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Jun. 7th, 2026 09:19 pmI've had a very unpleasant training issue with Robs. He's been doing mostly ok with cats, but occasionally he'll take off after one, the cat will run, and he'll chase because it's running (I'd run too! But it reinforces him to do it more). I had him on a long line up in the garden while I was gardening, he saw a cat, and took off after the cat. He's not super respectful of leads and lines yet, and one of his tricks is immediately trying to chew through them, so he's on coated metal cords at the moment. Anyhow, the line was long enough that he could get up enough speed to pop the latch that attached it to his collar on the first try, so he took off after the cat. Bad equipment, it sucks, ok.
Well I had him on a bit shorter line and was keeping an eye, but apparently not enough, and a week later he broke one in the same way. He's picked up the idea that if he starts at one end of the leash and fully accelerates as fast as possible towards the other end, he can break the latch I guess. Smart dog, right? But if he does that with me holding it, it pulls me over (I don't let go of the leash, but I do fall over and have some painful joint stuff, or if it's wrapped around my middle it's just very unpleasant).
I dislike situations where he gets *even more* restricted and then gets less good at handling restriction and it spirals like that, but he clearly can't be on a long lead that will break, and the long leads that can absorb that kind of energy (climbing ropes?) are almost certainly chewable. I've ordered a couple climbing caribiners, which are designed to take weight after a fall, so they likely will hold. I am, however, very very unimpressed with his new trick and I'm being very careful to keep the leash fully around part of my body because it's not ok for him to keep doing this, and so it needs to really not work at all. I could see him thinking today before he tried it on a much shorter leash and pulled me over.
In general he's getting better at calmer behaviour and attention, but his, maybe what trainers call threshold where he's just not in the same world with me is very touchy.
I really really wish I could put him in a harness instead of a collar, but I don't think there are any unchewable ones. If those hard pulls are doing this to my body, what are they doing to his neck?
Even with mosquito spray he's also been chewing on his front and inner legs, which at this point looks like it's creating its own discomfort and thus leading him to chew more. He's not bleeding, but he's staying red and irritated there. I don't know if this is food (I've ordered new food to try) or stress or just lingering from the mosquitoes, but it hurts me to look at. His vet appointment is a week away, I made it the day I got him to update his vaxxes. At least it's quicker to get a vet appointment than a doctor's appointment.
Well I had him on a bit shorter line and was keeping an eye, but apparently not enough, and a week later he broke one in the same way. He's picked up the idea that if he starts at one end of the leash and fully accelerates as fast as possible towards the other end, he can break the latch I guess. Smart dog, right? But if he does that with me holding it, it pulls me over (I don't let go of the leash, but I do fall over and have some painful joint stuff, or if it's wrapped around my middle it's just very unpleasant).
I dislike situations where he gets *even more* restricted and then gets less good at handling restriction and it spirals like that, but he clearly can't be on a long lead that will break, and the long leads that can absorb that kind of energy (climbing ropes?) are almost certainly chewable. I've ordered a couple climbing caribiners, which are designed to take weight after a fall, so they likely will hold. I am, however, very very unimpressed with his new trick and I'm being very careful to keep the leash fully around part of my body because it's not ok for him to keep doing this, and so it needs to really not work at all. I could see him thinking today before he tried it on a much shorter leash and pulled me over.
In general he's getting better at calmer behaviour and attention, but his, maybe what trainers call threshold where he's just not in the same world with me is very touchy.
I really really wish I could put him in a harness instead of a collar, but I don't think there are any unchewable ones. If those hard pulls are doing this to my body, what are they doing to his neck?
Even with mosquito spray he's also been chewing on his front and inner legs, which at this point looks like it's creating its own discomfort and thus leading him to chew more. He's not bleeding, but he's staying red and irritated there. I don't know if this is food (I've ordered new food to try) or stress or just lingering from the mosquitoes, but it hurts me to look at. His vet appointment is a week away, I made it the day I got him to update his vaxxes. At least it's quicker to get a vet appointment than a doctor's appointment.
