Why do they pile more gear on?

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jennageit
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:51 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia
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Why do they pile more gear on?

Post by jennageit »

I was up the street this evening with my husband about to do some shopping.

A lady came up onto the footpath with a golden retriever x something with a HUGE amount of gear on.

1. A muzzle similar to those used on racing greyhounds
2. A halti, because apparently the dog pulls (the lead attachment was fed through the wire of the muzzle)
3. A harness because apparently the dog pulls, and
4. A snake chain (choker) cos the dog pulls. (The snake chain was on backwards by the way, so if she'd actually pulled on it, it wouldn't have released)
The dog had 3 leads on him!

I couldn't help myself, I had to stop and ask what was wrong with her.

"Oh, nothing wrong with me, the dogs the one with the problems" she said. :evil:

My back was sore, but I asked if maybe I could have a go at walking her dog. Maybe I can help you, I told her.

In the end (after about 20 minutes and me with tears rolling down my cheeks from pain), using the techniques I've seen Victoria use, the only thing the dog had on was the harness, and he was walking happily by my side, and then by his owners side.
I'm wondering if he was rebelling against all that gear.
I showed her how to do it, gave her the remnants of the treats I had in my pocket from training my own dogs, and she's now coming over next week for some more help with Gringo, her big, not unruly dog!

Why is it that people think adding more gear will solve the problem? I had it with horse people, which is why I closed down my re-training business (I still help my favourite clients out).

According to this lady, her dog has a whole lot of problems (including biting anyone who tries to pat him - didn't even think about raising a lip to me though). I dont' know what they are yet, but I'm sure in coming weeks I'll find out.

Jenna

PS. Sorry for the vent, I'll climb back under my rock now.
Kids, dogs, family, writing, coffee and chocolate. What more is there in life?
Oh yeah, updating my blog daily, there's always that too!
Sarah83
Posts: 2120
Joined: Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:49 pm
Location: Bad Fallingbostel, Germany
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Re: Why do they pile more gear on?

Post by Sarah83 »

Because it's a lot less effort to keep trying new equipment in the hopes it will be that magic wand you want than to put in the time and effort to train :( And because if you ask for advice online (which let's face it, lots of people do) well meaning average dog owners suggest things like a head collar, choke chain, spray collar etc as quick fixes that worked for them. And because a lot of owners actually know no better. They don't know how to train their dog. They don't know how to find a good trainer. They see CM and the like on tv and try to copy that.

Fingers crossed you can help this woman and her dog.
jennageit
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:51 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia
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Re: Why do they pile more gear on?

Post by jennageit »

I hope that I can help them both, if she'll let me.

The dog seems really nice, maybe a little exuberant, but then he's only about 12 months old so still a puppy.

I'm guilty of trying to replicate what I see on television with my own dogs, but only if I truly understand how, why and if it will do absolutely no harm. My family were of the "pile the gear on and yank the dog into submission" type, so as soon as I left home, I started looking at other options.

There aren't any dog trainers in this area, that I know of, other than the vets, so maybe she didn't have anyone to ask, but thankfully she's prepared (at this stage) to work with me. I just hope that I can help them both.

Her dog is a GR X Pointer. He's home alone most days for about 5 hours, but goes for an hours walk morning and evening, sadly with all that gear on. His coat is in beautiful condition, he's got good coverage weight wise, and nice clean teeth. He's been taught not to jump on people, but that's about as far as it goes.
I was thinking of starting with the basics, and going from there.

If I get stuck, is it okay to jump on here and ask for advice? I don't usually train dogs with their owner around unless I've already had the dog for a week or so alone with me, so this is a bit new.

Kind regards,

Jenna
Kids, dogs, family, writing, coffee and chocolate. What more is there in life?
Oh yeah, updating my blog daily, there's always that too!
Maxy24
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:08 pm
Location: MA, USA

Re: Why do they pile more gear on?

Post by Maxy24 »

I could see if the dog were severely aggressive and was wearing gear to ensure he didn't slip his leash and attack someone/another dog. In that case I'd say she's being responsible. Use the harness for when all is well, use the halti when he sees a trigger to help with control/breaking focus on trigger, and have the choke collar in case he's able to slip out of anything or any of this gear breaks while he's reacting as choke chains should be almost impossible to slip and are unlikely to break. Then a muzzle in case someone else comes up to you and won't listen when you say you're dog's aggressive, just in case something goes wrong. But just for regular old pulling/exuberance that seems sort of crazy, not to mention the hassle of handling three leashes.

I hope you're able to help them, sounds like she, and probably her dog, are pretty stressed out and have no idea what to do.

I'd try to ask about the biting thing though, find out if it's play biting or serious biting. If the dog tries to aggressively bite people you might have a bigger project on your hands.
jennageit
Posts: 42
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:51 pm
Location: Victoria, Australia
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Re: Why do they pile more gear on?

Post by jennageit »

Hi Maxy24,

Gringo is a leash biter, and that's why they muzzled him. He's bitten through a few leashes so far apparently and they were getting sick of replacing them.

They also tried a chain lead which led to him breaking a tooth (or splitting one) apparently.

In the safety of my yard, every time he grabbed the leash with his mouth, I just dropped the leash and walked off. The poor boy looked very confused the first few times, but figured it out pretty quick. He's a smart dog, and his owner is doing brilliantly.
I spent some time with dog and family this morning and have found a whole host of things that need changing, over the next six months. The list is a mile long, but they all seem committed to helping Gringo be comfortable.

When my back settles, I'll jump back online and give you an update!

Jenna
Kids, dogs, family, writing, coffee and chocolate. What more is there in life?
Oh yeah, updating my blog daily, there's always that too!
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