What can I do?

[Dopeydapple]

The answer here might very well be nothing but I thought I'd see if anyone had any ideas. I'm a dog walker and was recently contacted by a lady looking for someone to walk her akita cross. Whilst arranging prices she said she was on a limited budget and could only afford 2 x 1 hour walks or 3 x 30 mins per week. It turns out that the dog has not been walked for 2 months as she is scared of how strong he is and she can't manage him so unless his behaviour improves he will only get 3 x 30 mins per week. I met the dog last week and he has 0 manners, climbs all over you, mouths, chews feet and jeans etc. I have got her to agree to a session with a trainer to discuss setting up and enforcing boundaries / rules but she is a very delicate lady who has been through alot personally recently and sees the dog as all she has left so I doubt she will be strong enough to discipline him ( hopefully I'm wrong on this). In the small amount of time I have with this dog is there anything anyone thinks a can do to make a difference? We went for our first walk yesterday and it was far from fun, he is extremely strong and the usual tactics of changing direction etc didn't make any difference, neither did food distractions.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

The answer here might very well be nothing but I thought I'd see if anyone had any ideas. I'm a dog walker and was recently contacted by a lady looking for someone to walk her akita cross. Whilst arranging prices she said she was on a limited budget and could only afford 2 x 1 hour walks or 3 x 30 mins per week. It turns out that the dog has not been walked for 2 months as she is scared of how strong he is and she can't manage him so unless his behaviour improves he will only get 3 x 30 mins per week. I met the dog last week and he has 0 manners, climbs all over you, mouths, chews feet and jeans etc. I have got her to agree to a session with a trainer to discuss setting up and enforcing boundaries / rules but she is a very delicate lady who has been through alot personally recently and sees the dog as all she has left so I doubt she will be strong enough to discipline him ( hopefully I'm wrong on this). In the small amount of time I have with this dog is there anything anyone thinks a can do to make a difference? We went for our first walk yesterday and it was far from fun, he is extremely strong and the usual tactics of changing direction etc didn't make any difference, neither did food distractions.

I'm afraid that I would tell the owner you are not prepared to deal with her dog, if she is unable to do so.

 

[SusieT]

I think she is trying to do the right thing by the dog. I would expect an experienced dog walker to be able to improve the dogs behaviour in a few weeks at least while they have him - use a halti/apprpriate lead/harness etc combination to provide control and give him plenty of stimulation - he will settle.

 

[Alec Swan]

May I ask the age of the dog? By his conduct he sounds young or at least, very immature.

Alec.

 

[AmyMay]

I'm afraid that I would tell the owner you are not prepared to deal with her dog, if she is unable to do so.

I completely agree. I'm a dog walker, not a trainer nor a social worker.

If a dog isn't well behaved and compliant I don't walk it. It's not fun and could be a massive liability.

Walk away op.

 

[ester]

Also if the dog is not going to be walked inbetween visits surely you are fighting a losing battle as it is always going to be quite wired to go out?

I have to say from reading your post I was thinking I would suggest a breed rescue.

 

[Dopeydapple]

I would suggest a breed rescue if I thought she would even consider it but "he's her baby" so there's no chance of that also I think it would be several months of waiting before they found anyone to take him on. He is 2 years old and still entire (I've put the case forward for having him done but again she seems reluctant to do this). I understand people saying they wouldn't walk him but then he would go back to never getting out the house, maybe he'll surprise me and respond well to the routine of getting out for a short while every other day and will become easier to handle but I can't imagine it with so little exercise...

 

[AmyMay]

You're a kind soul op. Just make sure your insurance is absolutely up to date.

 

[Dopeydapple]

Thanks Amy, insurance is totally valid for all 3rd party accidents that may occur. I'm interested to know what SusieT would suggest as stimulation on one of his 30 minute walks?

 

[Snitch]

Seems that the dog owner is out of her depth and irresponsible, in equal measure.

 

[Dopeydapple]

In her defence she has arranged a consultation with a trainer it's just my opinion that she won't be strong enough to follow through with things consistently - hopefully I will be proved wrong.

 

[GirlFriday]

OP, if you feel safe and are paid sufficiently to walk the dog then, by all means do so.

I used to walk a dog (smaller, and probably easier breed, but I was v young and inexperienced) on a similar frequency for someone who did not walk it at all. Hadn't for 7 years... It had been very poorly (well, basically not at all) socialised with other dogs and not in the least trained.

Together we met other dogs (he was v friendly with everything, and frequently didn't understand when other dogs were likely to get annoyed/just attack anyway) and made regular 'walk buddies' (including a rescue who had to be muzzled to protect the one I was walking!) and gradually he became more used to socialising with his own kind. We stuck to the same routes pretty much all the time and after a few months we had his first off-lead walks too. I also tried to teach him to wait when crossing roads en route to the park.

