So our walks were getting very tiresome to me. That’s part of the reason I finally got off my butt and signed us up for training. But I think I mentioned that he was also better on a short leash. So I would hold the leash behind my back and clasp my hand so I could walk relatively comfortably even if Kody pulled. I also started watching the Dog Whisperer DVDs again to see if I could get some insight. I did.
Today after practicing a lot at home over the last few days, Kody and I went to the SRT and had a perfect walk. It was a big challenge because he gets really excited at the beginning and the end of the walk. But at no time did I let him pull on the leash continuously. When there was a lot to distract him it was almost constant *tsst* while jerking on the leash till he calmed down, but it worked. He barked at some bikes when we first got there but only like three times before I got him to stop. He barked once at a dog we were passing but that dog barked too. And he barked twice at some people that had parked next to us when we were going back to the car.
But enough about the bad stuff. He was so good! He quickly dealt with ignoring bikes all together. The leash was loose the entire time. He didn’t seem to want to change that much so wasn’t fighting me. He was pleasant and happy. He even let the people who parked next to us give him a treat and was very happy about it.
I know that Kody is a tough dog to train. Today worked because I had all the experience I have and paid close attention to the dog whisperer. Almost all the jerks of the leash were preemptive where I could tell though my peripheral vision Kody was distracted. I never would have been able to do that at first. And I think the preemptive nature of what the dog whisperer does was the key for me. At the first sign of distraction, he does his thing. It’s hard to see at first. He doesn’t scold the dog, he prevents them from doing what he doesn’t want and then the dogs just eventually get the picture and go along with it. That’s what I did with Kody today.