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Hello - New to forum and have leash training question

fseybert

New Member
Hello,

We lost our second Rottweiller to cancer and the wife said no more Rottys. In to our lives we now have Diesel, a tan English Mastiff. Being used to the ease at which Rottys are trained, the hard headed goof Diesel is proving to be a challenge. Potty training was a breeze. Sit and down are coming along just fine. The leash on the other hand, he's not having it! When a leash is connected he refuses to get up. We have been using a short lead, and just letting him carry it around the house and yard. He will reluctantly get up and walk around with it, eventually. When you get a hand on the lead he drops like a rock. We have been playing this game for a couple of months with no improvement. Any recommendations? Thanks.
 

gilles

Well-Known Member
some can be very stubborn and play on your nerves

1- do not use the command heel or come or whatever and pull him by force, you want this command to be associated with something positive.
2- when he drops ignore him, do not get angry, turn your back and go
3- when he walks even few steps reward him with high value treats something he really likes
4- this might take some time so be consistent and patient
5- some use something annoying like spraying water on him just to make him stand up and go but as he stands up and walk immediately reward and praise. never use force or hurt while using the command heel and while he is on leash , always positive association.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
Use a longer leash, 6ft or longer. Pair the leash with something positive (ie food). I don't know how much you know about marker training or the process of counter conditioning, but look some videos up on youtube. When you get over the phase of dropping once the leash is clipped start teaching leash pressure which just means overcoming opposition reflex on the dog's part and going towards the direction of tension or you can start with the leash pressure exercise. That is one of the most important things to teach a dog with a leash. This method works with all dogs - scared, stubborn, big, small, sensitive, etc.
 

gilles

Well-Known Member
also what hector suggested is good...there are many ways each dog responds better in one way or another but the most important is to reward positive behaviour and do not associate leash with any punishment, you can easily lose patience and use force ...do not do that.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
I’m not into training my dogs much , but they definitely need to walk , run and bike on a leash …….. I always take the pups in the woods on a 18-20 foot light nylon leash , with a light clip , and let them walk me , I follow them within reason , minimal guiding , just enough so they know they need to stay pretty much on the path . they figure that out pretty quickly on their own ……… the lead sometimes gets shorter , and I gradually end up walking them by guiding them a little more a little at a time …….. always on a trail in the woods , there is a lot of smells that distract them (interest them) , they always want to go …….. might not work for you , but it’s never failed me . I have biked with dogs on leash , on a narrow trail , through the woods going up to 20mph for short burst , because I trust the way they were taught ……. I think it has a lot to do with the dog I end up with , as it's their one of their first training experiences . it makes for bold , confident , inquisitive dogs ……. I know anybody who thinks you need to start out teaching your pup to heel on a leash and follow you , has never tried the alternative …….. you take any pup out in the woods , walk 20 feet away , I’ve never seen one not get up and start nosing around … the ones who would fight a leash , they got nothing to fight … maybe they come that timid , I’ve just never seen one ……..
 

fseybert

New Member
Thank you all for the replies. We have been trying some of what was recommended previously. Let him drag a leash for a while, then pick it up and follow him around. This has been a slow process, just making sure we're not missing something here. He is showing signs of being a really good dog, just hard headed as all get out. We read and expected that prior to getting him, just seeing how true it really is. Thanks again.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you need to find a new motivator... either a better treat (fresh cooked and/or freeze dried chicken is a high-value option)... or more baby-voices and excitement from the humans.
Mastiffs aren't always in the mood to "please" their humans, but they normally are in the mood to be WITH their humans, so you can use that to your advantage, too.

A lot of mastiff puppies just don't want to leave the house, and will put on the brakes to keep from going out the door (leash or no leash). If the leash means "we're leaving the security of HOME"... you need to change the conversation.... it needs to be "we're going on an ADVENTURE!"

One thing you can do when they're little, is carry them out to the end of the block, and then put them down, pick up the leash and follow them home - with lots of praise for any movement - and try to keep it a good loose-leash walk as you go - just follow the puppy at his pace. And, if the puppy stops to sniff something, you stop with them, and encourage their curiosity and enjoyment of BIG outside.

Anything you can do to make putting the leash on a fun activity is what it sounds like you need to do.

There's a book out there called "So, your dog's not Lassie"... which has a lot of tips on how to motivate dogs that are "independent thinkers" (aka "stubborn"). :)
So Your Dogs Not Lassie: Tips for Training Difficult Dogs and Independent Breeds: Betty Fisher: 9780062734570: Amazon.com: Books

Another suggestion - look into clicker/marker training. It's a great way to learn how to communicate with each other. It can help in all sorts of training, both obedience and fun/trick stuff, too.
 

Drilbur

New Member
It’s so important to be patient when Mastiff leash training. Remember, your Mastiff will not become leash trained straight away but with time they will. And try not to get frustrated with Mastiff leash training. If you get frustrated and lash out by hitting your Mastiff or yelling at them then this can actually make your Mastiff anxious and upset. And in turn it will make the leash training process a lot harder. So remember, stay calm and in control when Mastiff leash training. Has your Mastiff now started to pull on his leash? If this occurs, move in a clockwise direction and keep walking. This will move your Mastiffs head so that they have to continue walking next to you.
 

ZeusTheMoose

New Member
I'm new to the forum and new to having a mastiff companion, my boy is a bit over 6 months and I've had him almost 3 weeks, he's an absolute sweetheart! It took us 2 weeks to get him comfortable with going up and down the stairs at my place(moving in march, no more stairs)! We've only been on a handful of walks and he's progressively more fearful, and less compliant. I am calm, and use treats but he's less interested in them and tends to pull more, I've noticed he's whining more at night in his kennel, his behavior growing pains? am I doing something wrong?
 

Iulicris88

Well-Known Member
The easier way for me to leash train my pups is to take them in a new environment. The house/ yard is a familiar place to them, it doesn't raise much interest. But, when I take them out, they are so exited to study all this new things, they don't really care if there's a leash attached to them, they're just too distracted. After they familiarize with the leash, I start teaching them the other commands.
 

Wilsy

Well-Known Member
Maybe your dog doesn't get on with the collar / leash type that you have selected . Could it be uncomfortable for him or maybe he had a bad experience before you got him? Our DDB Wilson walks fine on a harness and leash but pulls if you put him on a collar and leash. I don't exactly know the science behind it but he is much more relaxed on a harness and behaves a lot better. Trying a longer leash at first may help so he doesn't feel so restrained, or one of those really long training leashes just to get him accustomed to a leash.
 

ZeusTheMoose

New Member
Maybe your dog doesn't get on with the collar / leash type that you have selected . Could it be uncomfortable for him or maybe he had a bad experience before you got him? Our DDB Wilson walks fine on a harness and leash but pulls if you put him on a collar and leash. I don't exactly know the science behind it but he is much more relaxed on a harness and behaves a lot better. Trying a longer leash at first may help so he doesn't feel so restrained, or one of those really long training leashes just to get him accustomed to a leash.
I'm using a freedom harness for him, I can try removing the collar today see if that helps, the environment is new and busy, he's much more comfortable in the courtyard but out on the street he's growing more and more uncomfortable.