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I'm in the running for the most boring post title ever, but I need some advice. My dog is driving me nuts during our walks by pulling almost constantly and I've been advised to try a harness* - I'm using a conventional lead at the moment and an extendable one over the fields as his recall is not too good at the moment.
Six month old Hungarian Vizsla who is attending puppy classes.
What you need is a decent collar as high up the neck as possible and then you need to add a Halti or a Gentle Leader. These are NOT muzzles but some people think they are. If used right they will change your life
The key to get any dog walking well on a lead is boring repetition and consistency. Our current 8 month old puppy is a very hard work in progress at the moment which the missus is fully committed to. We have a test case of not following this through by way of our 9 year old 30 kilos of muscle Labrador who we never cracked lead walking with. If we want total control on a walk with her then the halti comes out
Look em up on you tube
By the way. Extendable lead is a no no as well. Try a long line, like a 30 footer but when the dog is pulling at the end of an extender or able to be 15 foot away from you but still on a lead then it’s gett the wrong signals
[Post edited 21 Nov 2017 14:44]
Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal
What you need is a decent collar as high up the neck as possible and then you need to add a Halti or a Gentle Leader. These are NOT muzzles but some people think they are. If used right they will change your life
The key to get any dog walking well on a lead is boring repetition and consistency. Our current 8 month old puppy is a very hard work in progress at the moment which the missus is fully committed to. We have a test case of not following this through by way of our 9 year old 30 kilos of muscle Labrador who we never cracked lead walking with. If we want total control on a walk with her then the halti comes out
Look em up on you tube
By the way. Extendable lead is a no no as well. Try a long line, like a 30 footer but when the dog is pulling at the end of an extender or able to be 15 foot away from you but still on a lead then it’s gett the wrong signals
As above, consistency is key. Command it to heal, walk beside you and reward good behaviour with treats and positive attention. They don't understand punishment and it harms the relationship. Once it's mastered the good behaviour cut it some slack but maintain the commands. Good luck.
Like I said - we don't use this all the time on the big moose but if we are going somewhere where she's likely to be going crazy, like walking in or alongside livestock, we use it. I'm using it a bit more at moment as recovering from another back operation!!!
Where a dog is young I wouldn't rely on this but use it to help as training aid. You can get the dog to walk on heal with a LOT of effort put in with training.
The other things we've just started using are inertia leads. These are pretty good at removing that initial snap and jerk but I'm not as big a fan as the missus is - I find them too short.
Hope that helps.
(PS -- never a boring thread, title etc -- doesnt come close to my favourite discussion on house bricks here a long time ago!!!)
Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal
Better to change the dogs mindset than build up a negative situation. Had many dogs and this has always worked for me. The second the dog pulls.... simply stop and make him/her wait/sit. Timing is important. After 10 secs go again. Repeat to fade. Sooner or later the dog gets the message that pulling gets him nowhere. It can be a long process but effective. And once learned there will be no more problem.
I didn't try the halti (wish I had) but did classes up to gold level. Problem is that my weimaraner walks perfectly in class but just wants to rampage when out on a walk. Another hunting breed so as hpr's they are lively (but should still do as they are told)
I use a harness that tightens under his front arms when he pulls rather than just turn him into a sleigh dog that carries on pulling. Quite gentle on the dog.
I didn't try the halti (wish I had) but did classes up to gold level. Problem is that my weimaraner walks perfectly in class but just wants to rampage when out on a walk. Another hunting breed so as hpr's they are lively (but should still do as they are told)
I use a harness that tightens under his front arms when he pulls rather than just turn him into a sleigh dog that carries on pulling. Quite gentle on the dog.
Most dogs will stop pulling as they get older. The first five years are the worst.
Seriously, get a harness. It won’t stop him pulling but it will be less wear and tear on his throat. To state the bleeding obvious, young dogs need a huge amount of exercise but you just have to do what you can. I’ve got a young Border Collie and I’m lucky there’s a beach near by but there’s no end to his running. It’s never enough but don’t despair, you just do what you can.
I've had Bull Terriers for 35 plus years and always used a choke chain. The dog learns quickly without damage if used properly. Don't yank the dog back with it, allow the lead to go loose then give a quick, gentle snap back with the lead and release the tension straight away. Oh and make sure you put it the right way round. It should release automatically.
There are two types of Halti harness. One pulls the jaws together and annoys most dogs and is a faff to fit. The other fits around the chest and needs a lead with clips at both ends. This works perfectly for our 32Kg Lab. No pulling at all but if we use just his neck collar its a different story.