Behavior modification advice needed

Question
Hi Karen,
Thanks for taking my question.  We got a 15 mo old lab/pit mix (rescue) recently.  Admittedly I'm still learning him (and him me) and he is the sweetest dog.  The thing that unsettles me is sometimes I'm confused as to whether my dog considers me his leader.  When he's at home, he is so well behaved, it's more than anyone can ask for.  Aside from some separation anxiety (he whines when I leave but does not otherwise destroy, mess up, hide, etc to the best of my knowledge while I'm out), he is just the most mild mannered dog...in the house.  Once he gets outside, I cannot for the life of me, teach him how to heel and walk properly on the leash even after trying just about ever positive reinforcement technique: treats, talking/praising...the only thing I haven't done (and am avoiding severely) is choke collar, prong collar, jerking leash, etc.  I got the gentle leader harness which helps but obviously doesn't address the real problem.

His main problem is walking ahead of me, pulling, and zig zagging when he walks which makes it difficult for me to walk next to him.  In addition, he tends to get fixated on things (other dogs, birds, squirrels, staring in the woods, etc.) and I could be making the biggest racket next to him and he wouldn't even notice, let alone listen to my commands.

Is my dog disrespecting me and if so, why is he doing this?  He listens fairly well in the house so I think there is a dominance issue, at least not at home.  I actually feel like he views me as his leader IN THE HOUSE.  Once we're outside, the rules seem to change and he gets so easily distracted and always appears alert and "on his toes" for lack of better description.  Any thoughts or suggestions on how I can humanely correct this behavior so that we can both enjoy our daily walks?

Thanks much!
Michelle

Answer
I am not an animal behaviorist, and I am very fond of training collars and leashes. ::grin:: They work wonders in the right hands.

First, you need to get him into some obedience classes, and I suggest you try clicker training as it sounds like that might appeal to you. Here we click our tongues on the roof of our mouth in place of an actual clicker; it works quite well. The first week, you need to "charge the clicker", and teach the dog that the click means that food is coming. What I do is sit in front of the dog, with him sitting at my feet. I stare in his eyes, and every time he makes eye contact, I click and treat with a piece of his kibble, until I have worked my way through his entire bowl of food for that day. Be sure to vary the time between the click and the feeding by a second or so, or you will find the dog counting that time and anticipating.
http://britmorschnauzers.com/journal.html

Yes, your dog may respect you as leader in the house, and blow you off when outside. Life outside is so much more exciting than we are! Work on getting his attention on you more as I mentioned previously. Do it initially in the house, and move outside for more distractions as he improves.

Also start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with him. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm