How can I stop my Golden Retriever from pulling when walking on leash?

Answer 1

Hi

Wow,..Im amazed by the numbers of suggestions of choke chains and collars.

First you did not say how old your dog is...if he is a puppy or basically under 1 year yet... this breed is sooooooooooooo
happy about everything its hard to get them to settle down...

The earlier you train them the better and you HAVE to be consistant.
Verbal praise is better than treats unless you are going to carry treats on your person all the time...

The age and temperment of your dog is key...
Every dog is different.

WHat works for one will not work for another.

I trained my lab to work with Handicapped kids and did nt use trreats and he was trrained to heel without a leash on at all... But I began at 6 weeks...
By 3 years he knew 120 verbal commands, 60 hand signals, never used a leash unless he was walking with a visually imparied person or with a child in a wheelchair...

I did not use treats to trtain him I used praise... Labs and retrievers are sooooooo eager for your approval they respond well to verbal praise... and tend to wag thier entire rear ends off showing you how happy they are!

If it were me.. and agai not knowing the dog its hard

I would work with him in your back yard wen its quiet ... no radios or kids etc.....

I would work not on not pulling but on heeling... and staying

Put the leash on him and begin to walk..keep the leash tight and keep him about 2 feet in front of your left or right leg.. whatever side you prefer.. when he pulls

Stop... GENTLY pull him back to your side where he should be and make him sit down once he does pet him and praise him and then allow him to stand up and try walking again... do this over and over and over and over
he WILL get it
He will learn that if he pulls the walk stops...
Once he begins to walk next to you ,,which means he will not be pulling make sure you praise him...

Once he makes that connection you should be good

When training him dont do more than 30 min at a time... maybe less if he seems to lose it.... DO it daily

Onc ehe begins to get it then try a real walk... it will be harder once there is distraction for him to keep it together.....

Just do the same thing... STOP everytime he pulls... tell him NO and pull him back next to you ad Make him sit...

This may get frustrtating for you .. as it will seem like he sits you get him up and go 2 feet and hes pulling again so sit and so on... LOL
BUT I think he will get it if you STAY with it...
That breed is eager to make you happy and you just have to find the best way to get your message across...

I do not think choke collars should be used as a first resort to train a dog.
They do have thier uses... but I like to try other things first...

Good Luck...

Wismom

Answer 2

Consult a trainer before using any training equipment. Not all pieces are right for all dogs. I spoke to someone earlier who had been using a prong collar for weeks - the dog's neck was raw and covered with pricks from the prongs, and he still pulled. Completely ineffective for this dog.

When the dog starts to pull, stop walking. When there is some slack in the leash, praise the dog and start walking again. If he zooms off, stop again. You won't get far the first few times, but he should eventually understand that pulling gets him nowhere.

Another option is to turn and walk the other way when he pulls. Same idea as above, pulling doesn't get him where he wants to go. He should also (hopefully) realize that you are unpredictable so he better keep his eye on you. To do that, he can't be pulling at the end of his leash.

Finally, bring treats or a toy with you. Reward him when he is walking politely next to you. Then you will both enjoy walks!

Answer 3

I used the Gentle Leader or head halter to help me train my Lab, and it worked great. Over the years I have tried a lot of training devices and not one worked as well as the Gentle Leader. It works like a halter on a horse, there is no way you would be able to control most horses with a collar, but a halter works. It prevents the dog from dragging you every where and gives you complete control so you can work on training your dog without a struggle. When training if the dogs begins to pull you pull back and make the dog sit for a few. Once you have his attention start to walk again and repreat the same cycle. He will get the idea as long as he is not pulling you will not either. Make sure you praise him at the sit and when he is walking correctly. My Lab was a crazy one on the leash until some work and the Gentle Leader. Most of the time I do not need it any more, I will only use it if I know we being doing something that causes extreme excitement for him. You can buy them at any pet store and they cost only about $16.00.

Answer 4

To stop the dog from pulling when walking on leash is to use a "no-tug" harness or collar. This type of collar is available at most generic pet stores. This is especially important for larger size dogs as they are powerful and harder to control than smaller size dogs.

Basically when the dog tries to pull on the leash, the harness would tighten. This can help train the dog from pulling. I strongly discourage using a spike collar (same thing but with spikes around the dog's neck) since this encourages aggressiveness in your pet, and this is something that you really really don’t want in your dog... especially a large size dog.

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

1) You can hire a trainer to help train the dog
2) Heel! It's where when the dog pulls, you pull the leash close to you and make a short leash so it doesnt pull anymore. Also, make the dog walk in back of you. If it tries to go in front of you, step where it is about to go. It sounds *cruel-ish* but its not. The dogs dont get hurt and they start listening.
3) Use a harness or a halter, but NO COLLAR! It hurts the dog, so he pulls more to try to break away from the pain
4)When the dog pulls walk in the opposite direction

Answer 6

Get a training collar, sometimes called a choke collar. It consists of a chain with two loops. When the dog pulls, it tightens up the collar, and when he quits pulling it loosens up. After using this for a while the dog will learn to walk without pulling. You can continue to use this collar to walk or go back to the original one after it is trained. Keeping a shorter leash on you dog will also help. Train it to walk beside you.

Answer 7

I have a wonderful golden retriever. I was so lucky to become his owner at the age of 7 weeks...he is now almost 10 years old. He has always been in a hurry! When we walk, at the park or in our neighborhood, he is and always been so curious and full of energy. The way I finally got him to stop "walking" me was to let him know he was going too fast. I talk to him while we walk and probably most importantly I hold the leash very close to my body so that I have a tight hold on him, letting him know who is in charge. It's great to have a pet with such character!!

Answer 8

The gentle leader is the industries best choice. It is not a choker and is very effective with both small and large dogs.
Gentle Leader® Product Overview


Why and How the Gentle Leader® Headcollar Works


First of all, the Gentle Leader® Headcollar is NOT a muzzle. When fitted properly, your dog is free to open his mouth to eat, drink, pant, fetch, bark and even bite - except when you close his mouth by pulling on the leash.

The Gentle Leader® Headcollar features two soft nylon straps - the collar portion fits high at the top of the neck, and the nose loop fits loosely and comfortably across the base of the muzzle. Each strap has a distinct and important effect.



The Nose Loop - Dogs are naturally "pack" animals with a highly structured social order. One of the ways the "pack leader" will demonstrate his position is to gently but firmly grasp a subordinate's muzzle in his mouth. This is a non-aggressive, very clear signal regarding who's the boss! The Gentle Leader's® nose loop encircles your dog's muzzle in this same manner, letting him know in his own language that you are his leader. Dogs feel more secure when they know who the leader is.

The Neck Strap - Have you noticed how puppies seem to melt in relaxation when their mother picks them up at the back of the neck? Gentle Leader® applies pressure to the back of the neck rather than the front of the throat, working with your dog's natural relaxation instinct with an amazing calming effect. Also, dogs tend to pull against pressure so the gentle pressure at the back of the neck causes the dog to pull backward, not forward. This means an end to leash pulling forever!

Teaches "Sit" - The Gentle Leader® Headcollar quickly encourages controlled sitting - raise your dog's nose skyward and he lowers his hindquarters - no pushing or shoving.





Stops Pulling & Lunging - No more tug of wars, jerking or being dragged down the street - even children and the elderly can walk large or difficult dogs.
Won't Choke - Gentle Leader ® gives you control with humane restraint - pressure is applied at the back of the neck instead of the front of the throat.

Prevents Jumping - Easily stops jumping and other unwanted behavior as the Gentle Leader® Headcollar helps you control your dog in a "stand," "sit" or "down" position. Not a Muzzle - When fitted properly, your dog may open his mouth to eat, drink, pant, fetch and bark - except when you pull on the leash to close his mouth.

Controls Barking - Stop unwanted barking with a simple pull of the lead to close your dog's mouth - no need to shout or scold. Helps Manager Other Behavior Problems - Under the supervision of a trained professional, the Gentle Leader ® can be an effective tool, in an individual behavior modification program for problems such as fear, anxiety, agression, etc. Many professionals and owners have reported a calming effect on their dogs.

Stops
Begging -
Eliminate annoying behavior at meal time and help the kids hang onto their snacks!




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Answer 9

Most serious dog training classes will not allow your dog to be there with a choke collar let alone one with spikes.... Are people cracked? Look I have raised dogs all my life and yes when I was young and ignorant I used a choker on ONE of my dogs.... then you grow up and get smart about it. If you are having that much difficulty training you dog on a lead, try a gentle leader. They are available at all pet shops, recommended by vets and trainers and are "gentle" on your dog. Offers a painless, highly effective way to stop your dog from pulling, lunging and jumping. Can be used on dogs as young as 8-10 weeks. Or the halti. Both can be purchased for under $20, are effective, and humane.

Answer 10

Get a properly fitted choke collar or prong collar and place it high up on the neck when the dog pulls do not pull on the collar but give them a short fast side to side snap of the collar. Tell the dog to heel and start again.
If you do not want to use a prong or choke collar get one of the Halti or Gentle Leader collars and use it.
Do not put a harness on a puller. It will make them pull harder as it spreads out the pressure and they can pull harder from their chest than the neck.
The most important thing is to have what ever collar you use up very high on the neck almost to the ears and keep it there. This will give you great control over the dog and will stop most ofthe pulling pretty fast.