Dog Walkers Club

yarmiah said:
Gratz on your Aussie!

Our Finnegan is a joy . . an energic joy for sure, but we love him tons!
He is always very happy to meet other people and other dogs, which is the root of the pulling issue. This harness is promising, and I also have used a prong collar to help.

As you know, Aussies are very smart but are easily distracted- so obedience training is a great idea! I know our pup would be a better behaved dog if I were a bit more consistent with him.

I'd love to see a picture of your baby! Finnegan will be 3 yrs old in March. He is a handsome black tri and weights in at about 55lbs.
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Thanks! I hope you're still checking this thread, it has been a while. Unfortunately my camera needs to be fixed so no pictures yet :(

Last week was traumatic for me, Oz flipped out at the dog park yelping and screaming almost and then trying to attack other dogs while he was on his leash. I know leash aggression is a very common trait for Aussies but I was so traumatized that my newly adopted baby was capable of such things. I spoke with the Aussie rescue league and they calmed me down and also told me not to bring him back to the park until I had him very well trained. He is doing great in obedience classes now and I've started playing clicker games with him. The Aussie League said that clicker training is really great for Aussies and it actually tires them out more then physical exercise!
 
Hey guys if you are having trouble with walking your dog, watch cesar millan. I SWEAR my dog has been nothing but a puller for over 4 years. I applied Cesar's techniques and now she's just the perfect dog to walk!! Sometimes she's even too lazy unlike the hardout energetic dog I had before! So watch his videos it's great!

By the way I have a labrador retriever!
 
Really? I love Cesar and I'll try and find some "pulling" episodes but can you give me an example of what he recommends? I got one of those Head Haulties that helps him from pulling but when we switch back to the regular leash its like I caught a Marlin.
 
Hello Club! Sorry that I haven't been around for a while, only I'm nearly two years post-weightloss, so I don't check into these forums that often these days.

Anyway, reason that I'm posting now is to let you know that I achieved a long term fitness goal - I ran with my dog in a canicross race (cross country run with a dog harnessed to a waist belt) yesterday. The track was 6 km long (around 3.5 miles I think), through forestry with lots of mud!

Wolfy ran like a professional, and I put every effort into it to keep up with him. The result: we came third in the veteran (40-49 year old) male runner class :)

:)
 
Hey all :) is this club still going?

I live in the country and we have two dogs - a chow cross and a beagle cross. When I walk with them, they aren't on a leash, but they come with me. We walk down our little country lane for a mile till we get to the main road, then we turn around and come back. They get so excited to that when I step outside with them I can hardly move because they are jumping around right in front of me :)

In addition to the dogs, I have a cat, who is my little fur baby, a rat and a gerbil. Oh, I have two kids as well, and a husband .... but they are a whole 'nother thread :)

God Bless,
mik
 
Hello and welcome all!

gratz on your canicross, toothlessferret! sounds like quite a workout for both you and the dog! 8)

mikkitta - any walking counts, on leash or off, sidewalks or country roads. If you can estimate the mileage, that would be great!

I like cesar millan, but I dont get the national geographic channel. I have seen him on specials and have bought his book.

I'd really like to get this walking thing off the ground! Please read up and lets get a walking!
 
From my house to the main road and back is just a very little shy of 2 miles - close enough that I call it 2 miles. During the winter, I stick to that road and rout exclusively. During the summer, I head the other way on our road, which used to be a state rout over the hill to get to a little town that is now about 45 minutes from us going the long way. The hill itself is around 300 feet high and the road winds it's way up that. Takes me about half an hour to walk something less than half a mile, but it's pretty steep, and in places there isn't much of a road any more. The dogs go with me, though, and enjoy chasing the deer through the forest.

I live in West Virginia in case anyone was wondering :) It's great for the dogs because they stay on our property most of the time, yet they have all the room in the world to run and play.

God Bless,
mik
 
Hi again dog lovers! I went for a walk with my dog yesterday for 1.5 hrs for like 8 kms or 5 miles. After that she started whimpering when we got home and she sort of sprained her leg :( My poor labbie. So today I decided is my rest day but I've been naughty and ate KFC!!

GRR :ack2:
 
Morning everyone

Sorry to hear about your furbaby, Joanne. Don't sweat the small stuff re: KFC. Just don't do it every day or even every week :)

I was going to walk yesterday, but then it started raining. It's too wet to go out so I am stuck doing the elliptical till things dry out or freeze up.

God Bless,
mik
 
Dogs Who Pull

So there are a couple of techniques i learned from taking my dog to obedience classes to work on pulling. The head haultie DEFINATELY works and is great for training but its not something you want to have to use for the rest of your life. The first mehod is what trainers in agility classes to, teach your dog to follow your hand. You can do this slowly at first by touching his nose then treating, then when he learns that touching his nose to your hand means "treat" he will start to follow your hand, continue working on this so his nose is following your hand as you walk side by side. Another method (this only works on their PULLING, it doesnt teach them to walk directly next to you) is to STOP in your tracks each time the leash gets tight. Continue walking once the leash slackedns. If your dog just continues to pull, make some sort of noise to get him to turn to face you (don't use your voise as that should be used as a reward). As soon as he turns to face you say "Good!" and continue walking. I have an over anxious 1 year old Aussie who is a major puller and this is slowly but surely starting to work for us.
 
Hey guys - there's one week left for The National Canine Weight Check - it's a great opportunity to get your dog weighed for free. I know we're all partial to our own vets, so see if your vet is one of the 4,000+ that are participating in the NCWC during February. Or visit the Find a Vet page to locate another vet in your area, Either way, it's a good cause to promote dog health and our dogs' health should always remain important. I'm curious to talk to anyone who makes an appointment.
 
