Is he trying to herd me...?

In the back of my mind I know that's what he's doing...

So my Billy is almost 18 weeks and likes to walk. He doesn't sit and refuse the move. Instead he likes to pull and run, getting distracted by everything and picking up anything he sees on the sidewalk. This happens when I walk normal at a nice steady pace. Now when I walk fast, which I normally do, he tries to jump in front of me and stop right there for me to trip over...several times. :(

Is this normal for puppies and will he grow out of it?

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Permalink Reply by Lou Ann Lemaster on July 17, 2009 at 8:23am

Sounds like a little herding to me, trying to stop you from going where he doesn't want you to go. As puppies, they will show herding at a young age. Duncan does this to us, he'll walk in front of you and try to stop you from passing him. I usually just "bump" his butt with my leg, making him move aside, letting him know that I am the boss and will lead us to where we are going. My husband is always working in the yard, and he has gotten into the habit of telling Duncan where he is going (such as the shed, the gazebo, the pond, etc), and it seems to help them. He says it saves him from tripping over Duncan all the time.

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Permalink Reply by Debbie and her pup Kato on July 27, 2009 at 2:18pm

Stephi I think Billy is showing dominance towards you because you let him lead you during your walks. I really believe he is heeling you and thinking, "no way we are going at my pace". I always have Kato behind me or next to me when we do walks. If he starts pulling, I stop, pull the lease back, and say heel. There are videos on this at ehow.com. Kato will get the idea that if he doesnt stop pulling then we are not going anywhere. It takes some time and we are still working on it when we go to PetSmart lol. He does just fine not pulling me when we go on walks until we are at PetSmart because Kato gets so excited seeing other dogs.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on July 27, 2009 at 2:57pm

Puppy classes are a big help! It is instinctive for an excited corgi puppy to try to herd you. I always just stop and give a firm no and then continue on. He will get it eventually but like I said classes really help you. Just make sure you get with a trainer that emphasizes positive methods.

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Permalink Reply by Lou Ann Lemaster on July 27, 2009 at 5:23pm

I guess I should have said that when Duncan does this, he is not on a leash. This is just walking in the yard. Once I bump his butt, he usually goes to my side.

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Permalink Reply by Sam on July 27, 2009 at 6:05pm

It is normal puppy behavior. However this is a good time to help your pup learn how to walk nicely on lead. If you are using a flexi-lead put it away for now and get a six foot lead. Dogs pulling behavior is established very early on and much more difficult to retrain if they have been allowed to walk that way. He is not trying to trip you he is really just learning what you are asking of him. Just place him back in position and continue the walk. I would also discourage all the sniffing at this time. Give him regular breaks to do so but when you are walking you should encourage him to walk with you. Good luck!