# How to improve engagement whilst on walk?



## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Buffy is not biddable and not really interested in learning tricks. She has a ball she loves but doesn't overly attached to it like some ball obsessive dogs. Her favourite treat is hotdog and I only use it when we are on walk to reward good behaviour. Can you please suggest and share your experiences on how to make the engagement more rewarding whilst on a walk? I understand the concept but still trying to figure it out. If we go to the usual place for a walk, Buffy is a lot easier to engage with me. However, if we go to a 'new' or less frequent route, all the engagement is thrown out. Treats/ball/toys doesn't matter, couldn't care less. 

She will check on me periodically but as long as she knows I am near by, that's it, off she goes.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

how old is Buffy? Younger dogs can be very excited about t mseeing what is going on around each new corner. That is hard to compete with. We humans can be so very boring during walks. I found it is easier to let my dogs sniff around during the walk and then stop in occasionally to play OB games, continue the walk, then stop and play and then continue the walk.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

What engagement do you want from her?


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

car2ner said:


> how old is Buffy? Younger dogs can be very excited about t mseeing what is going on around each new corner. That is hard to compete with. We humans can be so very boring during walks. I found it is easier to let my dogs sniff around during the walk and then stop in occasionally to play OB games, continue the walk, then stop and play and then continue the walk.


Thanks for the reply. She will be 3 in June. I must admit my mistake when she was a pup, she did very well on obedient, even off-leash up until she was six months old. Covid hit, we had to shield for MIL, didn't reinforce the obedient training as ignorant as I was thinking that she was doing well, I didn't need a military dog. Then took her to daycare in hope she could play with other dogs, another big mistake. 

She gets better with reactive to other dogs, not aggressive but learned from daycare she could play with other dogs whenever she liked. Most of the time she will ignore other dogs with a reminder, 'leave it' then she goes on her business.

I always let her sniff with her heart content, and then did what you mentioned above. It works great if we are at our regular park. Recently I took her to a new route, she would go deaf, not even interest in hotdog! A game I play with her while we are on our normal walk, that I would say 'come', she would run to me and toss a hotdog, then say 'go play' to carry on.



Apex1 said:


> What engagement do you want from her?


I don't need her by my side all the time but if people/cyclist passing by, I would like her to come back to my side which she does on our normal route but in new places, she is deaf! I would like her to pay more attention to me, rather than 'run wild' if that makes sense.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

I feel your frustration. Apex is independent, willfull about what he wants and selectively deaf. He was a difficult dog for me. Our issues were due to my lack of experience. He is so different now we both are. I'm trying not to project my experience onto you. I remember the last 5 years so clearly. Everything felt like an effort in futility. I tried so hard! 

I have learned a thing or two. I want people and their dogs to succeed. I see your effort! 

Do you have a command for coming back to heel when you need her to? Is she leash pulling?


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

She's a husky mix.The urge to run and hunt is very very powerful.It's extremely difficult to convince her returning to your side is the most rewarding choice. Either a long line or consider e collar training.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

Sort of what I was getting at. I didn't know how to issue a leash correction with a prong properly, clearly with consistency and at the right strength for Apex. Honestly I'm soft and was reluctant to be firm. I didn't want to correct him. I went 2.25 hermspringer learned how to issue a correction (finally). Apex is now with me. I can finally walk him. I hope I can take it off one day and get the same results. Without all the pulling we can now communicate with the leash. Takes only the slightest movement he is really paying attention.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

dogma13 said:


> She's a husky mix.The urge to run and hunt is very very powerful.It's extremely difficult to convince her returning to your side is the most rewarding choice. Either a long line or consider e collar training.


To be honest, she isn't too bad but I would like to have more control over her. Maybe I should lower my expectation of her, tho I will keep trying. She is on an expandable leash, it is easier to get her back with the stop button than a long line if I have to reel her back immediately. Because she is half GSD so consciously I would hope for its level of obedient.



Apex1 said:


> Sort of what I was getting at. I didn't know how to issue a leash correction with a prong properly, clearly with consistency and at the right strength for Apex. Honestly I'm soft and was reluctant to be firm. I didn't want to correct him. I went 2.25 hermspringer learned how to issue a correction (finally). Apex is now with me. I can finally walk him. I hope I can take it off one day and get the same results. Without all the pulling we can now communicate with the leash. Takes only the slightest movement he is really paying attention.


We got in touch with our trainer when she was very reactive to dogs. He is a very experienced trainer, used to train police dogs. He laughed when I told him that I would correct her, because he didn't think my tone could be any authority  I am also lack of experience but still learning.

