I've just got back from the most horrendous walk ever! - it started with the usual drag whilst baying (cookie), pulling and NOW baying also (decoy) and the lovely as ever mauser! when we reached the kerbside to cross, cookie does his massive lunge to pull me even faster across the road to the park. Once there, every body has to sit and wait to have various haltis, harnesses and gentle leaders removed and then they are usually released to go play. as I am about to let cookie off he jumps up and shakes his head about and claws at gentle leader head collar and almost ripped off my finger nail in the process - had to release him to free trapped finger! He then charges off after Mauser (who is the alpha in the doggie pack) and rounds him up and then attacks him, I am running towards them, stemming lots of blood from finger nail, shouting - whilst decoy, eager for ball game to commence ,runs in front of me to sit and trips me up! I get everyone under some form of control ,and wrap spare poo bag around finger to try to stop bleeding. Cookie then relaunches attack on poor mauser, who has found himself a discarded plastic bottle to play with, and bites him - drawing blood, decoy who now has the ball tries to bring it back to me and cookie then attacks him - Decoy fights back and bit fight ensues!!! Quick SOS call to husband who luckily is driving in vacinity and comes to rescue me. I am definitely one of those dog walkers I used to avoid!!! The main problem is the fighting, cookie wants to firstly round up anyone who runs away from us to retrieve things, which then turns into him biting them, at first I though it is the collie in him (GSD/Collie) trying to get us all back together, but then if the other dogs are coming back he doesn't like that either, he kind of guards me and goes for them if they do bring back toy or just come back when called, could be the GSD in him? Has anyone got any advice? I don't want to end up with separate walks all the time! and don't want to get in a 'dogs in different rooms' kind of situation. Cookie is 7 months and I know it is the time he will try it on, he isn't neutered, the other two boys are, I have never had fighting problems before! sorry its long winded but gave full picture in the hopes it helped with advice (plus i'm a waffler!) julie:)

Oh dear ..what a horrible walk {{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}

I can only think that he is doing the Im bigger n better than you thing ..but I am certainly no expert ..folks who know far more than me will , hopefully be along soon to give you some more useful advice

Hope your fingernail feels better soon

Melody

thanks melody! julie:)

Why not when he starts acting like that turn and go some place else, don't reward him by taking him to the park and having free run. Go for a different walk. If you go for the walk to the park don't allow off leash until he sits nice, the minute he acts up put him back on leash until he sits good again. Keep repeating until he gets the idea. May take sometime but hope it works. When he is on leash drill him on his obedience, sit, down, sit, down ect. Then let him off, repeat if you have to. Wish u luck :) They can be real brats, can't they.

Oh! Julie, the joys of dog ownership. Hope you've recovered. It is almost impossible to make suggestions without seeing the inter-reaction between the dogs and yourself. The fact that you were able to call order, at least to start with means that you would normaly have control. I have one dog who launches himself on the alfa dog when first set free, and if my alfa dog retaliated we would have a scrap, but unless he is hurt he treats the youngster with disdane. I cured it with a Master collar but if you do not have one can only suggest you keep the boistious one on the lead, either altogether or until the others settle down. Can you arrange to walk them either with someone else or one at a time for the time being, at least till the finger heals. don't think you will find the problem will be remembered by the two boys they will still get on. Can't say how long you will carry the scars though. {{{{{{hugs}}}}}} :)

Oh Julie, you poor thing. I hope your finger is better.
This is what I think (if you care ;) :D ) Your youngest is 7 months old --that teenage thug time.
Basically with his antics today, he's lost priviledges and is subsequently grounded to the leash until further notice :rolleyes: So when the other two are free as a bird, you keep him on and work with his behavior so that he can become more polite to YOU :) It's ok for two to run free while another remains on lead. It's not cruel and it gives you some 'alone' time :) If you want to, put him on a horse lead (not a flexi) to give him some room to maneuver for 'recall' practises. :)
Eventually, he should be able to work his way back into your good graces, but not for a while.
It's a thought at least...to keep you from walking everyone separately :)
good luck,
toodles

Hi Julie,
i agree with Sara and Jackie, keep the youth on a lead until he's learnt some manners!!!! :D I have to do it with my 1 yr old Shiba from time to time, he gets a bit cocksure and thinks he's in charge so he's back on the lead until he remembers whos boss!! Normally i train them individually in the garden but if buds being a pain he gets extra training whilst we're out, he's not too impressed as he can see the others off gallavanting, tough luck mate!! ;)
just a thought on the dragging to the park problem, can you change where you walk them or change the route that you take, I'm lucky that the park i use has about 4 different gates so if they're messing about when we get to the first i carry on walking to the next one, gives them something to think about!
hope you get them sorted, i know exactly how you feel being tied in knots by 3 loony hounds, mine are getting better and are brilliant on their own, put them all together and it's like a race as to who can get there first and flatten me in the process!!!!!!!!
jue

thanks everyone for your replies and good wishes directed at my finger!!! It makes sense what you are saying - keep him on lead - I will, he will hate it, and will lunge at the others to try to play, but it is sound advice and should make him work hard to get the priviledge back (I hope) I will do some basics with him at the same time - should smarten his act up!. What you were saying about the different route jue, I will try that as well, I can head off in the opposite direction and still end up in the park - I think I just try to get there as quick as poss to get all the pulling and lunging over with, and they obviously know this and it makes them worse! I really need to nip it all in the bud now - I don't know - you start off doing everything by the book and it soon goes out the window :rolleyes: I think if I take them out separately I will never crack it on the all together walks!! I have been thinking about it all afternoon, and may try lead walking only, for all, different route entirely - with hindsight the quick tug to the park and freeplay must be well worth the scolding en route to them! Basic manners for all is on the menu! Is it just me or do you all find advice comes to mind when you read other people's queries but when its your own lot acting up, its real hard to know what to do for the best - I find that with health issues too! Thanks guys! feeling better now:) julie:)

Julie, to be honist if I had to lead walk my lot together from the house to the exersise field I don't think I could, once the boots are on the brains are switched off (dogs) (well perhaps mine too). Have you seen how huskies behave when the musher gets the harness out, well mine do a dam good impression. :)

Hi Julie

You seem to have a bit of a handful with your lot at the moment :)
Cookie doesn't seem to have much respect for you when he wants to be off for a race about and his manners are less than desirable :( Some posters have suggested concentrating on obedience training with him and I would tend to agree that this is the way forward for him. I would start on a walk by not letting him race away straight after you detach him from his gentle leader. Make him sit for a few seconds and wait until you tell him it's ok to go! Take the lead off and hold him at first until he will do it by himself. You may need to be firm with him.
As his release seems to be a trigger for him to launch an assault on the other dogs it may help to try him with one of those basket muzzles. I have one and think they're great - the dogs can open their mouths inside them but can't do any damage to any others and they soon realise this. My dog got used to his quickly and apart from occasionally dragging his face in the grass to get it off he leaves it alone. He trots along panting with his tongue hanging through it!
I don't think you need to separate them all. Cookie is just being a boisterous stroppy juvenile who needs firm handling but using the muzzle would help prevent fighting. It doesn't have to be permanent. He should become better behaved as he becomes more obedient to you :) (provided you put the work in :) )
Lara