He pulls and pulls and pulls!

J

Jimmy260910

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I walk my dog in, what's supposed to be, an anti-pull harness but this doesnt stop him pulling, no matter what he will pull against the harness everywhere we walk, and as soon as another dog is in sight he practically pulls my arm off!
I'm getting fed up of walking this troublesome dog, anyone have any suggestions for what I can do to stop him from pulling so much?
 
a friend who does puppy training once recommended to stop a puller you need to keep their attention on you. Try changing direction every time the dog pulls against you. It may take a session or two on the lead but it does work and not just for puppies.
 
You have to teach him to want to walk with you.

1) what breed is he...is he genetically inclined to want to walk beside you?
2) what tools are you using...harnesses are attached to the strongest part of the dog....what are sled dogs attached to, to pull? Harnesses.
3) what are you doing to make him want to walk beside you?
4) are you taking him straight out for a walk and expecting him not to be excited and pull? Be fair on the dog!
5) He has four legs, you have two - he wants to go to where he wants to go, faster and stronger than you can compensate for. Again, be fair. Do you always end up there, whether he pulls or not? Do you let him pull, to give yourself an easy life? Why would he NOT pull?
6) To fix this will take time and effort and consistency and lots of boring work going nowhere, you will not be walking your dog in an enjoyable fashion, you will be doing lots of stopping and starting and turning around. If you are not prepared to work at it, you must live with the pulling.

We are the intelligent species, think about it and we can solve the problem :)
 
I have sleddogs that are obviously bred to pull! But as they got stronger, we got weaker lol, so now I use Dogmatic headcollars - absolute godsend.

The dogs are not damaging their necks by pulling constantly, and the headcollars fit very well, and do not rub, or affect their eyes etc.

We are now in control, and consequently the dogs get longer walks (except in this weather :D), and are happier!
 
A harness wraps round one of the strongest parts of a dog they can put all their weight into a harness and take you where they want to.
I have Alaskan Malamute bred to pull and I found a good collar and did the change direction and attention on me routine until she got it in her head she was going nowhere unless she did as she was told, I know have a good girl who walks on a loose lead unless she sees a cat lol
Srill pulls like a demon in a harness :-)
 
There is no harness, headcollar or other gadget that a dog can't pull into. Some of them may make some dogs less likely to want to pull, but none of them are a magic cure.

The only way to overcome this is through training. Change direction frequently, both when the dog pulls so that he learns that pulling will not get him where he wants to go, but also before the pull starts - when the lead is still loose, and when doing this praise the dog for paying attention to you and walking nicely with you. This is much easier with a 6 foot training lead, preferably leather to spare your hands as the longer lead gives your dog more chance to get it right, and when they get it right is when you can then reinforce the behaviour that you want, as well as punishing the behaviour you don't want (by turning around when he pulls) - so one should replace the other.:)
 
Hi,if your harness hooks on the back,this means pull,look for an easywalk it hooks on the chest instant success,look online if your stores Don't have it.i've tried this on many dogs this is the real thing.
 
First of all, get rid of the harness. Then purchase a choke chain (not to choke the dog). Make sure it isn't too long or too short (it should fit slightly snuggly going over the dog's head). Then, make sure it is placed on the dog's neck properly (there is a right and wrong way...the correct way is for the chain that connects to the ring that will connect to the lead to be at the top of the dog's neck, so that when pressure is released, the chain will loosen immediately, assuming he is in the heel position on your left). The dog has a muscle that goes all the way round its neck, so that he can tense against it. Then, bring the collar up high under the dog's throat and behind his ears, and hold the lead so that the collar stays high up on the dog's neck (that gives the most control). As many people have posted, walk with the dog at heel position. If he forges ahead, make an about turn and then release the tension on the collar and praise. Then carry on walking on a loose lead. If the dog lags behind, start walking faster or running. The dog will start to pay attention to you and will realise that every time he does your bidding the collar releases the tension. If he turns to his right into your path, make a quick turn to the left, into the dog, and carry on walking. If he turns to the left, away from you, make a quick turn to the right, which will put tension on the lead and he will have to follow you. Then, release tension and praise. Once your dog understands that his attention should be on you, in the heel position, walking with him will be a pleasure.
 
i found that a combination of the following worked with mine:
clipping the lead onto the front of the harness (dogs ends up pulling against itself and stops)
training 'look at me' - if hes looking at you he can't be pulling. depends on desire to please/greediness
stopping every time he pulls, waiting for a slack lead/attention and moving on
 
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