how do you stop a dog from pulling on his lead ?

Question

hi i have a jack russle dog, ive had him for about 5 years but he is constantly pulling on his lead it's getting to the point when i dread taking him out for his walk, has anyone got any tips on how to stop this he has a nomal lead, he also chews things he shouldnt as well, he's very well loved but it's getting to the point where i think he would be better off with someone who could contol him better

Answer 1

A slap over the head!

Hehe just kidding - I suggest you never ever do that HOWEVER one thing that works is - if your dog insists on pulling the lead whilst you are walking him, you should stop in your tracks and stand still until the dog realises you are not going anywhere - and he will soon enough.

He may not understand at first what you are trying to teach him, but don't give up and on every walk, stop whenever he starts to pull on the lead and eventually he won't do it at all.

Also say things like 'No' in a harsh and low pitched voice so the seriousness of what you are trying to do gets across to your dog.

It will be worth it when he behaves himself and realises that it is YOU that is taking HIM on a walk and not the other way round!

Hope I helped

xx

Answer 2

Hi.

There are a couple of things you could try to resolve your problems.

You could use a water plant spray bottle and spray him with water when he chews something that is yours as well as making sure that he knows that this item is yours and give him his favourite toy at the same time so that he knows to chew that instead.

Or you could try getting a coke can, putting some small stones in it and selotape the hole.

When he is caught chewing something of yours bang the can on the floor behind him, this should disturb him from his chewing as it should make him look round which at this point you again tell him he is naughty and this is yours and give him his favourite toy to chew.

Re to the pulling why have you left it so long.????

If I was you I would definately try a Halti lead, my Son had one of these for a dog that was an older dog that he bought from a kennel and now he finds it a pleasure to walk his dog so this is worth a try, it worked for him within a few days and I have heard good reports about these.

Finally you could buy a collar that will spray him every time he pulls which again should make him stop and think and eventually stop pulling.

you can buy these items on ebay quite cheap or in most pet shops, vets and supermarkets.

As he is very well loved please don't give up and think that he would be better off with someone else who could control him as if someone else can do it then so can you.

You just have to be patient and try different things until finally you find one that works for both you and your dog.

Remember he loves you too and if you had a naughty child you would not give up and give the child away to someone else you would simply pull your hair out like all parents do and carry on until he got it right.

I hope this is of some help to you and I wish you all the luck with your training.

Please feel free to email me and if I can be of any help I will.

I have 3 White German Shepherds 12 weeks 16 weeks and 20 weeks and believe me these are what you would call a handful lol.

Take Care.

Sandyrarr.

Answer 3

I have taken both of my dogs to a once a week training school that was run by Police dog handlers. They train you, to train the dog. My dog was cured in 30 seconds. You start walking, as the dog pulls ahead you take a lunge forward with one big step making the lead go completely slack and then you snap it back with all of your might. It makes no difference how big the dog is. If you do it sharply and quickly the dog should spin round and will be disorientated and shocked. The dog will be next to you, you praise it and then start walking again, if he pulls you repeat. You should not have to do this very much at all if you are doing it properly. The dog does not like it, and you will find after a few times that as soon as they feel the lead go slack they immediately stop pulling and look up at you because they do not want you to do it again. This was used on my dog when he was a puppy. have not used a lead on him for about 4 years (no need where I live) but had to about 2 months ago. He now weighs 56 kilos (which is more than me)...he pulled as it had been so long, I used this training again,,,once. It worked, he remembered and I then had him walking by my side with the loop of the lead hanging on my little finger. I have also used this on friends dogs, different shapes and sizes and it never fails.
Hope that this helps

Answer 4

What we use on our rottweiler was a harness and a collar at the same time and also a retractable leash. Well she started to pull, we gave a quick tug, not hard. Try to keep him at your side and when he leaves stop and pull him back, keep doing this for a couple weeks. After you've done this slowly start expanding the amount of leash that you give him and repeat the process. Make sure you give him a place were he's free to explore and sniff around and a time where he's not allowed to tug. If your walking him, don't go near the place were he is free to go. Oh and if you don't want to use a harness or retractable leash it should work. About the chewing, if it's on shoes or things that won't get stained put some tabasco pepper sauce on what he's chewing on. It's a hot sauce and once he tasted it he won't go near it again. Just put the sauce on everything that won't stain easily and once he gets that that object has that hot taste he should stop the chewing. Also get him something to chew on like a rawhide. Oh and with the sauce only put a LITTLE DROP on the things he chews on, anymore MIGHT be too hot for him. I hope my advice works out!!! Good luck.
Oh and if try different methods before you get rid of him, if you just get rid of him with out trying different things he might miss you and get depressed. And remember that yoiu can control him just as well as anyone else, you just don't know how. LOL Not to sound snotty or anything

Answer 5

Those harnessess that go around the dogs front legs & chest work well as it takes away their pulling power & they are humane. (Please don't get a choke collar, there is really no need for them & positive reinforcement works better than negative reinforcement anyway, they are just plain cruel!) That's not realy training though...just stopping the ability for the dog to pull.
As for training with a normal lead, as soon as he starts to pull, change direction & walk the opposite way - (he will not want to go the way he has already been), then if he pulls again, change direction gain. After you have changed direction, say "heel" until he starts to pull again, then change direction again when he pulls. You may feel like a bit of an idiot walking back & forth on the same stretch of road (!) but if you keep at it then when you say " heel" when he starts to pull, he should start slowing down.
Also, if you have a garden (somewhere free from distractions where he can be off the lead) then get a treat & hold it down by your side as you walk & say "heel" That should help him to heel when out on walks also. (I say do this in a garden because some dogs arent intereted in treats & are more difficult to train when out & about).



