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This complaint is often made: My dog goes bananas over forest smells
and prey animals. To my way of thinking, this is a very different problem from
what people generally describe as "pulling on leash." Pulling on leash means that
the dog wants to be one foot closer to a fireplug than he is right now. What you
are experiencing is a frantic, single minded drive to go after an irresistible
stimulus.
What to do? It has taken me a long time to realize that the first step in dog training
is to get the dog's attention. In your situation this is going to be very, very difficult.
The suggestion of a soda pop can with 12 or 15 pennies in it is a good one. Put a bit
of tape over the hole to keep the pennies inside. This can be shaken to distract
the dog or thrown past the dog so that it lands between the dog and the object of his
interest. The problem is, how do you carry the can so that it doesn't make noise until
you want to use it? Recently I placed an empty Altoids can in the pack that I carry.
In theory I can take the change out of my pocket and place it the can. In practice
it's slow to pull out and usually I don't even think about it. This is one option though.
Some trainers would recommend placing a prong collar on
your dog and REALLY JERKING him when he obsesses on smells or animals. This might work
if you really jerk HARD ENOUGH. The problem with Bruno is that the level of force that
will get his attention comes close to puncturing his neck. And even if I get his attention,
he doesn't care what I want him to do. Some trainers will recommend the "Halti" or
"Promise/Gentle Leader" head collars - Lots of luck!
A third option is to place a bit of his very favorite food in front of his nose. If I
place a large chunk of Hebrew National hot dog in front of Bruno's nose, he will usually
pause long enough to eat it.
After you have exhausted all of the above, go for general dog training. This will:
1) Establish you as the leader.
2) Help your dog develop self-control.
3) Give you some specific commands to use in your attempt to distract him.
What commands?
I have never been successful in my attempts to train a reliable response to "no" and
"stop." These are general commands and not specific to a particular circumstance. A
better tack is to give your dog a command that will give him a replacement activity. "Sit"
or "down" often distracts a dog from some undesired behavior.
My dogs have been trained in the AKC "stand for examination." Stand means don't move, don't
walk or run, just stand there without moving a muscle. Also "stay" means that you don't move
from the spot where you are. So "stand" and "stay" reinforce each other. For example: If
we approach an intersection, I will tell Bruno to "stand." When he stops walking, I tell him
to "stay." (Don't forget that I have been training him for five years now.)
"Drop it" and "leave it" (I use "leave alone") are very valuable commands. Suppose that you are
walking your dog and he comes upon a hamburger or an old Kleenex tissue. Is it safe for dog to
eat that object? So we train our dogs to "drop it" and to "leave alone." The "leave alone" works
best if you spot the object first and give the command before your dog has developed an interest
in it.
I confess that I'm quite slow. It is only recently that I have discovered that the "leave alone"
command works fairly well to help Bruno forget about the distraction in the woods and to stop
barking at night. Nothing is one hundred percent reliable but the training that I have described
complements your dog's mellowing process as he ages.
You can see that I don't expect quick results in situations like this. I hope that I don't
dishearten you too much. And don't be put off by the psychological factor: quite a few people
who do have the strength to control their dogs become weary of having to force their will on
the dog.
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