Chelsea, our two-year old terrier-weenie mix, is well-behaved, on the whole. The terrier in her is still a bit inclined to stand up and embrace newly-arrived guests; otherwise, she’s a jewel.
Except for the whole “pulling on the leash” thing.
You know the drill. Imagine a fat, red-headed man being dragged along behind a little red dog, and you’ve got a pretty good mental photograph of some of our latest walks. Chelsea — twenty-odd pounds of fur-covered muscle — strains forward, hugging the ground. Meanwhile, I’m doing much the same thing, but in the opposite direction.
It makes for an unpleasant morning. So: with an eye toward restoring the peace, I turned to the Internet for instructions. In less than a week, our walks are what they ought to be. Here’s what we did.
The first challenge, of course, is learning that leash-pulling is a problem with two components: the dog … and the owner.
This site reminded me to think about leash-pulling from Chelsea’s perspective. Pulling on that leash, for her, is rewarding. Straining forward gets her to that grassy bank, that friendly neighbor woman’s bare legs, that rotting treat left behind by the garbage man … and so on. Though uncomfortable, pulling is how Chelsea gets her way.
When I give in, I’m rewarding that behavior … and perpetuating it.
Now, things are different. Here’s our routine:
1) When Chelsea generates any tension on the leash line — any tension at all — I stop in my tracks, becoming 250 220 180 pounds of dead weight.
2) I say, very firmly, “No pull!”
3) This usually gets her attention, and she looks back at me to see what’s going on.
4) Repeat infinitely, as needed.
(I should mention that I also praise and reward her when she walks right beside me, “in the box,” without pulling.)
We use something similar when she lags behind, digging in for yet another sniff of that perfect spot she’s found under a mulberry bush:
1) I give the leash a firm (but gentle) tug.
2) I say, “Let’s go!”
3) I move on.
Chelsea’s a smart little doggie; in less than a week of “No Pull!” training, she walks right beside me about 80% of the time.
If you apply the “No Pull!” technique with love and consistency, it’ll work. Give it a try.
(PS: Clyde says he’s going to use it on me the next time we walk though CompUSA and Best Buy Ha!)
Best tool I’ve found for a dog that doesn’t comprehend “Heel” is a “gentle lead” head harness by Halti.
I have a deaf, 65-lb Catahoula and you can imagine “Heel” is a rather difficult command to teach since the dog cannot hear you and is generally around 6″-12″ ahead of your hands (assuming he’s not heeling). The harness works similar to a choke collar but is far less aggressive. It utilizes “the simple principle that a dog’s body will follow where his head leads him.” Basically, if the dog begins to run, dart, or pull in a direction, the collar will naturally correct the action. It also applies the concept of “alpha dog” because it gently tightens around the muzzle like an alpha dog would do a submissive dog.
My dog is a different beast on this type of harness and it has changed his whole attitude when on and off a leash in general. Other than the “heel” issue, he’s been an incredibly fast learner — especially considering his lack of hearing.
I recommend these harnesses over any other collar/harness on the market.
Not sure what type of leash you use but nearly all professionals recommend against using a retractable leash. These leashes generally allow the dog entirely too much “free roam” and reduce your control of the dog when out and about.
Regardless of the tools you use, consistency is the #1 rule when training any animal. #2 is generally establishing your position as the leader/alpha of the pack and maintaining that position using consistency.