Walking the dog?

Question

I have a beautiful 2yr, old golden retriver. He's very obedient (in the house). Once we go outside for a walk, it's like taking a fat kid to the candy store! He's wants to go everywhere. He's about 75-80lbs. and he drags me when we walk. I've read things like walk the dog on the leash in a circle so that he knows he has to follow you and give the dog commands so you can get his attention. Unfortunately, none of these things have been working for me. I simply can't get his attention. Someone even suggested I hit him like you would a child. This defintely didn't work b/c he's so sensitive that he became scared I was gonna hit him all the time. I mean, I even let him out for two hours in my backyard so he can get the extra energy out his system. Right now, I can't afford obedience school. Please someone give me advice about walking my dog. All answers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Answer 1

Teach him to sit if he doesn't already.
Start in the backyard after he has had a chance to run off some energy. (that's a good idea by the way)
Put the leash on him and say "sit". Push on his rear until it hits the ground, praise him. Work with that a couple of days and don't try to walk him until he sits very well.
When he "sits" well, put him on your left side and say "heel", and step forward with your left foot. He is gonna go nuts like usual, immediately say "NO", give a sharp corrective tug on the leash, and put him back in the sit. This part may take awhile. Everytime you say "heel" and he DOESN'T stay right by your side, he goes back to sit.
HINT: Lessons should be only 5 minutes long a few times a day. So, do a few sits in the back yard and release him to play. When you start teaching "heel" (still in the backyard), again, only a few attempts and release him to play.
HINT: Stop going for walks for awhile, until you really get "sit" and "heel" down. If you try to train him at home then let him drag you all over the neighborhood, you are sending mixed signals and it will take longer to train him.
You have to be FIRM. Remember that dogs have huge muscles in their necks, you really can't hurt them unless you try, so get a good hold on the leash and use it. Choke collars aren't necessary unless you want to use one. They can be put on wrong though. I can't explain how to do it right, ask someone at the pet store where you get it to show you the right way.
Remember that this behavior is fun and normal for him. He doesn't realize that you don't want to be dragged around, after all, that's what he's been doing up until now.
Remember that you have to correct him everytime he trys to pull. If you let him get away with it sometimes, he won't ever learn to listen to you. Just like threatening to spank a little kid, if you don't do it when you say you're gonna, the kid learns fast that you don't mean it and the threat is pointless.
I hope this helps.
If I don't make sense to you, there are books that will help you. A good one is "Dog Tricks for Dummies" there is basic obedience in the front, some cute tricks to learn in the middle and the end has contests and competitions to enter with your dog.
Good Luck and be firm, consistent and patient. Golden Retreivers are smart and want to please, so he will catch on quick.

Answer 2

This is a tough situation you are in. Luckily it is correctable.

I would get a training collar- Sometimes known as a choke collar. These do NOT hurt the dog when properly used.

If your dog is treat oriented, take your dog out for a walk with a bag of little treats in one pocket. Put your dog in heal position but do not use the heal command! get a treat in your right hand and hold it by your left hip. Let him lick on it and try to eat it. Everyonce and a while give him the treat and get another. Every time he gets out of heal position give the leash a short hard jerk to make the training collar tighten and then release. This is training the dog that it is uncomfortable to go away but fun to be near you. When he is in the heal position and trying to get the treat say "Heal" in a calm but commanding voice and then immediatly say "Good Heal" really happy.

This will take a lot of work and alot of practice. Also try to keep your training sessions short and positive. Do not walk your dog with the training collar unless you are going to actually be training him and do not leave it on all the time.

Also you can try something called the Oberman loop (never seen it spelled so that might not be the correct spelling of the guy's name). Anyway what you do is use a plain collar and a 6ft leash. Attach the leash to the collar and make it so the leash goes straight back down the dog's spine. Right behind the shoulder blades wrap leash around the dogs rib cage going to the left (if you were straddling his back). As the leash goes under the dog's belly bring it back up to the part that is by the dog's collar and put the handle under the leash so now you have a loop going around the dog's rib cage with about 2-3 feet of slack before the loop that you hang on to. When the dog is walking nicely the loop won't tighten, but when he pulls or lunges it will tighten slightly around the ribcage. This does not hurt the dog but is a little uncomfortable. Most dogs will stop pulling to make the sensation quit. The loop will immedialty loosen as soon as the dog stops pulling.

I was taught this technique by a very experienced dog trainer and have used it for several years with about 80% with the dogs. A high percentage respond to this amazingly and the other percentage seem to not even notice the loop at all! One dog really hated the sensation (she was an abuse case at the shelter and I was rehabilitating her) and she wigged out a bit the first time, but she got used to it really quickly and it was the only technique that would stop her pulling.

You can buy store bought harnesses that do the same thing as the Loop I told you about but why waste the money when you can make it with a simple leash?

Good luck!

Answer 3

Sounds just like what my dog used to do to me. It took a while but now he is broken the habit. We can walk at my pace or even jog while he stays at my side or just a step or two behind me. Here's how I did it...

Biggest thing is that you need to use a shorter leash to start off. You may even consider a choke chain as YOU train him. Bring him to the door and make him sit and get calm before you let him out the door. You need to be the one that takes the lead and walks out first because you are the boss. Now, do not let the dog get ahead of you. If he does then stop and give a quick jerk and release to the leash which will tighten and then release on the choke chain. What this tells the dog is that you are in control and he walks when you walk. You need to stay relaxed and not praise him too much. The dog needs discipline. This will take some time but it can be done. The dog needs lots of exercise though as he is a high energy dog.

