OK, dog loves coming out with me, but she always wants to run out front. If I do manage to get in front she’ll bark and whine at me and then push past and stop in front of me – almost telling me off that I’ve gone in front. Not the best on steeps and fast trails as I found out today when she stopped on a bit I couldn’t stop on.

So, anyone had the same and managed to get the dog to run behind you? If so how did you do it?

Mines exactly the same, can’t stand running behind me and always wants to be about 10-15m in front. Its fine 90% of the time as she is faster than me on the flat but she won’t move over on the downs!

At slow speed- ‘buzz’ his butt with your front tyre. Two or three of those and your dog develops sixth sense. This is how my flying-Westie learnt very quickly.

I always made sure he was in front, never trying to catch up and I didn’t push the pace ever. I think I had the fittest/leanest Westie that I’ve ever seen.

Does it respond well to food/rewards?

I found a long stretch of path and spent a good week practising.

Rode along with food in hand on my left giving her the treats and installing the heal command. Now when we ride if I say heal she knows to run to my left and behind my pedal.

Took a while but she got there.

Is very handy when riding on road sections.

Also have a release command so she knows she can let rip.

She also knows the command ‘in’ to get off the trail/path. Handy when we are walking and a cyclist is passing or i’m catching her up and need her out of my way.

Like most things patience/rewards/praise.

I’m with Sandwicheater. Go back to basics/foundations, start with the heal command again even when walking. If you get the foundations perfect everything else will be relatively easy.

As above say the heal command and she falls to my left and not infront of me. Occasionally she’ll creep forward, Heal or Oi brings her back. I say away and that means she can piss off and do her own thing. When she comes back she’lll come into heal without me saying it and will not go until I tell her. Very handy for riding. 😉

This did not come easy, a lot of training and patience. I would say 90% of the work was done before I got on the bike. The first time I took her for a ride she was pretty much perfect. A lot of praise to the trainer (AKA mother), I think I did less than 10% of the training.

Does anyone use a bell for their dog? I thought this would be quite good so I know where the dog is, rather than having to look around..

Heel or Close command, also nipping or barking at the front wheel should be corrected instantly. A few buzzes with the wheel at low speed help as well.

Chewie now knows “MOVE, MOVE, MOVE” means he’s standing in the way.

I haven’t done any proper MTBing with the dog, but his exercise is a cycle ride, not a walk

He usually runs in front and I prefer it as I can see him and know what he’s up to.

Must try some more technical stuff rather than open paths

Cass now gets the difference between “Close” (next to me) and “Closer” (squish up next to the mech & let these people past). Shame she’s LHD though as it makes short sections on the road pretty scary & I end up carrying her.

I went all Competitive Dad on her after she decided she’d rather run up front. It was a case of “Right you little bugger, want to go faster? Bring it on!” Four or five hundred meters of me chasing after her at warp factor 11, barking manically down spooky woods descent & she’s now back, hovering somewhere behind the rear mech.

Need to train her now that her place is even further back as I accidentally ran her over with the trailer on our first outing with the little one on-board. 😳

I’d love to say I could buzz her at low speed but she is normally about 2m in front.

I need to find some food she goes for as when she is in the woods she is difficult to reward.

I’ve got a piece of trail which I think I could use to train her – will get on it this weekend. Need to get it sorted as she is getting dangerous, especially when she’s tired and insists I slow down

a dog thread without a picture?!??

fail.

M1Il0use is right, only hora’s comments can be correct as he has attached the required photo.

You need to have the dog trained before you hit the woods so in an easy place so just on a flat bridleway. It’s the association with the treat/heal command that they will remember. Stuff the dog with food & praise and all it will think when it hears ‘heal’ is ‘sausages!, brilliant, best get on that heal and get me my sausages!’

[/url]Untitled by sandwicheater, on Flickr[/img]

Basic dog training would tell you that a dog’s place is never in front. Dogs should be second place to you as a human – so that means eating after you (and never off your plate, going through a door after you always, and never barking or pushing past to get in front. All of this is alpha dog behaviour, and could lead to the dog trying to ‘defend’ you with something it perceives as a threat – a child, person another dog etc.

This may be less important with a non aggressive dog, but still better to get the basics right. All my dogs would wait at an open door for me to go through first for example.

ji, you are right to some extent, and my dog will wait at doors and entrances for me and my family to enter first, although that took a bit of persistance. But if out on the bike he will alternate from leading to riding behing me, or mixing it up if im riding with someone else. I think this is just a natural pack instinct, and nothing to do with being top dog, or Alpha. Naturally all members of the pack would take turns at leading a chase, resting the others who just have to follow, until the prey was exhausted, more easily caught and put up less resistance, a bit like drafting on the bike i suppose!

