LolaLayla Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I am about to buy a retractable dog lead for when I can eventually take Lara out. I have a small puppy one to start off with but was thinking about buying another one on ebay. I had a look and there seem to be a lot of different options, handle size, length etc. What would people recommend? Also when should I move onto the retractable sort of lead? We still have about 12 days until we can go out but just planning ahead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken deficient Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hello! Retractable leads are great, but you do need to be careful! For a puppy, it would probably be safer to stick to a normal lead until they are walking nicely to heel and are a bit more sensible out in public! Retractable leads can encourage them to pull, unless you are very careful. Also, if they don't stop and recall well on command, there can be quite a harsh jolt when you apply the brake or they get to the end of the line. A long line, (very long, light lead), can be useful during recall training and when you are unsure how they will behave off lead. I have a couple of retractable leads for my lot. I'd say the ones made by Flexi are the best, (made in Germany!). The all tape ones are safer as they are easier to see, (by you, other people and other dogs), and don't hurt so much if they are accidentally touched. Make sure that you get one that is suitable for your puppy's expected adult weight. Also, I only use mine attached to a harness, not to the collar. I hope that helps! Have lots of fun on your walks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Ditto the above advice - Flexis are fine if used sensibly but a menace if not! Always attach a flexi to a harness and not a collar as you risk serious damage to a dog's neck otherwise (think how quickly a dog can accelerate and hit the end of the lead). Always keep it locked short by the road, even if your dog walks nicely on the flexi there is the risk it could be spooked by something and dart into the road. Finally make sure your dog walks nicely on a lead before you introduce the flexi as otherwise all your dog will learn to do is zoom about out of control on a lead and not walk nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 I did not know about using a harness with it. She is a miniature poodle and as I probably will not let her off the lead I wanted to give her some feeling of freedom on the beach or in the park. Sounds like it will something for well into the future so I probably won't buy one yet. Thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Are you planning not to ever let her off the lead? Is there a reason why (e.g worried she might run off and not come back?). Usually it's quite easy to teach a pup a good recall command - you can let a pup off the lead from the first walk you go on. She will want to stick close by you as the world will be a big, scary place. Give her oodles of praise and a treat when she comes back to you when you call her. She'll very quickly learn that recalling is a good thing. Sorry if I sounded a bit critical - that's not what I mean at all! I was just concerned you might be worried about not being able to teach her to recall, when it's usually fairly straightforward with a pup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 She is just 10 weeks today and is picking up commands quite quickly. Already she will 'come', 'sit', 'stay' and 'down' which I think is amazing given her age. She will come to me in the house with me using treats but sometimes in the garden she totally ignores me and goes off exploring. If she did this when we were outside I would be worried I would lose her. The other worry I have is that if I let her off on the beach she would run after joggers. OH sometimes jogs along the beach and loose dogs are the bane of his life Also the other dogs may not all be friendly. I would certainly love to let her off the lead especially as she enjoys to race about in our garden after a ball, I am sure she would love a bigger play area. So I am really not sure the best thing to do and that was why I thought the long lead would be a good option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken deficient Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I'd really recommend going to a good puppy / dog training school as soon as she is allowed out after her vaccinations. I go to one with my youngest Miniature Schnauzer. A good school will progress gradually at a pace that suits both you and your dog. Our class has, amongst others, a Saint Bernard and a Rottweiler, and we do off lead work regularly. It would really give you both more confidence, particularly regarding being off lead and interacting around other dogs. You two should be looking forward to having lots of fun together. It is easy to worry about what may go wrong, but there should be no reason why your puppy cannot grow up to be the dog you really want her to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Some puppy/training classes are definitely a good idea, as is the long line if you really think she will head off into the distance. A flexi lead may not be the best lead for recall training though as it's permanently under tension, so dogs don't have that feeling off being off lead. You can buy lightweight training lines for teaching recall (still use it with a harness). Is there anywhere securely fenced nearby that you can take her for a first off lead walk, so you don't panic about her disappearing? She will probably be more confident in the garden than she will be on a first walk, as it's a familiar place to her. Some super-smelly tasty treats will go a long way to encouraging her to come back to you, or if she's really ball obsessed, you can reward her for recalling with a game of ball. I'm sure you'll be able to teach her a good recall just fine, she sounds like a really clever little dog from