Rocco the German Shepherd.

Yesterday we went to see the stunning Rocco the German Shepherd.

Just that morning, Rocco has pulled his owner over on a walk, his pulling was crazy, probably one of the worst I have seen, not to mention, he’s 7 months old so still has another 15kg or so to come!

This was a short session due to the heat, only 15 minutes of loose leash walking, and keeping his paws in the shade.

We started by building engagement and teaching Rocco that he was the one to follow what his guardian does. Next, we added a consequence for pulling, which is to simply stop him from getting where he wants. We do this is a way that means he has to think about his actions, make a good choice and by using the handlers body position, we give him a huge helping hand with this.

In his video, there is probably too much food being used, but when we put in those steps without, Rocco anticipates the food and remains in the heel, perfectly

Rocco is crazy clever, and hats off to his owner for seeking help before his behavior escalated and became a habit!

Well done both, I’ll see you next week!