# Puppy Boundaries



## Goodia23 (4 mo ago)

Hi me again,
So Murray is now very much out of shell and growing in confidence. We have enlisted the help of a trainer and are working our way through their advice.
In terms of socialisation and encounters with other dogs, could I pick your brains.
When out walking if we encounter other dogs Murray gets very excited and jumps up at them when trying to play (I assume), how do we teach Murray the boundaries with other dogs or is this just something he learns? Or do you encourage us to arrange puppy play dates so he learns now (he is almost 5 months old).
The other question is, when walking, we have been told to try and encourage his focus to us as presently he is very outward focused and doesn't look at us at all during a walk - which leads to him crossing us etc when walking. We have been given a few drills from the trainer to do to encourage his focus towards us but as soon as we begin a walk, he just looks elsewhere. Any tips would be greatly received.
Thank you


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## Poppy'sHooman (6 mo ago)

Hi! 
Our Poppy is the same age, and we definitely struggled with the engagement during walking, especially around the 16 week mark when she suddenly started sniffing so much more than before. Something we did around this time was marking/catching every single time she did look at us or come back to us. We just "yes'd" the crap out of eye contact and checking back in with us whenever we were on a walk (with food) for a solid week or two where that was almost completely our main focus while on walks. She definitely understands now that when we're walking she's supposed to be tuned in to us or at least check back in with us pretty frequently. Now, she's still only 5 months and she likes toddlers and bad smells and certain dogs a whole lot more than us at times, so that's not to say her walks are by any means perfect, but you can see her catch herself sometimes where she'll look like she's about to pull towards something and then suddenly turn back. If she's on break during a walk or a loose "follow" (so, not heel which we treat differently), we still mark eye contact and check ins A LOT; and depending on how she's been we'll increase or randomize whether it's a YES with food or a "good girl" with randomized treats. 

With other dogs, she has struggled with neutrality quite a bit. She wants to greet every single dog she sees and when we first got her and didn't know any better we thought that's what socialization was and we let her, to mixed results. Our trainer now has us doing no greeting with other dogs when she's on her short leash, which she says will feel restrictive to her movement and amp up the situation more and more every time. We mark with a yes when her focus turns just slightly away from the dog and then lure away / get her back into her follow or heel. Sometimes we stand there for a while until she shifts focus, usually the other owner gives up and manages to encourage their dog to move on. Sometimes we'll do a sit or down stay if she'll go for it. 

I would also love some advice on whether we should be arranging more play dates for her, and at 5 months can they be older dogs or should we still avoid that? We had a puppy bff in the first few weeks but they got really insane together, like full on howling when we separated them to the point are trainer said it was an unhealthy relationship. I worry that she won't learn properly how to play with other dogs though.

Good luck with the engagement on walks and let us know if you find something that works for Murray 
Kristen


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

We need to remind ourselves, this breed should have keen eyes, sharp hearing, and a excellent sense of smell. They are bred to work in front of us. All of the things that make them excel as hunting dogs, also make them very aware of their surroundings, and puppies are curious of everything in their new world. I’m not saying, don’t try to periodically get their attention, while out on walks. Just know that you will not be able to hold their attention for any length of time at this age, while out on walks.
JMO
I don’t let my dogs, especially puppies go up to unknown dogs. It’s better to have play dates with dogs that you know their temperament, and know they love young puppies. Even better if there is a another puppy of same size and age to play with.


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## Poppy'sHooman (6 mo ago)

texasred said:


> We need to remind ourselves, this breed should have keen eyes, sharp hearing, and a excellent sense of smell. They are bred to work in front of us. All of the things that make them excel as hunting dogs, also make them very aware of their surroundings, and puppies are curious of everything in their new world. I’m not saying, don’t try to periodically get their attention, while out on walks. Just know that you will not be able to hold their attention for any length of time at this age, while out on walks.
> JMO
> I don’t let my dogs, especially puppies go up to unknown dogs. It’s better to have play dates with dogs that you know their temperament, and know they love young puppies. Even better if there is a another puppy of same size and age to play with.


