# Regression with loose leash walking -- why?



## misterW (Apr 25, 2010)

8 month old german shepherd female. She picked up walking on the leash fairly well. I would click and treat when she was where she was supposed to be and stop and/or change direction when she pulled. This seemed to work pretty well. She was at the point where she would nearly always walk well in a foreign environment (say, a store in town) and 8 out of 10 times walk very well around my rural neighborhood. Of those 8, many were truly excellent, and of the 2 bad ones, there was often a clear distraction. So she seemed well on her way to where I wanted her to be. 

Lately (within past couple weeks), she has suddenly regressed. Pulling strongly in a direction, as if she now thinks that I will let her go if she pulls strongly enough; then pulling in the opposite direction when we reverse direction to go the other way. Lunging in various directions towards objects of interest...WTF?

What do you suppose is going on? Granted, maybe there are times when there is a strong distraction (scent) that I am unaware of... but this seems to be more of a trend rather than isolated incidences. Is this some kind of adolescent behavioral change? 

I can't think of anything that I am doing differently....nor would it have made sense to do anything differently as she was doing quite well before. Ideas?


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

misterW said:


> 8 month old german shepherd female. She picked up walking on the leash fairly well. I would click and treat when she was where she was supposed to be and stop and/or change direction when she pulled. This seemed to work pretty well. She was at the point where she would nearly always walk well in a foreign environment (say, a store in town) and 8 out of 10 times walk very well around my rural neighborhood. Of those 8, many were truly excellent, and of the 2 bad ones, there was often a clear distraction. So she seemed well on her way to where I wanted her to be.
> 
> Lately (within past couple weeks), she has suddenly regressed. Pulling strongly in a direction, as if she now thinks that I will let her go if she pulls strongly enough; then pulling in the opposite direction when we reverse direction to go the other way. Lunging in various directions towards objects of interest...WTF?
> 
> ...


Auz was about 8 months old as well when he started regressing in LLW, in the dead of winter. I opted for a prong collar, due to the ice and stuff on the ground. I couldn't afford to be beat up.
Why? I have no idea. Probably the same reason why you wake up one day and your sunny, 5 year old who thinks you're the greatest in the universe has suddenly morphed into a pre-teen who thinks parents are "lame" and they'd rather hang with their friends. Sucks when they grow up


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## Root (Apr 10, 2010)

misterW said:


> 8 month old german shepherd female. She picked up walking on the leash fairly well. I would click and treat when she was where she was supposed to be and stop and/or change direction when she pulled. This seemed to work pretty well. She was at the point where she would nearly always walk well in a foreign environment (say, a store in town) and 8 out of 10 times walk very well around my rural neighborhood. Of those 8, many were truly excellent, and of the 2 bad ones, there was often a clear distraction. So she seemed well on her way to where I wanted her to be.
> 
> Lately (within past couple weeks), she has suddenly regressed. Pulling strongly in a direction, as if she now thinks that I will let her go if she pulls strongly enough; then pulling in the opposite direction when we reverse direction to go the other way. Lunging in various directions towards objects of interest...WTF?
> 
> ...


Maybe she smells or sees something that wasn't around in previous seasons. This is your pups first fall? 

FWIW, instead of reversing directions you might try standing still the next time she lunges. Her motivation seems to be movement rather than any particular direction.


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## misterW (Apr 25, 2010)

Yes, it is her first fall. Maybe it is related to the change in season. I have noticed that she seemed to get a big jump in energy when it started cooling off after the summer. 

Standing still is my main response to lunging. I use change in direction more when she is consistently excited by something ahead.


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