Picking up Little Wolfie

Sometimes when I pick up Wolfie, he gives a little whimp or tries to give me a little nip.  What can I do to make sure that Wolfie is fine when I pick him up?

The most important aspect of picking up Wolfie is to make sure that you are not hurting or startling him.  He must feel comfortable during the entire process and be assured that you are always keeping him safe and secure.  Here are some qeneral tips:

• Never let small children pick up Wolfie.  Wolfie might squirm and they might drop him.  They might also squeeze him and he might nip to tell them that he is being hurt.
• Dont pick up big dogs.  They can easily squirm and you will drop them.  If you need to get your big dog into a car or on a bed, build a ramp or get some "doggie stairs".  This will assure that Wolfie will kept safe and you wont hurt your back.

Now, lets discuss how to pick him up, assuming that Wolfie is a medium to small dog and you have the ability to pick him up:

• Lightly stroke Wolfie to make sure that he has no sores or aches.  Trying to pick up a doggie with painful spots is not a good thing.
• Slowly approach Wolfie and calmly grab him around his belly.  Picking up a dog by grabbing them under their front legs can, at times, be painful.
• Wait for a moment and then slowly lift him up to your chest.  Once he is there, praise him with a high pitched "Good Puppy".
• Turn him and hold him against your chest while holding him with both arms.  He should be "right side up" so that his belly is resting in your forearms while you have one arm holding him in place.
• Slowly pet him by taking your hand and stroking him down his body.
• Keep the environment calm and quiet.  Loud noises or fast movement might startle him and you might drop him.  This is not good.
• If Wolfie displays any anxiety or begins to squirm, put him down immediately.
• When you are ready to put him down, return to holding him with both hands under his belly.
• Slowly lower him, letting him see where his feet will touch the ground.
• Once both feet are on the ground, praise him with a high pitched "Good Puppy" and let him loose.

Picking up Wolfie is a process of bonding and trust that is critical in the relationship you are trying to create with your dog.  Doing it correctly helps create a great experience.  As dog trainers, we have seen that improper grabbing and picking up of dogs can create lasting behavior issues.

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Walking a Very Strong Big Dog

I have a very big, head strong German Sheppard who pulls and lunges like crazy when I walk him.  I have tried all the tricks of walking on a short leash, using a Holt and Gentle Leader, walking at different times; he still pulls and lunges.  What can I try next?

I had this exact situation with a client and his Sheppard on a training visit earlier this week.  He said that walking was next to impossible with the dog.  With that said, I asked him to take the dog out on a short leash and walk down the street.  (By the way, the street was nice and quiet… no cars, people, kids, squirrels, etc.)  The walking was a disaster.  It was a constant tug of war between the client and the dog.  It was a stalemate where nobody was winning and nothing was being taught.

This is where I introduced a slightly different method that is not for everybody.  I asked for the leash and simply held the leash by the handle.  There was six feet of loose leash between me and this 90 lb., 2 year old, rambunctious Sheppard. 

He looked at me and then began to run out to the end of the leash.  As soon as he got there and began to pull, I gave a good tug on the leash and directed him back to me.  During this entire time, I continued to walk and did not make a big deal of the redirection back to me.  The Sheppard gave me a quick look and slowly began to walk out to the end again.  I corrected him again, but this time I didn’t have to give such a tug to get him to look back and slow down.

After several repetitions of this process, that Sheppard was walking right around me and never encroached on the 6 foot limit of the leash.  Kids and animals would pass by and he still would stay right around me.  Dogs will be dogs, so I still needed to give him slight corrections as we continued and completed the walk.  Also, I want to make it quite clear that I never chocked the dog or hurt him in any way.  I was simply giving him very clear signals that “you can’t go that way”.  

Sometimes dogs need a little more room to “move around” when walking.  I noticed this immediately when I asked the owner to walk the dog.  All I did was to give the dog a little more “walking room” with the clear rule that he still needed to stay around me and to be mindful of my presence.  I simply put the Sheppard in a situation where he could clearly understand my rule and that I had the ability to let him understand what was right and wrong.

Please remember that this technique isn’t for everybody.  The client was able to handle the dog if he lunged, had a clear grasp of the technique I was displaying, and was able to successfully apply it, if needed.  If you have further questions, please contact us at Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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