Hi everyone

We've just started to walk Os without his Dogmatic headcollar so that he learns that he has to concentrate when we are training whether he has it on or not!

We are actualy quite impressed with him as he walks to heel beautifully, has started to check where we are in relation to him and generally seems to be a lot more aware of us than previously when we used to walk him without it.

The only problem that we are now facing with him is meeting people on our walks. When we had the headcollar on he would always be very alert and watch people as they walked past us but generally it wasn't a big issue. Without the Dogmatic he 'perks' up when he sees someone approaching which is fine, he tends to quicken his pace but as soon as we check him / remind him to heel he falls back into the right position without any problems. It's once the person actually reaches that Os starts to pull forward slightly again and then once the person draws level he kind of half jumps towards them so that he is reared up slightly and normally tries to smell or lick their hands.

This is really worrying as I can fully understand that an adult GSD coming up at you can be worrying for people, and I would hate for there ever to be a misunderstanding. He never does this in a threatening way but I can understand that it might be perceived that way. Basically he is just too friendly!!!

Has anyone got any suggestions how we can train him out of this?

Cheers
Jayne

Yes my GSD pup is doing the same. Help us please :D

Hi - Our dobe beams in on people as they approach - I try to put myself between them and the dog or if there simply isn't room I make him sit while they pass - most people appreciate this and then stop to say how good he is and then he gets the attention hes after without any misunderstanding - or if you can get a group of kids to walk in a circle and you weave in and out as you walk towards them eventually they cotton on to it ( costs big time at the ice cream van though :D ) -or you can teach a ''walk on '' command as you pass things -I flick my hand out as i say it and by the time he's looked at my hand the people have passed
Hth
Liz :)

hi jayne....remember to define ''heel'' as that place beside you,not move forward....we do drills that cause the dog to return to heel from different places and eventually have them cue off the leg closest to them.,i tell people its similar to pairs skating,you must choreograph it,,,,,,,,...heel is a place not an action............

Hi

Thanks for this. I'm not sure that this is the problem though as Os knows that 'heel' is telling him to come back to the correct position in realtion to whoever is walking him on whatever side he was on previously.

If he is too far ahead or has stopped behind us and we say 'heel' then he will either double back or catch up so that he is back in line. He will heel on either the right or left side as well. We are also working on heeling backwards just for fun! I love seeing his bum wiggle as he goes backwards :-)

Thanks for your thoughts though - definitely something to bear in mind.

That's sweet!! I would go with the 'sit' when people approach. Perhaps do this with the headcollar on for a few more walks (the sit when he meets people) and then go back to no head collar.

Wendy