And another puppy training mistake

Hello All,

I feel like I'm using this forum as a confessional for my new puppy owners DO NOT list, but heck whatever. Today's lesson is do not skip walking your puppy or he will forget how to walk properly. I normally walk Fletcher 3 times a day, early in the morning then in the afternoon if it not 200 degrees outside (which many days have been lately) then a good long mile walk in the evenings. Well, I walked Fletcher Friday morning but then I was doing some serious housework and somehow manged to twist my knee pretty good so I have not walked him until this evening Monday.

He was awful, he pulled, he twisted around me, even tried his favorite biting at my clothes trick. I have to keep stopping and stopping. Here's what I do....when Fletcher pulls I sit, no more walking until he chilled out and sitting or laying I ignore him when Fletcher bites at my clothes I stop ignore him until he is chilled. If this is crappy technique I really don't care.....my goal is to not have him pulling me down the path and no having me trip while he is nipping my cloths. I have been very consistent so it works for me. I understand I look like a total fool walking my dog and sitting every few feet but...

Fletcher is so easily distracted (like most cavaliers). Plus I am trying to avoid training treats right now because I don't know if it the heat or a faze but he is not eating him meals too well. By the end of the walk he was doing better but still. I hope this is only a mini step backwards. In the future I'm never going to skip walks again....ok well never more than one.

And we start puppy classes this week. Heheheeeee much needed for me I think.

Melissa

There will always be a time when you have to skip a walk or two. I hurt my knee a while back and have been relying on the dog park, so my Tucker's leash walking is sort of iffy, at best! But what you're describing is how I trained him pretty much. It's very effective. I found the information on YouTube and it was great.

You might want to find a couple games you can play with him inside the house for when you can't walk him (or find someone else to walk him), or when the weather is rotten. I used to play ball with Tess--she's so little it worked in the living room. You can also play the "go to/come" game which is really a training exercise, teaching the dog to go to someone who is another room. Things like that will keep him mentally and physically challenged enough that he won't drive you completely 'round the bend when he can't go out... (maybe)

Nothing wrong with your technique, I stood, but sitting is fine. The important thing is to stop and IGNORE until his behaviour improves.

It's very easy at this stage for him to lose skills he seemed to have mastered, you just need to be patient and persistent.

About him not eating much, if he'll go for it, I take my Cavalier's food and use that as training treats. I actually just finished doing some work with him just now, and I used his food. Whatever we didn't use for training, I just put in his dish and let him eat the rest. That way, he's not getting anything extra.