Was Buford his original name or a name the shelter gave him? If it was his original name, you might want to change it in case he associates the name “Buford” with abuse from his previous owner. If the shelter gave him the name, he just may not have been called it enough. Calling him and giving him treats when he responds should work wonders in getting the desired response.
I may get flamed for this, but with his size and strength, you may want to consider a pinch collar for walking him. After my 42-pound rescue pup managed to pull me off my feet hard enough that I ended up breaking my left hip, and on the advice of my vet, I got one for Aubrey. She took to it immediately, and I think it makes her feel more secure and connected to me. Leerburg calls it “power steering for dogs” and it really is. It’s not fun being dragged down the street by your dog, and the lack of control is dangerous for you and your dog.
Also, do not use a retractable leash! Dogs can get up an incredible head of steam if the brake fails, and the resultant jerk can do real damage to you, e.g., broken hip. Six foot leads are fine.
Do not lose heart. You have only had Buford a couple of days and he is probably as baffled as you are about what is expected. Older dogs really are the best, although they do come with their own set of quirks. We only rescue adult dogs, and it just heartwarming to help them become the good dogs they are meant to be.
“Was Buford his original name or a name the shelter gave him? If it was his original name, you might want to change it in case he associates the name “Buford” with abuse from his previous owner. If the shelter gave him the name, he just may not have been called it enough. Calling him and giving him treats when he responds should work wonders in getting the desired response.”
The shelter gave him the name and he has actually gone from 1 shelter to a 2nd and then to a foster in the last month. So, he hasn’t had any consistency at all. The original shelter knew of his home situation and they don’t think that those owners name any of their dogs, so we suspect that he has never had an actual name to respond too...
I think if I remember to not call him dog, as in good dog, and use Buford instead, then maybe it will catch on.
I don’t know what a “pinch collar” is, but my trainer insisted that I use a “prong collar” for my wild child, 78 lb Golden when were in Basic Obedience, or whenever I had him out in public. Furthermore, she had my husband sharpen a few of the points. After a year, or so, we didn’t need it any more, but when I first got him (as a 2 year old) he would pull me all over the place and dropped me into the mud one time when I was wearing white wool slacks and a butter yellow blazer!
After obedience training, that dog could walk without a leash and was a delightful companion. We lost him in Feb. to pancreatic cancer, and we miss him dearly.
Pinch/prong collars are a Godsend.
I was horrified by them at first but due to the idiot e-vet injuring Odin’s neck, I had to find something that -never- jerked/yanked/pulled on his cervical vertebrae, no matter what.
Herm-Sprenger makes the best ones.
They work -entirely- by *squeezing* pressure points on the dog’s neck, mimicking the ‘corrective bite’ of its mother.
They are by far the most gentle training collar, despite their barbaric appearance.
They’re “power steering” for your dog.
:)
“I may get flamed for this, but with his size and strength, you may want to consider a pinch collar for walking him. After my 42-pound rescue pup managed to pull me off my feet”
I have now transitioned through about 3 different walking set ups and he has only pulled me off my feet once! Thankfully we have found a set up that seems to be working well for both of us! I have started using a harness that gives me control of his whole body and was recommended to me by a Greyhound specialist....