Pulling on lead

[dawnmarie]

Hi Just wondered if anybody could help.  I have 3 working cocker spaniels. Bonny age 5 and Skye and Jake who are 11 months tomorrow!  All pull when lead walking, especially in a new place.  We have tried everything we can think off from halti's and harnesses to turning round and going home as soon as they start pulling!  All three are so well behaved off lead and always respond when called back.  Any advise would be appreciated, is it a working cocker trait or are we doing something wrong?!  Dawn

[Nicola]

No it's not a working cocker trait, I have 3 of them and they don't pull. Alfie would have done when he was younger but with a lot of very consistent training he eventually got the message. That's what it takes really - you have to pick a method, be it walking backwards when they pull, changing direction or just plain stopping (which is what I did, if the lead went taut we went nowhere and I also used a harness to give me more control and stop him choking himself) and you have to stick with it. It can take a long time and that is usually why people do something and then say it doesn't work, it would work but they don't give it long enough. I would honestly say it took several months of sticking to the stopping technique to get Alfie walking reliably to heel on the lead and I had to stop every time because if you let them do it once then you're back to square one again. He did however learn to walk perfectly to heel off lead in a matter of a few days, he seemed to see the lead as something to pull against

[SarahS]

I'd recommend good training classes.  Our last cocker pulled like hell, and I thought I was following all the advice.  The training class for our new cocker is like a revelation. There are things that they can show you that just translate in books. I had been stopping as soon as he pulled, going home etc. But now it is amazing. They pointed out that a dog can't walk to heel until he knows where heel is. Then they said to only start introducing the command when the position is clear. We have to walk the dog in a circle around us, with a treat and call him to our side, and as soon as the dog is in the right position give the treat immediately. (I used a clicker at home).  Then we introduced saying heel at the same time, as soon as the position was right. Now when he starts to get slightly ahead (rarely), I may do the circle, or I just walk backward excitedly and he comes to me, then I do a small circle and get him back in postion. This only took two weeks to get consistent, whereas the stop start method never really sunk in. Now I just tap my side and he comes in to heel.  See what I mean, you can't write it down, it needs to be explained.  I would say you need to do it one dog at a time, and with some really yummy treats.

[jazzy]

we have a terrible 'puller' but jasper is brilliant off the lead. we thought it may be a breed thing and just do off lead walks as much as poss

[Kimberley]

Coco is the same, always has been but to save my shoulders I have invested in a bungee lead, really good may seem a little expensive but well worth it.

[ludo]

Dax has been getting worse and worse for pulling so I am going back to scratch - doing leash training at home where there are no distractions and the outside walk when it is quiet and on our road planting my feet as soon as he pulls - went out today and didn't get any further than half way down our street  literally one step at a time he went through the full repetoire - chewing on the lead - barking - pulling very veryhard - whining - swirling - you name it he did it  eventually he got the message that we walked when the leash is loose for which he gets lots of praise - went back in picked up cheese (cost he was turning his nose up at the treats) and bingo we did half way down the street and back with full attention and a loose lead - this is going to take lots and lots of work for a long time  here goes!

[pupdaddy]

Jarvis knows how to heel, he just chooses not to

[mezzamo]

I'd recommend good training classes.  Our last cocker pulled like hell, and I thought I was following all the advice.  The training class for our new cocker is like a revelation. There are things that they can show you that just translate in books. I had been stopping as soon as he pulled, going home etc. But now it is amazing. They pointed out that a dog can't walk to heel until he knows where heel is. Then they said to only start introducing the command when the position is clear. We have to walk the dog in a circle around us, with a treat and call him to our side, and as soon as the dog is in the right position give the treat immediately. (I used a clicker at home).  Then we introduced saying heel at the same time, as soon as the position was right. Now when he starts to get slightly ahead (rarely), I may do the circle, or I just walk backward excitedly and he comes to me, then I do a small circle and get him back in postion. This only took two weeks to get consistent, whereas the stop start method never really sunk in. Now I just tap my side and he comes in to heel.  See what I mean, you can't write it down, it needs to be explained.  I would say you need to do it one dog at a time, and with some really yummy treats.

