Whatta Nightmare....

[Rubidawg]

I am the primary dog walker of the family. Shawn complains that he walks all day long (landscaping, can't really blame him too much), so he's just too tired when he gets home to walk them. He will take Rubi, since she needs to be walked as part of her rehab. But for the most part....it's just me who takes them, and usually it's seperately. I'll take Grady cuz we'll work on training, then take Rubi since she likes to pull - so we work on that too. I've been brave and taken them both at the same time and they both seem to decide at that moment to do their own thing. Before Rubi got hurt, I was getting them both to start to atleast walk without twisting each other up, or Rubi pulling too hard. I always carry treats - cheese, they LOVE cheese on their walks and it's always worked well.

Well when my mom was here, she wanted to take the dogs for a walk with me. So, I gave her Grady (who is usually an angel on leash), and I took Rubi and boy whatta nightmare it was. Both of the dogs pulled, my poor mom got drug practically into the neighbors yard so Grady could pee on their bush. Rubi was all over the place. Grady pulled to be with me and to get inbetween me and Rubi when he could. Rubi would pull further away. We looked like a buncha flailing idiots walkin thru the 'hood. LOL

They are both VERY good with me, individually and like I said, I had started working with them together before Rubi got hurt and they were doing pretty well. This time, they were like it's the first time either of them had been on leash. I eventually switched up, since Grady obviously wanted to walk with me and not mom....but that didn't really help. Rubi then decided SHE had to walk with me and my poor mom was all over the place. LOL Even the treats did us no good. We finally made it home safely, but I think mom and I were more worn out than the dogs were.

Since neither of them seems to listen  or walk with anyone but me, any idea how I can change this? It was very embarrassing and if I had to listen to my dad or mom say one more time, "wow, these dogs have been trained" or "how did he/she pass obedience again?" I was gonna scream. Of course, they say it jokingly, but I boast with them about how good these dogs are with me....then when anyone else tries to walk with us (our assistant trainer tried to use Grady in class one day and he flipped out looking for me and pulled her across the ring ) it's an nightmare. How can I work on this. Obviously, I want the dogs to listen to anyone, not just me, even tho this time around they weren't listening very well either. I could atleast control them a bit better than they were with mom....but it was still embarrassing. Any suggestions?

I should also add that Rubi will walk with Shawn, unless she sees me then it's all over. Grady will walk with Shawn, but he pulls him and Shawn just doesn't have the patience - which I think is another reason why he doesn't like going for walks.

[BoxerPerson]

Wow, toughie IMO.  I am the primary walker when we walk on trips etc.  BUT, I made OH walk them too.  And they do very well. He cannot walk more than 1 at a time tho. 

I would have Shawn walk them more often.  He doesn't have to do the "full blown" walk, just a shorty and then do it with you and the other pup.  If one pulls, etc. turn the tugger the other way and walk in that direction until they listen & stop pulling, they try again, and again and again... Sometimes this takes a while, but they "will get it" eventually.  Stopping the dog immediately from pulling really does help.

Phoebe is my tugger, tho not horrible (altho Ollie is the owrse!)...I use a coupler (lets me walk 2 at a time)to couple Phoeb-o-licious & Willie together.  Willie walks great, but if Phoebe tries pulling, she is stalled because Willie doesn't.  Also if for some reason they both decided that something was too interesting than listening to me, I pull them up short, STOP & TURN in the opposite direction, if walking.  Sometimes I make them sit and get refocused on me and go in the oppostite direction, but mostly just turning does that.

[BoxerWB]

IMO, you won't get consistent results unless the dogs get a lot of practice with "other" people (not just Shawn)... you could have Shawn practice a bunch and then still have them act like goobers when your mom walks one of them. 

If your folks don't already know, tell them dogs don't generalize - they walk well for you because they know all your rules. Obviously they don't know those same rules apply when someone else has the leash.

Does Grady have a little SA or attachment issue w/you? Sounds like being walked by someone else isn't so much the problem as being away from you?

[Rubidawg]

Yeh Julia, I think he does. He's super attached and I'm trying to work on that as well. Rubi used to have SA but we've worked thru it and she's fine now....altho lately she's bonded even more with me due to her surgery, etc. Grady freaks out when I leave. If I take Rubi for a walk, he paces and whines constantly. When I leave to go somewhere, Shawn says he sits by the door, runs around and whines. He eventually calms down, but it's hard on him when I leave. When I've been away for trips, Shawn says Grady (and Rubi too, to an extent) both wonder around looking for me, looking out the window, staring at the door, they hear a car and jump up and start whining. So I do think that is part of the problem too.

I kept telling my mom when we were walking, how to handle them, but she's used to collies and shephards who really don't challenge you like the boxer does. She would try, but she wasn't as firm as she could be. So, that was another issue.

When I get signed up with our training club, I may have Grady's trainer (the first one we had has become somewhat of a mentor) try to do some work with him in the open rings, so that maybe we can break him of that. Maybe that will help?

Mom is planning on coming down in April while we go to a wedding in Florida. She wants to be able to walk the dogs and has a friend coming with her. I may just have to tell her that "if" she must walk them....to do one at a time. But with the way they were both acting the other day, I'm thinking she doesn't need to be walking them at all as I don't  want anything to happen while we're away.