I pet my thigh then she knows to heel but not in new environment. Pulling on short leash is work in progress, getting better everyday.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

I have Zephyr and Apex. Two very different dogs. Zephyr is an angel 😇 lol. Even my engaged little angel finds somethings more interesting. I can only be so engaging so magnificent. They have their own desires I have to compete with. 
At some point I had to let myself off the hook. 
Always feeling like I'm not exciting enough how do I get engagement how do I get my dog to do what I want what I've taught when it matters!
I was just walking Apex (dog reactive with huge explosions). Dog came running at us guess what Apex did? Nothing no reaction (a little hackling) no pulling. I stomped towards the other dog and it stopped and followed from a distance. 
Sometimes he has to do what I want because I said so. I've put in the time and effort it's time (long past).


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

dogma13 said:


> She's a husky mix.The urge to run and hunt is very very powerful.It's extremely difficult to convince her returning to your side is the most rewarding choice. Either a long line or consider e collar training.


My first thought as well. Huskies aren't exactly known as the most biddable or obedient. 
They do one thing and one thing well; run away from you!


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

WNGD said:


> My first thought as well. Huskies aren't exactly known as the most biddable or obedient.
> They do one thing and one thing well; run away from you!


My Misty is not biddable at all outdoors here at home. She'll run off to hunt and visit the neighbors but will check in often if left off of her long line.That is not acceptable:-( But she's perfectly happy to be on the line on our walks.When I want to let her run we drive to an isolated area and she and Samson can race around in the woods until their tongues are dragging and hops right back in the car when I'm ready to go. She also recalls and responds to Leave It if they scare up a deer or something. Go figure. My theory is she's very pack oriented.
The first time she took off on me at home I cleverly got her to get in the car.The second (last!) time she didn't fall for it.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Apex1 said:


> I have Zephyr and Apex. Two very different dogs. Zephyr is an angel 😇 lol. Even my engaged little angel finds somethings more interesting. I can only be so engaging so magnificent. They have their own desires I have to compete with.
> At some point I had to let myself off the hook.
> Always feeling like I'm not exciting enough how do I get engagement how do I get my dog to do what I want what I've taught when it matters!
> I was just walking Apex (dog reactive with huge explosions). Dog came running at us guess what Apex did? Nothing no reaction (a little hackling) no pulling. I stomped towards the other dog and it stopped and followed from a distance.
> Sometimes he has to do what I want because I said so. I've put in the time and effort it's time (long past).


So glad to hear Apex has changed so much after all the effort you have put in! I have read some of your posts and know what you have gone through a lot with him but you made it! I am very happy for you and now with the addition of the angel, Zephyr, such an encouraging story!


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

WNGD said:


> My first thought as well. Huskies aren't exactly known as the most biddable or obedient.
> They do one thing and one thing well; run away from you!


Lol, not to run away from me (food dispenser,lol), just to ignore me


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

dogma13 said:


> My Misty is not biddable at all outdoors here at home. She'll run off to hunt and visit the neighbors but will check in often if left off of her long line.That is not acceptable:-( But she's perfectly happy to be on the line on our walks.When I want to let her run we drive to an isolated area and she and Samson can race around in the woods until their tongues are dragging and hops right back in the car when I'm ready to go. She also recalls and responds to Leave It if they scare up a deer or something. Go figure. My theory is she's very pack oriented.
> The first time she took off on me at home I cleverly got her to get in the car.The second (last!) time she didn't fall for it.


They are so intelligent but too independent mind!

Buffy's obedient is no fault at all in the house or front yard, 90% in the back yard. So I have higher expectation of her to be more engaged with me while we are out. I guess its her genetics side I can't ignore. Recently she has learnt to tone down the barking to the postman (instead of intense bark, she just has a few 'who are you' bark and stop barking when I say it's ok. Well, I will keep trying but kind of accept it is what she is It doesn't make me love her less because I do love her more everyday 😍


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

That is all I meant is that you accept the dog for who they are and don't be so hard on your self.


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

I had a husky shepherd mix as a kid. Walking her was interesting.

If she was on a lead, I was on a skateboard. She loved to run and pull more than anything. She couldn't have cared less about treats and toys. She never chased a ball in her life.

If she was off-leash, we were out in the field across the street on 640 acres (a square mile) of woods and meadow. We could go for hour-long hikes and I might see her a handful of times  I was probably eight at the time so I didn't know what to 'expect' from a dog. Over time, I realized that she was always just ahead of me at the range of her perception of me which was much farther than my perception of her. Her idea of engagement was different from mine!

I would play games like randomly turning and walking in another direction. A few minutes later I would catch a glimpse of her in front of me again. She would roam in a wide arc to get back in front of me. Sometimes I would hide by lying perfectly still in a clump of high grass or climbing a tree. A few minutes later she come back looking for me.

As we got older, we developed a whistle shorthand. A short 'low-high' meant to come back far enough so I can see you with my limited human senses. A longer 'high-low-high' meant to come all the way back to me.