Hope that helps :)

Answer 6

I have a Jack Russell also and he loves to pull on his lead. I had a friend who trains dogs. She told me that when the dog pulls on the lead, turn around and head the other direction. The dog has to follow. Eventually he will get the idea. Also you can pull him back to your side. Always walk him on the same side too. Also an obedience collar from pet store...looks nasty..but ours doesn't pull when he has it on.

As far as the chewing...mine leaves messes everywhere he goes. He loves to chew. We make sure he has lots of chew toys to chew on. Nylabones are wonderful and actually last longer than a day. Spray the stuff you don't want him chewing on with a Bitter Apple spray you can get at the pet store.

He controls you because he knows he can...they are extremely smart and unless you let him know who's boss...he will keep it up.

Get a good book on training Jack Russells and read it!...that will help alot.

Answer 7

I have tried a choke chain and found that they didn't work and I always felt bad about using it.

The way I have found to train a dog not to pull on their lead is to get the dog walking to "heel" or "close".
To encourage him to walk to heel/close is simple enough you just need to have patience and make a point of enforcing his training.

Start off by putting his lead on him in the house/garden - this provides a restricted distraction area. Have a treat or a toy that he likes in the hand you are holding his lead in. Show him the treat/toy so you have his attention. If it's a smelly treat (cheese works really well) hold it so that he can smell it but not take it from you. Hold the lead short and keep his attention on the treat/toy. Start to walk around the room/garden, keepig his attention on the treat/toy, use his name and your chosen command - heel or close - remeber to praise him - good heel/close - keep it to short distances at first and always give him the treat or let him play with the toy once you've finished.

As he pulls less you will be able to increase the distances and as long as you always use the same command - heel or close - he will associate the word with the desired behaviour. As I said it will take time but he's not too old and if you keep training him he will start to do it automatically.

With regards the chewing you need to give him plenty of doggie chews so that he leaves other things alone.

You can do it, you just have to put your mind to it. Afterall if you don't tell him what he should be doing then how's he supposed to know ? He is better off in the loving home he is in, that is familiar to him ...............

Best of luck and keep going and you will soon see the rewards !

Answer 8

You buy a haltie ( it fits over the nose and behind the ears, when the dog pulls it HARMLESSLY pull their head to one side, if the dog can't see where it's going it stops pulling) I used this on my impossible to control collie. After a few weeks he walked quite happily with or without it. As for the chewing things he shouldn't? Does that mean he has thing he is allowed to chomp? If so you are sending him confusing signals. He must learn that nothing can be chewed, even down to removing bones, etc. A strong NO will soon give him the idea He will soon learn that no chomping is allowed. Never use violence to stop bad behaviour. It is not the dogs fault. We expect them to understand us, but how many of us speak dog? Would you expect your dog to bite you, every time you didn't understand them? Jeez, I'm getting too deep here. Just don't hit him.

Answer 9

Well, he's naturally curious and he smells all those other dogs.

Enjoy the exercise!! Step it up a little bit to keep up with him!!!
Do it!! He'll love you even more!

Next, get a library book on all about training a dog.

Next, go to the vet and get him a cow's hoof to chew on. He will NEVER chew on any thing else again. Don't let him just keep that hoof all day, because they actually can be eaten. LISTEN GOOD! they stink while they are wet with saliva (from the dog), but the minute you take it away, it dries up and you can't even smell it. It will become your BUDDY. They literally will keep your dog's mind off anything else, while he is chewing on it.

They help clean the teeth and sharpen them(not in a big way)--ya know what I mean?


HEY, I JUST SAW THIS ON TV!!!!

This guy was walking the dog in traing, and he DID NOT LET THE DOG TAKE OFF RUNNING! He held the leash-in the hand of the side you want your dog to walk on--always- and he held it very tight, like just from his bent arm to where the collar is around the dog. You KEEP A TIGHT REIN ON THE LEASH and just don't let him take off. You HAVE to be consistent!!!

Answer 10

I like those harness things which you then attach the lead to - then the dog isn't choking himself when he pulls a bit. He sounds like he needs to get tired out - can you or someone else take him for a really good run, THEN you take him for a quiet walk, he'll be glad to go slowly.
We have three dogs who have a lot of energy and in spite of having space to run around in at home, they get extremely excited when going for a walk. We run with them at first and then they walk much better on the lead/leash/whatever you want to call it, afterwards.
Do you provide him with things he CAN chew? Maybe when you are sleeping/not home you could leave him in an area where he can't get to the things he musn't chew.