Pulling on lead!!

[Ldavies38]

This lead pulling whilst walking is really bothering me now. And I know I'm getting stroppy. She's walked on a dog games harness. We tried the collar and lead&slip lead but we found she was coughing alot, even off the lead. So we went bk to harness and the coughing stopped. Wasn't really a full cough. She's walked on the left hand side at all times if she weaves she's put bk.
she's a cocker train !!!! Arrrrrrrhhhhh apart from that she's a gem!!

[8 Hairy Feet]

we found that stopping straight
away when there was any pulling
did the trick for us, the mantra
"they pull because they can" was the
rule ...

[HBP]

Hudson has just started the coughing thing! It drives me crazy! I 

[Jane57]

Riley is horrendous on the lead, truly I bet the winner of the pullers even on COL I bet not many can top him
We really only have him on the lead for his night time walk. Rest of the time he is offlead doing what he loves most, running after his ball, exploring the park or at the beach.
We have tried almost every collar, head collar, harness known to man.
I do sometimes do the stop/start but as soon as I start he pulls, so we get nowhere fast.

I also have tried the treat, but would need to take a full chicken on every walk as because as soon as he watches and walks with me, gets the treat, he pulls again. Apart from that too, he is an angel.

[Emilyoliver]

I have a puller too.  It's partly him and partly me.  Ok, it's mostly me (and a lack of consistency).  He heels beautifully in a field as I am focussed on him and the training.  However on our morning walks, there is a 100yd bit we do on lead to get to free running fields.  I've done the stop-start exercise, and still do (sometimes), and he mostly gets that.  But in order for it to be effecive you need to NEVER let them pull.  And this is where the system fails for us.  Sometimes I let him pull either because am in a hurry (I walk all my dogs before work), or because I am walking 3 at a time and don't want to subject my two adult dogs to a stop-start exercise (as they don't pull and it's just confusing for them).  Intermittent reinforcement/ reward for behaviour is I have heard/ read the strongest driver to habituating a behaviour in dogs...  So am on a losing wicket allowing him to pull sometimes, and he is ultimately rewarded by getting to the fields quicker, and then having freedom.  So Pip pulls (9 months), although he is improving, and I just have to accept that (infuriating as it is sometimes).  And acknowledge that if I was totally consistent he would be better trained.  (Having said that, I have been told that many trialers just carry their cockers as it's easier than having to train them to stay at heel!)

[*Marie*]

Bracken WAS a puller and it has taken 10 months of consistent stop and go constantly, in the end when I stopped when he pulled he automactically stepped back in line with me, used to hate lead walking him, now he is a dream, he wears either a xtradog fleece harness or mekuti balance dog harness! He's now 13 months old!

[airyfairy76]

Bracken WAS a puller and it has taken 10 months of consistent stop and go constantly, in the end when I stopped when he pulled he automactically stepped back in line with me, used to hate lead walking him, now he is a dream, he wears either a xtradog fleece harness or mekuti balance dog harness! He's now 13 months old!

That's really good to know - Lottie only pulls like a train when we are going to our regular walking fields - on the way home, she walks like a dream, so I know she is capable.  It seems that going, she gets so excited she can't help herself, but I keep persevering in the way you've described. Waiting for the day that it clicks in her tiny cocker brain, that we would get there faster if she stopped pulling....

 

[PennyB]

Unless you're prepared to train not to pull every time you walk then may be try another type of harness that helps re stopping the pulling - if you allow them to pull while walking them then you set up to fail - its often best then to only use a flat collar and lead when you train them not to pull

My sprocker girl has a stop pull type harness or I sometimes use a gentle leader with her (she doesn't just pull she pulls me right over given half the chance)

A mekuti harness is meant to be quite good

[Pip895]

Rather than types of collar or harness I think the key thing is to be consistent and never let them succeed in pulling you along or even think that they have succeeded in pulling you along! 

I had the problem that most of my walks with Saffi were off lead so "on lead" training was not much of a priority.  When we did lead walk I was usually trying to get somewhere and hated the idea of walking in the opposite direction - or taking half an hour to go 100yards etc !   

My solution was whenever she pulled against a taut lead, to make sure she wasn't able to move forward. She was stopped until I had moved forward and could slacken the lead again.  With a bit of practice I was able to keep a steady walking pace and never let her move forward against a taunt lead.  For some months she would dash and stop but she never pulled hard as I didn't let it get her any where. 

It is easier to do this with a pup than an older dog btw - I used the technique on a springer once and my arm got really tired very quickly.

I wouldn't say Saffi's a brilliant lead walker (she is now 4!) she won't walk to heal unless you have a treat in your hand for instance   but she is not bad, and if she starts pulling a slight pull back on the lead generally stops her in her tracks. This is quite good enough for my purposes. 

I think this method could be useful for those with limited patience like me  or as a backup for those using the stop or stop and turn methods - for times when you really need to get to where you are trying to go! 

[Macette]

We use a Halti and it has changed our life...It is lovely going for a walk now she doesn't pull and I am more relaxed. The harness never worked for us she worked out how to pull pushing with her back legs, it was suppose to be a non pull harness. It was so stressful going for a walk just knowing my arms were going to be pulled out of my sockets. I am so happy with the Halti and so is Lexi.

[piph]

We use a Halti and it has changed our life...It is lovely going for a walk now she doesn't pull and I am more relaxed. The harness never worked for us she worked out how to pull pushing with her back legs, it was suppose to be a non pull harness. It was so stressful going for a walk just knowing my arms were going to be pulled out of my sockets. I am so happy with the Halti and so is Lexi.

We also use a Halti for Ozzy - he does still pull a bit sometimes because he has a hugely strong neck and can counteract the sideways motion when he pulls (our GRs were pullers but never on a Halti).  At almost 18 months he seems to be getting the message, and usually obeys the 'heel' command, for a minute or two - I have to keep repeating it though, especially on our way to the woods - coming back he's always much better. Consistency is the key.

[YvonneC22]

Alex pulls or the first 5 mins f the walk, like he's excited but then calms down. The pulling I. Nightmare though, hey have some force on them!

[saracens123]

I have read this post with interest.Sam who is now nearly 7 months is absolutely terrible on a lead.we have tried all training and simply find it impossible.the stop start is ok but we have found that it would take an age to get anywhere and often we are rushed.we now use a non pull gentle leader which Sam hates so try to let him off asap which he seems happy with 

[Jane57]

I know I should have persevered but Riley steadily got worse , we now are at a point where its a 5-10 min walk to offlead places then off lead and he isnt too bad on way back.
He breaks the record though for pulling on every head collar I have tried.
Harness is a no no, he gets breathless and the sounds from him heave ho ing are horrendous.

[Jan D]

The only thing that works for my two are SWAG head collars  (and believe me I have spent a fortune on different head collars and harnesses!)- they are like a dream but Roxy HATES wearing it so I only use it when I am desparate like if we go shopping or something. Bobby is fine with his and I find that if he has his on Roxy doesn't pull either....

At the moment I can't use Bobby's because he has had an op on his salivary gland and the collar catches where the stitches were so I'm back to being pulled along  

I have to say Jane that my two would give Riley a run (or should that be a pull) for his money!!