Sid_Wolf Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 do you reckon its possible to have a working sibe walk to heel?? i'v been trying with kira but if we work a lot on heel, her running while in harness suffers, and if shes doin really well in the harness she pulls like hell on a walk.... also at the rally, i didnt see a single working dog walkin to heel, they all seemed to be pulling, even if wearing a collar not a harness. is it a case of if i want her to work then i have to be dragged around? i dont mind its just that i cant seem to be able to get her to transition from harness to collar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 It just takes lots of training. We find it really helps if you show your dogs. The discipline needed in the showring can be used to reinforce non-pulling when walking in the street. Lots of people who work their dogs also show them. If you go to a show, you won't see handlers being dragged all round the ring by their dogs. On the contrary, you will see dogs responding to minute movements of the handler. The dogs you saw at the rally have got their heads in "working mode." Ours are the same - at a rally, they know they can pull and act accordingly. At a show, if well trained, they tend to do the opposite. These two are International Champions in the showring, but we also work them in harness: Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rose Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 I agree with Mick, but saying that only our mishka walks on a loose lead next to me when on a walk the other 2 are always in front but not pulling hard so not too bad but @ a show they are great on a lead & act accordingly & don't pull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted December 26, 2009 Report Share Posted December 26, 2009 I find that Isis walks better on a walking belt than she does with a lead in my hand. She still doesnt walk to heel on the belt, but she doesnt seem to pull as much. I guess we still have a lot of training to do, to get her to realise that she can pull when running, but not when walking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted December 27, 2009 Report Share Posted December 27, 2009 I've found a half check collar works best witeh my boys, they still pull but ease off a heck of a lot compared to if i walk them on a harness lol Get their working harnesses out and all hell breaks loose - they know what they're for lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted December 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 I've found a half check collar works best witeh my boys, they still pull but ease off a heck of a lot compared to if i walk them on a harness lol Get their working harnesses out and all hell breaks loose - they know what they're for lol kiras the same, but a half check tears her fur to shreds but shes slightly better on the semi slip i got her. shame she chewed it in half the 1st day lol, but theres another on the way. and in response to terry: obviously i cant show her and know nothing about the training for showrings, maybe i will with my next sibe, and i agree they had their 'workin heads' on but i seems whenever we leave the house, harnessed or not she has her working head on. its just nicer to walk her to heel, and she was doin really good when we didnt have the scooter for a while, because we couldnt train. but now we're training again its all gone out the window and shes just like 'eyes straight ahead... PULL PULL PULL!!!' and she gets walked every day so its not lack of exercise or anything, but she wont even take a treat on a walk now.... oh well lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 Do you use different command words for working and training? Do you have a special command to let her know you are going to put her in harness, and one that you use for training, so she can learn the difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted December 29, 2009 Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 To answer your question, yes it is possible to have a working sibe that doesnt pull on the lead. Like Mick said, it takes alot of work! I am hoping I can do the same with my 3. I hope they will know that when their working harnesses come out they are allowed to pull on command but when the lead comes out they are to walk on a loose lead - Im not teaching the heal command just teaching them to walk on a loose lead and to 'Come' to me when called. Im guessing your commands are different for the lead and the harness? I would continue with the training of both the lead and harness. It won't happen overnight and will take alot of patience and hard work, but stay consistent and you can achieve the results you want As we are both doing the same, I would be happy to help support you if you need it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted December 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2009 Bec - we dont have a set command for working, but sometimes if i say the word 'hike' while holding her harness she will get excited. but then she gets excited when i pick up her lead aswell hey amy welcome back yea we use working commands, and she responds well to them, especially 'hike' lmao. i think a lot of it is the collar she has atm, she has had a half check for a while now but the chain ripped up her fur and looked awful, and the black colouring dyed the fur so it looked even worse. so i got her a lovely semi slip in red, great collar but she chewed thru it. so i got her a normal nylon one, just a plain one, no check or slip, for walking with until her new semi slip one turns up (ordered a new one). and its on this collar that shes being a terror lol, think it might be because theres no slip action or anything... we'll see when the new collar turns up. its just a shame the normal collar happened at the same time we started training again lol, cuz it means i cant tell which it is lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 I would start using separate command words. Like tell her 'ready to work' or something when you are going to harness her up, so she learns to associate that with sledding. Use a different ready word (even something like 'walkies') to tell her you are going on a walk. When you are walking I would also use it as a time to train her so she finds walks rewarding like she finds sledding rewarding, just in different ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 I would start using separate command words. Like tell her 'ready to work' or something when you are going to harness her up, so she learns to associate that with sledding. Use a different ready word (even something like 'walkies') to tell her you are going on a walk. When you are walking I would also use it as a time to train her so she finds walks rewarding like she finds sledding rewarding, just in different ways. i'll try that, hopefully it'll work. i was hoping she'd make a connection between the collar and the harness. that they collar ment walk and the harness ment work. but no luck it seems, so i'll try adding a consistant word in for each aswell. we were training on every walk but since she got back on the scooter she wont even take a treat shes so focused. even high value ones like chicken.... weird.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 we were training on every walk but since she got back on the scooter she wont even take a treat shes so focused. even high value ones like chicken.... weird.... Do you mean when she's on a walk she won't take any food? What is she so focused on during the walk that she won't take food? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted December 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Do you mean when she's on a walk she won't take any food? What is she so focused on during the walk that she won't take food? no idea!! lol whatevers in front of her... yet she'll pick up a stick... dumb ass dog lmfao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah16 Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 I have a friend who has 4 huskies. She walks all four on her own with 4ft leads and harnessess. Some walk to heel and some walk in front - but they don't pull. She also works them on a scooter. So yes it can be done but takes alot of work, time and patience. I still havent managed it with my three! LOL! Sarah x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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