Will Chopper Ever Stop Pulling On The Lead?

[I care about dogs]

ruthless,

I've been reading your thread. You're not alone!!!

I have a two year old Lab and a 2 1/2 year old Border Collie (rescued 8 weeks ago) and they are ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARES to walk!!!

Max the Lab particularly pulls me to buggery, and I have arthritis in my spine, so it's absolute agony to walk them. I tried so hard to be the best 'mum' ever to my boys, and took Max to puppy pre-school etc from the very beginning. It's just his one big fault - actually, I guess it's my big fault.

I've tried many of the things you have, haltis, stopping and turning around everytime he pulls etc., and we get about 10 metres down the street and back and forward till we've worn a track in the grass. It's so frustrating, and I get so impatient when I'm tired and in pain and they make it so damn hard on me to just walk them!!!!!!

Consistency is definitely the key, and area I've fallen down in too. (I often end up giving up and just letting them off at the park for a run)

I feel inspired though, now that I know I'm not alone. I'll try (again) the techniques other forum members have kindly offered, and hopefully soon walking them will be a pleasure, instead of the nightmare it is currently. Good luck to you too!!

[majorly87]

hehehehe i had a dog who loved to pull... i said... well if u want to pull go for it lol... i put on my rollerblades and had a blast... the lil girl would run her heart out made me proud as punch.. she would have made a good sheep dog...

all the best with sorting your dog out though

[Lablover]

It may??????????????, be worthwhile, TEACHING+++++++, conditioning, and then using a heeling stick, for control.

[I care about dogs]

Hmmm, well, I've just gotten home from a delightful walk with my boys :rolleyes: . I say "delightful" with the most sarcastic tone there is :shakehead:

I tried. But I gave up. We got no where. I tried taking them one at a time, so I took Benny the BC first, and Max my lab (who is such a mummas boy, can't stand me taking Benny anywhere without him) barked so damn loud as we took off down the street, neighbours started coming out of their houses to see the commotion.

Admitedly, I had a s#@t day, and it is raining soooo heavy it's not funny, so I wasn't in the mood for shenanegans, so maybe tomorrow will be a better day for my new resolve and determination to get them walking on the lead like the good dogs I know they are deep (very deep) down.

Oh, and "lablover", what's a heeling stick? (please forgive my ignorance)

Edited April 24, 2007 by I care about dogs

[Erny]

Where are you located, ICAD? As I think already mentioned in this thread (?) ..... even just one private lesson can make a huge difference to your technique and the subsequent result. :rolleyes:

[imy]

How does your dog go for treats? One of mine is a puller because the reward of all the good smells is better than any punnishment I could use to correct with a halti or other methods like stopping and turning etc (which did help a bit)

I've kinda found that there is a dog who reacts well to restrictions and rules (the halti dogs who work well when corrected after or durning the fact) and there are big goofy peanuts like my boy who is driven by rewards, even as small as sniffing a bit of grass that another dog has peed on!

I now walk with a pocket of kabana chopped into little bitty bits (about the most delicious treat my boys can think of) and whenever he pulls and wants to go somewhere (I give him the full length of the lead when I walk) I call him and when he returns to me and is focused on me...bang! A treat! Notice that I only treat when he comes back to focus on me and not for pulling? I have got the pully dog a longer lead than the other one, so he gets more distance and knows that its only when HE stops and turns to me that he is treated, its more for me than him... so I don't mistakenly treat him for the wrong action.

Does that make sense?

Anyway, I'd better finish up by saying I'm NOT any kind of expert and only came up with this distraction method when I realised that my boy was a bit retarded and didn't respond to anything but rewards! LOL Its funny how they can psychologicallymake the smallest thing (a wee spot sniff) into the best reward ever if they want to.

I really do think training depends on the dog. A lot of people say that greyhounds (my dogs) are dumb but I just think they have a different system of analysing things to other dogs.

Oh geez, I hope I just didn't make a der out of myself. ANYWAY, if all else fails... lol!

