to do it as it doesn't seem that difficult to us.)

If he's more apt to listen in the yard that's where I'd go for distraction, but less distraction after you see if he'll listen and focus somewhere quieter hopefully indoors.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top