Romeo is also a terrible puller with a basic collar and lead. He is great with a halti but he always looked so uncomfortable wearing it, so we recently bought a sporn harness, unfortunately this only worked for the first walk and he now also pulls whilst wearing it.  I don't really want to go back to the halti so I am also going back to basics and hopefully Sarah S' methods will work for us to, as thinking about it, I don't think we ever really let Romeo fully understand what we meant by heel so probably only succeeded in confusing him.

[Sian P]

I'd recommend good training classes.  Our last cocker pulled like hell, and I thought I was following all the advice.  The training class for our new cocker is like a revelation. There are things that they can show you that just translate in books. I had been stopping as soon as he pulled, going home etc. But now it is amazing. They pointed out that a dog can't walk to heel until he knows where heel is. Then they said to only start introducing the command when the position is clear. We have to walk the dog in a circle around us, with a treat and call him to our side, and as soon as the dog is in the right position give the treat immediately. (I used a clicker at home).  Then we introduced saying heel at the same time, as soon as the position was right. Now when he starts to get slightly ahead (rarely), I may do the circle, or I just walk backward excitedly and he comes to me, then I do a small circle and get him back in postion. This only took two weeks to get consistent, whereas the stop start method never really sunk in. Now I just tap my side and he comes in to heel.  See what I mean, you can't write it down, it needs to be explained.  I would say you need to do it one dog at a time, and with some really yummy treats.

I've been stopping with Murphy and now we've got to a stage where he'll come back to my side when I stop without me asking so I think I'll invest in a clicker and try this out because I can see it working for us.....in time!!

[sappho]

Hi

Just wondered what anyone thought about using a Halti (head collar) for stopping pulling?  I heard they are good to break sight with whatever they are aiming at and also dont hurt, especially good when coupled with a clicker.  Any thoughts?

[Elmo]

regarding the Halti, like anythign they work for some but not others. Elmo just kept pulling with his head turned round to face me so he was bent like a banana so its in my cupboard collecting dust I found the only thing that has worked is stooping as soon as he gets ahead, encourage him back to my side and praise/click and walk again. I get a lot of teenage huffing and whimpering but it does work

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Have to say I agree with Nicola on this one it can take AGES to get a dog walking reliably to heel. And one slip up can undo months of work.. My current 10 month old cocker never pulled as I was soooo careful from word go - if he pulled I stopped. I went away on hol for a week and he was allowed to pull and now I've got a problem I've got to work through.. My 3 yr old rehomed Weim pulled like a steam train when I got her and she was on a halti that was also making her aggressive towards other dogs as it was restricting her mouth.. I've got her walking on a normal collar now and a lot better than she was when I got her six months ago but I reckon it will be another six months of constant stuff before she's anywhere near something I'm happy with..

It is hard as when you're in a rush it is sooooo tedious to keep stopping, and you may even benefit more quickly from walking them separately for a bit too - which is another thing I do.

Good luck!

Hannah x

[sappho]

The prob is that even when I stop he is not even aware that I exist, he is still pulling to sniff at this and that, I stand still for a few minutes and try and get his attention and then he will usually just sit down.  Then we walk a step and he is off again, honestly I could be carrying a pound of steak and he prob still wouldnt notice me    I know it is mainly because he is young and everything is sooooo exciting but I think he is gonna suffocate the way he pulls in his collar and he is really strong!  I tried a harness but didnt make a difference.

[ludo]

sappho: thats the problem I have with Dax - its the distractions  - there is sooo much going on and he has v little self control yet that it is like fighting a losing battle  - I'm not expecting the lead walking to be right for months - just keep practicing - by the way the tip on doing a circle is good - I did this in the house and can get Dax to walk to heel in the house no problem (off lead) and outside he will do this for a few minutes  then he is distracted with smells, people and dogs and his concentration goes