Training your dog to stay beside you whether you are on walks together or whether you are lounging around the coffee shop is a great trick to teach your dog. Dogs who often get the most attention out in public are the dogs who are the most well-behaved. Many people will comment on how well-behaved the dogs are and notice how they avoid distractions. Dogs who stay beside their owners have been trained to do so. They have been trained not only to obey their owners but also to respect them enough to stay with them no matter where they go and no matter what happens around them. If your dog is trained to stay beside you whether you were walking or relaxing, he will not be distracted by other animals or people around. This is an ideal situation whether you are walking through the neighborhood on a leash, at a dog park, or out downtown in dog-friendly restaurants.
Having your dog stay beside you starts with building confidence in your dog. He wants to please you, so he will work hard to do so. You are your dog's favorite person, so he wants to be near you. Dogs also thrive when owners set real boundaries. Setting a boundary with your dog of not allowing him to leave your side when you are out and about or when you were walking together will give him the confidence to be your best friend. You can use different keywords to let him know when it's time to leave together such as 'let's go' or 'come,' but ultimately you want to train your dog to stay with you whether you are walking or sitting. Though it's easier to teach puppies how to stay with you, older dogs can be taught as well. It just may take more time and repetition for your adult dog to understand.
To train your dog to stay beside you, your dog will need to start with a leash. Be sure to have lots of high-value tasty treats to keep your dog's attention as well, to reward him for a job well done. This is going to require a lot of repetitive training, so be prepared to set aside some time each day to train in short training sessions.
I’ve have tried everything to keep Freddie close to me on walks. He’s great on the lead. He will heel off lead too hiwever if he gets a smell that is it he is off. He’s not interested in balls or dummies. He will play retrieve once or twice. He does come back when he’s done his chasing/ sniffing but completely ignores my calls. His recall is good in familiar places but shocking anywhere new.
Hello Ramani, Check out the Premack Principle from the article I have linked below. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-to-come-when-called/ This also might be a case where remote collar training could be considered. Check out this trainer. https://www.youtube.com/c/JamiePenrithDogTraining/search?query=come Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Having difficulty in distance control
Hello Elijah, Which commands are you needing pup to obey from a distance? Different commands are proofed from a distance in different ways. Often a 40 foot training leash can be used, with the excess coiled up for things like a distance Stay. You can loop the leash from pup, around something like a tree behind pup, then to you in front of pup. The leash allows you to pull pup back when they try to get up to come toward you, like a pulley system. A long leash is also great for enforcing a distance Come, for teaching following, and for mimicking off-leash heeling, when pup isn't ready to be fully off leash yet. For example, a long training leash and clipped to pup's padded back clip harness can be used with the Reel In method from the article I have linked below. When doing distance training on a long leash, I recommend pairing the leash with a padded back clip harness (look up ruffwear front range or webmaster for examples of the type of padded harness to use for safety). A good harness protects pup's neck better than a collar if pup were to get jerked on the leash accidently. Also, pay attention to how much slack is in the leash so pup can't take off running and hit the end of the leash, pulling you over and jerking pup's body. Reel In method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall More Come - pay attention to the PreMack Principle and long leash training sections especially once pup has learned what Come initially means. These need to be practiced around all types of distractions like dogs and kids at the park to ensure pup is reliable before attempting true off leash. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-to-come-when-called/ Another activity you can practice is walking around places like your yard or a field with pup on the long training leash and changing directions frequently without saying anything. Whenever he takes notice (at first because the leash finally tugs, but later just because you moved), then toss a treat at him for looking your way or coming over to you - without calling him; this encourages him to choose to pay attention to where you are and associate your presence with good things on his own, so he will want to be with you. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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I have a project I am working on that is a little different. I am an emt attempting a kind of experiment to train my dog to act as a “partner” in volunteer rescue work. She is adults that a family had to rehome due to a hurricane taking out their house. Rather than search, she is basically being trained to stay by my side, and do a handful of tasks beyond basic obedience training. The first two are pretty straightforward. I know that the last two are trying something totally new and in uncharted territory .
She has to:
1. stay with me at all times off of the leash
2. kneel and stay put on command
3. possibly differentiate between a handful of items ( maybe 5 or 6 at most)
4. identify those items and hand to me off the ground
If it works, is there some classification she can be registered under? I also have seizures (controlled) which is why only volunteer and don’t work EMS professionally anymore. There is typically there’s only a breakthrough seizure every 3 or 4 years. I don’t know if that could be an avenue I could go to register her. Any information would be helpful.
(My dog and example of type of vest attached)
Hello Matthew, If pup was taught a behavior that directly helped in the event of a seizure, like going to get help during one, pup could likely become a service dog since you have a medical condition that would likely qualify and it sounds like your goal is to train pup well enough for to meet the public access requirements. Additional commands could be taught on top of the qualifying service dog skill. In the US there is not an official certification for qualifying as a service dog, rather you must have a qualifying medical condition (a doctor's note may be required some places like planes and housing), pup must be trained to perform at least one task that directly helps with your condition, and they must be thoroughly trained for public access without any behavior issues that would cause a public disturbance. It can help access to have a copy of your doctor's note, necessitating the use of a service dog, a laminated copy of ADA law which explains the laws regarding service animals, and a vest that says pup is a service dog (often patches with service dog are added to whichever vest is most practical for your needs). https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html Pup could also be trained as a therapy dog - which is what dogs who visit hospitals generally have certification in - that wouldn't allow pup as much access as a service dog with you outside of hospital settings personally, but it is more generally recognized for hospital patient visitations, and involves a testing and certification process. It sounds like pursing both service dog training and therapy certification with pup might be worth your time. https://www.tdi-dog.org/HowToJoin.aspx?Page=Testing+Requirements Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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She keeps running to far away from me. How do I keep her near me on walks? She gets a scent then she is off
Hello, I assume you are training Neive off-leash? Remember she is pretty young and does not have her recall down pat, so do be careful that she cannot run into traffic. This guide has excellent tips and methods for off-leash work: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-off-leash. Read the entire guide - I expect it will be very helpful. The Reliable Recall Method as described in the guide is something you can practice in a safely enclosed area. First, make sure that Neive knows her 'sit' and 'stay' commands so that she'll sit and wait in a situation where you need her to. I see she has an ID tag, and microchipping may be wise, too. All the best and happy training!
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Hey I’m trying to teach my dog how to stay beside me and on walk and just in general what command should I try to use I have treats? Thanks!
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