Please help with advice on training dog not to pull on leash

In My Humble Opinion
1

My landlord has a wonderful eight-month-old dog who is good natured, well-intentioned, and for the most part very well-behaved. She loves running with me and gets terribly excited when I put on my running shoes. I really enjoy running with her too. Because we run mostly in the neighborhood, I decided that she needed to learn to sit at road crossings and wait until I direct her to proceed. (She already knew “sit,” although her listening skills are sometimes inconsistent.) Within a run or two, she became used to the concept and now executes it very well.

She pulls a lot at the leash, which worries me a bit because although I am stronger than she is, I feel as though I’m not in full control. During our runs, I began shortening the leash to keep her closer to my left side. Eventually she settles into that position, but it is a fight every time, and my left arm is getting a huge workout. This weekend a dog-sitter took care of her, and the sitter mentioned that she had trouble controlling her on leash because of her pulling. (She pulls during walks also.)

I should mention that her collar is a regular cloth collar with a little bit of chain threaded through the end pieces. (Her owner’s choice.) When she pulls on the leash, the chain constricts but only until the ends of the cloth collar are brought together. I can tell that this constricts her airway because I can hear her wheeze, but it doesn’t bother her enough that she stops pulling. I read up a bit on choke collars, wondering if a properly sized one might be a deterrent to pulling. However, most sources I found said that choke collars were best only used by experienced trainers. I am not experienced, don’t want to risk hurting her at all, and so have tossed that idea.

The technique that keeps coming up in my research is the “pretend you are a tree,” strategy. The idea is that if you proceed in the direction that a dog pulls, you teach the dog that pulling works. :smack: If a dog pulls, stop and do not respond. When there is slack in the leash, praise the dog and proceed. Doggie and I are going to give this a shot. I suspect that our first walk in this style will not cover much linear footage.

Sadly, it seems that we’re going to have to learn to walk before we can run. No more fun runs with doggie, for a little while at least.

My questions for dog owners and handlers: have you had dogs who pulled? A lot? How did you train them out of it? How long did it take?

2

You might want to check out one of these: http://www.petexpertise.com/item--Easy-Walk-No-Pull-Harness--easy_walk_harness.html
It has stopped our dog from pulling. Another thing to try is wrapping the leash around the dog’s hindquarters. That worked for a Husky I know that would not stop pulling, even with the gentle leader.

3

My dog used to pull too much, she’d practically drag me down the front steps. I got her one of these and it works like a dream. She’s fun to take for walks now.
http://www.cooldogtoys.com/dogobedienceharne.php

note: there is no training time, pulling stops immediately

4

I would not dismiss the idea of a choke collar.

The idea is to train the dog not to maintain any tension on the lead. She should be trotting along next to you, and automatically sit down when you stop at an intersection.

The way I did it (I have trained several dogs of varying sizes) is not to let the dog get away with a constant pull. If the dog starts to get too far away, you repeat “Heel” in the Command Voice, and then give a quick, moderate jerk on the choke collar to return the dog to the correct position if she does not return quickly.

Dogs are not generally bright creatures, so it will take a while. Be patient, consistent, and persistent.

Regards,
Shodan

5

I’ve had success with the Weiss Walkie as well.

You might consider a pinch collar, which, although it looks a little harsh, works by “nipping” at the dog’s neck, rather than compressing the windpipe. Both the Walkie and the pinch collar gave immediate results with my 80 pound Rottie. She went from relentless tugging to no tugging right away.

The very best way is to enroll the dog in obedience class. And bear in mind that an 8 month old dog is pretty much still a puppy.

6

This is one of the many reasons I am not a dog person. I don’t understand why the animal willingly strangles itself.

Can anyone explain this behaviour?

7

But that age, and even younger, is the time to do the training. It gets harder as they get older and bigger.

From our guide dog raising experience, the jerk on the collar method Shodan mentioned works well. Guide dogs don’t use the standard heel position, but ordering a sit stay works pretty well. I read somewhere that a steady pull back on the collar actually encourages the dog to pull forward, and makes the situation worse, which is what I’ve found.

8

I tried that technique on my two Labradors. With the calm, eager-to-please one, it worked very well. With the excitable, devil-may-care one, it made only a mild and erratic impression.

9

I can second that this one worked. It stopped my monster from tugging.

And, on preview, I’ll answer Lobsang’s question (though I think it comes perilously close to threadshitting). It’s a combination of excitement at seeing new things and meeting new creatures (usually after being cooped up all day) and a need to burn off some energy. Look at most children — running around, being destructive, screaming, yelling. Younger dogs have the same pent-up energy that needs to be released. I’d wager you would get the same sort of idiotic behavior if you tried to walk a human child on a leash.

