Dylan's halo has slipped a little bit..........

davisn

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Hi,

Dylan is doing so well with his training & really does behave himself most of the time. I am very pleased with our progress.

However, he was a little tinker yesterday whilst we were out with a friend & another dog. We stopped for a few minutes so that I could help adjust the other dog's collar & Dylan was told to sit & wait, which he did. What I didn't notice was that whilst I was preoccupied he chewed through his lead in 2 separate places. He did it very gently, as I was holding the other end & didn't feel a thing & once he'd done it he continued to sit at my feet. The whole process took about 90 seconds! Obviously he has very good teeth, must be all the bones he crunches!

I know that I should have noticed, but I didn't. He used to always want to hold a lead in his mouth whilst walking, but we have pretty much cured this & he only does it for a second or 2 when he is really excited & he usually only holds it, doesn't chew or pull.

The problem is this is the 2nd time he's done this in 6 months. The first time he laid down at my feet whilst I was talking to someone we met on a walk. I think it's an attention seeking thing?

So, no more nylon/webbing leads until we sort this out. Do I go for a chain end lead until I can sort this out? How do these work as training leads? Or would a leather lead be a better option? Any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks
 
Last summer i we had gone for a walk and stopped for lunch in a country pub. Bob was being really good and just laying at my feet quietly........only he wasn't he had chewed through his lead and was busy introducing himself to everybody else in the garden....i was too busy stuffing my face to notice!!!
 
Both of you have committed the cardinal sin. You have had a young dog with you, and taken your mind off what you were doing. Never let a young dog "Leave the corner of your eye".

Dog training is about reinforcing your wishes, specifically when they're young, and on a daily basis. Consider this, very few old dogs are fool proof, and most certainly no young dogs are!! To support that, consider the 7 year old Field Trial Champion. Handed on to someone who had no experience with gun dogs, that same dog could all so easily slip back into the ways of a "green" dog.

Right. Lecture over!! :D

Alec.
 
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Thanks Alec

I got that I shouldn't have taken my attention away from Dylan & I will try not to do this again, but with the best will in the world it's going to happen sometimes. I want to cure the problem & will work on this, however, my main concern is that he chews through whilst I am off walking somewhere where I need a lead to get back to the car/home.

I think a chain end lead will help whilst I work on training, but for some reason I don't really like them (not sure why). Is it because they are chavtastic or something? Do they hurt your guiding left hand whilst checking the dog as the chain runs through? Can they even be used in this fashion? Most of the ones I have found online are quite short, would a chain end horse lead rope be a better length?

So many questions for what is quite a small problem I know - sorry for being a bit indecisive, must be the blinking awful weather we are having!
 
We have it drummed into us, listen to the trainer, but watch your dog.

I would just stick to a leather lead and be very watchful - I hate chain leads as if you need to make an emergency grab then they wreck your hands.
 
Thanks for the lecture Alec....was just that burger and chips were sooo much more interesting at the time ;-)
Im glad to report that it hasn't happened since and Bob is never the worse behaved dog in class (not usually the best either)!
 
Glad I'm not the only easily distracted owner Oldasthearab.

He only does it when I'm not paying attention (which I know should be never), but he can chew straight through a nylon lead in seconds - the little sneak!

Cavecanem, Yes I remember now. We used to have a chain lead on our GSD when I was growing up. Occasionally I used to shorten the lead by wrapping it around my hand, which hurt if she pulled hard.

I might have more success if I unclipped the lead when I stopped for a chat ;-)
 
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