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After losing 6 weeks of training combined with the move Kaiser retained virtually none of the loose leash training we did back home (not that I blame him!) and now that my head is starting to return to normal we've started the re-training process..

The only difference this time is that we're using another tactic and I have to admit, it's working much better than the stop-and-turn method.. There are a few snags I'm seeing as we work on it though, and I was hoping someone could help me refine the process and help me develop a set plan before we get much further.

Our behaviourist went the wayside.. To make a long, complicated story short we began to seriously disagree on things as her methods gradually got more aggressive. So we don't have a trainer right now, and with the experience I've had with them since I got Kaiser, we won't have another one. So I'm using everything I've learned to apply the best of every idea I hear toward our goals..

For the past two days, I've taken Kaiser out into the (fenced) yard, without a leash. At first, as I was wandering around, he would jump at me for the treats I had and then wander off. However every time he happened to be in a heel position at my left side, even if he was just walking by, I clicked and treated. By the end of our time yesterday he was walking by my side fairly consistently, getting a treat every 10 steps or so.

Today he showed better recognition that the treats only come from my left side, and if he's on my right he gets ignored. He also seems to understand that if his neck is further forward than my leg, no treats come. He still runs off at intervals to chase the other dogs, or a bird, or he just runs and comes back and falls back into place as I walk around the yard. He's also beginning to sit at my side as soon as I stop walking.

Because he still runs off at times, should I keep doing this for a few more days until he's more consistent? I'm having trouble deciding when to bring his leash into the equation. He's a horrible puller, and since I haven't been walking him for the past 6 weeks his pulling has not been at all checked. I'm thinking tomorrow I'll put his leash and collar on and just let the leash drag behind him.. then in a few more days start holding it.. Then when he's very good with that I'll wean the treats down to a minimum.. then start outside the yard with more treats..

Any suggestions?

That sounds fantastic, Leah! We also just started working on loose leash walking in School and started a click/treat method, but it's kind of a cross between the changing direction thing and what you're doing. We still change directions everytime she gets ahead of us, but as soon as she is right beside us, we click and hold the treat at our side so she has to come back into position to get it. We just started working on it at class last night, and she is just starting to make the connection that it's her walking directly next to us that is causing the click/treat. The trainer said for those of us that have real hard pullers (raises hand), we won't get past the front of the house for a couple weeks at least, she said we can't go to the park or anything cause it would either take forever to get there, or we would be losing everything we taught her by letting her walk ahead of us.
I think your technique sounds perfect and I would try it myself if I had a fenced in yard. I can't believe he walks next to you for ten steps! Cookie would be all over the place lol. But I have to admit, clicker training has been a life saver! She's really responding well to it! A lot of the exercises I thought she wouldn't do good at, she's done phenominally!
The only thing I would suggest would be when you let him drag the leash, hold it in your hand when he is walking next to you, but drop it if he runs off before it tightens, I think if he felt he was restricted it may ruin everything. I would do that with him until he walks around the yard with you, leash in hand and him by your side, for the whole training session before trying to move it outside. If there's one thing I'm learning at class, it's using baby steps for everything. Get him good at it before he even knows it has anything to do with going for walks outside, ya know what I mean? Then when you do bring it outside, it will just be a natural reaction to him.
Good luck and good to hear from you!!

Thanks for the suggestion about dropping the leash, I think you're right about him feeling restricted but I never thought about it before..

I'm glad Cookie is taking so well to clicker training.. Kaiser did so well with it, and if they can train dolphins with a clicker we should darn well be able to train our dogs

I'm definitely not going to take Kaiser outside the yard until it's ingrained, probably another couple of weeks or so I think.. By then I'll have the treats weaned down to almost nothing, and then we'll move outside the fenced area. Treats will increase proportionately to the number of distractions I think.. So when we leave the yard, treats will be more frequent again and decrease as he gets more used to being in what we call the park.. Then they'll increase again when we go to the street and gradually decrease as he adjusts, etc. etc..

The layout at my parents' house is unusual in that there's an acre of fenced yard near the house, but there's another 20 acres or so around the house that is still my parents' property, but it's big and open so we call it the park.. Then behind all that there's 40 acres of horse barns and pastures.. I don't want Kaiser near the horses because the three that spend the most time outside are terrified of dogs and trampled one of my uncle's leopard dogs once.. Fortunately the horse farm part of the property is dog-proof, so when I start to trust Kaiser more I'll be able to let him run the 20 acre section (also fenced) and not worry that I'll never find him again.. A good portion of it is all woods with various wildlife so if he was interested enough I'm afraid it would take days to get him back in the house

He's doing well though, I'm pleased even though we haven't gotten far yet

Can I take Cookie to your house?? You know what, forget that, can I come play at your house?? LOL! Sounds like a blast! Kaiser must be having SO much fun!
The way you explained increasing treats with increased distraction is exactly how our trainer told us to do it. At some point I have to have a whole hand full of treats in my hand and rapidly click and treat and just shove them in her mouth to keep her distracted, usually I do this when people approach us. Like when we first get to class, as soon as she lays down we click and treat constantly and the longer she stays, the more we space out the treats. If she gets distracted and gets up, we wait for her to lay back down and go back to clicking and treating more rapidly. She has been doing SO well since we started class, she still gets very excited but she knows now that when I stand on the leash, that is her cue to lay down. She doesn't always do it, and when she does do it, she doesn't always stay down, but she knows thats what she's supposed to do which is the first step. And the big key with her is keeping the leash real short, almost to the point where it is uncomfortable for her to stand because her head is being pulled to the ground so she has no choice but to lay down.
I'm so glad for you tht Kaiser is doing good on the leash. Just keep taking it a baby step at a time like you are and you'll be fine. I think we're going to have to move Cookie's leash training back into the yard. Even just infront of the house is too distracting and she isn't even interested in treats at all. In class the only thing that works with her is cheese. Regular kibble, forget about it! She's even starting to show little interest in it at meal time. She looks at it, then looks at me as if to say, "C'mon now! I know you have cheese!" lol.
You're doing a great job, Leah. And all that time spending with trainers and behaviorists is really paying off, even though they didn't all work out, you've learned a lot over the past year and you can tell you have a good handle on how to react to his behavior. Good job and keep up the good work! It's great to have you back, Leah!

I used this same method, without leash, just walking around/treating when Quezar 'accidentally' got in position. Of course this was his first training, hadn't had other leash training/pulling problems.

what I did with him, that might help, emphasizes the fun & watching me.

I put an upside down 20 gal tub with a cushion on top & would do the walking & have him stop/up/sit on the tub. I got some carpet squares & made a set pattern for us to walk. You can put cushions at intervals.

You may not use this specific method but the thing with Quezar is that I mixed it up,using 'cushion' 'up' 'off'
'wait' 'walk' 'watch-it' commands & made it FUN & kept him feeling challenged.