seeking advice and morale boosting for dog pulling me on leash

[ramp]

A hungry dog on a walk along with delicious treats for rewards has worked for me.

[geonni banner]

Dear Doggers,

 

Some kinds of corrections are so effective they can create a lifetime, any owner change. They tend to be the dangerously powerful ones. Mostly, the dog distinguishes the owner who means what he/she says from one who doesn't. Four years after I returned this dog to its owners, she was reliable, off leash, for me - though not for them.

 

Our dogs aren't stupid, they have needs, wishes and whims and no method, none, is effective when employed by someone who doesn't believe they have the right to ask the dog to do what it doesn't particularly want to do.

 

Donald McCaig

Hear, hear!

[ourwully]

When I was working on this I was my own worst enemy. I was always overthinking the situation (does she need to go, is that really a pull, does she need more time to sniff, etc) and as a result my consistency suffered. I discovered that if I used a waist leash with a regular collar and stopped every time she pulled I was way more consistent. We would walk along and the slightest pull on the waist and I stopped. I would then wait for a sit until we started again. This method worked pretty well but it was not perfect. At the same time I was doing a lot of healing off leash in the backyard with a 15 ft line from the dollar store. I discovered amazingly, that she was doing better off leash than on. Once I discovered this I started walking her on the sidewalk and busy areas with the long leash trailing. Juno is now 3 and I still walk her on the sidewalk with a short 6 foot line trailing. I am not so confident that I would go along without some sort of emergency measure (the short line) but it seems clear to me that she walks way better when she is off leash and can walk by my side because she chooses to do so.

[rushdoggie]

At the same time I was doing a lot of healing off leash in the backyard with a 15 ft line from the dollar store. I discovered amazingly, that she was doing better off leash than on.

 

Not surprising at all, many dogs do better because the leash becomes a crutch to them too. With it on, they don't have to worry about where you are because they know you were on the other end of the leash. Without it, she has to keep an eye on you to know where you are.

[FlatBlackDog]

I started with our 12 month old rescue who had no training. I was lucky enough to solve the tow truck problem. A treat in my hand right at the position where I wanted him to be, and a stern "Back" with a growl when he started ahead. After a short lesson, I would let him relax on the lease and pull a little. After a few days he would walk right next to me without pulling. Your mileage may vary. Good luck!

[Marenmom]

My Harley,who is my first BC, was yanking me around, and went spastic, yelping and jumping uncontrollable when he saw another dog. I got him at 6 months so I wasn't sure what he'd been exposed to. A qualified trainer and a prong collar changed our life's immediately. He can now enjoy his free run but I don't have to risk life or limb getting him there. He still gets a little excited meeting other dogs but is getting better every day. I would never have used this collar before. But you have to find what works for both of you. Don't give up its worth it.