[tannerokeefe]

dutch is WAY too strong for his own good. He pulls when we walk on a leash and he just started doing this. Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to deter him from doing so? My kids have to be able to walk him, and right now he is getting to where they cant control him!! TIA

 

[Blue Fox]

My answer to all obedience questions these days - liver treats :rofl:

No seriously get a treat your pup can't resist and hold it on your left hand just above nose height and walk, you'll find you have the most obedient, heeling puppy around cause if he's anything like T he won't move his nose from just under your hand so he is always in the correct heeling position :smile: and you can reward him for doing the right thing.

I used a check chain on the GSD and just kept correcting, but I am finding with T that using the treat is getting us a faster result and with less angst on my part. I do use a snake chain martingale collar on him so we do have some control.

 

[tannerokeefe]

ok, so I always walk Dutch on the left so just hold the treat in my hand?? I need a visual!!!:tongue:

 

[T o d d]

Sounds like you are being walked.

Keep changing directions make them look to you for leadership. Once they learn this they will do it off leash too. Works great.

And treats never hurt if your lil guy is like Moose normal food is fine... he loves to eat. I just get a handful. Saves me $ and time from testing "treats" for health, etc.

 

[Blue Fox]

Yep just hold the treat in your hand so he can smell it, hold it just in front of where you want his nose to be, so you are effectively positioning him in the right spot and walk. If he's like T he will follow obediently, looking up at you every now and then to see when you are going to relent and give him the treat.

Like ToddW said change your direction often, do about turns eg. turn 180degrees and go back where you came from, 90degree turns both into and away from the dog, find some poles a little way apart and do figure of eights around them, all those sorts of things will keep his focus on you and your body position.

I can't let T see the treat otherwise he gets too excited and does the "vertical poodle" and won't heel but ends up jumping in the one spot :rofl: but if your guy needs some extra enthusiasm show him the treat. If he isn't food motivated a squeaky toy works just as well.

Edit to add - you don't have to have the treat in your hand forever, just till he gets the hang of it, then put the treat away and keep your hand in the same spot, then after a while remove your hand and put it how ever is most comfortable for you. Still treat often in the early stages, just hold the treats in your bum bag instead of your hand :smile:

 

[Pamela]

I used the gentle leader on ginger until we did the training bit and now she is pretty good. You need to use a gentle leader or a training collar - slip collar and put it way up at top of neck and keep leash very short to keep him walking beside you on the left and tell him "heel"

 

[Jana]

I like the gentle leader as well.

 

[Sam I Am]

I LOVE the gentle leader. Even when Sam behaves on the leash, with a regular collar, if he gets the slightest pull he gags. With the gentle leader we can even be in crowded places and we don't have to keep our attention focused on him to be sure he is behaving, especially festivals and fairs where there is tons of food on the ground. I took Jenny on her first walk with her regular collar and she drove me nuts, weaving back and forth and stopping in front of my legs. We hadn't started any leash training yet and she was a mess. We went around the block like this once then I stopped back at the house and got a chain training collar. It was like night and day, she stayed right by my side and never pulled. I think every dog is different and you just have to find what works best for you and your dog. I can't use treats to train Sam very often, his brain turns off and all he can think about is "treat, treat, treat, treat!" LOL!!

 

[SECRETO]

I think all you need to do is keep the collar at the top of the neck, right under the jaw bone. When he tries to pull, correct him with a quick and easy tug and then release. You start this with him by your side and then the moment he attemps to try and walk ahead and pull is when you correct. If the collar is in this position he souldn't be able to pull very much anyhow. You should have control if the collar is in the proper place. If the collar is down his neck near his wither's then you wont have maximum control of him.

He's so young that he should pick up what ever technique you choose to use quickly. Well, I hope he does. lol I have also used Todds technique he mentioned with the collar placed corectly. Works great!

 

[highhorse]

I used the changing direction technique and it worked most of the time. If I'm going to walk the girls in a town setting, then I usually take a little time in the car park to practice the technique and get their attention. Obedience classes help too as they focus the dog's attention on you.

 

[ChickyChat]

I use gentle leader too. It works great, immediately!

 

[Blue Fox]

Just my opinion but I am not a big fan of gentle leaders, halti's etc... I bought one to try on the GSD cause everyone was raving about them, he heals very well so thought it would be easy and safe to try on him and I didn't like it at all.

You can do a lot of damage to necks with those collars, not that I'm saying those of you who use them are, but it is very easy to have the dog take off from a loose lead at the sight of something and get to the end of the lead only to be jerked back again via thier head, wrenching the neck muscles all without any intention to do this by the walker.

Why not just teach your dog to heal at your side without pulling? Eventually I want T to heal without a lead like the GSD does, and you should certainly be able to walk your dog with a flat collar on at least. When we go to the beach both the boys have their flat waterproof collars on and can be walked to the beach on these, I couldn't be bothered walking them down on a check chain cause they need it to heal properly and then having to swap for the waterproof ones.

As I said JMO, each to their own and lots of people swear by the gentle leaders.

 

[Sam I Am]

Why not just teach your dog to heal at your side without pulling?

For me? Laziness and impatience LOL!! The gentle leader works immediately with no work on my part. Sam will heel but I have never been very good at leash training and without a constant reminder his brain will wonder off, especially at places with lots of distractions. I also don't think a gentle leader should be used with a leash any longer than about 4' at the most. I've never had Sam even try to pull with it on, but with a short leash (his is only about 2foot) he could never get up enough umph to hurt himself if he did try.

 

[Pamela]

Why not just teach your dog to heal at your side without pulling?

For me? Laziness and impatience LOL!! The gentle leader works immediately with no work on my part. Sam will heel but I have never been very good at leash training and without a constant reminder his brain will wonder off, especially at places with lots of distractions. I also don't think a gentle leader should be used with a leash any longer than about 4' at the most. I've never had Sam even try to pull with it on, but with a short leash (his is only about 2foot) he could never get up enough umph to hurt himself if he did try.

that was my experience with ginger also - I used a short leash and only used it for a while. she heals well when I walk just her and Teddy heals if I just walk him - but together they start pulling I think because they each wan to be first more than to pull me. I think with my shoulder I am going to have to walk them separatly - I tried together yesterday and they were pulling me - not a lot but they weren't at my heel - just a little in front. Is that ok? I have often wondered if its worth it to fight with them to stay right next to me or behind and how does Ceasar do it!!!!??? lol I try all his advice and still - Ginger will walk a little ahead of Teddy and then he trys to catch up and I am constantly saying Hey! shzt! heel! lol:banghead: or maybe I will try the gently leader again since they don't pull that much.:moneymouth: