Start off with a smaller goal- play a game called “Look at Me” where you reward every time your dog looks at you. You can use the heel command to do this, since the goal of having a dog heel is to pay attention to you and follow your lead. Once you’ve mastered Look at Me, do it while walking and reward! If being on the leash makes your dog exicted and subject to pulling, practice being on the leash and *not* walking. Play Look at Me while on the leash. NEVER, EVER budge when your dog pulls. When you walk, if your dog pulls, stop. Or turn around and walk the other way. Once you get some compliance, you can try just jiggling the leash so that the collar moves (this is the proper “choke correction,” don’t actually choke the dog, just make sure the collar pops a little to get their attention). the idea is to get a pulling dog to refocus on you. Once you get your compliance, REWARD!
good luck!
a gal and her dog
My main aid was a trainer! I took my dog to obedience class and that helped both of us TONS
.
A Prong collar, and a short leash, and training classes 🙂
poopsie
back in the day we used a rolled up newspaper, the noise of the newspaper did the trick, and worked well for other issues as well. Nothing fancy, but it did the trick, and I suppose some today would say its bad. but years ago people didn’t have the money to buy books and other expensive things.
Stine T
Where the nose goes, the body follows! A treat in front of the nose and lots of praise when in the right position works wonders. As the dog gets the idea, start bringing the treat up towards your eyes and when he walks nicely for even a split second, give it the treat. Keep shaping the healing behavior with treats, praise and good timing. Combine with frequent but not too abrupt changes of direction and speed.
Practicing too long at a time or being boring can completely ruin your initial training. Making it a game makes learning happen faster.
Most important aids: Treats, body language/positioning (mine, not the dog’s), positive attitude.
I assume you are talking about proper healing, not just walking nicely on a leash. For that I favor a Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness from Premier it is by far the best tool for pullers, large and small.
HandyMan
Cesar Millan method, no doubt. Leash them with head up and not low to the ground. Take a stick and touch their flank with it while voicing a reprimand if their attention wanders or they get distracted. Walk them by your side, don’t let them get ahead.
gentle leader, and verbal commands…
my pitbull is an EXTREME puller… still not completely leash trained, but it’s my fault cuz I let him get away with being infront of me. I don’t mind cuz despite what trainers say, i feel the walk is time for him to sniff and enjoy.
i tried using a food lure but he had absolutely NO interest in it -_-; and choke chain does nothing cuz he doesn’t care about pain.. i tried turning around each time he pulled but there were no results despite how long i tried.
i am saving up for a bike and a “springer” so i can just take my dog for a run and not have to worry about him pulling me.
3DogMom
I try to use as little training aids as possible.
My method: Assuming your dog is clicker trained and knows what the clicker means…
Have dog on collar and leash. Every time dog comes close to your left side, click/treat. Take a few steps forward. Dog will likely come close to your left side again, c/t. Keep taking steps forward and keep c/t whenever your dog follows your side. I usually hold up my left hand because it serves as a visual cue, and it keeps the dog in check. Walk in a couple circles, zig zags, side to side, and keep click/treating whenever the dog stays by your side. Eventually, you can ask for closer heels and begin adding the verbal cue.
Prior to the heel training, I’ll also start with the dog facing me. I’ll have a treat in my hand and guide my dog to do a circle to my left side. Over time, I fade out the lure and use a less obvious hand motion. This circle places the dog in the heel position and makes training that much easier.
Start off with a smaller goal- play a game called “Look at Me” where you reward every time your dog looks at you. You can use the heel command to do this, since the goal of having a dog heel is to pay attention to you and follow your lead. Once you’ve mastered Look at Me, do it while walking and reward! If being on the leash makes your dog exicted and subject to pulling, practice being on the leash and *not* walking. Play Look at Me while on the leash. NEVER, EVER budge when your dog pulls. When you walk, if your dog pulls, stop. Or turn around and walk the other way. Once you get some compliance, you can try just jiggling the leash so that the collar moves (this is the proper “choke correction,” don’t actually choke the dog, just make sure the collar pops a little to get their attention). the idea is to get a pulling dog to refocus on you. Once you get your compliance, REWARD!
good luck!
My main aid was a trainer! I took my dog to obedience class and that helped both of us TONS
A Prong collar, and a short leash, and training classes 🙂
back in the day we used a rolled up newspaper, the noise of the newspaper did the trick, and worked well for other issues as well. Nothing fancy, but it did the trick, and I suppose some today would say its bad. but years ago people didn’t have the money to buy books and other expensive things.
Where the nose goes, the body follows! A treat in front of the nose and lots of praise when in the right position works wonders. As the dog gets the idea, start bringing the treat up towards your eyes and when he walks nicely for even a split second, give it the treat. Keep shaping the healing behavior with treats, praise and good timing. Combine with frequent but not too abrupt changes of direction and speed.
Practicing too long at a time or being boring can completely ruin your initial training. Making it a game makes learning happen faster.
Most important aids: Treats, body language/positioning (mine, not the dog’s), positive attitude.
I assume you are talking about proper healing, not just walking nicely on a leash. For that I favor a Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness from Premier it is by far the best tool for pullers, large and small.
Cesar Millan method, no doubt. Leash them with head up and not low to the ground. Take a stick and touch their flank with it while voicing a reprimand if their attention wanders or they get distracted. Walk them by your side, don’t let them get ahead.
gentle leader, and verbal commands…
my pitbull is an EXTREME puller… still not completely leash trained, but it’s my fault cuz I let him get away with being infront of me. I don’t mind cuz despite what trainers say, i feel the walk is time for him to sniff and enjoy.
i tried using a food lure but he had absolutely NO interest in it -_-; and choke chain does nothing cuz he doesn’t care about pain.. i tried turning around each time he pulled but there were no results despite how long i tried.
i am saving up for a bike and a “springer” so i can just take my dog for a run and not have to worry about him pulling me.
I try to use as little training aids as possible.
My method: Assuming your dog is clicker trained and knows what the clicker means…
Have dog on collar and leash. Every time dog comes close to your left side, click/treat. Take a few steps forward. Dog will likely come close to your left side again, c/t. Keep taking steps forward and keep c/t whenever your dog follows your side. I usually hold up my left hand because it serves as a visual cue, and it keeps the dog in check. Walk in a couple circles, zig zags, side to side, and keep click/treating whenever the dog stays by your side. Eventually, you can ask for closer heels and begin adding the verbal cue.
Prior to the heel training, I’ll also start with the dog facing me. I’ll have a treat in my hand and guide my dog to do a circle to my left side. Over time, I fade out the lure and use a less obvious hand motion. This circle places the dog in the heel position and makes training that much easier.