New - to everything

[APage]

I've owned GSP's most of my life. I've never hunted birds with a dog. ever. We recently adopted a GSP who is reportedly trained to hunt. From the research I've done I can tell he has some training but he's lazy or sloppy. Mac is 5 years old he was surrendered after the people that adopted him 3 years earlier had a baby and decided they didn't have time for him. Mac is STRONG - he has more muscle mass than any GSP that I've seen. He has very few leash manners. I take him out the door and his nose is on the ground and he's pulling me around. I need tips on how to get him under control. Once I get him in the field he will run circles back to me. I've seen him point on his own. I don't know the commands he was trained for so I need to start somewhere but don't know where since I'm totally new to this. I've given the whoa command and he freezes until I tell him okay - except for his head. I know I need to get him following basic commands and be able to control him better but I'm not sure how to even start training leash manners when he's pulling me around on a regular leash. As soon as we walk out the door he's on the hunt- nose to the ground. In the field with the e collar he comes back to me immediately usually with just the tone or if needed the lowest stimulation. I've been trying to research where to start and everything I come up with is for puppies and who would be much easier to control on a leash. Any help or advice or links to information about training older dogs would be much appreciated.

[zoey'sonlyhope]

Get a pinch collar, when you take him out the door with the leash on and the pinch collar, and he starts to pull yank on that leash and say heel, the pinch collar will make it uncomfortable. also dont give him much room to walk in front of you and when you yank on the collar and say heel, make sure you yank him far enough back for your liking. whatever you give him he will take, and then he will test you to see if you are going to reinforce it. be consistant like i said hes going to see what he can get away with.

[RayGubernat]

A pinch or prong collar will work, but I suggest you try this first:

Take a checkcord or long leash and attach it to the dog's flat collar. Run the cord or leash along the dog's spine and then loop it around the dog's belly and up underneath the art that is on the top of the spine. You now have a half hitch around the dog's abdomen. If the dog pulls, it will be squeezing its own self. I ain't had a dog yet that liked that feeling. I have seen youngsters handle a big, powerful pointer with the belly hitch.

If the belly hitch does not work with the flat collar right away, switch to a pinch or prong collar and the dog will get two negative stimuli when it surges ahead.

In very short order, the dog should recognize that it is causing its own discomfort and quit pulling. Once you get to that point, you can start doing heel drills or, since it is a ppointing dog...heel/whoa drills. Make the dog walk at your side, right at your knee. I spin the end of the rope like a propeller in front of my knee so that if the dog surges forward, it gets whacked in the schnozzola by the rope. They don't like that very much either.

If you make it so that the only place where the dog is not causing itself discomfort is right at your knee walking quietly with you... you got 'em where you want 'em.

Be firm, be assertive and also be ready to reward correct behavior. A quick pat on the flank or a quiet "good dog" when the dog does it right, can go a long way toward getting you both in a good place.

RayG

[APage]

Thank you so much! The handler from the humane society had him in a half hitch and showed me how to do it but he still pulled - not quite as hard but enough that I didn't feel in control. I bought a pinch collar today and researched how to fit it correctly - we took one walk outside - what a difference! I'd also like some resources as far as brushing up on his training. Everything I come up with is for puppies who know nothing. Any suggestions?

[Cajun Casey]

You can teach heel with an e-collar. TriTronics and SportDog both offer information on their sites. You don't need a prong collar.

[Kmack]

If that dog will "Whoa" and stand indefinitely until released, I'd be willing to wager that it knows heel. I'd start with leash and regular collar and "pop" him on the neck while repeating the "heel" comand.
If no luck, I'd move up the ladder of what others have suggested, starting with the least agressive and working my way up. If none of them get the heel response - dog to one side or the other facing the same direction as you with it's head at or slightly behind your knee - then I'd seek detailed advice on how to "train" the dog to heel.

[APage]

He will "Whoa" but loosely - it is more of his stay command - he doesn't stay in it indefinitely. As soon as he thinks I'm not paying attention he sneaks where he wants (like when the kids are coming in or out the front door and he would really like to bolt out it) I wish the shelter would have asked what his actual commands are and how much training he's really had. Very frustrating. He is getting better at listening the more we go outside off the leash. I think I'm going to call a trainer and have them evaluate him - since I'm basically the blind leading the blind over here. It really overwhelming trying to learn what he's supposed to know or what he seems like he sort of knows and then trying to figure out how to make him do it. I tried using the Heel command many times but he doesn't even act like he remotely knows what it is.

[bonasa]

How long have you had Mac? The tear off in the yard should subside once he bonds a little more with you. I would assume he doesn't know what heel means. Work him in the hallway on the leash for a while until it is proven, then overlay the e-collar with that if you wish. Transition out to the yard. As others have stated the "pop" with leash works fine with a HEEL command. It will work out, just bond and get to know how he thinks.

[ezzy333]

A pinch or prong collar will work, but I suggest you try this first:

Take a checkcord or long leash and attach it to the dog's flat collar. Run the cord or leash along the dog's spine and then loop it around the dog's belly and up underneath the art that is on the top of the spine. You now have a half hitch around the dog's abdomen. If the dog pulls, it will be squeezing its own self. I ain't had a dog yet that liked that feeling. I have seen youngsters handle a big, powerful pointer with the belly hitch.

If the belly hitch does not work with the flat collar right away, switch to a pinch or prong collar and the dog will get two negative stimuli when it surges ahead.

In very short order, the dog should recognize that it is causing its own discomfort and quit pulling. Once you get to that point, you can start doing heel drills or, since it is a ppointing dog...heel/whoa drills. Make the dog walk at your side, right at your knee. I spin the end of the rope like a propeller in front of my knee so that if the dog surges forward, it gets whacked in the schnozzola by the rope. They don't like that very much either.

If you make it so that the only place where the dog is not causing itself discomfort is right at your knee walking quietly with you... you got 'em where you want 'em.

Be firm, be assertive and also be ready to reward correct behavior. A quick pat on the flank or a quiet "good dog" when the dog does it right, can go a long way toward getting you both in a good place.

RayG

Amen

Ezzy

[ezzy333]

Thank you so much! The handler from the humane society had him in a half hitch and showed me how to do it but he still pulled - not quite as hard but enough that I didn't feel in control. I bought a pinch collar today and researched how to fit it correctly - we took one walk outside - what a difference! I'd also like some resources as far as brushing up on his training. Everything I come up with is for puppies who know nothing. Any suggestions?

Yep, you got a puppy in a grown dogs clothes. Train it just like it is a puppy and you will be surprised how quickly it learns.\\

Ezzy