Great point! For us, I don't mind that she's keenly looking around and so clearly interested in what's going on, and I'm more rewarding and happy when she looks back at us and checks back in, and not constantly pulling to be elsewhere, and don't necessarily need her to be a step behind me or anything like that. Actually, I feel like I'm getting mixed messaging about this, and as a newbie owner I'm not sure which approach is best. I see some stuff from behaviourists about a loose leash "pack migration" where I'm supposed to be the leader, but then like you said there's the whole hunting out ahead thing. I don't have a strong opinion either way, I just love being out for walks with her and hope in time and with age we'll get the pulling and leave it a little more under control so I don't have to keep pulling horrible city grossness out of her mouth. But I have been wondering about the pack leader thing, especially because at this stage (5 months) I can feel her pushing at boundaries and my authority a bit when I try to enforce rules and I worry she sees me more as pack mate and not leader. I'd love your thoughts on that 😃


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

@Poppy'sHooman 
All training programs are adjusted to fit individual breeds, then further adjustment to fit the individual puppy. Don’t get caught up, on what your puppy should be doing at any age. Pushing to hard, can lead you down the wrong path.

just as a example
I took my young pup to a bird dog clinic. It was a intro to starting dogs in the field and on birds.
Seven different dogs of different ages, different breeds, and different temperaments around people and bird prey drive. Even though we were there to learn the same program, each dog was handled a little differently depending on their needs.
It’s the same at confirmation class. My vizsla is not going to respond the same way as a sheltie, or Aussie of the same age. She might not even respond the same way as another vizsla of the same age, or one two months older than her.
Don’t try to fit a square block, into a round hole. You only become frustrated, and that frustration goes straight down the leash to your puppy.

Enjoy your puppy. Get them out, and about in their brand new world. As long as both of you are enjoying life together, the training and maturity will happen over time.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Walking a young Vizsla on a leash is an exercise, sometimes literally. It gets better though. I promise.
Always try and find the positives when teaching young dogs.
Vizslas can be conditioned to walk at heel for quite a distance, but it takes time, and discipline on the handlers part. I’m talking months. One or two correct steps, becomes three or four. Throw an inside and an outside corner in there, and get one or two of those correct, and it’s a success. They might do two hundred steps wrong, but the ten they do correctly are the steps you build off.
This has to be tempered though. You have to know, what is it you expect this dog to do. What is its purpose?
My dogs are hunting dogs. Their purpose, and job, is to be in front of me using that nose I paid so much money for. They have to have their head. I set the general direction, then I listen to the dog. 
If I lean to much toward obedience, they’ll begin to shutdown the hunting, and look for the commands.
They have to be obedient also. This is a courtesy to other hunters. Being obedient also keeps them safe.
Anyone being honest about how long this process takes, to get the right balance, will tell you that it’s about 2-1/2 to 3 years. Mostly because you are just waiting for the dog to grow up for the first two.
Don’t push puppies too hard their first year. Work with them, have expectations for behaviors, let them have fun and grow, and keep them safe.
All of my dogs have been royal pain’s in the butt their first year. That’s not what I remember about them.


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## DrogoNevets (6 mo ago)

@gunnr is it possible for you to start a thread in puppies to just throw daily/weekly reassurance to us newbies out please? 🤣

We are training Ziva heel walking atm, we aren’t so much about hunting or beating, and she is slowly beginning ti get it. It’s been about a month and a half and if we do a training walk with the energy just right on our own street we can get maybe 30-40m now.

However today, with a completely knackered puppy who’s had her routine thrown out window for the day (new thread ti follow shortly) managed about 20m on a road she’d NEVER walked in before, new sights, smells and sounds. We were blown away!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

@DrogoNevets 
I use to laugh at my adopted as a senior vizsla Ranger. He could pull like a freight train in the parking lot, but once we stepped foot in class he was the perfect angel that would heel right next to you. 
I sure miss him.


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