10

Because the dog understands cause & effect in a limited way - if I [blank] then I [blank]. If I drag against the leash I will get to the park by the quickest way. It wants the park more than it is bothered by the leash.

11

I don’t mean it to seem like I am threadshitting. I tried to make the question seem like a genuine question because it was one. And two people have answered it now. Thankyou.

12

Uh oh. My little buddy sounds a lot like the latter. How did you train the more willful of your dogs?

13

Does she respond to treats or praise? Most dogs like both, but prefer one. If treats are her thing, then fill your pocket with some. When the leash goes tight, bark, “Heel”, and gently but firmly jerk her back to your hip. Not “closer to you”, not “out a little bit in front”, but all the way back so her nose is to your hip. (Basically, you want her within easy reach if a toddler with an ice cream cone or an aggressive dog suddenly bolts out at you.) When she’s there, offer her a treat with your hand close to your side - you want her to learn that magic yum-yums grow from your hip, and if she stays there, she might get some.

If praise is her thing, same thing, only reward her with scritchin’s and "good girl!"s. Again, keep your hand close to your side - don’t reach for her.

And repeat, and repeat and repeat. Don’t offer her a treat or praise every single time - intermittent reward schedules are actually more effective. Offer them most of the time for the first couple of lessons, and then less often after that.

Lobsang, remember that most animals aren’t as afraid of discomfort as humans are. If a dog feels a little discomfort but gets rewarded for it anyway (by getting to the park, or sniffing the tree, or whatever), it will put up with the discomfort to get the reward. (See also: smoking, exercise and childbirth)

14

I walk 2 beagles every day. They are fine until a rabbit or squirrel come by. Then all bets are off. I do not exist. They will do cartwheels at the end of the harnesses . They pull until it is completely gone. Then they are able to be controlled again.

15

I’d be very interested in an obedience class, primarily for training myself. I know they have them at Petsmart; are there any other good places I should look?

The only sticky issue is that the dog isn’t actually mine. The dog’s owners don’t seem to mind that I’ve been a bit of an enforcer so far. Still, I worry that if I bring up classes, they may see it as an implied criticism.

16

I have used the “tree” method on two pit bulls. One of them had a chain leash (very hard for me to pull against) and a flat collar (she wasn’t my dog and her owners allowed her to pull). I would stop dead, and/or turn and walk in the other direction as soon as she pulled. I only had her for two weeks but it was already making a difference.

My own pit bull has a choke chain and flat leash and it worked even better. He still forgets sometimes but it’s worlds better than it was before. I don’t use a command for him to walk with me; I just don’t walk unless he’s walking nicely beside me, and he seems to have figured that out.

My understanding of these no-pull harnasses is that they don’t change the dog’s behaviour, so if s/he goes back on a collar/leash the pulling will resume. Is that correct?

I have also heard great things about the Koehler Method. I haven’t tried it but it is highly recommended, and I simply love the way it is written:

Is anyone here familiar with Koehler?

17

The Gentle Leader did wonders for my pup. The trainer at our obedience class recommended them to everyone (no, she did not sell them). It really forces their concentration more because you’re controlling their nose. And NO it’s not a muzzle - Dolly could drink and pick up a tennis ball just fine while wearing hers.

Just remember that with the GL, at least, you have to do the training first and get them used to it slowly (only takes one session, IIRC) - you can’t just slap the thing on and go for a run. Gotta start slow.

18

Oh, I agree. I meant to imply that the OP should not expect too much too soon; but you are exactly right about 8 months not being too young to start.

It depends on how much money and time you have to invest. Group classes at PetSmart are fine for what they do, but if you can find professional trainers who advertise small classes, or even one on one training, that would be better. Look for someone who emphasizes positive reinforcement. I’m a big fan of clicker training.

19

Hmm … I guess I really haven’t. Let’s call it a work in progress. I alternate between the tree technique and the yank-on-the-leash technique whenever we go walking.

(Her pulling is useful sometimes – she has helped me up the side of many a steep ravine. :slight_smile: )

20

You’ve gotten some good advice here. It might help to know what breed the dog is - I have a Bernese, which were bred to pull carts and sleds, and many of them are very difficult to train not to pull on the leash. I have resorted to the Gentle Leader for mine, which works very well, but ideally I would like to take her for a walk with a regular collar and leash. I’ve heard the “tree” method is the most effective in the long run, but it often takes a very long time for the dog to catch on (which is the case with mine).