need help leash training

[helenweekley]

I need some help with leash traing my 2yr old girl. She is very strong and when I leash her up and open the door it is full speed ahead and I can't stop her. When she is being good on the leash and starts to pull I have tried stopping or turning and walking the other way and it isn't working and I'm not sure what to do my husband says she does pretty well with him but he is stronger than me. any ideas?

Thanks,
Helen

 

[HokieGirl]

Similar to the easy walk (which BTW my Target had on clearance for $12 last week) there is the halti brand harness. I have good luck with Rocki on it. Now she pretty much walks with me (without the harness) unless there is something she has to check out.

 

[BostonGeorge]

I've been working on this with Boston. He is so strong!!!!!! We are in doggy school right now and are working on getting them to walk by your side and healing. Since we are still learning, bring a little baggie of training treats with us on our walk since he is very food motivated! He walks on my left side ...we started with going about 15 or so steps without pulling, he gets a treat. Then I say lets go and we keep walking and continue it. He has figured out that if he walks by my side for as long as i want him, he will eventually get a treat. Yesterday we went without cookies and he stayed by me!!!!! He wasn't dragging me down the street! hahah. It takes a lot of work and practice.....but it seems to be working for us!!

The trainer wanted to use a prong collar....but I don't believe in using them. Made me even more determined to get him to do it without one and prove it to the rest of his class and trainer. hahahah Go Boston!

Hope this helps!

 

[alyssakitz]

You could try a Easy Walk harness or a Gentle leader but they don't fix the problem just the symptom if you will. But they do work. I prefer the Easy Walk and get it from Petco. Good luck.

We use an Easy Walk harness with Zoe. It is a Godsend. I agree though, they will not train your pup not to pull, they will just train your pup not to pull when the harness is on.

I think some dogs are just harder to train, in this respect. I've tried pretty much every technique out there with Zoe. She still pulls. If I give her an inch, she takes a mile. Because I am lazy, Zoe is stubborn and I really got tired of having to stop every two seconds on our walks (because walks are supposed to fun, right?), I opted to use a training halter. I know using this method she'll probably never be as good on a leash as a dog whose owner put in tireless hours on leash training, but it's what works for us. At least this way we can both enjoy the walk.

Now Marshall, on the other hand, he doesn't pull much at all. If anything I find myself dragging him from behind because he's more of a "smell the daisies" type of walker.

 

[mint]

I hear this all the time and I don't feel its the best advice to say about the harness'. Of course, no gadget will train your dog, only you as the owner can. That being said, a training aid can really assist. If you use the harness and don't take advantage of the opportunity presenting itself, then of course the harness will not train the dog to not pull. If everytime the harness works, and your dog stops and changes directions when he pulls, you take that opportunity to praise him (or treat him) for not pulling, then yes, the harness absolutely helps in training your dog not to pull. We are not yet at 100%, but I can now walk Boa on a leash on his collar and he pulls much less, all due to the Easy Walk Harness, and my willingness to use it as a training aid, and not a quick fix.

A clicker won't train your dog either, but it seems ot be one of the best training aids out there if used as a training aid.

I will prefix this by saying this is my first post on here as I have just found this wonderful forum.

I think you are right BadAxe a gadget can not train a dog.. only the owner can. Through all the dogs I have trained I have found that there is nothing a correctional chain and time can not fix. A sharp correction with an voice of authority will always work after repeating with your dog. praise when your girl does what you want and give a treat if needed.

Moderator Note: The site rules are clear - promotion of that sort of punishment based training is not tolerated on this site. There are other sorts of sites that would suit you better, and your membership here is revoked.

For anyone else who didn't read before joining (or thought it didn't apply to them), please take note of the following:

Topics and behaviours inappropriate on this site include:
- Discussion of deliberate use of devices or practices that cause or have the potential to cause physical trauma to a dog. Boxerworld does recognise that people do have genuine questions regarding training tools (choke chains, prong collars, mousetraps etc) and methods, but we support and promote wholeheartedly positive training and behaviour management, that is, teaching the dog what to do by using positive methods, not teaching a dog what not to do by causing it discomfort and pain. Any threads which appear to promote "negative" training and methods will be closed.

 

[ericamichele]

I had the same problem with my now two and half year old, Willie. He never learned to walk properly on a leash, and since he weighs almost as much as I do, he had to learn. What I did first was just randomly say, "Willie, don't pull!" and give him a treat for coming to me. When I knew this was solid in his mind, I put his leash on and walked around the backyard. Anytime he'd start pulling, I'd tell him "don't pull" and he'd come get his treat. When he wasn't pulling I CONSTANTLY praised him and gave him treats. Good treats, too, cheese or hot dogs or something. After we got it down in the backyard, we tried on the street right outside the house, where there was nothing new or exciting for him to pull towards. It was a little harder here, but I just stayed consistent. Anytime he pulled, I'd stop, give the command and wait. And wait, and wait, sometimes but he eventually got it. After about a month of this, he is very reliable on the leash and we go all over town without pulling. Hope this helps!

 

[dsmit]

Training your dog not to pull and heel as you walk takes time. I use the Easy Walk harness and it helps a bundle. Today, I had one of the best walks with Tyson. I gave him plenty of praise and soft treats as we walked. He did not pull at all.

I suggest using the Easy walk and being patient and consistent while training to walk.

 

[nalabear]

First i would make sure when you put the leash on your pup that she is sitting quietly waiting patiently for you to attach the leash. then make her sit and wait to be invited outside. you walk out first. then i would make her sit and wait for you to close the door. no pulling you around. as someone else said have really really good treats that she only gets on a walks. when your pup does what you want give a treat. for example: she sits quietly/patiently waiting for you to put leash on, give a treat. sits and waits to be invited out give a treat...ect. then for the walk ask yourself where do you want her to walk? do you want her to walk with her head at your leg then make that decision and praise/treat when she is in that position. but you must know what you want from her exactly so you can praise as soon as she does it. then as she figures this out wait longer and longer before giving the treat. If you need to stop, bring her back to heal and don't move until she looks at you and you have her undevided attention, then move forward. This will take some time and a lot of patience but you will both succeed and you will love the walk.

Good luck to both of you