Hi guys, hope you're all well

It's been a while since i've asked for your advice as Lucy has been super! She's now 10 months old, an absolute joy to be around and we've tackled nearly all the little problems we've had come our way but one thing we still haven't mastered is... the pulling!

Now I know this is a very common problem with springers and i've been told by many springer owners that they never learn completely but I really am quite desperate now as my arms can't take much more and our friends and family don't like walking her.

We have tried all the training suggested to us, we've walked slowly, stopped when she's pulled, turned around when she's pulled, gone back when she's pulled and used loads of yummy treats in the process but she never seems to learn, I don't even think she's improved.

She will ALWAYS pull like a steam train TO the park, but walk beautifully on our way home, so I know she can walk nicely, she just can't contain her excitement and energy on our way there.

It's become quite clear to us that she's never going to learn doing any of the above training so i'm starting to consider halti collars or harnesses (which i've never been keen on if i'm honest).

Has anyone used these with springers and if yes what did you use?
Is it worth trying or should I just face the facts that she's never going to learn and live with it?

Thank you muchly in advance

Chelle and Lucy x

10 months old, only pulling on way to the park, you deserve a gold star (or glass of wine or something) !

What makes you say she's not learnt doing your training, when she "walks beautifully on our way home"? To me you know the reason, you said "she just can't contain her excitement and energy on our way there".

You shouldn't feel like you & your dog are failing, it'd be awful if your dog didn't like going to the park. I've walked 2 13 month old dogs recently, and I see much improvement in last 5 months, they walk beautifully alongside cycles or on foot. Neither despite lots of exuberance in past, now are head cases on approach to the awesome park they love and live for.

Personally if it's a problem deterring walkers, I'd find a comfortable anti-pull harness front clip, or like the Halti double clip which means the dog turns if it tries to drive forward, a good safety feature and comfortable to wear.

hi,
as the usual stuff hasnt worked i would try a harness if i were you. i have a beagle and i was using a halti on her since sept 2010 as she would pull to try to find the most tempting litter/fox poo to eat-shes a classy girl! the halti i have to say works very well on her put despite doing all the right things she would still rub her paws at it or rub her face on your leg when wearing it ever so often. last week i got a dogmatic to see if it would be any better and i am getting the same results with it (i can walk with lead in one finger) but she still rubs a little with it on. the other option is a canny collar which i havent tried.
but go for a head collar not a body harness as they can just pull with all their shoulder strength in a body harness whereas the head collar teaches them not to pull as it is counter productive.
hope that helps a bit

Hehe thank you RobD-BCactive, we have worked very hard and you're right, she obviously has learned something otherwise she would be pulling on the way home too, maybe I don't give her enough credit, she has done really well.

Also thank you lexie2010, I'm not keen on the idea of the head collar but if it's what will work best then i'll certainly give it a bash.

Would be lovely if we could get her walking a bit better before August as she'll be going to stay with my family for a few days while we're away and they're not confident with dogs as it is, let a lone one that's going to take them for a walk!

As you have not mentioned any dog aggression and have mentioned casual walkers, I would try anti-pull harness first they do prevent pulling!
To see the principal how front clip is intended to act this sales pitch video demonstrates - Basic Bad 2 Good on Vimeo unfortunately without showing dog reacting to anything, so you don't see the GR getting out of line and turning towards handler.

Without habituation, your dog is likely to try to rub off a head collar, and with control of head comes responsibility.

There's a long and at times argumentative thread that discusses pro/cons of various walking systems self correction collar if you have stamina for it. I hope that discussion does not get rehashed here.

Not necessarily.

I have a harness with a front clip and also practice 'walking in balance' - there is a video on it on Xtradog's website. Essentially, each time the dog pulls, you meet the pressure then 'melt away' - the lady at the TTouch workshop called it an 'ask' and a 'response' and it really, really works to get the dog just walking nicely by your side.

Like you, Lucy, I have a dog that walks really nicely on a flat collar and loose lead for the majority of the time but will pull if something is intensely exciting.

I have a Dogmatic for 'urban' type situations like shops or crowded places where there may be food etc at tempting head height and a harness for situations where he may not be able to go off lead for a whole walk but may still encounter exciting things like birds.

It sounds like a lot of kit, but I like to tailor equipment to suit the situation. Following my TTouch workshop I use the harness for all walks bar very short A-B trips, say from the car into work. It does not mean that LLW training must suffer; it can be continued just the same.

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Jacks the same age and exactly the same.. Walks beautifully on the way home
I have a halti harness and the one time ive used it he was much better.
Dont know if anyone can answer this tho (without high jacking the thread) As hes a little Dare devil when off lead. Jumping up and down and over everything is it safe to leave the harness on? I worry it may get caught hence it being used once

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Any restraint or attachment on dog needs to be fitted correctly, even flat collars. I did use a Halti double clip harness, and as customer reviews suggested the main drawback was tendency of adjustment straps to loosen. I have met ppl who's old dogs were killed impaling themselves on fallen tree branches in a wood, so there's risks even without any such system. Even a collar can get caught on a fence if the dog miscalculates a jump over it.

As Dogless points out, as systems have different pros/cons, their suitability varies. A rear clip harness I've used recently (not on my dog but a non-puller) is very convenient with rear and side clip attachments for paths, or open land. But is not the safest design for a dog allowed to roam in woodland. Other harnesses I've seen have less to catch.

I have seen dogs allowed to run free in head collars, I wonder now how safe that practice is.

I guess it's an argument for systems that is easy to take on/off when needed and that the dog likes to wear. The harness I tried, was much appreciated by the dog involved, which was used to stressing against a flat collar, so the low force anti-pull walk went down very well, with dog coming on sight of harness.

An advantage of a top clip, is that any line is carried clear of legs, so tends to avoid the entanglement which you have with traditional system, when the dog stops over a slack lead.

I suppose as he walks well on the way back i could take it off and then walk him back on his collar
Thanks

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We have a similar problem with our springer pulling despite being well trained and obedient in most other areas. We bought a Halti head collar (size 2) last weekend and it worked instantly. He is now a pleasure to walk !!!!