LONG LINE - TRAINING YOUR DOG TO ALWAYS COME WHEN HE IS CALLED
By Louise Thompson – Accredited Behaviour Consultant (ABC of SA)
You will need:-
Two lengths of webbing long line. One should be about five meters or so for work in the park and another shorter one (about leash length) to use as a house line to ensure indoor manners and obedience. These are available from Paws Abilities or you could get a long line from one of the equine outlets who sell horse equipment. The reason the webbing is recommended, is that it is thick enough not to cause injury if it get stuck around the dogs legs.
The house line should be used under supervision only!) We need another longer length of about five or six meters which is for the long line to use in the park or some other place where the pup can have some “free” time to do doggie stuff, (have some fun and explore) in safety and under your full control!
RULES FOR THE HANDLER! · Do not let the dog think this is a big deal
· Be calm and relaxed – never begin to work the dog after a bad day at the office!
· Everything learned – from the dogs point of view should be a happy positive learning experience
· Smile!!! The dog quickly learns to read your body language and facial expressions, in fact he does this far better than you as a mere human! This body language is after all how dogs communicate among themselves.
· Do not run before you can walk. Perfect the first step or stage before moving on to the second.
· Remember – this is supposed to be FUN! and you areworking towards an improved relationship with your companion animal.
The long line is a useful training tool, both in domestic and obedience training. The idea is never to put the pup or dog in a position where he has an opportunity to disobey you! Remember WE teach our pets that they have an option, and can disobey us – they do not learn this on their own!Now you need to give the pup some “FREE”exercise, in the park and off leash, but you are worried that he might bolt, or run away or worse get into a fight, and not come back when called.
I would NEVER let a young/adolescent dog free in the park. Even the calmest pup, when startled or under pressure, can bolt, it is part of the natural “flight” instinct. For safety sake, young dogs and pups should always be in a position where you the handler can be in control.
Even with an older dog, unless it is a well-trained, already obedient dog, it is a risk that is not worth taking. This is when the long line comes in. It has been proved that a pup or dog can not feel the difference in drag from one metre to five metres. This is what we capitalise on!
You may take the pup in the car to the park or a school field, or some safe open space. Attach the long line to the collar and let him go. Remember that you have hold of the end of the line, so YOU ARE ALWAYS IN A POSITION OF CONTROL!The pup or dog cannot run away or get into trouble, as you always have the upper hand!
Every few minutes or so, call him to you with a smile and a happy voice. If he does not IMMEDIATELY respond, gently, hand over hand (with a treat in one hand and a big smile – and don’t forget to sound happy and praise him) reel him in – gently like a fish on a line.
Draw him in to you and with lots of praise (Yes, he has earned praise, even if he has been helped) Put him in the “Sit” position to give him something productive to do for you, and praise. If you want in the beginning, you can give him a small tasty titbit.
Continue with this method for a couple of weeks, until the dog comes to you EACH AND EVERY TIME THAT HE IS CALLED WITHOUT BEING HELPED. If the pup / dog regresses at any stage go back to the stage where he was performing well, and work forward from there. Once he reaches the stage where he is coming to you on command, and if using titbits, they are given randomly, and you do no longer have to reel him in like a fish on a line, you may cut a small piece off the end of the line. Remember to still praise every time the pup or dog comes to you. This also has to be followed though in his every day interactions with the family.
He is to be praised EVERY time he comes to you when called, no matter what he has done. If the pup is ever punished after being called to you, he will learn a vital lesson. Unfortunately, it is the WRONG LESSON!!! The pup or dog will think “When I am called, Daddy does not like it when I come near ……… I had better run away, and stay as far away from Daddy as possible!”
Over a long period of time, you may reduce the length of the line. Never putting the animal in a position where he may try to evade you, or does not comply with your command. In the end, you will end up with a reliable pet, with a two-centimetre piece of string attached to his collar, because he thinks YOU ARE ALWAYS IN CONTROL!
REMEMBER!!! For the pup, none of this has been a frightening or an unpleasant experience. By positive reinforcement he has earned only praise, there has been NO PUNISHMENT,nothing to undermine his relationship with you. Learning has been a rewarding pleasant experience, and he probably wants more! He has never been put in a position where he has been able to disobey you, so he has not learned that he has an option!