what you've said so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 I have found some classes that are local to me by searching online so I hope to join them when she is able to get out Sadly there is not an enclosed area for me to try her off the lead apart from the garden. Although she is great coming to me and sitting in the house, 100% of the time, she definitely has a mind of her own and outside she will come when she wants If she has a leaf that she is trying to eat and I want to get it from her she will just run rings round me. There is no point in chasing her as she is much faster than me So I have to try to get her to sit and stay and whether she does or not depends on how tasty the leaf is Maybe the training lead would be a good idea for the garden Is the harness only for long leads or is it better to get one for when she first goes out on a for walks on a short lead. I have been putting a collar on her in the house to get her used to it but maybe I should have a harness Can you advise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 The classes sound perfect, you'll both learn loads there and hopefully it will build up your confidence. You can use a harness with a short lead if you want to, it's personal preference really. If you're going to use a harness for a long line, then you might as well use one all the time, it will save you keep putting the harness on and taking it off again! Harnesses are nice and comfy for dogs to wear so I'm sure Lara will be happy to wear one. You can definitely use a long line in the garden if you want to. We've all been there with the distraction that's more interesting than us I found to start with it helped to only recall Tango when there were no distractions and I knew she would come, so she didn't learn it was okay to ignore me. Once that was reliable, I gradually built up the distractions. She's pretty good now and I can trust her most places off the lead. Hope that's helpful. There will be lots of good advice from others too, I am sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 The only way to lead-train effectively is using a static lead. If you must use a retractable lead then only use it on a harness as has been mentioned above, the problem then with that is that they lean into harnesses so you can't teach the dog not to pull. Long-line training in the garden is the best way to teach recall. I mostly use slip leads on mine but then lurchers have narrow head and are inclined to wriggle out of anything else. Cyrus walks like a dream and has this lead which is beautifully soft, I can loop it over my arm and easily remove sections if necessary. Ruby has collie in her and is inclined to pull if she's excited so sometimes she wears a head collar which stops this and helps with training her to walk to heel. My neighbours, who are new to dogs, have a retractable lead for their small dog and head off down the street being towed by it and shouting for it the heel (which it doesn't), when they complained about it I suggested a static lead and they ignored me, they've since spent a lot of money on a trainer who told them the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 I went on ebay last night and bought a 20m training lead. It was quite cheap and apparently I can make it 10m. I will try her on that in the garden. I can always get her a better one eventually. My friend had a retractable lead for her dog years ago and when she was in a quiet car park she was trying to get her dog to come to her across the road. She spotted a lady walking towards the lead and realising she was going to walk into it quickly dropped the lead. Apparently it shot across the road and wrapped itself round the lady's legs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 A friend's dog slashed its throat when it ran into one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 All in all they sound quite dangerous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasperaliceuk Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Some very sensible advice given here re. Flexis. I don't use one as he was trained on a normal lead and collar. I do have one though and it is reserved for my walk around Winkworth Arboretum as they don't allow dogs off lead and it just gives a bit more roaming room. It is definitely not my lead of choice as they are a liability with other dogs and people! It would be a shame not to ever let your dog off lead. Poodles are supposed to be the second brightest dog so training should not be a problem. I have a mini labradoodle so he's half clever. I certainly go along with the advice of letting pup off the lead as soon as you go out. The big wide world can be quite scary so the younger they are the more they stick with 'mum'. All the while you will be training a recall at home and in the garden. I also purchased a long line but to be honest, five years on, I have never used it, but it does give you confidence so go with it. When I had my first pup 7 year's ago it was the best (and scariest) bit of advice I was ever given to let her off the lead but I never looked back and did the same with my second dog. It also helps to let them off initially with a friend's dog who has a good recall and tends to stick with the owner. I know it is a scary prospect - your dog not coming back - but training a recall can be made fun for both you and the dog and the rewards are great. Involve the rest of the family too - recalling between people, between rooms, playing hide and seek - all strengthen the recall learning process. And of course, keep those high value treats coming. Something I taught alongside is a whistle recall - very easy to teach. Its helpful to have it as a back up as it seems quite a strong cue. I rarely do use it as Milo just doesn't go away far enough to need to - what a paragon of a dog have I! Not so this morning when he steadfastly ignored me sniffing away where the cricket club hold their BBQs! Training classes are a must - you can usually sit in and watch one before you sign up. Just walk away if you see any signs of shouting or forcing dogs into positions or not using any sort of reward - it is not necessary and not kind. Enjoy your pup! Its a bit like having a baby or toddler - they grow up too soon! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Another negative here for retractable leads - they definitely have their place, I'm sure, but I just remember being asked to walk a dog on a retractable lead once (not my dog and I didn't know the dog very well at all). Anyway, said dog went shooting off after something and instead of faffing about trying to lock the mechanism on the handle, I just instinctively grabbed the lead itself which continued to shoot out of the handle after the dog, leaving me with horrendous cuts on my hands where the line of the lead and cut through ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Yes, I've heard of that happening; they are like cheese wire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 We use linky slip leads and teach walk to heal and long leads for recall and you are right not to let your pup off in a unsecured area if the pup learns that they can Bog off then they will always bog off. As for getting your pup to come to you try my little game in the house. you'll need some high reward treats (i use chopped up Sunday roast left-overs). Have your puppy sit in front of you and then say his/her name and give treat, do this randomly three times a day for 2-3 days, name treat, name treat, name treat. Then you can progress to sitting pup one end of the room and you at the other, say pups name and hopefully they will come to you treat straight away (this is important) after 2-3 days you can try randomly calling pups name from the next room to see if they come if they do treat straight away then make more difficult is this is successful . If this goes to plan you should be able to take the next step and try the garden on a lead as there will be distraction may be on a long lead if this goes well, but if at any stage the pup fails to come you must go back to stage one and build up again, Don't rush training it as you will have more problems later on and harder to fix problems that train. Hope that makes sense, I'm not very good at explaining none face to face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Each of my dogs responds to the other's name as well as their own... unless they are off bunnying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Bit of tough love will sort that out, only treat the one you called - don't fall for those soppy Cyrus eyes (very hard to do i know). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 That's funny DM, better that you get two dogs than none at all I suppose! We also have the bunnying problem here - I've yet to find a reward that is more interesting than chasing a bunny/hare/pheasant (There probably isn't one, is there?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Nope, not even liver cake will do it. Ruby is better than Cyrus though; she will come back if I ask her to 'leave it' in the Voice of Doom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 As I thought We do have progress now as hunting expeditions last in terms of single minutes rather than double figures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 Just got her a harness. She is all fluff and the small size one was much too big for her so we have got the puppy one. With regards her training in the house if I say 'Lara, come' and beckon her she will always come and sit on front of me for a treat (I only give her a crumb as I don't want to put her off her meals). She is consistently able to sit when told and can do a 'stay' for the length of our room. I vary either going to one end of the room saying stay and using the sign all the time and moving back to her or calling 'come' from the furthest spot. She is also always able to do 'down' with voice and sign. She started getting a bit muddled and as soon as she sat then went down as she thought that was what I wanted her to do. So have worked a bit on getting her to move back from 'down position' to 'sit position'. In the house she is a model pup. Outside is a totally different matter I can shout and wave my arms about like a windmill and she will ignore me if something else takes her eye (which is 90% of the time). When she is good she is great e.g. today I hid behind a tall border and called her and she zoomed round to find me. She also knows she can outrun me and if she has something she knows I go not want her to have she will run round me in a circle I can sometimes tempt her with a treat...but she is not stupid and is onto that trick. So I will need to train her to come to me more consistently. I have been throwing her toy and telling her "fetch" and "bring it" which she will sometimes do. If I have a treat for her then she will often give me the chance to say 'drop' when she puts it down to get the treat. What I wonder is though if I put her on the long lead and say 'come' and she does nothing, do I pull on the lead gently? At the moment if I call her to come into the house and she take ages should I still give her the treat as she does eventually come, even though it is in her own time Should I wait at the door or walk into the house to leave her to come in eventually? Or should I go out and pick her up? Perhaps I am expecting too much from such a young pup.... Sorry for all the questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 She's doing very well... well done you. If you have her on a long lead and she doesn't respond then a gentle tug is usually enough to get their attention. Mine try the deaf thing when I call them in, the rustle of a treat bag miraculously cures their deafness If they still ignore me then I close the back door and keep them waiting outside until I'm ready to let them in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
