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Originally Posted by Wolftrap OK I watch the dog whisperer all the time. I really like his training techniques but I have a few questions that he has not addressed and was hoping some of you can help me.
1. Is a retractable leash OK to use? I see on the dog whisperer he always uses short leashes. He says it makes the walks more mentally stimulating and tires the dog. I use a retractable leash. I just let her walk and walk I figured she is tiring herself out because she is walking or running on it and getting more exercise that way. Is this wrong?
2. She is OVERLY hyper as I"m sure all of you know. Is it acceptable behavior for her to be bouncing off the walls and running in circles and barking as soon as I come home from work? I know she is doing this because she is excited to see me. She will not stop this until I acknowledge or pet her. She does the same thing when I have visitors in my home. I worry about this because not everyone is a dog lover and to have a dog acting like this and jumping on them and barking until they pet her is a little embarrassing sometimes. Should I not pet her when she is like this?
3. She is a VERY friendly dog and since most people think she is "oh so cute" a lot of people pet her while we are on our walks. Because of this she thinks EVERY single person we pass or see is supposed to pet her. So when we walk by someone she starts trying to run up to them and jump on them and gets very hyper. She also does this when we pass other dogs because she wants to play. I know not every dog is friendly and not every person likes dogs. Should I break her of this habit?
Please help. I've been wondering about these 3 things for awhile now and wondering if I should start to retrain her. She is 1 yr old.
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#1 It is wrong because if you are walkuing as a pack, the dog should not be out in front of you, it should be behind you or beside you, never in front of you. If you are at a park and letting him wander, then that is another thing.
#2. Correct you should not be petting her until she has calmed down. No speak, no touch, no eye contact, untill she settles down. If she jumps at your friends then use the dog whisperer method to get her to back away. She should be familiar, with she Shhhttt and the touch so she will respond to it when you use it.
I make mine sit and wait when I open the door, until I tell them it is OK to go in or out. I used the Shhhhht ouch to teach them this.
#3. Do not allow people to approach her until she is sitting quietly. If you are walking her properly she should not be able to approach them. That is the purpoe of keeping her on a short leash.
Never give them attention when they are in an excited state, this only encourages that behavior.
I am an avid Dog Whisperer Fan. And I have used his methods on my daughters hyper lab, and it does work.