Am I alone ?
Anyone here fed up with being dragged along on the end of the lead ?
Can anyone suggest anything that will help ?
What devices / methods have you tried ?
Which ones will work and what ones don't ?
Is there light at the end of the tunnel, can it be cured or do I just have to live with the problem ?

Any help and suggestions are gratefully received.

Going to a good dog trainer.. I dont see the point in having devices if you aren't taught how to use it..

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Good Point , Never thought of that. Will take that one on-board !
Thanks Indeed.
Regards Terry.

Training heelwork is very simple, but it takes consistency and regular small training sessions. You can't expect a dog to do obedience style heelwork on lead for a large amount of time, when it's previously been allowed to pull to get to all the exciting smells and things. You have to interact with your dog constantly, and train them, you're very lucky indeed if you have a dog that you can just say 'heel' to and trust them to just wander at the same pace by the side of you - I say that knowing I've got a dog like that and she's brilliant, she's very trustworthy and will just wander along like a shadow, going off to sniff something occasionally.

I'm just starting with the two pups I help with, doing short sessions to train 'heel'. If I take them out on a general walk with the other dogs, I don't even mention the 'H' word, as long as they walk nicely on lead, Miggin (cocker) is the worst for trying to pull because he's so excited, so it can be a bit repetetive, stopping, changing direction etc, but we get there eventually.

The acid test is if you say 'heel' with no arm movements or gesturing, what do your dogs do? We used to do an exercise in training classes, where dogs were expected to move between the heel position and a formal present, and back again. Most dogs struggle with their back end on that exercise, Indie used to be very good at it, I'm sure she'd struggle now, although not for long if there's a treat involved. I also use a stop or sit whistle, walk away, walk back past my dogs, around them, and only when I pick them up again with the 'heel' command, do I expect them to walk with me.

I'd agree with the comment to get to a good training class and learn how to interact more with your dog, training anything without some understanding of how and why your dog responds without half a lb of cheddar, is very hard, I know because I've been there. Training is much easier if you learn some handling skills, you don't need much, I'm bloomin' appalling but actually enjoy heelwork training now.

Just a note on flexi leads, these encourage your dog to pull, and reward them because the lead automatically extends and lets them get to where they wanted. Also, avoid haltis or anything that clamps around the muzzle of your dog, they can cause pain according to a friend of mine who is a qualified behaviourist. The PAH own head collar which leads from the back of the head is better, or the Mekuti harness that dissuades them from pulling.

Not now, but my retriever used to pull. Where we lived it was just down the footpath then across the road to the heath. Once he had had his run he did not pull on the way back so I never bothered too much. Then one day it was icy and he pulled me over and shattered my wrist.

When I got Ferdie I was determined that a dog this size was not going to be allowed to pull, and I thought I was doing really well, then I found out that newfies don't really pull anyway!

He wears a dogmatic headcollar, but for back up if he sees anything he wants I cannot hold him. Joshua walks along nicely on just his collar and lead.

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My trainer recommended mehukti harness. its fab. at 2 yrs old he still pulls if on a lead from his collar, (cause daughter too stubbon to do anything else when she walks him) but responds perfectly (ok, the occasional exploration burst) with the harness.
i am now able to have the harness leads just in my left hand, although the training and information demonstrates one in each hand.
I expect he will always wear his harness.

I agree with newfiesmum, the Dogmatic head collar is very good.

We have tried a halti head collar, a halti harness, a gencon head collar, a normal harness and now have the dogmatic and it is the best we have used.

The halti and the gencon actually cut into my dogs face and caused a red sore patch behind her ear.

We use a double ended lead and have one end attached to the head collar and one end attached to the normal collar for extra security.

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Thanks to all have replied to my dilema.
I am getting some good help and Ideas from you all.
Thanks Terry

Havnt voted as so many applied to me training classes, head collars, haltis and then giving up so ime no help sorry.

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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

We have one that not only pulls on the lead but bites it as well.I take her out every day & after doing a walk where she can sniff,run ect I then take her through the village on pavements where I do heel work using a tip that we were given,put the lead behind your legs & I have no idea why but if she tries to pull when it is in this position she stops.We tried haltis & she hated them so thought no point if she is unhappy as we will not achieve anything.I have no idea if it will work for you but I have found when used consistently I have an exceptionally well behaved girlie that walks beautifully down the path,only down side I have found is if you have a few days off ie christmas hols with kids around it all goes to pot !!!!