[LuvMyLab]

My pup is absolutely terrified of the heel stick. I've let her hold it and walked around the yard with her with it in my hand a few times.

When were working on heel if I go to hold it in front of her to tell her she's to far ahead of me. She almost jumps out of her skin and does anything she can to get away from me.


Maybe I should feed her some treats from the hand with the stick in it so she'll think its a good thing?

 

[DL]

This is just an idea because boy do I don't know what I'm talking about.

Maybe you should begin using the stick only on sit, and have the dog sit whenever you stop walking.

Use the lead for heeling, and save the guiding or smacking in front for latter. It is just sort of a different way of doing it. Another idea is to get the stick in the back pocket all the time as part of the dog training uniform.

 

[lablover]

Let the dog examine/smell/carry around the stick.
When walking or sitting, rub the dogs back and side with the stick, like you were petting the dog. You want to get the dog comfortable when seeing the stick. If the dog gets out of control when the stick is in front of her, don;t put the stick in front of her. Restrain her with the lead, to keep her beside you, and not foraging ahead.
Use few stick corrections at this time.

 

[Polock]

This is just an idea because boy do I don't know what I'm talking about.

Another idea is to get the stick in the back pocket all the time as part of the dog training uniform.

CONGRATULATIONS...................you just qualified for the dumbess answer of the day........................ :shock:

Training tools, i.e. heeling sticks, transmitters, whistles belong in your hands at all times during training sessions..............not in yer pocket.............

 

[Kenneth Niles Bora]

Training tools, i.e. heeling sticks, transmitters, whistles belong in your hands at all times during training sessions..............not in yer pocket.............

When I was a teenager my Great Uncle Dan gave me one of his Deer Rifles. He said that old Savage model 99F had dropped quite a few Deer. I asked "Uncle Dan, why have you never put a sling on it?" He told me "If I had put a sling on that rifle it would not have taken as many Deer. You cannot shoot a Deer with a rifle on your back." :wink:

 

[LuvMyLab]

That's the thing. I was trying to introduce it by letting her hold and sniff. Even let her carry it... but as soon a I go to touch her with it she jump away as hard and fast as she can.

I"m gonna just keep it in my hand while I'm training for another week see if that helps.

 

[Jesse Higgins]

I don't mean to sound rude, but it sounds like your dog is self employed.

I was trying to introduce it by letting her hold and sniff. Even let her carry it... but as soon a I go to touch her with it she jump away as hard and fast as she can.

Your dog thinks it can simply avoid something negative - like the stick. You need to teach your dog that it can avoid negatives by prompt and complete compliance with your commands...

It appears your dog does not understand that you are running the show. There is a good chance that it thinks that because you are sending out that message on a regular basis. You'll probably need some help to turn things around.

Good luck!

 

[Brock Winston]

This is just an idea because boy do I don't know what I'm talking about.

Another idea is to get the stick in the back pocket all the time as part of the dog training uniform.

you just qualified for the dumbess answer of the day........................ :shock:

whistles belong in your hands at all times during training sessions

:roll:

 

[DL]

This is just an idea because boy do I don't know what I'm talking about.

Another idea is to get the stick in the back pocket all the time as part of the dog training uniform.

you just qualified for the dumbess answer of the day........................ :shock:

whistles belong in your hands at all times during training sessions

:roll:

Hey Pollock, whistles belong in your mouth at all times not in your hands. It is dumb of you to say that.

 

[Patrick Johndrow]

My pup is absolutely terrified of the heel stick.

Why? Does your pup naturally fear other inanimate objects or just the heeling stick?

 

[Polock]

This is just an idea because boy do I don't know what I'm talking about.

Another idea is to get the stick in the back pocket all the time as part of the dog training uniform.

you just qualified for the dumbess answer of the day........................ :shock:

whistles belong in your hands at all times during training sessions

:roll:

Hey Pollock, whistles belong in your mouth at all times not in your hands. It is dumb of you to say that.

I was wonderin' whether ya'd pick up on that, so I left it in fer yer benefit......... :lol:

 

[Zoe's next]

When I cock my elbow and raise my hand up in the air my dog is absolutely terrified. Any ideas how that happened?

Just a little hopefully helpful humor LuvMyLab. I'd find a different way to correct the heal position (choke or pinch collar, maybe) and stay away from stick corrections for a while. I'd say your pup is "burned" on the stick right now. But, it's up to you to read your dog and be sure the "self employed" post (good post, BTW) is not more on target.

 

[LuvMyLab]

I don't see why she would be burned on the stick she's not been struck once with anything.

Oh well .. I guess she just needs to see me carry it more so she'll figure out I'm not planning on beating her with it.

 

[Colonel Blimp]

LuvMyLab

All this presupposes that the dog is otherwise confident with you and there are no other problems....but if she really is terrified of it throw the bloody thing away.

You can, as has been suggested train with other methods. When plan 'A' fails don't revert to plan 'A', there is no point in continuing with something that doesn't work and / or gets in the way of progress.

Regards
Eug

 

[Becky Mills]

LuvMy Lab, don't feel bad. Hoss was scared to death of the thing, too, and he had never been hit with anything when I first started using it. It has been so long (seven years) I have trouble remembering what I did exactly but the same thing you're doing, mostly rubbing him with it and letting him carry it around.
It backfired, though. Goodness knows anybody that's seen Hoss in action can tell you he isn't scared of a heeling stick now. He prances around with it something shameful and I can't tell you how many we go through in a year. They are laying around all over the farm. His favorite trick is to drop it in the pond, and no, they don't float.
Good luck.

 

[Misty Marsh]

If you plan on using a healing stick it must be treated like any other "tool" it must be introuduced for a long period of time before it's used, kind of like a dummy e-collar and avoiding a "collar wise" situation. I find it's a good thing to take it on walks and pet the dog with it, stroking it's back with it starting from front to back, that way the dog get's used to it flashing infront of it's face in a positive manner. A dog that is really shy of it has been hit by an owner with it's bare hand in that motion of been hit with a healiing stick "cold turkey" creating this issue, because it's not a natural thing for a dog to shy away from an arm motion like that!