Basically, when my dog sees another dog he gets very excited. He doesn't get aggressive, just excited and playful, and pulls very much on his lead, resulting in his collar choking him, and making him physically sick.

I have tried everything to stop him from being sick, such as slackening the lead, distracting him from the dog (this just makes him pull even more!) and just trying to calm him down.

I think the problem is just him pulling on the collar and it gagging him, thus resulting in him being sick.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can train him out of doing this as I am totally at my wits end, and it's kind of embarrassing when I'm out walking him!

He's a 2 year old bulldog and strong!

Thanks for replies

EDIT: I must stress that bulldogs are VERY stubborn and if I try to remove him from the situation he will simply sit down and not move anywhere!!!

what sort of lead are you using ?

Using a short leather lead. He is really well behaved when there are no other dogs and doesn't pull when we are just walking. It's when he sees another dog!

Have you thought about using a harness? Two of my dogs were terrible on a lead, but since we've been using The Dogs Trust harnesses, (would recommend these, or similar, as they are padded in the chest area, more comfortable for the dog), walking them has been far easier, and now my dogs are used to wearing them for walks they sit calmly so I can put their harnesses on, a big improvement all round.

What sort of collar are you using - have you tried a choke chain. And if it sits down you need to show it who is boss - have you ever watched Dog Borstal

Harness is the answer if you cannot stop the pulling (harder said than done I know.)

Apparently there is a different type of harness that goes around the head and is easier to control than a body one?

Have you tried distracting with a tasty treat (bit of cooked meat or something?)

thats a halti head collar

they work to a point
but some dogs will pull despite wearing one

How about a 'Halti' (Google should find it)

If they pull, instead of choking, it pulls their nose downwards, and back towards you - basically directs them away from where they are trying to go, without hurting them.
Worked wonders for my daughter's very unruly Staff.

edit - I need to type faster - beat me to it xdow - LOL

edit 2
Some links
http://www.canineconcepts.co.uk/ccp5...d-collar.shtml
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/pets-and-ani...ollar/reviews/

Why do you want to prevent him from going near the other dog?

When does he get the opportunity to mix and play with other dogs and for how long?

I would recommend a harness for any dog, but strong and wilful ones are much easier to control with a harness. It is easy to unclip the lead when you get to places they can run free.

I do not much like the Halti and similar, I had to use one when I was out with a very protective GSD and a baby, he would pin any man who came too close to the wall, not funny when he nearly sent someone over a garden wall. The vet advised trying a Halti, it worked but was not needed when no baby present.

Dreadful advice from someone who knows nothing about positive training methods - do not listen! Harness or halti is definitely the way to go.

I agree ~ definitely don't go down the choke chain route. Not only is it cruel & painful for the dog, it could lead to dreadful injuries to the dog's neck or windpipe.

At the dog training classes that I help at, we had a vet nurse who came to give us a talk one evening. She said that one of the more common problems they see are neck, back & shoulder problems from dogs that pull on leads attached to a collars, choke chains & haltis. If your dog pulls on the lead you MUST use a harness. A properly fitted padded harness (the Dogs Trust ones are good, so are Creature Comfort harnesses) spreads the load over the dogs chest muscles & the chances of injury are greatly reduced. Also any one using a long line or flexi (extendable) lead should also use a harness other wise there is the danger that you could break the dog's neck if it runs & has to be checked. And never, ever, ever attach a long line or flexi lead to a halti for the same reasons.

I know that bull terriers, staffies etc have thick & usually well-muscled necks but there is still the risk of injury. Better still is to teach your dog not to pull on the lead but I know this is easier said than done, especially if there's another dog to say hello to.

As a word of warning on choke chains, when one of my dogs was a youngster (before I had him) his previous owner used a choke chain. When the dog was off lead in the park & happily rough housing with his staffie playmate, the staffie's leg got caught in the choke chain. The harder the dogs tried to pull apart, the tighter the choke chain got & the more frightened the dogs became. The result was that the staffie attacked my dog, ripping holes in his chest & Barney was nearly strangled to the extent that blood vessels in eyes burst & there was the possiblity of losing his sight. Neither dog was to blame & luckily Barney made a full recovery (& still has staffie playmates) but it was a salutary lesson on the dangers of choke chains.

I think you have misunderstood my post. At no point in my post did I say I wanted my dog to be unsociable and not interact with any dogs. Since my dog was a puppy, he has been socialised with other dogs, through training classes and puppy groups at the vets. I am simply inquiring how I can stop my dog pulling to stop making him physically sick.

Anyways, thanks for the replies everyone else, really helpful! I think the harness will probably be the best option, but what material should I opt for?

I don't think the 'Halti' will be of any use on my bulldog, as their noses are very flat against their face anyways, so it might just be uncomfortable for him. The harness if probably the best option.

discokandi ~ you need a harness with a padded chest piece. You also need to make sure that it is properly fitted & secure & doesn't rub anywhere. The Dogs Trust harnesses are good (I'm not sure if you can buy them online through their web site) or Creature Comforts harnesses which are roughly the same design as the Dogs Trust ones. There is a similar make that has an added piece that is designed as a car harness so you put the seat belt through a loop.