Answer 4

He is just excited like most dogs get. I have a year old Lab who is a 110 lbs and had the same problem with him. If we were in the back yard he was fine but the moment he got excited I went for ride ( I only weigh 10 more lbs then him ). So I got the Gentle Leader ( head halter ). The whole concept makes a great deal of sense, I used have horses and if I tried walking them with a collar most of the time I would have been dragged. The Gentle Leader is the same concept for the dogs, and it works great. It takes the dog some getting used to but he is not going to drag you. I used it on my dog for awhile along with typical obedience training. The Gentle Leader gave me the ability to remain in control and work on calming him down. They are very inexpensive and you can get them at any pet store. I have tried other devices and none of them work as effectively.

Answer 5

The person who told you to hit him gave you bad advice (as you found out). Goldens are smart and willing to learn, but they need a lot of exercise when they are young. First, try playing ball in the yard for twenty minutes to take the edge off before you go for a walk or begin training the dog. You can also practice heeling INSIDE the house, so the dog knows what to do when he's outside.

To walk the dog, the Four Paws makes a reasonably-priced no-pull trainer harness that puts no pressure on the dog's throat. It works great, no training required for a comfortable walk. You can get them at Petco or Petsmart. Petco website has them on sale now:
http://www.petco.com/shop/product.aspx?r...

Other companies make no-pull harnesses, but they are more expensive.
http://www.zubapets.com/dreamwalker.htm...

The Halti-type head collars work well for some dogs, but others will spend weeks trying to paw it off their face.
http://www.petco.com/shop/product.aspx?r...

The Dog Whisperer sells a special device that keeps the collar high up on the dog's neck for better control.
http://cesarmillan.securesites.net/icollar.php

These are the books that I recommend to my students; you can get them on Amazon.com
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard http://www.volhard.com/
Good Owners, Great Dogs - Brian Kilcommins
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Don't Shoot the Dog - Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method - Volhard
Dog Problems - Benjamin
Cesar's Way - Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I've ever seen on TV.
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/

You can also go to training classes. The best (and cheapest) way is to take your own dog to training classes at your local AKC recognized obedience club. http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cfm?action=obed&display=on

The trainers there are a lot better than the folks you might find at a pet store.

Answer 6

No shock collars - first because they are inhumane, second because you said your dog is sensitive.

We have our students (I teach dog training classes) hold a treat or toy in front of their dog's nose to lure them. If your arm is hanging at your side, your dog will be at your side. Hold the leash in the opposite hand. Let your dog nibble at the treat or toy every few steps, and praise him when he isn't pulling you.

Another option is to stop walking as soon as he gets too far ahead of you (before he reaches the end of the leash). Stand still until he turns back to you or backs up a bit. Praise him then start walking again. It is tedious at first, but he should eventually figure out that he doesn't get where he wants to go by pulling you.

There is an inexpensive little book called My Dog Pulls! What Do I Do? by Turid Rugaas that may help you.

Answer 7

I would use a Gentle Leader on him. The Leader is a collar that fits over the base of the skull and has a loop that goes over the dogs muzzel. The idea behind this type of collar is where the dog's nose goes so does the dog. I use them all the time with my Dal's and they work wonders. I would not use a choker chain as they can cause dammage to a dogs windpipe and as for shockers, well, you want to make walking fun, not painful to him.

Answer 8

Keep him at your side and if he pulls stop walking. When he stops pulling begin walking again. Don't use the "flexi-leash" type of leashes since that doesn't teach good leash habits for a dog and leaves you out of control completely. If he knows a sit make him sit before you begin walking again to maintain control and the "alpha leader" position over the dog. This is positive reinforcement and will teach him that to pull on the leash doesn't get him anywhere.

There is also a way to clicker-train a dog to use a loose leash and to follow you on walks. Link below.

Answer 9

Our aussie girl is a very high energy dog. She was like that until I used a combination of strong brief commands, praise, and cheddar cheese in small pieces in a baggie. When she would lean out or forward I said,"sit" assuming that is already learned and then said ,"good girl" with a piece of cheese. I made her stop every time she went out or forward. She walks on my street side every time. The consistency thing is tops. She loves a run with me. Patience with the stopping every time she misteps is crucial. Then it goes surprisingly faster than you expect. Your breed is very intelligent as well and I believe you will have good success. Enjoy that beautiful golden retriever:) I THINK KILLA R 's ANSWER IS THE BEST.

Answer 10

For one thing, you don't hit a dog and you don't hit a child. Let's get that idea out of the way very fast.
Your dog is only 2 years old and can be re-trained. If you want to, contact your humane society and find out if they have FREE dog training classes. If they don't, go to the library. They have so many books and videos on training a dog, you would be amazed. To get your dog to listen is very time consuming and takes a lot of love and attention and PATIENCE.
Another thing about hitting an animal. They may not ONLY BE AFRAID OF YOU, THEY MAY BITE YOU. THEY HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO FIGHT BACK. BITING YOU IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THEY CAN FIGHT BACK. You don't want that.
Don't give up.