# Biting Lead & Guarding Treats ... Help Please



## JoJo

Hi 

Help is needed from experienced Cockapoo owners please ......

My 4 month old male cockapoo tends to want to play or fight with the lead when walking, I am firm and say no, then put him back to heel position but this is happening quite frequently, he gets quite agressive / playful when biting the lead ... help please.

He likes his food very much, he is quite protective over treats such as pig ears and will snarl and growl if I go near him.He is not so protective over his food bowl, yet..... and he will let me put my hand or finger in his food bowl when eating..... again advice please.


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## embee

JoJo said:


> Hi
> 
> Help is needed from experienced Cockapoo owners please ......
> 
> My 4 month old male cockapoo tends to want to play or fight with the lead when walking, I am firm and say no, then put him back to heel position but this is happening quite frequently, he gets quite agressive / playful when biting the lead ... help please.
> 
> He likes his food very much, he is quite protective over treats such as pig ears and will snarl and growl if I go near him.He is not so protective over his food bowl, yet..... and he will let me put my hand or finger in his food bowl when eating..... again advice please.


Are you using a clicker for training? Take a look at this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR7TvrUQ_1k

For resource guarding give him a pig ear, then offer a treat or distraction (something yummy, sausage/cheese or ball/tug toy) as he takes the treat/plays with toy, pick up the ear then return it after he has finished the treat/game so he learns that if you take it away something more yummy/fun comes along but he'll get it back again. After a while vary amount of time before you give the ear back then sometimes put it away all together.


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## JoJo

Excellent advice .. thank you Mandy 

I have tried the treat in exchange for pigs ear and it works ... hooray. I will do this each day until he knows I will return things I take from him....

As for the clicker training .... I will have a look. But I must admit, lots of treats on this morning’s walk and we had no lead biting .... 

He is a lovely natured puppy, that’s why these two little issues are letting him down, he is a lively little chap but soooooo loving and aims to please me and my family  

Flo is very big, makes Oakley seem so small, is she a good girl for you? Have you had any issues that may be useful for me to know .... all information is good when it comes to cockapoos.


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## wilfiboy

Hi Jojo fab advice and glad it working thses pups there a work in progress lol x


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## embee

JoJo said:


> Excellent advice .. thank you Mandy
> 
> I have tried the treat in exchange for pigs ear and it works ... hooray. I will do this each day until he knows I will return things I take from him....
> 
> As for the clicker training .... I will have a look. But I must admit, lots of treats on this morning’s walk and we had no lead biting ....
> 
> He is a lovely natured puppy, that’s why these two little issues are letting him down, he is a lively little chap but soooooo loving and aims to please me and my family
> 
> Flo is very big, makes Oakley seem so small, is she a good girl for you? Have you had any issues that may be useful for me to know .... all information is good when it comes to cockapoos.


Flo isn't massive, just 14 inches to shoulder and 10.75kg so about what I expected for an English x Miniature poodle. She is a lovely girl and no trouble at all. Haven't had any major issues as I've tried done masses of socialising and training to avoid problems. If I got another D) I would make sure that I did the following as it has worked out so well with Flo:

Encourage a love of nylabones as they last forever and rough up really well to keep teeth really clean - I got 5 different flavours then only had one out at a time each day as different flavours kept her interested. Spread yummy stuff like peanut butter on them to develop the chewing habit. She chews her nylabone a lot when she settles down for her hug like she uses them as a way of getting rid of excess energy before settling down. When I come down in the morning, I put the kettle on and she stands next to me with her bone in her mouth. As soon as I sit down she jumps on my lap with her bone and chews away while I have my first hit of caffeine.

