I have a 2 and a half year old labrador who just wont walk on the leash properly?

Question

My lab keeps dragging me about when I take him for a walk can any one please help and tell me how to make him walk properly !!

Answer 1

Keep the leash short, and he can't get enough traction or momentum to pull so hard..I like to use an empty parking lot for this training..Take him for a walk, keeping leash only about 12 inches ..EVERY time he pulls, reverse your direction..for a while, you will be going in circles, but soon the realization will come to him, that if he pulls, he goes no where! Just keep on reversing the direction of what he want to go..every time he pulls. when he is walking nicely..then keep going until he pulls..
Don't allow his head to go down to sniff things..this is a very bad habit, so keep his head up at all times, except when he is pooping.

Answer 2

The Halti and Gentle Leaders are just quick fixes, not a cure. I teach my dogs to heel by...

1) Cooking up some yummy bacon or just fill up your pockets with treats
2) Put your dog on a short leash, leaving it loose.
3) Take a small piece of the bacon and put it in front of your dog's nose so he can see and smell it
4) Say "name, heel" as you take a step foward, the dog will automatically follow the yummy bacon
5) Take a few steps, prasing your dog as he walks beside you, then stop, and have your dog sit.
6) As soon as he sits, give him the bacon.
7) Repeat all steps, increasing the time you spend walking.

If he looses focus and pulls on the leash or steps in front of you, stop, have him sit, praise him for sitting, and eat the bacon yourself.

Start off with 3 - 5 sessions a day consisting of no more than 5-10 minutes each session, insides, with the least amount of distractions. After he will heel perfectly, following you around the house, then you can go outside (keeping the distractions to a minimum) and practice there. Slowly remove the bacon from sessions, using lots of praise and an occasional treat at the end of a walk.

Answer 3

Buy a Gentle Leader or a Halti. They are head halters, not collars. They fit around the dogs muzzle (they can still eat, drink, bark) so you have more control over the dog when walking. From what I have heard they work very well. I would start off trying one of them.

Answer 4

Wow!! Teaching a 2 year old how to walk. It will be challenging. First, its about dominance. Let him/her know who's boss. Second, you might want to swich leads. Try a prong collar-they look intence but it doesn't hurt them at all. They have really thick skin. And my last final piece of advice is CONSISTANCY, CONSISTANCY, CONSISTANCY!!!!

Good luck-Would love to know it turns out.

I have 2 Chocolate Labs. Both well trained. They are inside dogs. Very spoiled.

Answer 5

No Pull Harnesses work WONDERFULLY!

Whatever you do, PLEASE do not even consider negative training of any sort, such as shock collar, choke collar, or prong collar. The dog will associate the pain with walking, or meeting new people, or even with you, and could become aggressive. Or, in the case of shock collars, it could cause LIFELONG neurological damage that is irreversible.

Answer 6

Shorten up the leash so he/she is on the side of you when walking him/her.Keep leash tight enough to where you're not hurting his/her wind pipe. Lightly tug up on leash wile saying "HEAL" Don't give up. Good luck.

Answer 7

Gentle Leader worked a miracle on my Golden. He's 80lbs (mostly muscle). He used to walk ME instead of the other way around! http://www.gentleleader.com/pages.cfm?ID=29

Answer 8

watch the dog whisperer on the national geographic channel he has all the answers! He has helped me with all 7 of my dogs

Answer 9

get a halti, it fits on your dogs head, like a halter. It really helped with my golden. :) Goog luck!

Answer 10

I have three labs....you need a prong collar. It doesn't hurt them it helps you train!!

Good Luck