Two lengths of webbing long line. One should be about five meters or so for work in the park and another shorter one (about leash length) to use as a house line to ensure indoor manners and obedience. These are available from Paws Abilities or you could get a long line from one of the equine outlets who sell horse equipment. The reason the webbing is recommended, is that it is thick enough not to cause injury if it get stuck around the dogs legs.
The house line should be used under supervision only!) We need another longer length of about five or six meters which is for the long line to use in the park or some other place where the pup can have some “free” time to do doggie stuff, (have some fun and explore) in safety and under your full control!
RULES FOR THE HANDLER! · Do not let the dog think this is a big deal
· Be calm and relaxed – never begin to work the dog after a bad day at the office!
· Everything learned – from the dogs point of view should be a happy positive learning experience
· Smile!!! The dog quickly learns to read your body language and facial expressions, in fact he does this far better than you as a mere human! This body language is after all how dogs communicate among themselves.
· Do not run before you can walk. Perfect the first step or stage before moving on to the second.
· Remember – this is supposed to be FUN! and you areworking towards an improved relationship with your companion animal.
The long line is a useful training tool, both in domestic and obedience training. The idea is never to put the pup or dog in a position where he has an opportunity to disobey you! Remember WE teach our pets that they have an option, and can disobey us – they do not learn this on their own!Now you need to give the pup some “FREE”exercise, in the park and off leash, but you are worried that he might bolt, or run away or worse get into a fight, and not come back when called.
I would NEVER let a young/adolescent dog free in the park. Even the calmest pup, when startled or under pressure, can bolt, it is part of the natural “flight” instinct. For safety sake, young dogs and pups should always be in a position where you the handler can be in control.
Even with an older dog, unless it is a well-trained, already obedient dog, it is a risk that is not worth taking. This is when the long line comes in. It has been proved that a pup or dog can not feel the difference in drag from one metre to five metres. This is what we capitalise on!
You may take the pup in the car to the park or a school field, or some safe open space. Attach the long line to the collar and let him go. Remember that you have hold of the end of the line, so YOU ARE ALWAYS IN A POSITION OF CONTROL!The pup or dog cannot run away or get into trouble, as you always have the upper hand!
Every few minutes or so, call him to you with a smile and a happy voice. If he does not IMMEDIATELY respond, gently, hand over hand (with a treat in one hand and a big smile – and don’t forget to sound happy and praise him) reel him in – gently like a fish on a line.
Draw him in to you and with lots of praise (Yes, he has earned praise, even if he has been helped) Put him in the “Sit” position to give him something productive to do for you, and praise. If you want in the beginning, you can give him a small tasty titbit.
Continue with this method for a couple of weeks, until the dog comes to you EACH AND EVERY TIME THAT HE IS CALLED WITHOUT BEING HELPED. If the pup / dog regresses at any stage go back to the stage where he was performing well, and work forward from there. Once he reaches the stage where he is coming to you on command, and if using titbits, they are given randomly, and you do no longer have to reel him in like a fish on a line, you may cut a small piece off the end of the line. Remember to still praise every time the pup or dog comes to you. This also has to be followed though in his every day interactions with the family.
He is to be praised EVERY time he comes to you when called, no matter what he has done. If the pup is ever punished after being called to you, he will learn a vital lesson. Unfortunately, it is the WRONG LESSON!!! The pup or dog will think “When I am called, Daddy does not like it when I come near ……… I had better run away, and stay as far away from Daddy as possible!”
Over a long period of time, you may reduce the length of the line. Never putting the animal in a position where he may try to evade you, or does not comply with your command. In the end, you will end up with a reliable pet, with a two-centimetre piece of string attached to his collar, because he thinks YOU ARE ALWAYS IN CONTROL!
REMEMBER!!! For the pup, none of this has been a frightening or an unpleasant experience. By positive reinforcement he has earned only praise, there has been NO PUNISHMENT,nothing to undermine his relationship with you. Learning has been a rewarding pleasant experience, and he probably wants more! He has never been put in a position where he has been able to disobey you, so he has not learned that he has an option!
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