Whistle train. I use a 210 spaniel whistle with Flo which beats yelling at the top of my voice if she flies of across the fields when she spots another dog. Start indoors by building a strong connection between whistle and a great treat they wouldn't get any other time (I used cheese). Blow the whistle then give a bit of cheese. Wait till they are out of sight (indoors) blow the whistle then give cheese when they come to you. If you do it little and often in no time they develop an instinctive response to return to you when they hear the whistle. She also responds to my own whistle, her name and here but when all else fails the whistle is such a strong, distinctive sound she'll come to that if all else fails. If she were to disappear from sight when off lead I'm pretty sure she'll hear me whistle from miles away.

Teach them to retrieve a ball asap as it is a great way to give them a really good run and I use her ball to keep her attention when off lead - whatever she is doing I can always get her attention by throwing or even just picking up a ball. From just a few weeks old roll a ball along the floor then when they pick it up in their mouth exchange it for a treat - once they get that then the rest builds up easily.

Build up your confidence to let them off lead asap. Such a pity when we come across dogs over the park who's owners have never let them off lead to play with other dogs and they are busrting to play and have a good run and the owners say they daren't let them off. I used to let Flo off and have a friend with another, older dog with me who had reliable recall as I felt happy that when they called their dog Flo would follow it back to us.

My only work in progress is jumping up at people and not being able to stop her running up to greet other dogs as she loves people and dogs. Tried most things with jumping up at people and she knows she shouldn't do it but can't help herself. She is a lot better now though and I find best technique is to have some treats in my hand then chuck them on the floor away from any visitors. Nothing will stop her running up to other dogs, though she does hesitate sometimes if she is not sure from there posture etc so if I see her hesitate just for a second then I call her back - if she's not sure then I use the opportunity to be a leader and make her mind up for her - and she does come back now. If she does decide to see another dog and says hello (even just for 10 seconds) she will come straight back to the whistle so feel I'm getting there with that 'issue'.

If you want to see more pics of Flo take a look at http://s1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd390/flothecockapoo/


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## breebella10

Hello I saw the videos and she is such a good girl, Im gonna try the ball BreeBella does not go for the ball yet she had toys and loves me to play with her the video was helpful : )


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## JoJo

Wow... Mandy that was like reading a cockapoo manual ... thank you sooooo much.

I am impressed with all the advice given and as Oakley is only 4 months I have got time to train well, since I came on this site I have had no lead biting ha ha ha .... treats in my pocket at all times though...

Also I have a 2 and a half year old cockapoo female staying for a few days and she has put young Oakley in his place .... they share food bowls, water bowls and walking is a fun experience ..... she is training him as only another dog could do .. its amazing.

Oh no .. I defo want another puppy now.. two dogs may be easier than ONE!!!!


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## parapluie

Mandy, I am always astounded at your level of knowledge and ability to explain it so clearly. Thank you!


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## JoJo

Mandy .... I just showed my hubby your video of Flo with you training her to sit, stay, roll over and leave ... he nearly fell over ... wow wow wow.... how old was Flo in this video ???

I think I need to try a little harder with young Oakley.... no way he would leave or roll over at the moment .... something for me to work at now I think


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## embee

JoJo said:


> Mandy .... I just showed my hubby your video of Flo with you training her to sit, stay, roll over and leave ... he nearly fell over ... wow wow wow.... how old was Flo in this video ???
> 
> I think I need to try a little harder with young Oakley.... no way he would leave or roll over at the moment .... something for me to work at now I think


That video was a couple of months ago.

At the moment I'm working on a distance down (she will drop down from about 40 feet away), leave while I throw the ball and only fetch when told and also the whole sit, down, over etc to visual signals without me using any voice commands.

Another good command is 'find the ball'. If I hide the ball in the house or garden I can tell her to find it and she runs around looking for it then brings it to me.

She has also learnt to distinguish between her things so will find the ball/bone/toy and bring it if I ask her.

When I throw a ball she has also learnt to put it in my hand or, if I have a ball launcher' drop it by my feet.

