Tips for stopping the pulling Madness?

Question

My dog ulls like hell when I take her for a walk. I have tried everything and even a choaker chain, but it doesn't stop her pulling. WHAT CAN I DO NEXT!
Please give me some tips. Thanks

Answer 1

HALTI!!!!
i had a dog that had that problem... go to a petstore and get a halti. They initially hate it, like puppies hate collars... it goes on kind of like a muzzle, but they can do everything with it, eat, drink,... so you can actually leave it on like a collar. However, they WILL fight it at first, especially going on a walk... they can't pull, cause it gives pressure on the nose, even though that doesn't hurt, it is uncomfortable for them.
I recommend once you got the halti to take the dogs out individually, cause they need to learn to walk again.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DOG TRAINING

The old equipment and ideas of choke chains for training dogs has largely been discredited today.
The Halti gave a new breed of reformed dog trainers an alternative to the old choke chain ways. Dogs are learning about us and about their environment all the time. Never underestimate a dog’s intelligence or enthusiasm to learn; they truly are a sponge for knowledge, as quick to learn the wrong lessons as the right ones unless you structure training correctly.

Dr Mugford’s “Dog Training the Mugford Way” outlines a new philosophy of training called errorless learning. Basically, this structures the dog’s experiences so that command and response are accurately linked and positive rather than negative associations are made with them. Here are some examples of errorless learning using the Halti:

Walking to heel
It is natural for your dog to walk ahead of you: you are his companion and he probably wants to walk faster than you or maybe he wants to lead. This can place him in danger and it can certainly make your walks uncomfortable!

Halti works best if used with a long lead of minimum 1m, or one of the several types of retractable lead. The latter allows a light click by pressing the stop button as well as transferring a gentle tug via the Halti to the dog’s head, and thereby initiating a slow down or ‘heel’ response.

Overtake your dog as he slows down, and when your knees pass his head praise him with “heel”. If he is Clicker trained, click. The preferred zone in which your dog walks is then 30-50cm in front of your knees. Moving ahead brings the likelihood of pressure on the lead via the Halti.

If your dog is very clever, he may learn to defeat the Halti principle by stiffening his neck muscles, making the whole spinal column from head to tail like a stiff cylinder. The way to beat that cunning canine manoeuvre is to step to one side and guide him sideways. Halti is the world’s best headcollar because it sits further down the dog’s nose than other designs. This gives increased turning power to you. So if your dog pulls on his Halti, step to one side and turn him sideways, even in a complete circle.

To sit
Some dogs find the sit posture uncomfortable, maybe because they have hip or back problems. Watch how your puppy or adult dog chooses to lie naturally, and if he rarely adopts the sit posture spontaneously, think twice before applying the training procedure suggested below. If in doubt about your dog’s movement and comfort, consult your veterinary surgeon.

Not only is the ‘sit’ position the most useful your dog will ever learn, It is also the most convenient position from which to train a ‘stay’ response. The Halti provides a simple tool whereby you can easily train the sit posture. Hold a titbit in your right hand, then with the left hand gently lift his head as you give the sit command. Usually that is sufficient for him to drop his bottom, but for a few defiant dogs you may have to push their head gently backwards, so the hind limbs go down.

A few such repetitions, always rewarded with titbits and praise, should be sufficient to teach the sit command. Usually it is the first response we teach any dog when they come into our home and the Halti method is as suitable for puppies as it is for adults, regardless of lack of previous formal training.

To stay
To not follow you is a tough assignment for a dog: you are his best friend and he naturally wants to be beside you. However, there are times and places when you must be separated, so start young with the following simple procedure.

Use a long line or lead, of 5-10 metres length. Have him sit, then step back with your right hand held flat towards your dog. Look directly in his eyes and say “Stay”. Move back then forward again to reward him and to be reunited. The distance covered may, on those first occasions, be no more than half a metre. As you repeat the exercise, gradually increase the distance to 10 metres, then 20 metres, then, with an exceptional dog, to a 100 metres sit-stay.

Down
The simplest way to teach “down” is to wait until your dog lies down spontaneously. Simply say “Down” in a friendly voice, and give a titbit. Wait for the next occasion and repeat! Soon, your dog learns that when you say down, he should adopt that posture and expect a reward. This method of training is called instrumental conditioning, where your dog decides upon the behaviour most likely to gain a positive response from you or from the environment.

Some dogs may not be responsive to the instrumental training method. First ask your dog to sit, then use a titbit or a squeaky toy in front of his forelegs to persuade him to adopt the correct ‘down’ posture, if necessary adding a slight downward pressure on the Halti.

To come
‘Come’ training is linked to your dog learning his name to gain his attention and the command “come”. He should expect something good when he arrives. Come training should be taught when you first acquire a young puppy, because then (from 8-16 weeks) the following instinct is strongly formed. Have your puppy on a long lead, and step backwards, encouraging him to follow with his name and the word “come”. In time this will become an engrained response and you can remove the lead.