There are some harnesses on the market that are supposedly designed to put the dog off balance when it pulls (I think they're called "Stop-Pull" or "Walkeezy" or something). I wouldn't recommend these, especially for a staffie. The harnesses go loose when the dog's not pulling & some dogs learn to back out of them, plus it's not very nice for the dog to be continually pulled off balance when it's trying to walk.

A halti head harness (or any other head harness) won't work on a bulldog as the muzzle is too short.

A body harness should work, and some are designed to stop pulling also.

Made by the same company as the 'Halti' is the 'Lupi' body harness. There are a few mixed reviews (including poor fitting leading to chaffing and sores in RARE cases). I have just received mine today, but haven't yet tried it on our Spaniel that pulls relentlessly. The Halti worked to some extent, but he hates it ad has fits of clawing wildy at his face or rubbing his face in the ground to try and pull it off. Not ideal obviously!!

I have tried everything with my Springer. I have tried both the Halti Harness (body one) and the one that goes around the muzzle.

We also tried a lead that had a sound attached to it. If he pulls, it omits a whistle that only the dog can hear and should stop them pulling ..... it doesnt.

We have kinda given up now. We drive him to an area where he can jump from the car and just run. I go at 5:30am every morning so we dont bump into anyone.

He is brilliant on a lead after his walk, so getting him back to the car / house he is fine. But he is sooooo excited when we first set off, we have no chance on a lead. He is such a strong boy that he has pulled me off my feet before now !!!

Before you rush out and invest in all sorts of new kit. When you see a potential problem approaching ensure you have the dog on a short but loose leash. If / when the dog makes a move towards the problem pull quickly but gently up (not back). Never pull back as this just become a challenge. When you pull up, the dog will generally give you eye contact and a/w further instructions. Go on give it a go.

Please dont use a Halti, these just make dogs miserable and may feel they are being punished but dont understand why. Remember a very important thing about the walk to a dog, is the ability to sniff the floor!
Last edited by CRTHD : 02-04-2009 at 14:43

If used correctly Haltis are extremely good, we used one on our old boy he only needed it for a few weeks and then we found we could leave it off and he remembered not to pull.

I agree with CRTHD on the use of haltis. I've often seen dogs clawing at their faces because of the halti, or its slipped over one eye, or its screwed up their faces. It must make going for a walk a horrible experience for these dogs.

I know it's difficult & something that is not properly trained in young puppies that aren't very strong, but walking on a loose lead is pretty important to most owners, particularly if they've got pups that will grow up to be big & strong! Suddenly that young pup is not just a cute eager bundle of fluff but more like half a ton of solid mucsle trying to pull your arm out of its socket!

If your dog is already a huge lead puller, then the chances are that as soon as you reach for the lead & put it on the dog, it is already excited about the walk & going into the "lets see how fast we can get to the park" mode. The result is a classically-conditioned response in which the lead has become a conditioned stimulus for walkies and, therefore, pulling.

In order to break this automatic (& effectively involuntary) response from your dog to the lead, you need to uncouple the lead from the walk. One way to do this is to train a "follow me" command around the house & garden, (preferably by using a clicker). The lead should not be anywhere to be seen & if your dog does not wear a collar indoors, then keep the collar out of sight as well. If you can train this command around the house & garden so the dog is effectively walking to heel, then you can start practising it out & about at the end of a walk when the dog is tired. Then gradually introduce the follow me command at different times in the walk (still off lead).

It is only when your dog is walking to heel at the follow me command in many different contexts that you would start to introduce it at the beginning of a walk. It is a case of going very slowly at first & remembering that you are trying to uncouple the very strong link between lead, pulling & walks.

You are describing haltis used incorrectly - even ones that don't fit the dog !
The halti should be below the eyes - never getting near them.
Clawing is only if the dog is not used to it or it is rubbing - again not fitted properly.

I emphasis the halti must be used correctly.

Also they are not suitable for all face shapes.

Our old boy would lunge at other dogs nearly pulling me off my feet - 5-6 weeks with a correctly fitting halti cured this.

we used the gentle leader for our staffie when she was younger and that with a combination of dog school & positive reinforcement seemed to do the trick

http://www.gentleleader.co.uk/

My Halti was properly fitted to my dog. He just hates it and does all he can to get it off. It isn't a magic cure for EVERY dog, they are all different. I hate wearing shirts with collars and spend all day pulling it and itching my neck. The shirts are measured and fit fine, I just hate them. It doesn't bother most people, but it bothers me. It's the same as the halti...

I'll echo the advice about a halti. I got recommended one on here after having similar problems, and it's honestly transformed my dog!

He's still got some learning to do when he sees a dog, sometimes he'll try and lunge for it (in a purely playful way) and gets frustrated with the halti and shakes his head until it becomes loose (actually makes him look scarier so maybe it's having an adverse effect! We wanted people to NOT be scared of him as he's such a lovely dog but unfortunately a bit energetic!) but more often than not he will ignore the dog.

We got one for our greyhound as well, doesn't fit his type of head well (despite the brand recommending a particular size for a grey so you think they'd test it) but we only wanted it for him as he had snapped at smaller dogs, and basically it shuts their jaws if they lunge so it works in that respect.

I never said it was a magic cure for every dog I was just trying to indicate they do work if used properly and fitted properly and your dog has the right face shape - I could add if it likes it if that helps too