Hi everyone
Just to say an enormous thank you !!!! I was at my wits end through the constant pulling of my boy on the lead. Before I moved house it wasn't so much a problem as he was walked off lead but now he is much longer on the lead. The walks became very quickly a real pain in the **** - his pulling was terrible and my arms and shoulder really ached. I tried lots of different collars, snapping the lead back, saying " heel " ( he knows what that means by the way ) and nothing worked. He even got the occasional swipe when I was really fed up .......... All of this clearly made the pulling worse but I was really fed up. I was also a bit worried about him damaging his throat cos he used to half choke himself.
Anyway, I did a search on this board and found an idea - treats !!!! 2 weeks ago I exchanged his collar for a harness and started taking out treats in my zip bag ... I can tell you he learned fast !!!! When we walk past a dog in a garden who barks and he doesn't lunge and bark back he gets praise and a treat ( he learnt that one in a day - it's funny, when we walk past a garden where there is usually a dog which isn't there, he looks at my treat pocket as if to say " can i have one, I wouldn't have barked, honest .. ".) He also learnt very quickly not to pull!!! I am sooooooooooooooo pleased. He walks so much better. I hadn't told my husband cos he was away and he walked Conker last weekend when he came back and was very surprised at the change in him. I asked him if Conker had looked at his pocket a lot !!!!
Anyway, those of you who have powerful pullers, try it ! It worked for me. And it's sooooooooooo great to not be walking him in a bad mood cos I feel like my arms going to come off !
Thanks again for the advice.
Just to say an enormous thank you !!!! I was at my wits end through the constant pulling of my boy on the lead. Before I moved house it wasn't so much a problem as he was walked off lead but now he is much longer on the lead. The walks became very quickly a real pain in the **** - his pulling was terrible and my arms and shoulder really ached. I tried lots of different collars, snapping the lead back, saying " heel " ( he knows what that means by the way ) and nothing worked. He even got the occasional swipe when I was really fed up .......... All of this clearly made the pulling worse but I was really fed up. I was also a bit worried about him damaging his throat cos he used to half choke himself.
Anyway, I did a search on this board and found an idea - treats !!!! 2 weeks ago I exchanged his collar for a harness and started taking out treats in my zip bag ... I can tell you he learned fast !!!! When we walk past a dog in a garden who barks and he doesn't lunge and bark back he gets praise and a treat ( he learnt that one in a day - it's funny, when we walk past a garden where there is usually a dog which isn't there, he looks at my treat pocket as if to say " can i have one, I wouldn't have barked, honest .. ".) He also learnt very quickly not to pull!!! I am sooooooooooooooo pleased. He walks so much better. I hadn't told my husband cos he was away and he walked Conker last weekend when he came back and was very surprised at the change in him. I asked him if Conker had looked at his pocket a lot !!!!
Anyway, those of you who have powerful pullers, try it ! It worked for me. And it's sooooooooooo great to not be walking him in a bad mood cos I feel like my arms going to come off !
Thanks again for the advice.
