how can I stop my dog from pulling when I walk him?

Answer 1

Take him to doggy classes. They teach you actions and commands to help your dog behave the way you want.

Answer 2

Check/choke chains have now been found to be not as effective as haltie/gentle leader type harnesses (ones where the control is at the head like a horse's halter). With the control of the snout, you turn the dog's head towards you, thus it stops them from pulling. It is also more offective when your dog wants to try and chase something.
There are also the harnesses that work on the shoulders/neck and are very good for control.
The check/choke collars the dogs can still lean into them and pull.

But the bottom line is - training. Perhaps take your dog to obedience class to learn the basics of obedience. You dont have to turn him into a robot, just learn the best way to control your dog.

Answer 3

Try the Gentle Leader. I have it for my large Lab who weighs 10 lbs less then me and if I use that there is no problem. It works under the same principle as a halter on a horse. If you walked a horse with a collar you would be the one being walked. The Gentle Leader is a Head Halter for dogs and of all the devices I have used it works the best. I mainly used it as a training aide and my dog has learned to walk like a gentleman. I only use it now if I am taking him some where I know that he will get excited over.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I read a little about this problem. A trainer said that when your dog is pulling you to put your dog in a slip lead and leave him in the house with you playing with your dog in a confined area. Hook lead on something fixed. Dog will get to know the end of the lead brings tightness around neck. Teaches him pulling causes discomfort and is self inflicted. Repeat several times. Try walking around house with dog and lead- don't pull on lead so he knows that he causes the tightness himself. outside- do not let dog go first. If dog gets ahead of you walking outside- turn around and go the other way. Continue this. etc...

Answer 6

My dog used to pull all the time. He went to puppy class b4 and it worked initially but then I went on holidays and came back and he just wouldn't listen anymore >.< I think he was just being rebellious cos I left him behind for 2 months... anyway, tried retraining him & everything, he rather go for smelling everywhere than taking my treats. Don't use choker chain, its just cruel and they tend to be afraid of walking close to you instead.
Anyway I got this halter thingy ( http://www.sporn.com/product_info.php?products_id=28 ) for my dog and it worked on that day itself. Basically what u do is when u walk him and he starts to pull u just give him a gentle pull towards you and his body would turn back facing you and then you walk towards the opposite direction that he was pulling with a command (I use "let's go" but u can say anything else and stick with it). Do this everytime he pulls so that he knows when he pulls, he doesn't get to go towards the direction that he wants (cos u lead him to exact opposite). Just start practicing with him for like 5 mins and he'll get it, it's that easy. And remember to praise him when he does well. I occassionally stop to give him treats when he does well. Nowadays, when I walk my dog and he gets a bit overexcited and move slightly ahead before me, he would remember to stop, turn back, look at me & make sure I was next to him before starting to walk again ^.^

Answer 7

J. Charles is on to something. Let me explain further. Dogs, like all intelligent creatures, learn by a combination of positive and negative reinforcement. Good behavior should be expected and rewarded with consistent signs of affection and attention. This is continual positive reinforcement. Occasionally, and with no predictable pattern, good behavior should be rewarded above and beyond the usual (e.g. with a doggy treat). This variable reinforcement is the best way for animals (and people) to acquire and maintain desired behavior. But positive reinforcement alone is insufficient. A child who gets a lollipop when he doesn't stick his finger in the light socket will continue to desire to try to stick his finger in a light socket. It is only by negative reinforcement (spanking, slap on the hand, removal to another room, removal of toys, etc.) will be the only way he can learn that Mommy knows what she's talking about and that "No" means "No." This negative reinforcement is key to long-term trust and the acquisition of new skills without having to reinvent the wheel each time. So J. Charles is right, you need to tighten the leash. It should be mildly painful for the dog to walk in front of you and tremendously enjoyable for him to walk alongside you. Certainly obedience schools can help, but most people can learn to do this on their own with patience, practice and encouragement.

Wishing you the best!

Answer 8

usually I scroll through answers to see if someone already said what i wanted to say, but there are some long ones... LOL, so sorry if I repeat someone. Obviously they say taking classes, but classes are sometimes expensive. We used a choke chain when teaching our pup to walk on a leash (we don't use that normally). Anyways when he starts to pull, you give him a little yank and when he stops, you give him a treat, repeat, repeat, repeat. When he walks next to you, treat, treat treat, when he starts to pull, YANK... treat when he stops. You know? It's all about repetition. We didn't work with my pup for a week and he forgot it the next time, but learned it again... Good luck

Answer 9

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/NonZz

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 10

I use a leash called a "Gentle Leader". It is not harmful to your dog at all and allows you to have control of your dogs head thus allowing control of your dog.

Check with your Vet to see if they sell them or else Premiere is the company that sells them as well. They are a little pricey but worth every penny!

Answer 11

I learned that if you start it on a short leash where it has to walk next to you and then slowly let it out a little at at a time it learns to walk next to you instead of tugging all the time.