Leashing Jude To Me During Work

Well at age 15 months, I've decided Jude has gotten much too big for his britches. He's acting up, chewing up things he knows not to, getting too rough with the cats, running off, etc. He has a wonderful life of dog parks, walks, daycare, and agility all week, but he also is expected to entertain himself in the house while I work from home 8-10 hours everyday. Fortunately he looooves toys and he gets about 2 bones a week so he usually does a good job with this, but lately he just looks for trouble.

I want to try the leashing method and have him start warning back some freedom. Basically my breeder was saying leash him to me without any toys at first, then begin to give him toys, then a little freedom at a time, etc etc. She even said consider bringing the crate back out (haven't used it since he was 4 months) and having him be crated when I leave the house so he learns that he needs to earn his freedom.

I'm still a bit confused. Does anyone know a bit more about this type of method or where to start? She said to have him be leashed for about a week before he starts to earn freedom back. How does this work or is there a similar method that would do a similar effect?

Thanks! Just want him to really get himself in check a bit more- he's been taught many times not to chew or harass cats or run off, we've done lots of training, and I think he's just starting to abuse his freedom out of adolescent spite. Want to get it under control.

Thanks in advance!

I think that's pretty good advice.

It's not so much a "method." It's just that if Jude is doing behaviors he shouldn't do, you need a way to prevent those behaviors from happening. The "bad" behaviors are really fun to him, so every time he gets to practice one of these behavior, it makes it more difficult for you to undo later. So preventing him, 100%, from being to practice a bad behavior, will go a long way to not make the behaviors worse.

Keeping him from having toys will help you re establish your leadership - a good leader has control of all resources, and will give them out as he earns them. This will help you be able to use the toys as a reward for good behavior; purposefully give them to him rather than letting him choose to play with them or not. Leashing him to you without toys will also help him learn to relax and chill out when he's attached to you. Once he figures that out, you can give him chew bones or quiet toys (you obviously don't want him tossing the tug toy around if you're trying to work) when he's attached to you, so he can learn to occupy himself in a calm, productive way.

I do think crating when you're not home is also an excellent idea. Again, this will prevent him from being able to engage in any of those bad behaviors while you're not around. Otherwise, he could learn that when you're home he needs to be "good" (our definition of good, of course), but when you're gone he can have all the fun he wants. This is not good leadership, AND he gets to keep practicing those bad behaviors. If crating is not an option, the other alternative would be to close him in a small room where he couldn't possibly get into any trouble. Personally, I feel like it's a good idea to continue crating adult dogs at least occasionally throughout their life in case you need to crate them later on.

VIctor spent his time leashed to me and so did Pepper. I even went to sleep with the leash around my wrist there for awhile. She was going to stop her door dodging ways and that was all there was too it. Good luck. It worked for me. Worked for that leg hiking wonder of a jrt too.

WIth PEpper I would give her a chance and when she blew it back to the leash for a few days. To both of my dogs to be leashed inside is the ultimate insult. Freedom is earned in this house, it's pretty simple really.

Thank you guys so much for the help!! This definitely helps and I will be trying this starting today. Of course today Grandma decided to bring him to daycare so perhaps he shouldn't have, but we will start again tonight.

Will keep u updated!