Hi

I have a nearly 6 month old black lab pup. He is extremely well behaved, very responsive to everything I have taught him so far ( he does have the occasional chew of something he shouldnt, and he is a bit of a food stealer!) very eager to please.

But the lead pulling is a major issue. He is going to get biggger and already I am having problems with him pulling me along the pavement ( normally I have a double buggy as well so it has become a bit of a nightmare)
I bought him a harness, and almost straight away he stopped pulling, it was fab. Even my 9 yr old daughter was able to walk him, but about 3 weeks ago he started pulling again.
He is really really pulling.
Now i have tried the changing directiong technique, doesnt seem to be working and tbh its quite hard to do that at all times when I have a buggy with me.

Any tips on how to get him to stop this?

Thanks

I'm currently doing this in training with my 14mth old dog. She is a golden retriever so I sympathise. They have told us not to use a harness as it won't stop the dog from pulling. We are doing the change direction technique - this teaches dog that you are the one in control of direction. Do you stop, and when dog stops and looks at you, praise them?

The other thing we are doing is getting them to walk next to you, and this is by holding a treat in the hand next to the dog as you walk using a command (I use close, others use heel), and always talking to them so they maintain interest in you. I have been told I need to be firmer, drop my voice more and sound like I mean it! Dog must see you as in command.

The above is something I am trying to incorporate everyday as I know it'll be a long hard slog until the dog does it naturally as her instinct is to pull as she's excited at being out.

Do you go training at all?

Oh no I dont do the stop and look and praise, didnt know to do that! I will try that today thanks.

The treat thing he will do with my husband but not with me, perhaps I am not firm enough.

No we havent gone to training, I have a friend who works with the guide dogs who had said that as long as I remain consistent with Logan that he shouldnt need classes. But i think I am going to look into it. He is a fab dog, with his recall he is very good as well but the pulling is a real issue.

Thanks for your tips I will give it a try tonight when I dont have the buggy.

If you have never trained a dog before or not trained one recently then I think training classes are great. If you find a good one they will teach you things you hadnt even considered. Its great for their brains and helps them bond with you more. Sit and down etc are easy to do on your own but things like a good 'leave' or 'drop' command plus distance work such as an emergency down command are better taught in a class and then practised at home. Go to the association of british pet dog trainers website to find a local reward based trainer - they dont allow trainers who use harsh methods. http://www.apdt.co.uk/

For the pulling I would try a gentle leader head collar or a halti. Your local pet shop should be able to advise and get one to fit. They are not at all harmful and give you more control over the dogs head and therefore where they are going. Harnesses are great to stop the dog hurting their necks but once they realise how to lean into it they can actually put more weight into pulling than with a collar.

My method was simply to stop whenever the dog pulls. Do not pull back though, as then it becomes a competition. Just stop, wait for them to look back at you and then, "walk -on".

Then repeat ad infinitum!

If you can put up with feeling a bit daft for a few weeks it works.

The first few walks can take a while but (assuming a decent level of intelligence) they do seem to take the hint.

Please don't use a halti, this is the lazy way out and contrary to an earlier poster I do believe they are not pleasant for the dog. If they were not why do I see so many dogs struggling and pawing at them trying to get them off?

Dogs need to be able to open their mouth when exercising. For one, it helps them regulate their temperature / allows them to pant.

Please try to remember that walkies is supposed to be a pleasant experience for the dog.

When I see people dragging their dogs along when they try to stop/sniff, it drives me mad!

Haltis and such like are not a lazy way out - they are meant as another training aid for strong pullers. They are not supposed to be used forever, just till the dog gets the idea. They have to be introduced slowly over a period of 1-2 weeks - the dogs you see have probably just had it put on incorrectly or not had time to get used to it. When fitted correctly the band sits over the nose but the dogs mouth is free so can drink and pant as normal. Thats why its best to get some help when choosing the right size and make for your pet.

As the OP has to push a double buggy while walking her dog which as a lab will be quite strong its just an alternative method she might want to consider. Perhaps her dog isnt so perfect as yours!

for a start trying to train a dog to walk to heel is hard enough without trying it with a buggy, its always best to get the technique then introduce the buggy, may not be practical in your case but is the best way.

Start training in the house with no lead on to walk to heel next to you with treats then in the garden then for short walks, you can use whatever technique you want whether its swapping directions, stopping walking etc as long as you pick one and stick to it.

Teaching a dog to walk nicely is easier if you begin at a faster speed as dogs naturally walk faster than we do hence why its harder to do with a buggy, my dog walked great to heel but with the slower pace of the buggy he struggled so i he walked to heel more to the front tyre than to actual heel with me in the beginning occasionally angling the buggy so he couldnt walk ahead or pull.

The problem with haltis, harnesses etc is people are lazy dont desensitise the dog to them and forget they are just training aids you still need to train and be consistent otherwise your dog will always have to wear one which isnt really fair.

I used a dogmatic with my dog when teaching him to walk next to the buggy but at 11 stone he had a bit more going for him than your lab weight wise, also used it when i was pregnant as a just in case measure

That might be the idea but I fear in practise many owners do not adhere to this.

I don't like them (clearly) and believe they are lazy because they they are a short-cut. They clearly only work because they cause discomfort. Why else would they be so effective?

I hadn't really considered the buggy aspect. I suppose ideally, the pulling needs to be corrected before attempting to multi-skill!

Edit TWS posted while I was writing!

I was trying to put it as simplisitic as possible, imo from a safety point of view if you do have a buggy, toddler or are pregnant you are not going to be giving your dog 100% concentration so you need to adapt, but i also think when you are training a dog you should be giving it 100% of your concentration otherwise success is very unlikely.

Luckily for me my dog walked to heel before i was pregnant or had kids so he just needed a extra security measure for when i was pregnant to make me feel better and a little extra training for the buggy, now being a single mum if i had to retrain / train a dog i would find it difficult putting in the 100% commitment

we used a halti for our collie for about 18 months on and off, after the other things we tried didn't work (changing direction, treats, half-check collar)
now though, he's got the idea of how to walk on a lead properly so we no longer use it

we've still got the haltis as a "just in case" for when we take him to certain places though as he gets nervous and pulls. or when it's snowy/icy just in case he decides to have a yank (as he'll very easily pull my mum over)
we don;t put it on him unless we have to, but we carry it with us in case.

they do give instant results though, which is why lots of people get lazy and use them all the time which i'll agree isn't fair on the dog, but when used properly they are really good tools, but i can see exactly why some people don't like them.

Sorry but my dog knows when she is on lead and walking then no stopping and sniffing. Off lead (or on extended lead) she can take her own good time.

Also the original Halti hangs lose until the dog tries to walk in front as soon as they do their head turns to the side it does not hurt,, its the same as the changing direction technique

Some of the other type of head collars are very tight and grip the dogs face all the time.. so make sure your dog hasn't got the nasty type.