Ahhh Joey... you crazy pup you...
Ok... I knew what I was getting into with getting an Ibizan Hound. They are STUBBORN! I knew I was going to be dealing with a stubborn dog, especially considering he's a young male.
I need to teach him that leash time is not play time. When you're walking him he loves to grab the leash to try and play tug. He'll grab stuff along the way (sticks, fallen branches, rocks, etc) to play with and hit me with while we're walking. He walks on leash (which I'm praising him a ton for when he isn't trying to be a tard) but all of a sudden he'll start bouncing around me and it's everything I can do to get him to get his focus off play and back on walking.
The above is when I'm walking him alone. Now add in Cricket. I've mostly been walking them alone so I can get a better feel for him and get an idea what kind of stuff we need to work on. This morning I had to walk him with Cricket because I was kind of rushing to get to work on time. The entire walk he kept trying to play with Cricket and grab at her leash. He's a big goofball and I know he's just trying to have fun, but OMG it made for a terrible walk. I was constantly trying to get his focus back on walking, but let's face it, walking on the leash just isn't quite as fun as pouncing on the dog next to you.
He knows sit, lie down, stay, wait, leave it etc.... but will only do it when he wants to and not necessarily always when you want him to... unless of course you have a BIG reward for him and even then it still seems to be when he feels like it. So he's definitely going to take some work and I'm not sure how much structure and training he had in his previous homes.
I introduced the clicker to him the other day. I'm not sure if anyone has ever used a clicker with him and he seemed interested in it, but he was more interested in trying to take the clicker out of my hand then that shredded chicken I was trying to give him. oh boy...
On the subject of teaching him not to be a nutter butter when he is on leash... what are some tips, tricks and ideas you think I should try with him? I'm trying him out with different types of food rewards to see what he likes, doesn't like much, etc. He seems to be pretty darn toy motivated, but I don't want to amp him up too much with a toy especially when I'm trying to teach him that when he is on leash and we are walking that it's not play time.
He is getting lots of play time in (at work, dog park and home) and he does seem to have a pretty good off switch as well and it content to chill out and gnaw a bone. I've been working on some mental exercises with him mainly doing some basic sits, downs, stays, leave it, drop it as well as trying to teach him how to play some games (find the hidden toy is a fav).
But he has to learn to walk on a leash properly without bouncing around like he has ants in his pants because it's just pure annoying when he pounces on Cricket in play onleash or grabs his leash suddenly and starts play growling and tugging.
Ok... I knew what I was getting into with getting an Ibizan Hound. They are STUBBORN! I knew I was going to be dealing with a stubborn dog, especially considering he's a young male.
I need to teach him that leash time is not play time. When you're walking him he loves to grab the leash to try and play tug. He'll grab stuff along the way (sticks, fallen branches, rocks, etc) to play with and hit me with while we're walking. He walks on leash (which I'm praising him a ton for when he isn't trying to be a tard) but all of a sudden he'll start bouncing around me and it's everything I can do to get him to get his focus off play and back on walking.
The above is when I'm walking him alone. Now add in Cricket. I've mostly been walking them alone so I can get a better feel for him and get an idea what kind of stuff we need to work on. This morning I had to walk him with Cricket because I was kind of rushing to get to work on time. The entire walk he kept trying to play with Cricket and grab at her leash. He's a big goofball and I know he's just trying to have fun, but OMG it made for a terrible walk. I was constantly trying to get his focus back on walking, but let's face it, walking on the leash just isn't quite as fun as pouncing on the dog next to you.
He knows sit, lie down, stay, wait, leave it etc.... but will only do it when he wants to and not necessarily always when you want him to... unless of course you have a BIG reward for him and even then it still seems to be when he feels like it. So he's definitely going to take some work and I'm not sure how much structure and training he had in his previous homes.
I introduced the clicker to him the other day. I'm not sure if anyone has ever used a clicker with him and he seemed interested in it, but he was more interested in trying to take the clicker out of my hand then that shredded chicken I was trying to give him. oh boy...
On the subject of teaching him not to be a nutter butter when he is on leash... what are some tips, tricks and ideas you think I should try with him? I'm trying him out with different types of food rewards to see what he likes, doesn't like much, etc. He seems to be pretty darn toy motivated, but I don't want to amp him up too much with a toy especially when I'm trying to teach him that when he is on leash and we are walking that it's not play time.
He is getting lots of play time in (at work, dog park and home) and he does seem to have a pretty good off switch as well and it content to chill out and gnaw a bone. I've been working on some mental exercises with him mainly doing some basic sits, downs, stays, leave it, drop it as well as trying to teach him how to play some games (find the hidden toy is a fav).
But he has to learn to walk on a leash properly without bouncing around like he has ants in his pants because it's just pure annoying when he pounces on Cricket in play onleash or grabs his leash suddenly and starts play growling and tugging.