One thing that surprised me was how well he understood people - having been so dependent on, some volatile, humans I could trust him to read a person very, very quickly and well. (Which mattered as we used to meet some mentally disabled people with non-standard behaviour patterns and also some rather different slightly dubious people in alley ways (necessary to get to park in reasonable time)).

You could do all the above, and, as owner seems to be open to learning, perhaps you could suggest she join you on a walk, say once/week, to put into practice what behaviourist & you teach her? Might give her the confidence to start taking him out on other days eventually.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would suggest a breed rescue if I thought she would even consider it but "he's her baby" so there's no chance of that also I think it would be several months of waiting before they found anyone to take him on. He is 2 years old and still entire (I've put the case forward for having him done but again she seems reluctant to do this). I understand people saying they wouldn't walk him but then he would go back to never getting out the house, maybe he'll surprise me and respond well to the routine of getting out for a short while every other day and will become easier to handle but I can't imagine it with so little exercise...

The point is though that the dog is not your responsibility, it is the responsibility of the owner. No matter how good your 3rd party insurance is, what will you do if the strong, poorly educated dog pulls you over and you break your ankle? Do you have loss of earnings insurance too?

 

[Pinkvboots]

In her defence she has arranged a consultation with a trainer it's just my opinion that she won't be strong enough to follow through with things consistently - hopefully I will be proved wrong.

as she is taking steps to see a behaviorist maybe you could offer to help her a bit to give her the confidence to eventually walk him alone, if she were to see you cope with him on your walks and see that it is possible to have him behave it might really help.

The only thing is that some people just don't have the ability to deal with big powerful unruly dogs and the mere fact she calls him her baby is a bit worrying, I really feel for the dog because with the right owner I am sure he would be a totally different dog, let's just hope it will be the making of her!

 

[SusieT]

Stimulation - identify toys that he has high drive for, e.g that you could then hide and he could find, or that you can trail round to get him following a stimulus. Identify if he has drive for treats- then train him to heel, sit, stay,focus etc. interesting walks - forest trails with lots of undergrowth to invstigate and not wide open fields that are boring and encourage over enthusiastic behaviour. I'd nearly definitely have him on a halti for control of a large untrained dog in combination with a second lead.

 

[Dopeydapple]

Stimulation - identify toys that he has high drive for, e.g that you could then hide and he could find, or that you can trail round to get him following a stimulus. Identify if he has drive for treats- then train him to heel, sit, stay,focus etc. interesting walks - forest trails with lots of undergrowth to invstigate and not wide open fields that are boring and encourage over enthusiastic behaviour. I'd nearly definitely have him on a halti for control of a large untrained dog in combination with a second lead.

I like your thinking but I have 30 minutes to walk a dog that lives in the middle of a large housing estate and has never been socialised. I don't have time to take him anywhere exciting but if I did it would probably have lots of other dogs which I'm not willing to encounter until I have more control of him. He had no interest in treats the other day but is massively overfed so hopefully if the excitement of being out wears off and she starts feeding him better that may come.

 

[PucciNPoni]

I would say the same thing to you if someone asked about grooming a wild unruly dog that hasn't been groomed in years. It's not YOUR responsibility to fix her problem. Owning a dog is a LUXURY not a right. THe fact that she has a large uncontrollable dog isn't your problem, no matter how you might feel for the dog himself. She needs to get some training first and foremost, not a dog walker. She needs to sort it herself.

 

[GirlFriday]

Whilst I agree that this isn't OP's problem I think what a lot of people are ignoring here is that the owner is trying to take constructive steps to fix the situation they've got themselves and their dog into. It is a large unruly x-breed (and I think OP mentioned entire too?) so, frankly, is very unlikely to get a great new home easily. Its best shot may well be with the existing owner trying to get it walked and getting advice from a behaviourist. I agree training is needed but there is NO WAY this dog is going to become manageable without exercise and if the owner can't walk it herself then she absolutely does need a walker - just a brave and well paid one!

Housing estates can be fun for dogs - there are lots of textures and smells that vary and often regularly walked other dogs for them to smell the scent of and get to know. Obviously it isn't the same as wilder areas but do not underestimate the mental stimulation possible in (even grim) urban environments!

 

[Dopeydapple]

Well this mornings walk was considerably better with the addition of a halti, big problems getting him back in the house at the end though. I've suggested to the owner that as he wasn't strong with the halti we substitute one of next week's walks for an early Sunday morning one so I can get her walking him as he isn't going to enjoy life with only 3 short walks per week, just waiting on her reply.

 

[Kaylum]

I would be very careful if you know this is a problem dog you might not be insured as you are aware of the problems before you started walking it.

