Star and I almost never meet another dog on the trail when I walk him. He is well-trained and behaves well when there are no doggy distractions -- sits, heels, never pulls. But if he sees another dog, he tunes me out and hauls on his leash (he's 97 lbs!) At that point, he will not listen to any commands. I know that I cannot give up and reward his pulling by letting him do it, so it always degenerates into an ugly yanking match.
I've tried distracting him with very yummy treats, but when he sees another dog, it doesn't matter to him. How can I deal with this problem?
2007-03-04 11:38:28 · 9 answers · asked by bayleaf 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
We use the Easy Walk Harness by Gentle Leader. Our dog is only 60+ lbs but he pulls a lot. With the harness, he can't pull. It redirects the energy of pulling to the side.
Best of all, the harness doesn't hurt the dog in any way (other than the occasional face plant while he's getting used to the harness - walk your dog in the grass first).
They also have a head collar but we haven't had to try that one yet. It is supposedly great at stopping the pulling especially if the other harness doesn't work for you.
2007-03-04 11:53:22 · answer #1 · answered by cdog_97 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't touch the shock collar suggestion. I have a friend that tried it out on himself by strapping it around his leg and setting it off (he wanted to see if it would damage his dog). he couldn't walk for almost half an hour afterwards, so imagine what would happen if you strapped one of those things around the poor dog's neck.
Exposing him to other dogs is a great idea, but I wouldn't recommend doing that until you have him trained to immediately obey you when you tell him no. The way to do this is closely observe his behavior when he sees another dog, from start to finish. Does he tense up? Ears perk? Start lunging immediately? This is the time to yank back on the leash, when he begins the process, not after he is already trying to take off.
Dogs have really good reaction times in most cases, and once they decide they are going to do something and they are already doing it, it's almost impossible to get him to stop. You need to change his thought pattern before he completes the thought, when it is easiest to do so. Eventually, he will learn that even thinking about taking off is a bad thing. And when you deflect his attention, make sure to replace one behavior with another. Giving him a snack when he turns back to you is a great idea. Good luck!
2007-03-04 11:51:10 · answer #2 · answered by hellstryder 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First get a properly fitted prong pinch collar and have some one who knows how to use on teach you how to use it.
A behavioral trainer could give you one lesson and then you can do the rest on your own.
Put the collar on for walks and then head out and look for other dogs so you have plenty of opportunitys to correct your pet.
After a few trips with you giving the correction your pet should learn to ignore the other dogs and look to you for guidance and then the pulling problem will be over.
Knowing where to set the collar and how to properly use on makes all the difference in the world. Your dog can get good on the leash really quickly with a little effort. Good luck.
2007-03-04 11:50:54 · answer #3 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds as though he hasn't been socialized with other dogs around so when he see then he's so excited to see them it is the only thing on his mind. Try to take him where there are dogs so at some point he will think, OK it's another dog big deal.
Keep up with the no pulling training. He still shouldn't be doing that to you. I always make my dogs sit when another dog approches then if I feel it's ok I'll let them sniff each other always keeping a eye open.
2007-03-04 11:44:15 · answer #4 · answered by ♥Golden gal♥ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi ,sounds like you get your work out when your walking and your dog sees another dog
NEVER USE PRONG or SHOCK COLLARS on any animal orhuman they damage the dogs neck muscles & vocal coards
look into getting a Halti , or gentle leader head halter - it works like a horse halter & controlthe dog's head direction there for the dog - it may not be as effect with your dog as he soungs like a BIG boy !!! - there also dog leashes that attacgh to the dog owners body - kinda so your an anchor - I've hadfriends that used this for their very hyper active large lab. finally thres a dog harness that when the dog pulls basically lifts the dog off the floor - not sure again how effective it would be with your big boy but most good pet shops will letyou try it on your dog in the store ...
good luck !!
2007-03-04 12:11:22 · answer #5 · answered by T. M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A choke chain my dear. Get the pronged choke chain, this is better for your dog, control wise and for their necks. I know they look gruesome, but they are designed to not hurt your dogs neck and they go around the asophogaus so your dog is not choking itself ( kinda ironic, ain't it?). You don't need to apply a huge amount of pull to these chains because if you do, that will hurt your dog no doubt, but a good yank and the problem should be fixed. REward as always and the best of luck to you!
2007-03-04 11:50:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to use a discipline, pinch collar. This will stopthe pulling. It is not cruel, because as soon as he stops pulling, he will not hurt. A choke collarworks on some dogs, and you can try it; but your dog sounds awfully big and strong. If the choker does not work, you need the pinch collar.
2007-03-04 11:46:33 · answer #7 · answered by irongrama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a Choke Chain, it will stay loose when he isn't pulling and tighten when he pulls, and when he does pull, just stand there and let it tighten up, eventually he will stop pulling because he can't breath! Worked well for my 2 pits.
2007-03-04 11:46:17 · answer #8 · answered by Randall H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe hes not socializing enough.
Take him to your local dog park.
2007-03-04 12:25:20 · answer #9 · answered by 2Bad4U 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