Does Your Dog Pull You on Walks?

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

It depends. I let them have their head most of the time. When it's time to behave, a tiny tug, a recall, and a "wait." We do this whenever there's another dog, or a person on the approaching trail.

Your method seems to work for you, which is good with big ol' working dogs like G. Sheps. Thanks for sharing.

I like to spend lots of time when they are still puppies, teaching them to stay beside me, so I don't have to worry about it once big.
Timing seems to be so important. As soon as he starts to walk even slightly ahead, I say "no" in a deep voice, but the second he responds and falls back, then I get happy voiced and say "Good dog!"

People must have thought I was crazy, hearing me doing that.

But he learned fast and now I don't need a leash. I know it isn't possible for everyone, but if you can really invest some time with training early, it is worth it later.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Pretty much the same things that Cesar Milan teaches people.
second line

a reply to: Bluesma

I agree. The best way to train a dog is to teach the behavior from the beginning. But I never really walked them on a leash. Since we live in the country, they've always run free.

My instructions are for people who find themselves in the position of having a big dog that pulls on walks, for whatever reason. Of course training them as a puppy is best, but if that doesn't happen, it's too late to go back and do it now. People who adopt adult dogs, for example, can train them not to pull with this method.

a reply to: Dimithae

Exactly. That's where I learned it.

I used a similar method years ago when I had two pit bulls and lived in the city. By using a rope with a noose on each end that I held the middle, if one dog pulled they pulled against the weight of the other. I'd exercise them by having them run beside me while I was riding a bike. It sure was challenging and we had loads of crashes at first, but it was really time efficient for dogs that need a big work out.

Another dog walked perfectly, from an early age, at heel without a leash even at the side of a busy highway with only soft voice control.... sometime you can be so lucky. My new adopted dog not so much, lol. I've really got my work cut out for me. Particularly with him lunging out the door so I will try your method.

Thanks for the info... sometimes another's success contains the missing pieces you didn't know you had lost

Cool tips, its fun teaching dogs new tricks, and may just save their lives around traffic and other hazards.

I have trained quite a few Rottweilers over the years, and they could easily drag me down the street at 180 lbs, should they decide to.

I use a similar technique as you. I start with sit and heal commands, get the dog to my left side.

Then out in a field, start the training to keep the dog by my side and never leading. If he starts to lead, I will give a heal command, then do a tight right hand turn, never allowing him in front of me.

After that i will work on lengthening the straight ahead distances.

This can make you a little dizzy, but it will sink in easier and he will notice he can't travel anywhere when he is leading. It also breaks their concentration on pulling forward.

This is easier to do on big dogs vs pulling straight back against their full power.

Also, choke chains are great training tools in this situation, and are most effective when they are placed up high on the neck.

Cool pup you have there.

originally posted by: igloo
Another dog walked perfectly, from an early age, at heel without a leash even at the side of a busy highway with only soft voice control.... sometime you can be so lucky.

That's how Jaia's sister is. Easy-peasy. She's always walked on a cheap leash with no pressure. But when he's around, his excitement feeds her and she gets excited, too. So settling him beforehand helps the situation immensely!

Good luck with your new adopted dog! Let me know how it goes. Right now, whatever door or gate I go through, I open it wide and they sit there, waiting for a signal to proceed. It helps a lot when getting home with groceries, etc. As Cesar says, "Door open just means door open. It doesn't mean run through it". It helps a lot as we have a cat that lives on the front porch.

In Soviet Russia, We don't walk dog, Dog walk us.

Had to...

Jude11