It might not be what most people expect for engagement but it worked for us. We spent a lot of hours out in that wood doing whatever it is that little boys and their dogs do


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## das2183 (Apr 24, 2021)

Pick a treat your dog Loves but only use it when walking. Start easy… what I do with my dogs is treat every time they look at me on the walk, even if i have to get their attention to do so. Over time increase the frequency or duration of the look and then start rewarding when she is next to you giving the desired behavior


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

3ymum said:


> They are so intelligent but too independent mind!
> 
> Buffy's obedient is no fault at all in the house or front yard, 90% in the back yard. So I have higher expectation of her to be more engaged with me while we are out. I guess its her genetics side I can't ignore. Recently she has learnt to tone down the barking to the postman (instead of intense bark, she just has a few 'who are you' bark and stop barking when I say it's ok. Well, I will keep trying but kind of accept it is what she is It doesn't make me love her less because I do love her more everyday 😍


Your pup is doing much better than my friend's. He's a malamute/husky/gsd mix. He's a humongous dog, 120lbs. He uses his head as a battering ram to break through weak parts of a wooden fence. The entire neighborhood knows him because he has escaped at least 30 times. She ended up getting a very expensive gps collar that she can sync up to her phone. She gets a ping on her cell phone if he leaves a certain area. She will literally let a neighbor know that her dog is on the way to their house. Luckily he's fairly low energy and slow, so he just trots around lol! Huskies/malamutes are just too funny.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Apex1 said:


> That is all I meant is that you accept the dog for who they are and don't be so hard on your self.


Thank you for your understanding. I suppose it's due to inexperience and then realised I have made some big mistakes in training, so want to correct it. Husband keeps telling me Buffy is doing well, not Ideal but as long as she is healthy and happy, that's all the matter. I do agree with him, sometimes,lol.


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## Chloé&Buck (Jul 1, 2020)

I'd say walk with intention and act like you're up to something. I know, cheesy, but key.
Dogs love to do BS when they feel your mind is elsewhere  
Also, know what your dog is into and get into it too! Some dogs do fine with classics, others require a bit more creativity.
My girl is a terrier mix, very scent driven and interested in snif and dig games. I have this game with her where I'll point molehills to her and she'll diig them in the correct order. lol
I may sound silly, but she loves it to bits! She gets extatic about that game. Honestly at that point, I beliece a "dig" command would beat anything with her.
Just say "dig" and she'll sprint to you like "yup! ready for the job!" lol


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

davewis said:


> I had a husky shepherd mix as a kid. Walking her was interesting.
> 
> If she was on a lead, I was on a skateboard. She loved to run and pull more than anything. She couldn't have cared less about treats and toys. She never chased a ball in her life.
> 
> ...


Thank you for sharing this! Yes, that is the engagement for Buffy with us, just make sure we are around, then off she goes. When Buffy was around 6 months old, we used to take her to the wood and played game like that with her. She had excellent recall, and never out of our sight until one day she chased a hare/fox cub...... She came back to us a couple minutes later but I lost all the confidence. So scared to lose her, since then she is on a 10m expandable leash.

One day, maybe a year later, we will get a GSD. But this time, I will do better with the training and stick with our trainer.


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## Chloé&Buck (Jul 1, 2020)

An interesting side effect is that she's never destroyed my backyard, looks like all the digging goes into these games we play in natural environments, so she's satisfied and doesn't do it the rest of the time.
Not sure what Buffy is like, but all our Husky friends here love to snif and dig. We hardly ever see their faces


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Hopps said:


> Your pup is doing much better than my friend's. He's a malamute/husky/gsd mix. He's a humongous dog, 120lbs. He uses his head as a battering ram to break through weak parts of a wooden fence. The entire neighborhood knows him because he has escaped at least 30 times. She ended up getting a very expensive gps collar that she can sync up to her phone. She gets a ping on her cell phone if he leaves a certain area. She will literally let a neighbor know that her dog is on the way to their house. Luckily he's fairly low energy and slow, so he just trots around lol! Huskies/malamutes are just too funny.


I am so glad Buffy has never tried to dig and escape. The only time she 'escaped' was about 4 months old. Me and husband had something to do in the garden and couldn't pay attention to her so left her in the front yard which had a side gate and a bush between us but she could still able to see us. Couple minutes later, she was running to us! She digged under the metal wire fence under the bush so she could get to us! I was worried she would have separation anxiety but glad she doesn't, she is always calm whilst we are not home. Ya, I think I am asking a bit too much from her, lol


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Chloé&Buck said:


> I'd say walk with intention and act like you're up to something. I know, cheesy, but key.
> Dogs love to do BS when they feel your mind is elsewhere
> Also, know what your dog is into and get into it too! Some dogs do fine with classics, others require a bit more creativity.
> My girl is a terrier mix, very scent driven and interested in snif and dig games. I have this game with her where I'll point molehills to her and she'll diig them in the correct order. lol
> ...


