How to stop dog taking me for a walk!
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Well title says it all really! our 7month old Whippet puppy has been driving us all mad while out on walks and its now getting out of hand...
She just pulls so much I'm fighting to maintain my balance, not only that she seems to be choking herself because the lead is pulling so much.
I have looked on a few websites but quite honesty the 'tips' are all ridiculous; such as stopping in the middle of the street and emitting a high pich tone :rolleyes: - preferably I would rather not be sectioned while doing this!
Does anyone have any tips or tricks?
She just pulls so much I'm fighting to maintain my balance, not only that she seems to be choking herself because the lead is pulling so much.
I have looked on a few websites but quite honesty the 'tips' are all ridiculous; such as stopping in the middle of the street and emitting a high pich tone :rolleyes: - preferably I would rather not be sectioned while doing this!
Does anyone have any tips or tricks?
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easy ... buy (and use) a "HALTI" they work like magic!
Take the lead half way down with your left hand again. Walk 10 or 15 paces and repeat.
Do this over and over. Practice in your garden.
In the end the dog will begin to dislike the fact that he doesn't know which way you are going to walk and will look to follow your lead instead of trying to lead you.
This! Wilkinsons do a Halti-style harness/lead for around £10 and it is the best thing ever!
Our dog Eddie hauls like anything on a lead but with a Halti, if they pull, it turns their head sideways and they stop. He hates it and gets frustrated then gives in
And risk doing serious damage to your dogs throat!!:eek:.
http://www.positivedogs.co.uk/Choke%20Chains!.htm
When your dog pulls stop and wait until he stops then call him back to you. Reward him when he comes back, Then walk of again saying heel. Make sure you only say heel when the dog is in the heel position so he relates this word to position (if you say it when he's pulling he'll think that means heel). Keep doing this and eventually the dog should realise he only goes somewhere when he's doing it correctly. It wont happen instantly on the first walk and will need work but persevere and it will work
Also make sure you walk briskley so the dog has to follow you to keep up. Change direction without warning and eventually your dog should get the idea.
It may be also worth trying to find some local dog training lessons. Haltis are all well and good and can work well but there are so many situations where being able to walk your dog on a neck collar is far more convenient and also more comfortable for the dog. I suggest trying to stick out with a`normal collar and use a Halti as last resort.
Basically - we have given up now. I drive them to a particular place at 6am every morning, and he leaps from the car leadless. Coming back, he will go on a lead as we head towards the road - and he is wonderful as he is worn out. But when you first take him, lead work is futile.
My other dog though is a poppet on a lead.
This was the best advice I was given. It teaches the dog that you only walk on a loose lead. Some dogs are happy to just stand there and sniff the air, so refusing to walk if s/he's pulling won't work.
I'm the same with my 2 cockers. I've tried most things, classes, haltis, sporn harnesses, but they still pull. I end up looking like Stretch Armstrong when I get back from a walk.
Helps explain the trouble I'm having with our lab x springer! I think I'm definitely onto a loser
I'm considering getting a trainer as it's so frustrating.
Well we did get very good results from ours, before it was awful, she would start pulling from the door , all the way along the walk, and back into the house, now she sits patiently at the door, we do not leave until she is completely calm, and she just plods out of the door behind us.
On the odd occasion she does pull, we calm her again before setting off, I can now walk her with confidence instead of being pulled along at her speed, she walks at heel, to MY speed.
She still sees her trainer once or twice a week for buddy walks, and absolutely adores the ground he walks on,lol.
My god - it really does make life hard. There is NO WAY that i can hold him. He has pulled me over in the past, and he is pure muscle. So, my husband has to hold him, and even he struggles (and he used to train police dogs). It really is an effort. My husband has pulled muscles in his back and chest in the effort to control him.
I walk my Vizsla, who is a complete pleasure to walk. She trotts along nicely.
Its a shame. Because of the walking issue, i would never get a Springer again. It would be so nice to take a leisurely stroll in the sunshine, but every walk is just a battle.
My vet warned me off these saying they cause all sorts of problems with the trachea. He recommended a canny collar which we used for a while but settled for a harness. It doesn't stay the pulling completely but it helps.
the best way is to always start off in your house before your pup is old enough to go out and teach him to stay beside you whilst walking by using treats you can still do this and practice around the home then incorporate the above methods when out.
Also make sure the pup is calm and sat down before you go out and make him wait till you ready and dont let him rush out the door as it sets the whole walk off on a bad foot.
I did have to laugh at the idea of being dragged around by a young whippet:D
We do have a choke-chain for our Greyhound cross but we purposely chose that becuase she wore away all the fur on the front of her neck pulling with a normal collar on. It's just training training training and rewarding good behaviour and if you are consistent one day it will just click and your pup will learn. Ours is fantastic on the lead now but it did take a while.