It's warming up, so no excuses NOT to walk the dog! Tomorrow is Sunday and I WILL walk Finnegan tomorrow.

I have had to re motivate myself, and Monday starts week 2 of my refocused plan. Already am working out on the ski machine 3x a week, but no reason not to add a few dog walks in there to benefit him AND me!

Quote:
Chesapeake (BAY RETRIEVER) City Maryland, to
Boston (TERRIER) Massachusettes. A total distance of 381 miles
-@58 miles to Philadelphia, Pa
-@another 93 miles to NY City, NY
-@another 118 miles to Hartford, CT
-@another 101 to our final destination of BOSTON, MA!


At last post of 11/11/07- we had walked a total of 7.2 miles.
Today I added 1.3 miles
new total of 8.5 miles
 
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Ugg! Today was the first nice day to take the dog for a walk, and he broke his collar! the 2nd one, in a few months. He broke if bolting out of the house to chase a rabbit- he got loose and ran around the back of the house and across the street following the rabbit. Luckily enough, I was able to grab his attention and get him back in the house. SO . . now I have to buy him another collar, and THEN I can take him for a walk. I think tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day.
 
Poor Finnegan. He has not had a "real" walk in weeks :toetap05:.

I did stop and get him a new collar, but now the weather has gotten all wet. I do really hope to be able to walk him Saturday after work. He deserves it as he is such a good boy and could use the exercise/fun.
 
No More Excuses applies to Finnegan too!

My journal is titled NO MORE EXCUSES and I need to adopt that when it comes to the dog as well. Not only is exercise good for him, but the time spent with him, training him is also important. I made a commitment to love and care for the dog and that includes meeting his physical needs. So, beginning tomorrow, I here by commit to walking the dog regularly. I will be realistic and start slow . . 2-3 days a week and then work up to 5-6 days and gradually increase the time/distance too!
 
At last post of 03/29/08- we had walked a total of 8.5 miles.
Today I added 1.2 miles
new total of 9.7 miles

A bit cloudy but no rain, so as promised late last night, I took the dog for a walk. We walked the youngest up to school, its about .6 miles one way, so over a mile round trip. I plan to repeat the trip when I go pick her up.

He still is doing well with walking with this new harness AND does well with "heel".

I was actually stopped by someone in a car inquiring about what breed Finnegan was. He thought he was related to collie, but I Australian Shepherds are more like Border Collies. He asked too, if he was hyper to which I replied "Oh, YEAH, hes hyper!" The guy drove off after hearing that :auto:. But I'd rather be truthful about it than sugar coat it. Too many dogs end up in a shelter beacuse people dont have the time commitment and some dogs have LOTS of energy and need to be exercised. Make no bones about it, this dog and most others of his breed could go for hours n' hours . . they are no couch potatoes.

edit 6pm: I took a 2nd walk to school with Finnegan to pick up the girls
Today I added another 1.2 miles
new total of 10.9 miles
 
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So, I went and puchases a "zones" device that works like an invisible fence indoors for Finnegan. I had to do something! He is always up on the sofa barking like crazy at cats, rabbits, squirrels, people, etc out of the window, and destroying the sofa, curtains and window in the process. It has been 2 days I think he is getting it. I do take the collar off at night as they recommend it wonly be worn @12 hours a day.

So after dinner last night, I took the dog and the girls for a walk.

I added another 1.5 miles
new total of 12.4 miles
 
Hey Yarmiah! Glad you started this club. I have an 11 month old 'corgweiler' - she's a corgi rottweiler mix and like nothing I've seen before, so we've made up a breed name for her! She is really short, but about twice as tall as a corgi and has the exact colorings of a rotti. I've actually seen people point and laugh at her!!!

kali.jpg


She is very energetic and totally pain in the rear when she isn't exercised properly. I've been doing the following with her for a few months:

Monday: 1 mile short walk (all I have time for!)
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: 0.6 mile walk to some woods where she gets to be off leash while I walk a ~1.5 mile trail, then back on leash for the 0.6 miles home.
Thursday: 2 mile run
Friday: Run to the woods, walk the trail, run back
Saturday: no plans, but sometimes we go to the woods
Sunday: We go hiking in some park - usually at least 3 miles

So that's a total of...wow, nearly 15 miles a week! I'm sick at the moment and she's got a swollen dewclaw so we've both been couch potatoes for awhile. But next week we are back on track!
 
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Here's my tidbit for the week:

Never 'give' your dog food. Always make him work for it!

Examples:

Always make your dog sit for a treat - even better, make them sit and then do a trick. And teach them a new trick every time they have mastered an old one. Keep them on their toes!

When you give your dog her regular meal, make her sit and wait for you to put it on the ground. She is not allowed to go get it until you release her by saying something like 'ok'. This is really easy to teach if anyone wants to know how.

You can also make your pouch literally work' for their food. This will exercise their brains and make them calmer as well. Try putting dry kibble in a 20 oz soda bottle and crushing the opening a little bit. They have to bat the bottle around to get at the food. Or throw their entire meal in the grass in the backyard and make them peck around for it. This can keep them busy for nearly an hour! Or you can freeze wet food inside a Kong. There are tons of ways to make them work for their meals!

A happy healthy dog is both physically and mentally content. Keep those minds a-working!
 
Nice to meet ya madness!
What a cute pup you have! Looks like you guys have quite the workout routine! I look forward to you contributing miles . . we will be to Philadelphia in no time at all.

As far as your tidbit: you are absolutley correct. I always make Finnegan sit and wait while I'm putting his kibble in his dish. . . then he gets the "OK" to go ahead and eat. I will try getting him to do a trick now and then as well. We also use a kong and have a cube, that works like your empty bottle filled with kibble.

 
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