Another Thread About Pulling

[vnv]

My dog loooooves to sniff things, and happily spends an entire walk with her nose to the ground, and I am happy to pause for a moment when she finds a spot that is a bit more interesting to sniff. She is pretty good at continuing the walk when I say "come on".

She used to pull like a steam train and although this has improved, she still does pull. I have taught her to heel by doing the thing where you keep turning around before they get to the end of the leash, and when I start doing that she does focus on me and will walk nicely next to me. But I don't want the whole walk to be like that, I'd still like her to be able to sniff around. Today she saw some other dogs as soon as we left the house, and even though they went in another direction, she got over excited and pulled like you wouldn't believe. She does this every now and again.

Is there a middle ground where you can train a dog to stay on a loose lead but still do what they want?

I walk her on a check chain but she also has a martingale, prong collar, halti and harness with a bungee type lead. The bungee type lead results in walks that go pull, sit, pull, sit, pull, sit

[alpha bet]

vnv - yes it is possible to train the dog to walk on a relaxed lead.

Of course it is easier to train with a pup but it can still work with an older dog.

I teach it in all my classes from puppy to adult and generally using just the normal dog collar - I call it "give to pressure" - working on the same principle as leading a horse, after all, if a 70kg person can lead a 700kg horse without being uncomfortable then it should be easy for a 50kg person to lead a 20kg dog or even a 50kg dog.

The dog needs to understand that he can move wherever the lead allows until he feels the pressure and then he relaxes back to it. The advantage of this technique is that once the dog understands then you can leave them tied up to a post and they will sit and wait without tangling themselves or screaming out. You are teaching the dog/horse to be patient and work with you and it is amazing how quickly they can learn to keep part of their attention focused on you even when they are meeting another dog or having a great sniff of the tree.

Kinda hard to explain online but would be happy to give you more info or tips if you wish.

Dont give up - its worth the effort.

[Brad Griggs]

"give to pressure" [/b]- working on the same principle as leading a horse, after all, if a 70kg person can lead a 700kg horse without being uncomfortable then it should be easy for a 50kg person to lead a 20kg dog or even a 50kg dog.

The dog needs to understand that he can move wherever the lead allows until he feels the pressure and then he relaxes back to it. The advantage of this technique is that once the dog understands then you can leave them tied up to a post and they will sit and wait without tangling themselves or screaming out. You are teaching the dog/horse to be patient and work with you and it is amazing how quickly they can learn to

']

Hey there guys.

I agree alpha, it is entirely possible, and it is actually totally possible to achieve results very very quickly. I do, however, lean towards a different methodology.

Pulling has its roots in instinctive behaviour, and indicates a lack of clear understanding on behalf of the dog regarding the concept of the walk. The concept as we wish the dog to understand it is "The boss is going on a walk and I'm allowed to come along, so long as I dont impede the boss' movement and dont allow the leash to get tight". MOST OFTEN it is the case in a pulling dog that there is also a lack of clarity regarding hierachy also, and this is generally expressed in other areas of the relationship.

I will assume that you are not training on a check chain.

There are 2 distinct areas of responsibility here:

YOURS- To guarantee that you are thoroughly consistent in your application of behavioural boundaries, appropriate reward and also consequence. Your job is to praise calmly when the dog is by your left side, even if accidentally so initially, and to apply positive correction via multiple tiny pops or fast vibration BEFORE the leash goes tight.

DOG- To maintain sufficient vigilance of his masters location and position in order that he can be totally sure that he does not allow the leash to be tight.

If the pops or vibrations you are using do not encourage the dog to cease being within about 8 inches of the end of the leash in a timely fashion, then the intensity of the stimulation should be increased until the desired effect is achieved. This is not about delivering pain but it is about delivering the minimum level of MOMENTARY DISCOMFORT at the exact time the dog is transgressing in order to make the behaviour unenjoyable and less likely to occur again in frequency and/or intensity. You may well find that initially the level of correction you need to use is greater than expected due to the fact that you have allowed the dog to become desensitised to the sensation of a tight collar - at the moment he probably just sees collar pressure as a normal part of a fun walk.

If your dog is almost at the end of his leash, as you deliver the pops or vibration (whichever provides a better result for you) you should immediately turn a full 180 degrees to your right and accelerate quickly out of the turn, back the way you came. You must turn the full 180 from the direction the dog is ATTEMPTING to pull in in order to totally remove any reward for the pulling behaviour. As you turn the leash should be in your right hand, and you can encourage the dog ro follow through the turn by tapping your left hand on your left leg if desired but only after the pops.

A possible contingency of actually allowing the dog to lean into the collar as previously suggested is that, for a dog that is a chronic puller, it is likely to produce an opposition reflex in the dog which will trigger the dog to pull harder, thus being counterproductive. That method can work, however it requires great consistency from the handler to work, and does little to make the behaviour less likely to happen again in all but the softest temperaments, especially under stress or distraction.

When the dog is no longer pulling after you have corrected him and completed the 180 degree including acceleration he will invariably either be at, or have to pass by, your left hand side. At the point his shoulder is roughly at your shinbone give him CALM PRAISE AND A CALM PAT ALONG WITH A KIND EXPRESSION. If he maintains the position for another step or 2 praise again in the same way. Do not praise unless or until he is in the desired approximate position. Over time you can make him do more steps before he earns more praise.

During your day to day interactions it is also advisable to do the majority of treating or praising on your left side at least 70% of the time, and to attempt to use your left hand for the praise you deliver.

This method creates a clear picture for the dog that there is great joy in being at the left hand side, and that pulling on the leash is not only going to produce an undesirable outcome, but will actually produce the total opposite outcome to the instinctive goals that drive him to pull.

As for sniffing, because the dog does not have to strictly stay on your left hand side (merely strongly favours what that position offers him) he is free to sniff, so long as you choose to stop and let him. THIS IS BECAUSE THE LEASH IS NOT TIGHT, AND HE IS NOT FAILING IN HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. You can also very easily pair a command (formal or informal) to his sniffing if you like. If you choose to walk off whilst he is sniffing though he must follow you before the leash gets tight....necessary for true consistency in the dogs mind.

This method tends to produce a dog that is far more attentive to you, dividing his attention between you and the wider world, in order to attain that which he wants, and also to avoid that which he finds unenjoyable (and less rewarding). In a short period of time, if you are thoroughly consistent in praise and punishment being correctly applied and timed, you will notice that the occassions when you do need to deliver the pops or vibration to the dog for almost making the leash go tight occur far less often and that the amount and/or intensity of the punishment is significantly less.

All of this can be achieved with an absolute minimum of stress to you and your k9 buddy, and will serve to create an even happier attitude in the dog than ever. I could have written a lot more in a lot deeper detail, but I feel that what is here should get you through.

Remember - learning occurs when outcome and expectation differ!

Hope it helps in some way.

Brad

Edited August 6, 2009 by Brad Griggs