Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject: Pulling (again) and speed walking
HI
I have a 6 month female who we have had from very young. Walking is proving to be a real nightmare with pulling.
She walks along at great speed with her nose to the ground like a bloodhound. She stops when she feels like it, swap sides when she feels like it.
We are using a harness with a front lead point as recommended by a dog friend.
I have tried pulling back, waiting, treats etc but it just seems to have no effect. She does sit down when pulled back and look at you but as soon as we set off again shes got her nose down and pulling again.
Have you tried the treat in your left hand, hence she is concentrating on you and not got her nose to the ground.
Keep talking with her looking at you, then when you have gone few yards with no pulling, GOOD GIRL treat and carry on.
It is a looong process, there are other ideas on here, some works for some pups, some does'nt. Keep practicing and keep calm, it will get there in the end.
I would go back to 'teaching' heelwork in the garden, off lead, using a food lure (if she is food motivated). Then you can add in the lead, once she is holding position without it, and therefore she won't be in a habit of pulling.
Ditch the harness. It is far easier for her to pull you with this than if she just had something around her neck (slip lead or collar).
When she pulls you forward change direction or walk backwards until she's next to you then walk forwards and praise, and keep doing it every single time she's pulling.....
2 weeks ago I had Baxter in harnesses, Halti's and gentle leaders and he still pulled. I joined a obedience/training club and had a 1-2-1 with our trainer too. Baxter will now walk next to me (slightly behind) and the lead is 100% loose! He's in a half check which I was initially very hesitant about using BUT it's not the tightness that corrects the pulling it's the sound of the check.
If Baxter pulls I give him a check, turn and walk the other way or, walk backwards until he's behind me, then praise and walk forward.
It really does work but we're working on all aspects of behaviour and training too so it's just one part which is falling into place....
Hope this helps a little, may be look at going back to / joining a training class.
Harnesses with the front attachment are meant to be very good. But I guess it is not working ! I made the mistake of putting Marley in a Harness from the beginning and it made him pull so much! Now he is impossible for me to hold because he is so strong But I learned from my mistakes and kept Charlie in a collar. He is 5 months old now and has stopped pulling. When he does pull ahead I give a sharp tug ( I know it sounds not so good but he steps back straight away and walks beside me).
I think I have a rare lab pup who never bites or pulls
____________ Sarah and her Labs.. Charlie(04/09/11), Marley(11/04/10) and Coco(21/02/09).
Harnesses with the front attachment are meant to be very good.
For what?!
I'm not meaning to be obtuse here , but just wondered what they are meant to be 'good' for? I know they are good for Huskies , but can't see their goodness for walking a 'normal' dog at heel.
i made the mistake of allowing our girl too much time off the lead at first, and she then was reluctant to walk nicely on the lead.
she has since been taught the heel position off the lead and this seems to have really helped with loose lead walking.
i am not sure whether a harness helps with that, i think the dog can learn what you want and with patience and lots of praise and treats you can get there.
Im no expert but i believe:
the front attachment harnesses work on the theory that it unbalances the dog. If he pulls, it means his front legs and chest are pulled to the side, and puts him off balance.
Rather than them just digging in their shoulders and putting all tehir weight into the harness (hence why the ones designed for dog sledding work so well)
The front attaching ones work on similar idea as to a halti i guess. In that the head is turned when he pulls.
We have a front harness and it did work, but then when we wanted to move him on form something behind us, it was useless at getting him to move forward.
Harnesses with the front attachment are meant to be very good.
For what?!
I'm not meaning to be obtuse here , but just wondered what they are meant to be 'good' for? I know they are good for Huskies , but can't see their goodness for walking a 'normal' dog at heel.
Because the lead is attached to the front not the back which makes it hard for the dog to pull...They are not pulling against anything. If they do pull they will be pulled back. I have seen them being used and they are great.
____________ Sarah and her Labs.. Charlie(04/09/11), Marley(11/04/10) and Coco(21/02/09).
Harnesses with the front attachment are meant to be very good.
For what?!
I'm not meaning to be obtuse here , but just wondered what they are meant to be 'good' for? I know they are good for Huskies , but can't see their goodness for walking a 'normal' dog at heel.
I've got pulling harnesses for canix where the dogs are encouraged to pull like sled dogs - but the front attaching "no-pull" harnesses are nothing like this at all. As others have said - you use the front attachment point as a pivot to guide the dog back round to you, preventing it from pulling. There is no way that Moss could really put his weight into pulling me up hills and round the woods in one of those front attaching no pull harnesses.
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It is far easier for her to pull you with this than if she just had something around her neck (slip lead or collar).
But I learned from my mistakes and kept Charlie in a collar. He is 5 months old now and has stopped pulling. When he does pull ahead I give a sharp tug ( I know it sounds not so good but he steps back straight away and walks beside me).
, but just wondered what they are meant to be 'good' for? I know they are good for Huskies 