Imogen XOX

Edited April 24, 2007 by imy

[horus]

Do you need him to be right beside you? Remember you are trying to exercise your dogs and you not train them to heel.

I allow my guys free range to the length of their leads. They can be at the end of the lead but not pulling and I am happy. I usually hold the leads in one finger so I know when they start to pull. :rolleyes: For me there is a difference between pulling at the end of the lead and being at the end of the lead. I try to make walking fun for all involved.

Bear.

Yes, this is my theory, too. My dogs have never been taught to heel, I have no use for it. When we are out walking they are free to explore to the end of the lead as they need to investigate their environment as well as walk. Dogs use about 10% of their brain function for smell and allowing them to sniff (mental stimualtion) is just as important as the physical exercise. It would be like us going for a car ride wearing a blindfold if you don't allow you dog to use it's senses. Of course, that has to happen in appropriate circumstances

If I want my dogs to heel, I simply shorten the lead.

A trainer once taught me that the difference between a tight lead and a loose lead is quite minimal.

[I care about dogs]

Where are you located, ICAD? As I think already mentioned in this thread (?) ..... even just one private lesson can make a huge difference to your technique and the subsequent result.

Newcastle.

It's one of those things.... I know (oh boy do I know) how much we'd benefit from some one-on-one training with an expert (I know a lady who is FANTASTIC - Carmel [Fudge] of Dog Ease) but my husband thinks we already spend WAY too much on the boys, and is less than impressed about forking out for a session, and simply says no.

Maybe if I save up my pocket money one day (hopefully soon!!!) we'll have a session with Fudge. She's been fantastic in helping me (by email) with some other (MAJOR) problems I've been having with my rescued BC, and I think she's great.... it's just a money thing (don't ya hate that?!?!) :rolleyes:

But thanks for your thoughts!!!

[Pitchick]

I have only recently (since March) started this with max. We went to see Steve as well and got a prong from him to use with max.

I too was like you and wanted him to walk beside me and everytime he passed me I would turn around.

I have since been letting him pass me and have found that he doesnt pull when he gets to the end of the lead.

But I will say that I cant walk him with any of the others yet as it just becomes a pulling contest. Hubby goes one way and I go another and we meet along the main road and walk back together which seems fine. Just cant start off together.

majorly:

hehehehe i had a dog who loved to pull... i said... well if u want to pull go for it lol... i put on my rollerblades and had a blast... the lil girl would run her heart out made me proud as punch.. she would have made a good sheep dog...

:rolleyes: my hubby done this with Jeep one night. The thing is Jeep hates cats and seen one as he was pulling hubby down the road. So Jeep does a 9O degree turn up onto the grass and hubby went flying as he hit the gutter. Funniest thing Ive ever seen.

[KOE]

Chopper I take it is a Staffy,

Now dont want to hurt any feelings but I always thought Staffords were dumb as.

We started obedience last sunday with me as trainer, havent done it for a few years but it all came back like yesterday, the 2 naughty staffords were heeling nicely and sitting after the first lesson.

Their owners are pleased as punch , I thought oh dear Staffords but they were so easily taught.

I would suggest you use a normal choker and shortish leash or buy a canny collar and take them 1 at a time, until Chop learns to heel.

[MonElite]

I noticed this morning that he's not as bad as I make him out to be.

Very true. He doesnt pull, he walks nicely on lead. He doesnt know how to heel but if you go to the club or get pro to train you, you will learn how to do that if you have a need for this.

Dont ask me how to teach heel, my dogs heeling is cr@p, so when you learn you can teach me, pretty pls.

[ruthless]

Jeez, you beat me to it!

[Lablover]

Jeez, you beat me to it!

?

[ruthless]

I met Myszka today and she reckons I'm a bad Mommy for spreading internet rumours, cause Chopper doesn't pull on the lead at all! So, it must just be a problem with walking the two dogs together as everyone suggested.

