how can i stop my dog pulling!!!?

Question

i am pregnant now so cant have my dog pulling on his lead!!!he is 2 years old in july and hes a rottweiler x german shephard (more rottweiler) i have tried harness, choke chain, halti and he still pulls so much. i used to tap him on the head but that doesnt work now!!! HELP

Answer 1

You need to work on training your dog to heel and walk loose on lead. This is going to take time and patience to accomplish.

In obedience class, we use clickers, and do something called "choosing to heel". Basically, your dog needs to know what the "click" means. To teach this, you get a good treat reward, different than the usual every day doggie treats, like cooked, cut up hot dogs. Then you click, give reward and repeat about 10 times. You'll see your dog associating the click with the treat.

Once the click is established and understood, you then go into a place with minimal distractions and your dog on lead. Walk in a large circle and when your dog falls properly into the heel position (or if you prefer, is merely not pulling on the lead) then click and treat each time. Your dog will learn with this method, where his proper place is supposed to be when you walk and that not pulling will get the reward. Another thing to do is to quickly change your direction the second your dog pulls. Do a full 180 and make the dog go with you. This will help him learn he needs to be aware of you, where you are and where you are going.

Again, it will take time, and since your are pregnant, you may wish to have a guy help you in the beginning who can handle the pulling dog.

Answer 2

I can see from the feedback that prong collars aren't very popular.

I volunteer with an organization that trains service dogs for people with disabilities. We train all breeds, sizes, sexes and ages. Every dog we take in is evaluated on different collars and leads and the appropriate tool (so to speak) is applied to the dog.
This includes flat (normal collars) haltis (or gentle leaders) harnesses, choke collars, and pinch or prong collars.

We try each to see how the dog responds and then work with the dog from there. Dogs are different and each dog responds differently to the collar. Some dogs just walk nicely on a regular collar with a little training. Other dogs NEED a prong collar to learn. Other dogs completely shut down with a halti. It's just up to the dog.

A pregnant woman (or any person really) needs to be able to walk their dog. Obedience helps and I recommend you get him in a class again. It will really help you reinforce the rules and it's good exercise and bonding for both of you.

But, the right tool (collar) for the job is important. A prong collar gives you control immediately. And for a powerful dog like this, it may be the right tool. The trainer can help. However, if you can't take him to class, I'd try it. It gives you another option to walk your dog and control him. Getting this sorted out before you have the baby is key! You want to be able to walk the dog and push the baby in the stroller in the spring!

Good luck and congrats.

Answer 3

He doesn't look at you as the boss. He considers himself as the Alpha. I teach people to heal their dog on the left with a very short leash and do not allow them to lead, nor pull. You have to re-train your dog. You have allowed it to do as it pleases. Hold the lead short in your left hand and keep his head even, with your leg and use the command heal every time you pull him to your side so that he understands and learns the command and knows what you want. You must establish that you and you alone are the alpha and not him. It isn't that hard to do. But you have to be consistent.
I hate to sound mean or like a jerk, but a person that is a good trainer and knows what they are doing does NOT need a prong collar or anything of the sort. And if you don't know what you are doing then find a qualified trainer. I have worked with many dogs in my life from malamutes and wolves to a Tibetan Mastiff and was trained by a very professional and educated trainer and have never had to use all of these gadgets or tools. I am sorry, but you people that use all of this crap are not correct. As for being pregnant, you need to have your husband get help in training the dog. As far as the rest of you people with your ideas, there is a tv show called the dog whisperer, check it out. He knows what he is doing and I agree with him 100% on everything he does, except for the pit bull thing. He deals with you people that have no clue about dogs every day. Before you get a dog, study and learn. And it is ALPHA not alfa. I am sorry if I am a little gruff, but people get dogs and don't even take the time to learn how to train and take care of the animal first.
A good trainer will NEVER use a prong collar.

Answer 4

For the long-term solution, you'll have to start training your dog how to behave on the leash. A good dog training class can get you pointed in the right direction. Using positive reinforcement, not rewarding negative behavior, and a lot of constant (life-long) repetition, your dog will get it.

Since you're preganant now, and I'm sure a dog training class is not your #1 priority, I'd get the "Gentle Leader". I've used it on my dog, and while it looks cruel, it's not. It's actually extremely effective. It clips on the dog like a collar, but has a loop that goes around the muzzle of your dog. When your dog starts to pull, it gently guides his face to the side and back. It works using the same logic that many horse trainers use. A dog's face guides where the rest of his body will go. If his face doesn't go forward, neither will the rest of his body.
If the idea of the loop around your dog's muzzle sounds like too much for you, the same company also makes the "Gentle Harness", which works on the same principle, only it guides the chest area of your dog instead of his face.
Good luck!

Answer 5

generally a harness does not help with administration, generally it could have the opposite consequence. in case you utilize a short lead you've got greater beneficial administration and get something like a "soft Lead" head collar which will additionally help. this won't choke your dogs. a short lead on it is very own mutually with a strolling stick stops the dogs from pulling. the backside of the stick is placed under the canines chin whilst it pulls and this stops the dogs pulling. regrettably you may sense slightly daft donning a strolling stick.

Answer 6

Get a pinch collar, they look wicked, but are actually much more humane on the dog than a choke chain. They work the same way, but the pressure is applied evenly to the points and will not bruise the wind pipe like a choke chain. The points really get dogs attention and they learn fast not to pull. Trainers call this kind of collar "power stearing" because it works so well. It works just fine on older dogs with bad habits, they learn just as fast as a puppy not to pull on this collar.

Answer 7

One way that has worked with me is:

a) Take your dog for a walk a little ahead of his meal time.
b) Use your choke-chain and use a short leash, that is, give him just 1-2 feet of leash. This will give you more balance.
c) Each time he pulls, gently pull back and say a command like "don't pull" or "slow down".
d) Every time he obeys, reward him with a treat, a pat and a "good boy"!

I think you will be able to train him in about 3 days. Good luck with your dog and baby :)

Answer 8

You can try two things:

1. As soon as he pulls, stop dead in your tracks. Do not move, and wait for him to stop pulling. I usually say "Don't pull" in a stern voice until our dog stops. Try to make him sit (if he knows how). When he calms down and stops pulling, then say, "Ok" and start walking again. As soon as he pulls, stop and repeat. Do not allow him to pull, even if he's trying to reach something fun, like a stick. If he learns that he'll be rewarded when he pulls, he might continue to do so. He needs to learn that pulling will get him nowhere.

2. As soon as he pulls, abruptly turn and start walking in the opposite direction. He will get yanked back and will learn to pay attention to the direction that YOU are going. As soon as you feel him starting to lead you/pull you again, turn around again. You may look silly making continuous 180s, but he should (hopefully) learn that he needs to follow you, or he'll get yanked around.

And remember to praise him when he IS walking beside or behind you, and not pullling.

Good luck! He sounds like a big dog, so this might be challenging, but I hope these methods work!

Answer 9

There is a harness that you can get that is made to stop pulling. It says it right on the package. We use this for our husky and it works well. it has straps that go around the side of the legs that the harness doesn't so and is attached to the leash itself. This way, when you pull the dog its legs get pulled back so that they can't pull you. It doesn't hurt them though. Just ask a pet store for an antipull harness. Sylvie's talking about the same thing.

Answer 10

They have a collar that can be turned back words and it has (almost) spikes that will poke the dog in the neck. t won't break the skin but it tells it not to keep pulling. After the walk, you can reverse the collar and it becomes a safe guard for anything trying to get at the dog's neck after all, a dog's neck is one of it's most unprotected areas.