Pulling On The Lead - Backwards!

[ruthless]

So I've finally managed to get Chopper and Ivan to walk beside me without pulling on the leash [kinda!]. Now it's time to tackle Angel dragging behind

No matter what route I take, for the first 5 minutes of the walk she'll be the full length of the lead behind me to the point that there's tension. She's not sitting down and refusing to move. She used to do that when we first got her, but that was a long time ago. She used to point blank refuse to go for a walk unless it was in Centennial Park. We lived on Anzac Parade, so we figured it was a traffic thing. Now we've moved house she'll come, but she sits and shivers at the back gate as I'm putting her lead on. Even in the middle of summer.

She's a bit of a weirdo. If I have the ball and she knows we're going across the road to the park she'll pull like a steam train, even though she's choking herself on the martingale. If we're in the last 5 minutes of our walk she suddenly marches out in front like she can't wait to get home. I know she's a bit afraid of the great outdoors. If the front door was open all day she wouldn't go out.

Any ideas how I can stop her from pulling backwards and enjoy going for a walk?

[MonElite]

She doesnt like walks on the streets, so do you have to walk her on the streets?

My dogs dont like street walking either, and never do I really. I hardly ever take them for a walk around my neighbourhood, its clear they dont enjoy it, so I dont subject them to it.

Sorry its not a solution to your problem, but a view of why do it all together.

As for a solution, why dont you engage in a play with her in the front yard than on the foot path and during the walk, if she goes into drive she will mostly forget about not liking the streets.

[~*Shell*~]

My advice would be to put the leash up to the top of her neck (shouldn't be too hard since she's behind you and not pulling infront) and try and get her to walk in a "heel" position, not infront, not very behind but just close to you. We got this advice from the Dog Whisperer show on foxtel and it's worked for a couple of dogs that we know - the trailing behind is a sign of fear, as is the walking ahead - as she wants to get home. Also, if you could i would try and vary your walking route so she doesn't know exactly how far from home she is. I know this is difficult to do if you have a set route but it helps with my dog when he's not behaving!

Good luck with her! Let me know how it goes!

[cavNrott]

Ruthless are you walking Angel on her own or with the other dogs when she lags behind? If you are walking them together I suggest walking Angel on her own until she's comfortable with being out and about.

I don't walk my dogs in heel for a casual walk. That's no fun for the dog. I would train Angel to know the heel position but would only put her in heel for a short distance. She needs to enjoy her walk.

I tell my dogs to heel if they pull. We walk a short distance in heel, then shortly after I give them a release command....I use 'easy' so they can walk without having to concentrate on heel. They are allowed the full length of the lead and only get put into heel if they pull.

I have one dog who will pull like mad at the beginning of her walk. It's not fear, it's excitement and she wants to get to the park as quickly as possible. She never pulls on the way home. She's told to heel every time she pulls. She gets the message fairly quickly.

Will Angel lag if you have a handful of treats? It might be worth holding treats in your left hand at her nose level so she can smell them and will keep up the pace instead of lagging.

[ruthless]

She doesnt like walks on the streets, so do you have to walk her on the streets?

My dogs dont like street walking either, and never do I really. I hardly ever take them for a walk around my neighbourhood, its clear they dont enjoy it, so I dont subject them to it.

Sorry its not a solution to your problem, but a view of why do it all together.

As for a solution, why dont you engage in a play with her in the front yard than on the foot path and during the walk, if she goes into drive she will mostly forget about not liking the streets.

I stopped taking her for walks altogether [unless we were going to CP] but when we moved I decided it wasn't good for her mental state to only leave the house once or twice a week. She's ok once we get a few minutes into it and she realises she's not getting her own way. There's no way I could stop and get her to play as she's so focussed on getting home. Also, it's a bit hard as I walk all three together. Cesar says that mastering the walk is vital in being a strong leader [i'm para-phrasing!!]. I think she needs to face her fear and realise that nothing bad is going to happen.