LOL, reminds me how my dog will heal to the lead rider. When out for a ride with a rather fit buddy. Each climb I was left for dirt struggled at the rear. and she just stuck with him all the way.

Seriously – how many of you can’t differentiate between “heel” and “heal” ?? It’s painful.

You guys are missing out, I meant to say earlier.

My dog, when attached via lead to my waist, pulls me along! Including when I have a double trailer attached with two kids in. He’ll tire out on inclines but on the flat he pulls me along no problem, its awesome!

😳

Here she is…

Bushwhacked – is she a Patterdale?

Just in the process of training ours, a 6 month old boy – he’ll do pretty well for a few minutes then lose attention span and try to run in front of, under, around the bike. I will get there though!!

Here is Mika, you can’t hear, but I’m shouting ‘back’ a fair bit but she does eventually get past!

[video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmEzcV9eB7s[/video]

Might have to get my very obedient lab a bit fitter. The beagle just pisses off into the distance – pity as it’s perfect in every other respect.

For us ‘get on’ means move out of the way or speed up, whichever she chooses depending on exhaustion.

‘Steady’ means slow down so if she’s about to cut in front of us, a shout of steady means slow your pace as I have more basically.

Have you tried teaching her a behind you word, for example have a hand full of cheese, shout ‘back’ and throw a cube behind you so she has to run behind you and set off, when she comes to pass you again, stop, shout ‘back’ and throw behind you and set off. I’d encourage a release command tho so she can move about and still enjoy it and not feel trapped.

I taught mine ‘behind’ using alleyways and brush lined singletrack on walks. If he tries to overtake on my bike and I dont want him to- a foot out and gently push him back by a kick in the head and shouting ‘behind’. He picked it up pretty quick.

Andyrm – Yeah, she’s a Patterdale crossed with a Lab – quite big (about 20kgs). She is great – really good natured but a little stubborn and always wants to be the leader/protector. Cheese and Franks have been great at keeping her attention but once the bikes out in the woods she is off and doesn’t care about food.

Loves the fox and badger poo though.

I trained my patterdale to run at my side by using chopped liver with the same technique as walking to heel, she now runs just off my back wheel and has way more trail skill than i will ever have, ive seen her clear big tabletops and doubles easily she also rails berms like a champion, i’ll get round to borrowing my mates gopro and get some footage as soon as she’s finished bringing up her puppies and has a few rides under her collar 🙂

Right, sounds like little man is getting some practice this weekend! Just home from work and he’s driven the Mrs mad so now’s as good a time as any to start…….

Went out on the hill and took the dog out for a walk last night – no bike but lots of cheese – spent it walking around throwing cheese behind me calling “Back”. Started off on flat paths, then moved onto some gentle downs. Then walked down some of the steep DH trails before running some of the sections – by the end she was walking really well and kept back waiting for cheese. Pleased with first attempt.

Today I’m going to take her out with the bike by stick to some narrow alleys round the houses so she can get used to it with no distractions such as fox poo and rabbi’s.

Hoping that on Monday I can get out on the DH runs with her and see how well she’s taken to it.

Thanks for all the tips

hi bushwacked, its great to see some new pics of your dog. have been wondering how she was getting on. I took mine out on the bike for a burn the other week and she was fantastic. she also loves the smelly stuff, mrs vader took her to work the other day and lilly rolled in something quite dead 😆

[/url]IMG_0310 (2) by daftvader77, on Flickr[/img]

Trained my collie cross spaniel to come with horse 1st & it was the horse that wouldn’t let dog past. (Pecking order) so with bike he naturally runs back near side. My friend trained hers with the aid of a riding crop (NOT TO HIT DOG WITH) but to stick it in front of her nose if she tried to run past along no her NO command. Worked a treat. What happens if u put dog on lead? Does it pull u off? Mind just trots alongside if on a lead.

Just watch you don’t tire them out: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QIAOzNc6Pzo
Please excuse the rubbish banter I’d only spoken to the dogs all day. Incidentally mine shift with a simple beep-beep if they are in the way.

I sir, have the laziest westie ever

Skindog… love it! Poor tired pups 😀

Skindog thats hilarious, wish I could do that with ZIva! Unfortunately being 40 kgs I cant even carry her up the stairs never mind 10 miles home on the bike!!