Cesar was right! Give a dog plenty of exercise (and socialization) and his behavioral issues go away!
(To be fair, any dog trainer will tell you this; I don’t mean to single out Cesar specifically.)
Here he is, sitting by a curb. It’s one of the rules we give him. When we stop at an intersection and need to wait for a walk signal, we make him sit first. When we allow him through a doorway, we make him sit first. When we play fetch with him, we make him sit first. It’s good doggie discipline.
I took Mocha for a nice hour-long walk today. Sometimes he’ll bark at bicyclists and skateboarders. Other times, he’ll growl at pedestrians and other dogs. Occasionally, he’ll lunge at someone he probably perceives is threatening, perhaps because of his protectiveness.
But during this walk, he was totally fine. Hurray for exercise and doggie discipline!
I had the leash high up on his neck and kept him by my side the entire time. This is what I do whenever I walk him for bathroom breaks and exercise. Thankfully, I’m beginning to see a change. The protective behavior is subsiding.
What does this mean? We need to walk him more often. Like every day. Our jobs don’t always allow us this free time, but we try our best. We take him on long hikes once a week and 3-mile runs about two-to-three times a week.
For some dogs, that’s probably enough. For a Jack Russell Terrier mix like Mocha, it’s not quite. And ironically, the more we exercise him, the more fit he becomes, and the more exercise he needs. On the plus side, we’re also getting more fit too. (Need to lose weight? Get a Terrier!)
Now that it’s getting nicer outside, perhaps I’ll start working in a downtown cafe and take Mocha with me. It’s a nice 1.5 mile walk away, which ought to give him the exercise and socialization he needs. And, of course, the exercise I need.
Mocha loved this. We took him for an off-leash hike today on a secluded dog-friendly trail. Initially, he remained within view, enjoying the freedom to sniff whatever he wanted.
Eventually, he got his courage up enough to wander further and further away. But not too far. He still stopped and looked back at us every once in a while, to check in on his pack leaders, I assume.
Our hike was along a straight path, so we had to double-back. For the return leg, Mocha’s bravery was at an all-time high. Maybe it was his familiarity with the trail, or maybe it was his newfound courage. Whatever it was, he frequently darted out of view, usually go to off and explore the hillsides. We called out to him a few times so he wouldn’t wander too far. Then we checked him for lice (no lice, whew).
I should have taken a picture of the big smile on his face after the trip. He was one happy doggy, lemme tell ya. Mocha sure loves these off-leash hikes.
Here’s an oddity. While walking Mocha for his regular bathroom break, I saw him sniff the dirt, dig a little, then promptly roll around in it.
The day wasn’t particularly hot. So he couldn’t have been trying to cool off.
I think he must have sniffed up a particularly delectable scent. One of my childhood dogs would regularly dig up grubs, chew them up, and bath herself in grub guts. Yea, gross. Apparently the exact motivation behind this behavior is not known, though there are many theories.
So far, I’ve only seen Mocha roll around in the dirt (or mud) to cool himself off, or to do whatever it was he wanted to do today. Guess I’d better keep an eye on him to see if he does it again.
I have no idea what got into Mocha tonight. While we were walking him, we came up upon a large clearing. On a whim, we decided to take him off his leash to see what he’d do. At the dog beach, he’s off-leash and usually pretty good about staying close to us. So we wanted to see what he’d do in our neighborhood.
As soon as we unleashed him, here’s what happened:
He stared at us tentatively. Took a few steps away. Then suddenly tore across the lawn like he was chasing a delicious, supersonic fly.
He ran in a wide circle. Then he stopped. Looked back at us. Tongue hanging out, hint of a smile.
And suddenly, he took off again. Like someone tried to ignite his farts and his butt hairs erupted in flames. Like a squirrel darting across the street. Like a wild animal, unfettered and free.
A few more times around us in wide circles he raced. Then he finally stopped. Out of breath. And wandered back to our side.
Yup, you read that right. We did a two-hour uphill hike today. And with Mocha’s dog backpack on, you’d think he’d get tired, right?
If you thought that, you’re a fool. Like us. The darn little guy didn’t get tired at all. We think he got tired near the end of the two-hour hike, but I think we got so tired that we started to believe, truly believe, that Mocha was tired too.
“I think he’s getting tired.”
“Yea, I think so too.”
“He’s slowing down.”
“Totally.”
“We should stop and turn back now.”
“Yea, you’re right.”
“No sense in tiring the poor boy out.”
“Yea. Let’s go back now.”
Meanwhile, Mocha’s like, “What? we’re going home already? Awww…”
After a month of trying the Gentle Leader Headcollar, we decided to try our luck with the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Black Harness instead. The headcollar was frustrating Mocha too much, with little evidence of acclimation. The Easy Walk Harness was much better.
As advertised, the harness slipped on to Mocha easily and without resistance. It was surprising how little he cared about it. He just stood there while we fumbled with the straps. The harness isn’t difficult to put on, though it may take a few tries at first.
During our walks, Mocha didn’t pull much at all. And when he did, the harness stopped his forward momentum. It was pretty awesome.