It's a lovely sunny day today so we are going out for some off lead field training with 7 other dogs this afternoon. Will need a pocket bulging with very tasty, smelly treats to keep her focussed with a whole load of labs and doodles distracting her


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## embee

Here's Flo starting to learn some basic heelwork and distance commands. it's work in progress as she is a bit sloppy 

Kendal - I know you are interested in dog training so please forgive my amateur approach, I think I'm probably more sloppy than Flo and it's me who really needs to be trained in how to train dogs 

http://s1217.photobucket.com/albums...osmovies/?action=view&current=Flotraining.mp4


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## JoJo

Mandy .. seriously you are very good .. field training .. Flo is more than a pet .. she is amazing 

I really thought I was good with Oakley doing basic sit, down, paw.. work in progress in for in crate, heel on lead ha ha ha and stay.... well tbh that is all I was going to do .... 

I won't be showing anyone that video of Flo in teh near future makes my Oakley look very out of control  .. seriously its very good, you stick with it.


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## embee

JoJo said:


> Mandy .. seriously you are very good .. field training .. Flo is more than a pet .. she is amazing
> 
> I really thought I was good with Oakley doing basic sit, down, paw.. work in progress in for in crate, heel on lead ha ha ha and stay.... well tbh that is all I was going to do ....
> 
> I won't be showing anyone that video of Flo in teh near future makes my Oakley look very out of control  .. seriously its very good, you stick with it.


Flo's 14 months old, Oakley's only 4 months old bless him  I wasn't doing as much with Flo as you are doing with Oakley when she was just 4 months old.


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## JoJo

Phew panick over .. I will stick with my training then ..... 

Flo is wonderful and you are a very dedicated trainer...... stick with it and keep those videos coming, not that I will be showing anyone ha ha ha .....


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## embee

JoJo said:


> Phew panick over .. I will stick with my training then .....
> 
> Flo is wonderful and you are a very dedicated trainer...... stick with it and keep those videos coming, not that I will be showing anyone ha ha ha .....


Go on, show your hubby...


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## parapluie

Mandy! You are brilliant! I can only dream one day Rufus will be half as good at that haha. Love the videos


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## embee

parapluie said:


> Mandy! You are brilliant! I can only dream one day Rufus will be half as good at that haha. Love the videos


Ummm I don't think a good trainer would agree as, looking back at the video, I can see lots I'm not doing right but it's great fun and I find that doing a lot of training and work with Flo is making the bond we have even closer.


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## JoJo

Mandy don't be hard on yourself .. you and Flo are fabulous .. and most of all you both enjoying doing it.. what a lovely bond... don't ever worry if it’s not 100% perfect .. what is 100% perfect in life hey!!!!

I wouldn't even consider showing any of you my training with Oakley, 3 attempts at sit.... non stop ignored commands really ha ha ha ...

Seriously you and Flo have something very special .. and it works for you  

Still not showing my hubby any more videos of you and Flo .. it makes me and Oakley Bear look rather naff ..... 

It’s all about enjoyment and control ... as long as you have the control you require from your pet then that is all that matters ... well that’s what I told my hubby when Oakley was being good for me, sit, down ..... in .. for into crate .... oh its soooooo much fun ...

Best of all cuddle TIME.


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## weez74

Ah, nice video Mandy - my secretary just walked in and caught me watching it, and she thinks Flo is absolutely adorable (must stop logging in when I'm supposed to be working!). Does Flo respond to your family as well as she does to you? At the moment, I am the ONLY one that can get Rosie to do anything - I don't know if it's because I am the only one spending time with her doing training or if it's just early days. 

Have any of you read "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training" by Pamela Dennison? It's quite good, but has a bit of a different approach to others I've read (must stop buying dog/puppy books!). The main one being that she doesn't use a voice command UNTIL the dog has learned the action that is required of him/her. She feels that otherwise the dog will link the voice cue to the wrong action. Any thoughts on that one, anyone?

Louise


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## parapluie

embee said:


> Ummm I don't think a good trainer would agree as, looking back at the video, I can see lots I'm not doing right but it's great fun and I find that doing a lot of training and work with Flo is making the bond we have even closer.


I think a "good trainer" is someone who is able to communicate with the dog in order to get him or her to follow the commands and obviously gets respect. You have accomplished that so, take the compliments and shush  and feel good about what you have with beautiful flo!


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## embee

weez74 said:


> Have any of you read "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training" by Pamela Dennison? It's quite good, but has a bit of a different approach to others I've read (must stop buying dog/puppy books!). The main one being that she doesn't use a voice command UNTIL the dog has learned the action that is required of him/her. She feels that otherwise the dog will link the voice cue to the wrong action. Any thoughts on that one, anyone?
> 
> Louise


That's the basis of clicker training. You shape a behaviour with the click telling the dog what they are doing is right then treat but only name the behaviour and introduce as a command once the behaviour is established

Let's say you want your dog to settle down on a cushion when you say 'rest'. Get the cushion, a clicker and some treats. Now you are going to 'shape' the behaviour you want. If the dog sniffs the cushion click and treat. After a few goes only click/treat when he sniffs and puts a paw on it. Then only click/treat when he puts all 4 feet on. Then only click when he sits on it. Then only click when he lies on it. As you go through this process your dog will be working hard to work out what to do to make you click and treat. After a few sessions (it takes a while) he will know that if you get the cushion and he lies on it you will click and treat. Then introduce the cue. Only click and treat if he lies on it after you say 'rest'. Job done.

I used the clicker to start off all Flo's basic commands.


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## lady amanda

Mandy, We are working on that one right now with Lady...saying "on your bed" we use the clicker...it works quite well....but if we accidentally click....we have to give her a treat! lol


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## weez74

Ha, trigger-happy with the clicker! I bought a clicker but have never really understood how/when to use it, so thanks Mandy - that's really helpful.

I learned another training trick last night at the puppy party, but I'll put it in a separate thread, I think. There are so many different ways to train, aren't there? Most of them seem to follow the same principles I guess.


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## embee

weez74 said:


> Ha, trigger-happy with the clicker! I bought a clicker but have never really understood how/when to use it, so thanks Mandy - that's really helpful.
> 
> I learned another training trick last night at the puppy party, but I'll put it in a separate thread, I think. There are so many different ways to train, aren't there? Most of them seem to follow the same principles I guess.


The click is just like saying 'good dog' but in a really precise, unambiguous way which doesn't really on tone of voice as well as words. You click exactly as they are doing what you want then follow with a treat. In the end they figure out that click means 'good what you did right at that moment was right and a treat for doing the right thing is coming'. If you want them to sit click at precisley the point their bottom hits the floor - it doesn't matter what they are doing when they get the treat.


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## Stela12

I just wanted to say thank you everyone in this thread. All the advice was so helpful . 
I was searching for "food guarding" and this thread was listed. This may sound funny but reading that Jojo had same problems and issues with her dogs and obviously resolved them since then makes me really hopeful and confirms that with work and training you can overcome most of the behavioral issues. The other day Stela was growling while eating a pig ear and that got me so upset....she also bites her lead, but now only for the first few steps of our walks. On the other hand, watching Mandy's videos confirmed that I am on the right track training Stela 
I am so glad I found this site! Everyone is really nice, polite and helpful~!
Thanks guys once again!


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## Pollypiglet

Hi Jo Jo , Good to hear we all have problems! Hattie can be a little monster! I try to do things the 'right' way but sometimes I must admit I resort to 'the way I used to do things!' No one has died she still respects my space and when Minton arrives she will have to accept things the way they are. I had the benefit of two very good friends who were police dog handlers they both gave me advice I could never have got elsewhere. My advice for what it is worth is not to get too hung up on ' the right way' that is only one persons view of things. As long as the dog is always the first consideration and 'training' is not cruel or over the top what works for you is the way you should do things. Everyone lives in different circumstances there is no one way suits all. Go with your gut instinct after all you all have to live together so do what suits you.


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