[majorly87]

I have only recently (since March) started this with max. We went to see Steve as well and got a prong from him to use with max.

I too was like you and wanted him to walk beside me and everytime he passed me I would turn around.

I have since been letting him pass me and have found that he doesnt pull when he gets to the end of the lead.

But I will say that I cant walk him with any of the others yet as it just becomes a pulling contest. Hubby goes one way and I go another and we meet along the main road and walk back together which seems fine. Just cant start off together.

majorly:

hehehehe i had a dog who loved to pull... i said... well if u want to pull go for it lol... i put on my rollerblades and had a blast... the lil girl would run her heart out made me proud as punch.. she would have made a good sheep dog...

my hubby done this with Jeep one night. The thing is Jeep hates cats and seen one as he was pulling hubby down the road. So Jeep does a 9O degree turn up onto the grass and hubby went flying as he hit the gutter. Funniest thing Ive ever seen.

lmao :p hahahah don't yah just love things like that...

mine was the same cats or even dogs for that matter, once she saw them she'd run faster to try and get at them, lucky im a good skier was exactly like being pulled behind a sky boat lol.

If only u had a video camera lol

[majorly87]

Chopper I take it is a Staffy,

Now dont want to hurt any feelings but I always thought Staffords were dumb as.

We started obedience last sunday with me as trainer, havent done it for a few years but it all came back like yesterday, the 2 naughty staffords were heeling nicely and sitting after the first lesson.

Their owners are pleased as punch , I thought oh dear Staffords but they were so easily taught.

I would suggest you use a normal choker and shortish leash or buy a canny collar and take them 1 at a time, until Chop learns to heel.

it's always good to gain experience no dogs are dumb assess. In my opinion if people approach training that way u are going to have a hard time training ur dog.

[Erny]

I met Myszka today and she reckons I'm a bad Mommy for spreading internet rumours, cause Chopper doesn't pull on the lead at all! So, it must just be a problem with walking the two dogs together as everyone suggested.

Or what you are doing (or not doing) when the two dogs are walking together.

ETA: Glad that Chopper is at least fine for walking on a "one-on-one" basis.

Edited April 25, 2007 by Erny

[KOE]

Chopper I take it is a Staffy,

Now dont want to hurt any feelings but I always thought Staffords were dumb as.

We started obedience last sunday with me as trainer, havent done it for a few years but it all came back like yesterday, the 2 naughty staffords were heeling nicely and sitting after the first lesson.

Their owners are pleased as punch , I thought oh dear Staffords but they were so easily taught.

I would suggest you use a normal choker and shortish leash or buy a canny collar and take them 1 at a time, until Chop learns to heel.

it's always good to gain experience no dogs are dumb assess. In my opinion if people approach training that way u are going to have a hard time training ur dog.

i really dont have trouble training my dogs or others I think you may have interpreted my post wrong :p

[majorly87]

Chopper I take it is a Staffy,

Now dont want to hurt any feelings but I always thought Staffords were dumb as.

We started obedience last sunday with me as trainer, havent done it for a few years but it all came back like yesterday, the 2 naughty staffords were heeling nicely and sitting after the first lesson.

Their owners are pleased as punch , I thought oh dear Staffords but they were so easily taught.

I would suggest you use a normal choker and shortish leash or buy a canny collar and take them 1 at a time, until Chop learns to heel.

it's always good to gain experience no dogs are dumb assess. In my opinion if people approach training that way u are going to have a hard time training ur dog.

i really dont have trouble training my dogs or others I think you may have interpreted my post wrong

lol ok... :p why did u think staffs are dumb ass...?

[KOE]

Because most of them I know are crazy wiggle bums who have nothing elsa in their brain except for wanting to wash everyones face and even thoiugh they have owners who adore them, they are let get away with murder.

When I instructed obedience classes twice a week for about 10 years(years ago) we never had a Staffy come so I was actually amazed how quick they learnt.

I see a lot in the show ring but they are usually like statues, and have no enthusiam.