 

[MissTyc]

If the dog is friendly albeit rowdy, then I think you can make an enormous difference to his life & his owner will hopefully gain confidence, further benefitting the dog.

Reminds me somewhat of an equine client who wanted me to "dressage" her horse. Turned out it hadn't been sat on for 3 months, had no manners, etc ... The first few sessions, I did brain games with the horse just to get him interested in me. Then manners. Then riding. By then, she was already able to ride him again. Sometimes exercise is not about the running and moving of joints, but the rebooting of the brain.

 

[Alec Swan]

…….. . Sometimes exercise is not about the running and moving of joints, but the rebooting of the brain.

Well said. If we have no relationship with a dog, then we have nothing.

Alec.

 

[Clodagh]

Well this mornings walk was considerably better with the addition of a halti, big problems getting him back in the house at the end though. I've suggested to the owner that as he wasn't strong with the halti we substitute one of next week's walks for an early Sunday morning one so I can get her walking him as he isn't going to enjoy life with only 3 short walks per week, just waiting on her reply.

Sounds like progress. I think you are doing the right thing, as long as he is within your comfort zone.

 

[PucciNPoni]

Whilst I agree that this isn't OP's problem I think what a lot of people are ignoring here is that the owner is trying to take constructive steps to fix the situation they've got themselves and their dog into. It is a large unruly x-breed (and I think OP mentioned entire too?) so, frankly, is very unlikely to get a great new home easily. Its best shot may well be with the existing owner trying to get it walked and getting advice from a behaviourist. I agree training is needed but there is NO WAY this dog is going to become manageable without exercise and if the owner can't walk it herself then she absolutely does need a walker - just a brave and well paid one!

Housing estates can be fun for dogs - there are lots of textures and smells that vary and often regularly walked other dogs for them to smell the scent of and get to know. Obviously it isn't the same as wilder areas but do not underestimate the mental stimulation possible in (even grim) urban environments!

Yes you're quite right - she is trying to seek help - but perhaps she needs a behaviourist involved.

My point was that if something is to happen to you, as a dog walker, a sole trader much like a groomer, through the course of walking this dog - then you are kind of in trouble. If, like many sole trader groomers the dog walker is not of a huge financial means to be able to be off work recovering from injury, does a dog owner pay their wage? To me it's just not worth it unless the dog walker has a specific skill set and confidence to deal with that type of job.

 

[planete]

I am with PNP here. I have been pulled over and dragged by dogs before and it was only luck nothing was broken. They were my own, I no longer need to earn a living and I have trained them out of it. I am afraid I would not risk my livelihood for an owner and her unruly dog. You have directed her to a trainer which is great. She now needs to go further and take this dog to a behaviourist most days until she can walk him herself. Expensive yes but if she really values the dog she will spend the money necessary to sort things out without putting other people in danger. All you would be doing at the moment is saving her money on professional help. A good behaviourist will socialise and train the dog, walk with them and show her how to cope.

 

[pippixox]

I also noticed you mentioned he is overfed- could you perhaps try and give her pointers- diet can make such a difference to behavior.

I know nothing about insurance or the professional side of things. But I can see why you want to help but at the same time have a living to make.

I do feel something is better than nothing and actually a dog who doesn't get out much can be exhausted more quickly. I got a rescue who had not left a house for 2 years, and she was mentally exhausted after 20 minutes with lots of see and sniffed.

from the few I know, Akita types tend to be stubborn and need a firm handler and she doesn't sadly sound like this,.But hopefully things can be improved.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Diet first, yes, he should be getting very little given his exercise limits.

You could try the figure of eight slip lead over nose trick (gather loose slip lead under nose, twist, pop over nose) to give you some modicum of control. A lead walk just isn't going to cut it, tho, as we've found out with our lot this week, first (and last) week of lead walks, they've been loopy. They need to run like greyhounds.

The Akita cross (x malamute, who thinks that's a good idea?!) I know is a massive pita and needs to be given far more exercise than he gets dragging his owner round.

 

[Dopeydapple]

Funnily enough CT this one is also crossed with a Malamute! She has said tonight that she can't afford the quotes given to her for one on one training with a trainer / behaviourist. I have given advice re setting boundaries and only rewarding calm behaviour and that any attention from her is a reward. Also discussed feed and she has ordered some skinners and been told how little he needs feeding on this. To be honest after today I am quite confident that in the right hands he will be easy to turn around.

 

[Alec Swan]

My honest opinion, given your posts and those of others, is that your best path is the one which leads you away.

I've dealt with difficult, dangerous and simply pig-headed dogs and without the committed support of the owner, then you're on a hiding to nothing. It all sounds as though your chances of success would be greater if you bought a lottery ticket.

Alec.

 

[AmyMay]

Good luck OP. Keep us posted.