Croc, my new dog, is getting really good at the following walk routine -- he can run ahead of me or lag behind on the flexi lead, but if he feels the tug that
indicates that he's at the end he stops, looks at me and then comes back to me. We're also working at sitting and staying before we cross any streets.
However, at this point he only does these things if I'm holding the leash -- my 10 year old isn't consistent enough with him to get the same results.
We have a dog walker every weekday who takes him out for 1/2 an hour midday. The guy seems awesome -- Croc loves him, and when I've seen them out together (I admit, once I came home early and spied on them) Croc is happy and walking nicely. He walks Croc alone, not with other dogs. The dog walker is also a trainer, but I'm not paying him to train, because Croc seems so trainable. So, the only training we're doing is MSP and clicker stuff at home, and a "manners" class. He's responding really well.
If I ask the dog walker to enforce the same rules that I have when we walk, and to work on the sit/stay at corners, is that "training" or just part of being a good dog walker? If you were walking someone's dog and they said "this is how I want you to walk him" would that be a problem?
We have a dog walker every weekday who takes him out for 1/2 an hour midday. The guy seems awesome -- Croc loves him, and when I've seen them out together (I admit, once I came home early and spied on them) Croc is happy and walking nicely. He walks Croc alone, not with other dogs. The dog walker is also a trainer, but I'm not paying him to train, because Croc seems so trainable. So, the only training we're doing is MSP and clicker stuff at home, and a "manners" class. He's responding really well.
If I ask the dog walker to enforce the same rules that I have when we walk, and to work on the sit/stay at corners, is that "training" or just part of being a good dog walker? If you were walking someone's dog and they said "this is how I want you to walk him" would that be a problem?