Letting him go potty was a bit tricky though. He sometimes likes to pace for a while before getting down to business. The harness seemed to distract him from his, er, duties (no pun intended). He even seems to be compensating in an odd manner – by walking diagonally as he’s searching for the golden spot. We were afraid the harness was going to teach him to walk diagonally indefinitely, but nah. He walks normally once the harness is off.
We also discovered a side benefit. Normally, the harness straps on such that the leash is attached to his chest. However, it’s possible to outfit the harness so the leash is at his back. That means this can double as a regular, non-training harness.
Why is that a benefit? When we take Mocha for our runs, a traditional neck collar chokes him. And the standard Easy Walk Harness configuration makes him run diagonally. But with this new arrangement, he’s able to run without restriction. It’s pretty cool.
Our Assessment
The Gentle Leader Easy Walk harness is a great alternative to the headcollar, especially for Mocha.
It actually works! Mocha’s pull has been cut down significantly on our walks.
Flipping it around, the harness doubles as an effective way to run with Mocha.
Final Verdict
We’re impressed, even after a couple of weeks of use. I think we’ll be using the Easy Walk harness exclusively now. It’s a great product and I think even Mocha would highly recommend it, when he’s not walking diagonally to pee.
Went for a nice early-morning hike today with Mocha and his new dog backpack. He seemed to dig it immensely. Took a little while to balance out both pockets with water and treats. After giving him some water, one side would get lighter than the other, so we had to shift things around a bit. Other than that, it worked like a charm.
However, we think a sprinkle of pee got onto the back bottom strap of the backpack. We can’t tell for sure though. It didn’t look wet, though neither of us wanted to put our face up to his privates to sniff & confirm it.
We got Mocha a Ruff Wear Approach Dog Pack today, so he can carry his own stuff (water, food, treats, etc) on long walks and hikes. A friend suggested this product. I’ve also seen dog backpacks in general recommended by the Dog Whisperer too, as a means of exercise and giving your dog a sense of purpose (“I will carry this stuff; it is my duty!”). So since Cesar said so, it must be a good idea.
So far, we’re pleased. Mocha seems to like it. The backpack fit on him well and he didn’t fuss as we put it on. Perhaps because it felt like a harness, he acted like we were ready to take him out – see his tail wagging so fast it’s a blur? He’s looking at me and going, “C’mon Daddy, put down the damn camera and let’s go out!”
Each pouch has plenty of room for a water bottle, some dog food & treats, and a collapsible dog bowl. Each. Not to shabby, huh?
For the collapsible dog bowls, we purchased two Ruff Wear Quencher Dog Bowls, one for food and one for water. They fold up nicely and look easy to wash.
The materials look & feel sturdy. They are waterproof and hopefully pee-proof – which is our one fear. The back bottom strap seems a bit close to Mocha’s, you know, deflated prune sack. We’re really hoping it doesn’t get soaked in pee.
We’ve been using the Gentle Leader Headcollar on Mocha these last few days. (The photo above obviously isn’t Mocha.)
On a regular leash, he’s a locomotive – he’s crazy (loco) and always wants to be on the go (motive). In other words, he pulls so fricken hard that he hacks & chokes. A friend recommended the Gentle Leader headcollar because he had heard it worked well. The reviews online looked favorable too.
I’m not so sure Mocha agrees. With the headcollar on, he does follow obediently. But as soon as we stop moving, he goes into Ahh-spider-on-my-shoulder! mode. His paws are all over his face, desperately trying to pull it off. He is usually able to remove it too.
According to the instructional video, you can acclimate your dog to the headcollar by rubbing his muzzle and giving him treats. I’ve been trying that and it hasn’t helped yet. To be fair, we just started using it a few days ago.
The instructional video also explains that if your dog can remove the headcollar, it isn’t on tight enough. So I tightened it to the point where he can barely open his mouth – which the video warns against as well. Maybe Mocha has an oddly-shaped head or something, but it seems like tightening it doesn’t work, nor loosening it up.
After a few hours of returning home and relieving Mocha of the restraint, he suddenly goes nuts. He darts back and forth at top speed, like he’s chasing something or being chased. Like the vacuum cleaner has come alive and is chasing him, ready to suck away his doggie soul.
We this this crazy behavior is Mocha’s way of throwing a temper tantrum. He’s been doing this every night since using the headcollar. I guess he really, really hates it. So we’re going to stop using it for a while to see what happens.
Our Assessment
While we are walking Mocha with the Gentle Leader headcollar on, it works like a charm. He follows obediently without playing the choking game to himself.
As soon as we pause, he’s all paws, frantically trying to tear it off his face.
Putting it on too loose means Mocha is able to tear it off. Putting it on too tight means Mocha can’t open his mouth.
A few hours after removing it, Mocha throws a crazy temper tantrum.
Final Verdict
We’re still uncertain about the Gentle Leader headcollar. Perhaps Mocha’s head is shaped funny and this product just doesn’t fit him. Or perhaps I’m doing something wrong when I place it on. I dunno. After a few more days, we are going to continue the treats and muzzle rubs. If he still continues to act up after a month of training, I’ll give up on this product.