If you have rescued a dog that has not received much training, a more skilful approach to recall training is required than ‘come’ training a puppy. The extending lead plus Halti is an ideal aid for such dogs. Say “come” and gently pull your dog toward you to receive a titbit reward. As always, stepping backwards creates a more powerful learning situation combining the dog’s natural desire for contact with you, with a small degree of compulsion or authority.

Make a dog recall
Dogs that run away and won’t return to you when liberated off lead usually have a good motive to prefer freedom to restraint. Restriction with a human is simply not so much fun as playing with other dogs, chasing rabbits, sniffing and other favourite dog activities.

A dog that cannot be recalled reliably is a menace and deeply frustrating. Introducing a consistent programme of rewarding the dog when he recalls correctly, either by offering titbits or by having a play session with a Kong, may provide the answer. We would advise carrying out these exercises in a safe, enclosed area.

An excellent safety first procedure is to attach a long lead (say 3-10 metres) to your dog’s collar or Halti. This will greatly simplify him being recaptured when running free, usually by stepping on to the lead then calling or reeling the dog towards you. When your dog is off the lead, ideally leave the Halti on him so that he thinks he is still under your direct control. This is an old horse-trainer’s trick when the reluctant nag is more docile and catchable when wearing its halter.

Body and spoken language can be very important in alternatively tempting or driving a dog away from returning to you. Keep your voice fun and your body language rewarding.

Walk away rather than run after the dog that won’t return to you. When he does return, offer praise, titbits, a toy or a game, always making sure that you can touch his collar before he gains these rewards. Do not immediately put him back on the lead. Vary the place that you re-attach the lead on your regular walks. Keep the dog guessing whether or not the lead is being attached as a game, or for the beginning of a controlled walk home.

Finally, it is hard, but essential that you do not scold or punish your dog when you finally do recapture him. You can only appeal to his sense of fun or love if you want to make him recall successfully.

here is two online sites where you can get them. I don't know if you are in US or England, but you can also get them at any petstore!

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/haltilead.php UK

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023689&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302025643&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441775200

The second one has got comments of owners below

I hope this is usefull
good luck
Mel





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Answer 2

Definitely try the Gentle Leader. It looks kind of funny, like she has a muzzle on, but it actually does not hold her mouth closed--it just controls her head so that she won't want to pull. Try it and you'll be amazed at how well it works.

Your other option is to contact a reputable dog trainer in your area to teach you how to train your dog to walk with you. This will be a bit more expensive, but it might do you well to take her to dog training classes anyway. It will be a really good bonding experience for the two of you and it will teach you a lot about how responsive she can be to appropriate training methods.

Answer 3

You and your dog need to go to an obedience class, there they teach you how to train your dog and you practice at home. There are tricks of the trade and each trainer is different.

You and you dog will learn at the same time. You'll both make a bunch of mistakes but remember you fell on your butt many times before you walked. Some of it will be so funny that you have to stop and laugh at either yourself or your dog or both. Sometimes you'll be so frustrated you'll want to cry.

I always found that very fist time a dogs understands what he is expected to do, does it and he knows he did right ! ! ! that is the break through that you are looking for. Yey yey yey Hooo Raay. Good job. They are so proud of themselves ! !

You may have put the choke collar on the wrong way so that you did not have proper leeway for corrections or you just may not know how to use it.

Answer 4

Try stopping with each doggie pull, it will be a LONG walk LOL but eventually the message will get thru that in order to move you have to walk nicely. Try a GENTLE LEADER device, its a wonderful aid BUT no tool will work if YOU aren't trained to use it properly! Bottom line is YOU have to be trained before the dog can learn LOL - see about a local obedience course. Consistancy and calm persistance will prevail using correct training methods. Never take the dogs actions personally. Good Luck :)

Answer 5

Obedience training.
And don't use a choker chain, use a prong collar.
The collar looks bad but is actually better than a choker.
Also, stand like a tree or turn the other way when the dog starts to pull. If you stand don't move until it stops pulling.

Answer 6

Try the Gentle Leader - sometimes called a Haltie. This will go around her head and muzzle instead of her neck. She will not be able to pull at all and you will be amazed at the difference. You and her will both be much happier on y our walks. Good Luck!

Answer 7

We have a 70lb lab/pit mix.. It was awful to walk her cuz of the pulling. We had a harness for her and she would basically walk on her back legs cuz she was pulling so hard. We got her a pinch collar and she's much better. The collar looks kind of scary but it doesn't seem to bother her.

Answer 8

If you can't figure out how to lead train your dog, it would be better for both you and your dog if you went to obedience classes where someone could teach you how to train your dog. It's not difficult - takes common sense, patience and consistency.

Answer 9

obedience classes like at petsmart aren't expensive and would help you both so much

Answer 10

use a pincher collar it usually tames most dogs