My advice would be to put the leash up to the top of her neck (shouldn't be too hard since she's behind you and not pulling infront) and try and get her to walk in a "heel" position, not infront, not very behind but just close to you. We got this advice from the Dog Whisperer show on foxtel and it's worked for a couple of dogs that we know - the trailing behind is a sign of fear, as is the walking ahead - as she wants to get home. Also, if you could i would try and vary your walking route so she doesn't know exactly how far from home she is. I know this is difficult to do if you have a set route but it helps with my dog when he's not behaving!

Good luck with her! Let me know how it goes!

The martingale is up high, I'm a Cesar fan too I do try and walk with them all beside me, but for the first few minutes when she's pulling backwards I just let her have the whole leash for my own comfort. As soon as she gives up and comes up beside me I reign in the leash again so she doesn't go in front. I walk a few different routes but she knows when we turn into our street and she's head down, full steam ahead.

I just don't understand how she can be such a different dog when there's a ball involved. She's totally independent and afraid of nothing. Maybe I should be bringing her to the TID workshop instead of Chopper

[ruthless]

Ruthless are you walking Angel on her own or with the other dogs when she lags behind? If you are walking them together I suggest walking Angel on her own until she's comfortable with being out and about.

I don't walk my dogs in heel for a casual walk. That's no fun for the dog. I would train Angel to know the heel position but would only put her in heel for a short distance. She needs to enjoy her walk.

I tell my dogs to heel if they pull. We walk a short distance in heel, then shortly after I give them a release command....I use 'easy' so they can walk without having to concentrate on heel. They are allowed the full length of the lead and only get put into heel if they pull.

I have one dog who will pull like mad at the beginning of her walk. It's not fear, it's excitement and she wants to get to the park as quickly as possible. She never pulls on the way home. She's told to heel every time she pulls. She gets the message fairly quickly.

Will Angel lag if you have a handful of treats? It might be worth holding treats in your left hand at her nose level so she can smell them and will keep up the pace instead of lagging.

TBH I never walk her on her own. The only time would be the 2mins from the car to dog training on a Sunday. Everyday I walk all three together. I just don't have time to walk them separately and the boys need to be walked daily or they go psycho. If OH comes on a walk with me and if he's behind me with Chopper or Ivan or both, Angel won't go forward. She will not be out in front. She's not particularly food driven either.

[MonElite]

I would be taking her on her own for a while and the ball with you, and playing with her as soon as you leave the doorway, or in fact starting inside and continuing while going out. I would do a 2 minute ball play session to go to the corner. She will associate leaving the house with real fun, where right now she is following becouse she has to.

Let her make her own mind up about the fact that good things happen when out. Right now you are forcing her, she isnt going to start liking it any time soon if you continue the same way.

You want to retrain her, you should know by now that training occurs when you concentrate on her and put your effort onto doing it, not on all 3 dogs at once...

naughty ruthless

[poodlefan]

Ah yes, the old "donkey dog" impression. One of my dogs did this when I got her (not as a pup)

If she's motivated by the ball, then that's what I'd use. Does she like balls on a rope? Try bouncing a ball or swinging the ball on a rope to encourage her..and reward her for moving forward with play. Let her carry it in her mouth if she's happy to move forward doing it.

I find pulling on the leash simply encourages resistance and does nothing to teach the dog that being on lead/walking is a positive thing.

And yes, you need to train her alone. Sometimes having someone else walking a buddy dog in front can help too.

Edited April 29, 2008 by poodlefan

[dee lee]

Obviously when it comes to bad walking habits, don't ask me! :rolleyes: !!

Just want to send my sympathies. Hope she improves with someone elses good advice!

Dee

[Tatelina]

How on earth do you manage a tricky dog when you have the other 2? Phew!

Personally.. I'd do one on one walks with her. Obviously her fear has turned into a bit of a habit and you'll need to give her your full attention to help her get over it... well that's what I think anyway.

Good luck though...just imagine how nice it will be to eventually have 3 heeling dogs by your side on walks! :rolleyes: