# Constant sniffing/tracking on walk



## Rileypoo

Hi all, Riley is fairly good on his lead walks, I walk very quickly and don't allow him to stop and sniff as I believe his off lead walks are for this and I want him to 'walk' properly on lead walks. I also like a good walk and stopping every 5 seconds drives me nuts! But, recently Riley has been spending most of the walk with his nose to the ground sniffing and I am not sure of the best way to stop it. I am currently giving his lead an upwards tug and tell him 'leave' which works sometimes but I don't like tugging him and he seems to be spending more and more time doing this. I wouldn't mind if it was just the sniffing but he then quickens his pace and is pulling too, he has actually walked into lamp posts and hedges when he is so into a smell, it's like being dragged along by the Bisto kid!

Any suggestions??


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## wellerfeller

That cocker nose is famous! At the moment he is so young and everything is so new and interesting that he really can't help sticking nose to ground and following what ever takes his fancy. It is in their make up to do this but as you say its no fun being dragged around on a walk so perhaps try gong armed with some really tasty treats and every so often give him a call back (if he is pulling you along) and a treat if he stops pulling and comes to see what you want. He should soon catch on that mummy has some tasy things in her pocket and get his attention back on to you.


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## Turi

Saffi constantly has her nose to the ground - makes toilet training and picking up when she needs to go very difficult! I envisage she'll be difficult on the lead...


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## anndante

Some days Polly will walk beautifully beside me, but other days are sniffing days and it's nose to the ground the whole way! Might depend what's been walking along our roads and lanes perhaps? But that's the cocker in them! If there's an obvious very interesting smell it seems cruel to stop her sniffing so I say 'go sniff' to let her know she can!


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## EvaClareEva

I think thats what dogs get most pleasure from sniffing different smells out and about i agree it does get a bit annoying but thats the cocker in them x


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## MillieDog

I've heard they read so much into smelling, its a bit like tracks in the snow. It also exercises their brain and gives them a bit of a work out.

If I don't have much time and need to walk Millie, I happily let her smell away, knowing that she will get home fully satisfied.

At other times, I've given Millie the word 'Enough'. I may let her stop to smell something for a few seconds, but then say Enough, rather than pulling on her lead. She knows its time to stop and more on. 'Enough' works quite well in many situations.

Good luck


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## Rileypoo

Thanks to all, I am constantly armed with treats and stop him regularly to sit, receive treat etc - I am wondering whether a different lead might work as the sniffing and pulling together is a vicious circle- what do others use? Otherwise I think I will resign myself to keep working at it. For complete embarrassment today Riley decided in his excitement of being in a park full of people enjoying the weather to (a) ruin a football game by chasing the ball (b) launched himself all over a lady sunbathing with her earphones on and licked her face (c) vomited in the middle of a busy pavement in the park after his first exciting encounter in a shallow river and proceeded to eat it again.................oh the joys of owning a dog! Plus his deafness kicked in so I stood like a loony calling a dog who didn't even turn to acknowledge me let alone come back!!


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## 2ndhandgal

What sort of walks does he get with what proportion of on lead and off lead? If you are talking a few minutes to the park on lead, ready for on off lead walk then I would say asking for brisk and no sniffing is reasonable - but if you are talking about a 20 minute walk which is the dogs exercise then I would say it is unfair to not allow sniffing as dogs use their noses to read the news of who has passed by and what is happening in the neighbourhood.

Have you taught him what "leave" means? Some great videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9gTe0jPJbU&list=UU-qnqaajTk6bfs3UZuue6IQ&index=4&feature=plcp


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## Pollypiglet

I love the cocker tracking! Hattie has an extendable lead so she gets to do what comes naturally until we need to be a bit more focused. It is in the genes so you have to work with it.


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## strof51

Riley is still young, but a good thing to teach him is to walk to heal. It will make walking a lot more enjoyable if you can keep his attention when needed.
This link may help you understand the hunting drive.

http://www.cockapooclubgb.co.uk/cockapoos-basic-needs.html


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## PipE

Hi,
We have recently bought a 'Gentle Leader' (Google it!) and it's like a small miracle!
Kipper was a nightmare for pulling on the lead, lurching forward to pick up every piece of twig going and suddenly veering off to sniff something thereby nearly pulling my arm out of its socket!! 
Her long walk on weekdays is the school run (about 3 miles) so I need it to be a brisk, straight forward walk (we make sure she gets lovely off the lead runs at the weekends).
Anyway, although I felt like we had failed to train her properly, I gave in and bought the Gentle Leader. It's so brilliant, she walks beautifully next to me, needing very little correction and without removing my arm from its socket!! The school run is now SO much more relaxed and positively enjoyable.
I would definitely recommend it.

Hope this helps

Pip X


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## MillieDog

Rileypoo said:


> Thanks to all, I am constantly armed with treats and stop him regularly to sit, receive treat etc - I am wondering whether a different lead might work as the sniffing and pulling together is a vicious circle- what do others use? Otherwise I think I will resign myself to keep working at it. For complete embarrassment today Riley decided in his excitement of being in a park full of people enjoying the weather to (a) ruin a football game by chasing the ball (b) launched himself all over a lady sunbathing with her earphones on and licked her face (c) vomited in the middle of a busy pavement in the park after his first exciting encounter in a shallow river and proceeded to eat it again.................oh the joys of owning a dog! Plus his deafness kicked in so I stood like a loony calling a dog who didn't even turn to acknowledge me let alone come back!!


This did make me laugh. We've all had walks in the park where it seems to go from bad to worse. Don't worry it wont be the norm. Riley is young, it will get better. Which park were you in, I see you're in Herts, I'm in St Albans.

If I have to walk somewhere on lead walk, I usually go to a flexi lead to give Millie chance to wander and stop to smell things. If I'm doing a short walk, followed by off lead, then I'll use the short lead.


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## DONNA

Buddy has always been a bad puller even with all the training ,i brought a gentle leader which seems to of done the trick when were out on a lead walk i do mix it up so sometimes he walks to heal and sometimes i have a loose lead so he can have a sniff etc.


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