Lol, I may have to try something like that! Silly isn't an issue,lol. She isn't really into digging that much but sniffing.......seems like she has to sniff every single thing while she is out!


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

3ymum said:


> She came back to us a couple minutes later but I lost all the confidence. So scared to lose her, since then she is on a 10m expandable leash.


Rebuilding the confidence that she will come back after a scare can be hard.

I proofed Ole's recall at a local apple orchard. It had a big field of apple trees that was surrounded by a 10-foot fence to keep the deer out.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

davewis said:


> Rebuilding the confidence that she will come back after a scare can be hard.
> 
> I proofed Ole's recall at a local apple orchard. It had a big field of apple trees that was surrounded by a 10-foot fence to keep the deer out.


It's something I always want to rebuild in the near future. After we drop daycare, all we concentrate on the excitement and reactive to other dogs, which took some time but getting there. At the meantime I throw in some recall but she is still not reliable, especially in new places. I expect she will be on the expandable leash in the rest of her life but no harm keep trying


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

My big boy was always on leash, even if dragging a 30 foot line, if we were not in a fenced area. 100 percent GSD but still very curious and confident wanting to explore new trails. Mostly we were concerned about him getting lost if he chased after a deer and if we came across other people with reactive dogs. So a life on a leash wasn't a bad life for him at all.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

If she is into smells start perhaps dropping food that she has to find then start laying tracks. Make a walk about doing nosework instead of a walk. Maybe? My dogs go nuts for this tuna recipe I make. 
24 Oz tuna
4 eggs
3 cups of flour
Parmesan cheese if you wish
Mix and bake on a wax paper lined cookie sheet 20-25 minutes 
I cut into cubes with a pizza cutter divided and freeze


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

car2ner said:


> My big boy was always on leash, even if dragging a 30 foot line, if we were not in a fenced area. 100 percent GSD but still very curious and confident wanting to explore new trails. Mostly we were concerned about him getting lost if he chased after a deer and if we came across other people with reactive dogs. So a life on a leash wasn't a bad life for him at all.


To be honest, better be safe than sorry. A life on leash it is,lol. They still are loved and happy 😊


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Apex1 said:


> If she is into smells start perhaps dropping food that she has to find then start laying tracks. Make a walk about doing nosework instead of a walk. Maybe? My dogs go nuts for this tuna recipe I make.
> 24 Oz tuna
> 4 eggs
> 3 cups of flour
> ...


That's what I am thinking, lay some tracks for her. She loves the 'find it' game, we played in the front yard lately, tail up the whole time and there was a smile and a sense of satisfaction on her face once she found the treats! 

One time I hided her ball, she couldn't find it, she kept looking at me after a while, I wanted to encourage her keep looking, and said 'how to find it'then she pawed on my lap with a smile, seemed like answered my question that 'mommy will solve it', lol. So adorable but I didn't give it back to her, just pointed to the area then she found it, eventually.

I make the same treats as well and other varieties. A lot healthier and cheaper!


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

3ymum said:


> To be honest, better be safe than sorry. A life on leash it is,lol. They still are loved and happy 😊


Yes, a 'runner' can have a completely happy life on a leash. The big thing is to enjoy each other's company. As the bond continues to grow so will the trust!


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Buffy learned that she has some 'restriction' so she would run in a circle with the maximum length, all I had to do was: pretended to chase her, just stomped my feet, saying 'I come get you', that gets her amped up!


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Took Buffy for a walk in a 'new' route (been there a few times before but not a regular route), she was slightly more responsive. I tried to walk faster every now and again, turned into different directions, played a few OB games, so far less 'deaf',lol

Then we went to a cycle path, no one was there, she kept looking at the distance, looked serious, tho she isn't the bravest girl. I didn't see anything, lots of trees on both sides but I didn't take any chances, turned back to other path. However, she kept turning her head back and looked a little scared, pulled like a bull! So I jogged with her, took her mind off and ended up exhausted, I mean me,lol


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Good job!


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

Nice job keeping her engaged! I agree it is exhausting. I don't know if you have raised toddlers but the energy required seems similar. I joke my dogs keep me young. 
I would have trusted and turned around too.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Apex1 said:


> Nice job keeping her engaged! I agree it is exhausting. I don't know if you have raised toddlers but the energy required seems similar. I joke my dogs keep me young.
> I would have trusted and turned around too.


I don't have children but babysit my niece a lot when she was a toddler. The commitment to dogs, especially big strong dogs require a lot of time and patience, that's why I hesitated to have a dog for so long. 

It was a start, hopefully we both can enjoy the outings more than constantly correcting her! Though I don't have much experience in dogs but firmly believe to trust your dog instinct.


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