leash training - HELP!
I'm not a newbie with dogs. I worked as a vet tech for 5 years and then owned my own pet care business for 5 years. But dear god, if I don't get my newest rescue leash trained, I'm going to lost my shit.
Segunda
1 1/2 years old
German Shepherd Mix
Found on a beach in Puerto Rico
Let me premise this by saying we had resorted to a Gentle Leader which, of course, immediately made her the best walking dog in the world, but I felt like a cheater. When our other dog chewed the Gentle Leader right off of Segunda's face, I figured it was time we acted like real dog owners and stopped being lazy.
The problem? We carry treats. We stop and make her Sit. She knows to Sit and Stay. She knows "Derecha" means circle around on the left and come to a stop on the right. Segunda walks on the right and our other dog, Pirate Ninja Cyborg Jesus 1.0 (Ninja for short), walks on the left. She knows that making eye contact with me, and not necessarily only when we say, "Mira", means she gets a reward.
If she starts to pull, we stop. When she sits or looks at us she gets a reward. When she pulls too much, we change direction until she catches up and then we change direction again.
She STILL pulls. To the point where my hand is literally torn up and I've had to make several trips to the dermatologist for steroid creams.
She's a smart dog. She will sit and wait until we say, "Comela" when we put her food bowl down before she will start to eat. She knows Down and High Five. This leash training though is killing us.
We're living in Germany and finding a replacement Gentle Leader has proven difficult without ordering one.
WHAT in the hell are we not doing or can we do instead?
Segunda
1 1/2 years old
German Shepherd Mix
Found on a beach in Puerto Rico
Let me premise this by saying we had resorted to a Gentle Leader which, of course, immediately made her the best walking dog in the world, but I felt like a cheater. When our other dog chewed the Gentle Leader right off of Segunda's face, I figured it was time we acted like real dog owners and stopped being lazy.
The problem? We carry treats. We stop and make her Sit. She knows to Sit and Stay. She knows "Derecha" means circle around on the left and come to a stop on the right. Segunda walks on the right and our other dog, Pirate Ninja Cyborg Jesus 1.0 (Ninja for short), walks on the left. She knows that making eye contact with me, and not necessarily only when we say, "Mira", means she gets a reward.
If she starts to pull, we stop. When she sits or looks at us she gets a reward. When she pulls too much, we change direction until she catches up and then we change direction again.
She STILL pulls. To the point where my hand is literally torn up and I've had to make several trips to the dermatologist for steroid creams.
She's a smart dog. She will sit and wait until we say, "Comela" when we put her food bowl down before she will start to eat. She knows Down and High Five. This leash training though is killing us.
We're living in Germany and finding a replacement Gentle Leader has proven difficult without ordering one.
WHAT in the hell are we not doing or can we do instead?