# help in getting walters leash attached



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would start without the leash, or the word Walk, when he is quiet and relaxed in the evening. Ask for a Sit, hold his collar for a second, and treat. Then I'd gradually increase the hold time, fumbling as if attaching a lead, and introduce a cue word, like Collar. Practice intermittently through the day.

When it is getting towards time for a walk, start getting ready in good time. Be very calm, don't use the Walk word or wind him up, and take the leash to wherever you have most practised the Collar cue. Ask him to sit - if he bounces instead, put the leash down and turn away. He will probably be horrified - what has happened to the happy game you play together before a walk?! But given this is a poodle, I bet after a couple of goes he will try the new trick he has learned, and let you take hold of his collar - quick praise and out for a walk immediately - the walk is the reward for having the leash put on!

Poppy gets excited when I put my shoes on, and grabbed and mouthed my shoes. I found saying No, etc made little difference - silently lifting the shoe back up and waiting half a second before trying again stops the behaviour almost instantly! She wants me to put my shoes on and take her out - if what she does delays that, she changes what she does.


----------



## sarahmurphy (Mar 22, 2012)

Spike has one shot to get in the collar and lead, or he stays home. The advantage here is that we do have a small fenced yard to potty in, and outings are for fun, not necessity! 

So, you snooze, you lose works here, but only if you are not creating a potty accident by leaving without him... You could try just leaving for about 3 minutes without him, then coming in, getting a glass of water, or something normal and "Home", then offering the leash again, "forgetting" that he just refused the last time... 

When he does sit and take the leash well, give him plenty of praise and treats with that walk!

sarah


----------



## zyrcona (Jan 9, 2011)

My dog used to act stupid as soon as she knew I was taking her out. I gave her an instruction to sit and wait, and if she did not, the lead went away and I sat down again and she did not get to go out. Wait half an hour, repeat, until the dog gets the message (no lead on and no walk until you control yourself).


----------



## waltersmom (Sep 8, 2012)

*Thank you all so much*

Gosh I love this forum, It is wonderful to be able to get good input on training my Walter. fjm, you really hit a home run with your advise about not winding him up. by golly that is just what I have been doing, DUH!!! I walk with a friend every morning and as soon as I get back Walter is waiting right at the door because he knows it is time for his walk. I always act excited and ask in a excited voice, are you ready to go!!!!! Lets go for a walk!!! no wonder he is so spaz and crazy acting. I will work on desensitizing him with your advise about holding his collar when he is calm. All of you people are amazing with your help and I need a lot of it. I really enjoy working with walter and I can see some real improvement. Where I really need improvement is remembering that my boy is very exciteable and high energy and I have to stop feeding into that. He is a wonderful puppy and very smart but he will require a lot of patience if he is to become the wonderful adult I want him to be. Thanks again everyone and God bless.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

We all do it - and then get annoyed with the dog for getting excited back! I am always amused by the difference between Poppy and Sophy - Poppy leaps around - "Oh WOW! A WALK! Come-on-come-on-come-on! We're going for a WALK!!" Sophy raises her eyes to heaven, and points out that by the time I've found my shoes, taken whatever it is out of the oven, checked the mail, hunted for the car key, and finally got my act together, she could have had another 15 minutes snooze!


----------



## waltersmom (Sep 8, 2012)

Thanks again fjm, if I can bother you again for some advise, I am working on several things with walter, impulse control{he really needs this} sit stay, leave it, and desenseatizing him at being handled, toenails, face. Can I be throwing too much at him at once, he is only five months. He is so smart, he has learned that if he starts to chase the cat, I will give the leave it command, and he can quickly come to me and get his treat. So now it is a game, chase the cat, get a treat. I just love how he can reason at such an early age.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Sounds like now might be the time to give him the treat for coming to you when he begins to _think_ about chasing the cat! I don't think you are overloading him, as long as each session is short and ends on a high note. Many dogs - especially intelligent dogs - seem to get bored and turned off repeating the same thing over and over. If he is thriving on lots of different games - which is how he will see reward based training - I would keep going as you are. The things you describe are all related - they are all a kind of impulse control - so are probably mutually reinforcing.


----------



## waltersmom (Sep 8, 2012)

Thanks again fjm, your help is easy to put into action. There are times when I feel like walter is just too hyper and he is not getting it and then when he is in a calm mood he shows me that he does know commands like sit, down, leave it, and I am reinforced with the knowledge that if I am consistent he will get better and better. I do keep the sessions short to match his patience for repetition. He is still at that age where he wants to be where ever I am and always wants to interact with me so that helps. I need to really work on his grooming manners, he wants to bite on all my tools, hates the dryer and clippers and I find that letting him settle down after I put him on the table,{sometimes ten or fifteen minutes} seems to make him easier to deal with.


----------



## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

If he screws around he doesn't go outside. Drop the leash (like throw it straight down on the floor - it's a cue that something happened), walk away and completely ignore him for at least 10 minutes. Try again in an hour.

After a couple days, tell him to sit first. No sit = leash on the floor, no attention and no walk.

No, you're not throwing too much at him at a time. 

"Hyper" dogs are the easiest to train. Do you play tug with him? It's a great way to channel his energy into cooperation, focus, and training.


----------



## waltersmom (Sep 8, 2012)

Do we play tug!!!!!!!OMG, he loves it, he wants to play it all the time. No matter what I am doing, dishes, napping, working in the yard, all of a sudden there is a favorite toy being pushed at my legs or what ever part of me he can get to. There is nothing like trying to nap and all of a sudden you have a tug toy in your face and a puppy ready to go. He is not as big on fetch as he was when he was younger, the tug game has taken over. I am thinking of trying hide and seek with him since he already hides his treats and bones all over the house. Found one in my shoe one morning. He sure keeps me laughing.


----------



## waltersmom (Sep 8, 2012)

Thanks tortise,I tried throwing his lead down and went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee when I felt a nudge on my calf and there stood my boy with the leash in his mouth looking at me like, here mom, you droped this, lets go!!! I have got to learn to stop laughing at him when he does things like that. Like my kids when they were growing up, I know it just encourages the behavior but he is just so darn cute!!!!!


----------



## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

So did he get his walk?


----------



## waltersmom (Sep 8, 2012)

Now! you know he did, it is so hard to stand your ground when your furry little boy has just out smarted you. He was better about letting me put his leash on though!!!


----------



## RileysMommy (Jul 18, 2011)

waltersmom said:


> Thanks tortise,I tried throwing his lead down and went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee when I felt a nudge on my calf and there stood my boy with the leash in his mouth looking at me like, here mom, you droped this, lets go!!! I have got to learn to stop laughing at him when he does things like that. Like my kids when they were growing up, I know it just encourages the behavior but he is just so darn cute!!!!!


LOL Now, THAT'S cute!


----------

