# The Mental Walk



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

When I had lunch with Lori G and aasteapots last week we spent some of our time talking about how to deal with young poodle energy levels. Lori G is getting her puppy in October so she was interested to hear from aasteapots and me about how we worked on the energy needs of our young dogs. Coal is under a year old and Javelin is 15 months old.

Both of us agreed that walks with thinking work thrown in are far more effective at dealing with young dog exuberance that just walking of even jogging with the dog. If you like jogging and your dog is at an age where pounding the pavement for short distances might be okay then go for it, but try to work in thinking breaks during your run.

So what is a thinking walk? It incorporates physical activity of walking or light running, but takes time along the way to do sits, downs, stands, short recalls, focused attention, any work that makes your puppy/adolescent or adult dog work for you. For example when I walk any of my dogs in my neighborhood or in town when I reach a stop sign I stop. For the grown ups they know to automatically sit, for Javvy I still sometimes have to ask for the sit. After whoever is with me has sat I do some attention work (like maybe the five cookie game I have described in the Javelin training thread. Then I will do some position change activities and maybe a sit stay or down stay. As we walk I do pace changes for one segment of the trip with the expectation that the dog will stay at loose leash whatever I am doing. In between the mental work the dog(s) is allowed to sniff and the like as long as the leash is loose.

Try it, you'll like the results and if you are currently finding that your dog is still over the top with energy late in the evening, you will find that you will have a nice happy couch potato who wants to watch TV with you.


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## Sammy the spoo (Jul 7, 2016)

Thank you for your description! We have been working on this, and yes Sammy looks happy. He has to sit at every corner before crossing the street, and we (I) randomly change directions so he has to be paying attention. He has also started noticing the tension in the leash and either he corrects himself or with a gentle, slight tug, he remembers to either get back in position (loose leash, next to me). Also we have been doing a sit stay for passing bikes, speeding cars, or new people. He's getting much much better with calming behaviour... Also he can sniff on command (release? With "go sniff")

The only big problem at this point is the little creatures! Do you have suggestions? He loves to lunge and jerk as soon as he sees a squirrel, a bunny or a bird. He's getting so strong and he can easily jerk me. If I see the creature first, we do a sit stay and a leave it. But if the creature decides to cross right in front if us, then he's so tempted! If you can advice me on that, that would be great!!!

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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

It sounds like you are doing a great job with thinking walks! I also use sit stays when there is traffic. When you want to allow Sammy to sniff you can teach him that an order like "free" or free dog" means he can do as he pleases as long as the leash stays loose. I would teach this in your yard with Sammy on a leash. Do some attention work and then let him wander and sniff in the yard while you follow him on leash with the leash loose. If you already have a release from work order I would use that word, but if you don't then free works well.

As to the distracting little critters I would start by staying on the front lawn with Sammy on a leash. As you see a squirrel coming along you will do your attention exercise. Once Sammy gives you good attention despite knowing a squirrel is near you can tell him to look at the squirrel and then immediately resume your attention exercise. After you have a good return to attention despite little critters passing by your front yard you will find that you can do the same thing on the walk. Sammy look there's a squirrel followed quickly by Sammy eyes up or look at me or whatever your order for attention is. Along the way make his attention worth it with something yummy, but make sure that you work relatively quickly to get him to hold the attention for longer intervals before you pay.


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## Sammy the spoo (Jul 7, 2016)

What a good idea to work more attention work and sniff commands in the front and back yards first. It totally make sense to practice the "controlled sniffing" with loose leash in the backyard. Sammy will "go sniff" on walks, but if he finds something really interesting, he pulls hard. I like the idea of loose leash, controlled sniffing. 

Also we often work on attention work - "look" and I touch the rim of my glasses for an eye contact. We actually use it a lot, so your advice on sitting in the front yard to work on squirrel distraction would be a great variation to his attention work. 

It was a great reminder that we should be working on commands at home first then expanding our area to more distractions. Thank you for your help!!

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## aasteapots (Oct 6, 2013)

Coal is so used to ignoring the neighborhood fox now she doesn't give it more than a glance. He is always out on our morning walks. The way I stopped her from rushing for the fox was to always have treats with me. When she would see him I would turn to go the other direction take a few small steps and have her sit facing me and I would show her the treats and she would focus on the treat and not the fox. Now when he crosses our path she sits and looks at me knowing when he come by if she is calm and looks at me she gets good stuff. I used high value treats for this. dried beef is her favorite.


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## aasteapots (Oct 6, 2013)

To add to Catherine's description about mental walks: I don't always stop and make Coal "do work" during mental walks. Sometimes I just make her stay right at my side. Often it is enough to drain her mentally to have complete focus on not walking ahead of me or behind me. That way we can walk slowly or briskly and she has to match my pace which really keeps her on her toes. ( no pun intended)


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

aasteapots said:


> To add to Catherine's description about mental walks: I don't always stop and make Coal "do work" during mental walks. Sometimes I just make her stay right at my side. Often it is enough to drain her mentally to have complete focus on not walking ahead of me or behind me. That way we can walk slowly or briskly and she has to match my pace which really keeps her on her toes. ( no pun intended)


I think it is good to make the "mental work" variable. If, for example, I find Lily anticipates sitting at a stop sign I will change it to a moving down. Some days I just want the walk to be a stroll in which case the work becomes about matching my pace no matter how slow I want to go.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

I didn't realize there was a name for what we do on walks. Stop and sit at stop signs, random down, random sit, recalls, pace change, we do that on every walk. It's how I get Noelle's attention back when she gets distracted. 

Also... the five cookie game is a huge hit with both of my dogs. We will keep this up.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Sammy the spoo said:


> He's getting so strong and he can easily jerk me. If I see the creature first, we do a sit stay and a leave it. But if the creature decides to cross right in front if us, then he's so tempted! If you can advice me on that, that would be great!!!


Love your release. 

You've seen some good advice on training. That and time are the key.

But another opinion too on controlling the effects of jerking on your body. If you see it coming, flex that bicep! Bend your elbow up hard and take the shock there. Not with your elbow straight and taking the shock by pulling at your shoulder. Each jerk rips rotator cuff attachments just a bit more. And they repair very slowly.


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## Sammy the spoo (Jul 7, 2016)

Countryboy said:


> Love your release.
> 
> You've seen some good advice on training. That and time are the key.
> 
> But another opinion too on controlling the effects of jerking on your body. If you see it coming, flex that bicep! Bend your elbow up hard and take the shock there. Not with your elbow straight and taking the shock by pulling at your shoulder. Each jerk rips rotator cuff attachments just a bit more. And they repair very slowly.


Thank you for your tip! I will definitely keep that in mind! I will be flexing that bicep . I'll be a hulk woman in no time hehe (I'm only 5'3")


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## aasteapots (Oct 6, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> I think it is good to make the "mental work" variable. If, for example, I find Lily anticipates sitting at a stop sign I will change it to a moving down. Some days I just want the walk to be a stroll in which case the work becomes about matching my pace no matter how slow I want to go.


I agree it should be variable but on days when I am less than enthusiastic about life a good walk beside me can do the trick as long as I make her keep to my side and at my pace. I usually throw in "stuff" but someday my heart isn't in it so we just walk.


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