Hi all

My name's Rachel! I have a 13 month old Springer/Cocker Spaniel, named Buzz.

I've been working a lot on him with lead pulling over the past few months, and we nearly have it cracked I *think*...

He'll pull, I'll stop dead in my tracks and wait for him to come back to heel. I do sometimes turn the other way too.
This seems to work really well, I have recently added a clicker into the equation.. he walks to heel, I click and treat.

The problem is what happens next!

Once he has received a treat, he then immediately goes to run! It's killing my back! I'm aware he's set up a chain of events but I'm not quite sure what I can do to stop him! I vary the amount of time he has to walk to heel before his treat but it doesn't seem to work?

Reluctant to use any extra equipment, I walk him on a harness. I had to use a head collar briefly when he had an abscess on his chest and couldn't use his harness. We both absolutely hated it!

Any ideas greatly appreciated!

Rachel (& Buzz!)

I used a 'non-pull harness' (and still do but now it's the large instead of the medium!) from Amazon and for £7 it's been the best purchase to help me I could ever make!!!! With a collar I find it still hard work (unlike my hubby)- but with the harness he's a different dog and the difference is amazing. My friend could see the difference too.

Dog training classes so someone can show you the techniques you need correctly?

Or look here

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/lo..._diagramed.doc
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/le...lktogether.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/strolling_on_lead.doc
Learning About Dogs - Walk Together, Learn Together DVD
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/wa...headhalter.pdf

How to Teach Loose-Leash Walking | Karen Pryor Clickertraining

Look under loose leash walking here:


ClickerSolutions Training Articles Contents

When I was training my lad to walk to heel, which ever side he walked I held the lead in the opposite hand. My hand nearest his nose I had cheese squeezed between my fingers, his nose was virtually touching my hand. After a few yards I stopped gave him lots of praised and a treat (usually small pieces of cheese - his favourite).

Hi
I have a 12mth old sprocker and she is a nightmare on a lead... so am very interested in your replies

I have a non pull harness too it hasnt stopped her pulling at all but at least she isnt choking with just her collar.

the thing with the treat in hand is that mine can smell it and gets over exciting and forgets all sense and manners and jumps around even more..

also I find that once you have done the STOP HEAL bit as soon as u set off Fergie (her name) lunges forward even stronger so it ends up more like
Pulling... Stop... Heal... Treat.. about to step off and Lunge forward 6m

we met some fellow spaniel owners in the park to ask advice and they said after 7 yrs they still pull...

Apart from it killing ur arms and back its sooo embarassing

sorry had no advice but I was glad to come acrooss some one with the same problem so thought I would let u know there are more of us out there.

xxxx

Hi,

One of my dogs pulls like mad on the lead. Unlike my other dog, he is a real hunter and there are not many places he can be trusted off the lead which means that walking is a misery.

We had a Halti which fitted on his face but he hated it and so did we. we bought a harness which tightened round his chest, but he got used to it and carried on pulling.

Recently we bought a Halti harness from the vet. We took both dogs out in the woods, and when the other one goes off chasing things he usually goes mad and almost pulls your arm out of its socket. With this harness he hardly pulled at all.

So far it is amazing. I hope it carries on.

I have used a dogmatic head collar and they are great for control, I have halti non pull harnesses but as Mals are sledding dogs that didn't work at all, lol.

I posted this the other day and have copied it as I found all these thing together really helped me.

Try this: Nothing in Life is Free

And this:
I have found the best way to stop the pulling is to constantly cross the road. I used to click and cross, click and cross and treat when we got to the other side, just continue doing it until the dog stops pulling. I love using a clicker and have found ALL of my dogs very responsive to it. Just today I took Marty out (Marty lives with me but is my eldest daughters dog and pulls like mad with her) anyway I took him out, never said a word to him when putting his harness and lead on - the harness is only used to attach his collar by a Halti clip as the Mals have very thick fur around their necks and a collar could come off - walked out of the door and before he started pulling I crossed the road, back and forth and the pulling didn't even start! As the walk progressed I didn't need to cross the road again but had he pulled at any point I would do the same, it seems to confuse them and make them forget about pulling.

I also don't take them out if they are excited and all leads, harnesses etc. are just left lying around the house, floor, sofa, table anywhere that they can be seen and handled regularly without the dogs getting excited about going out. I used to sometimes put their walking gear on and leave it on all day then take them out when they were settled or sleeping, wake them and nip them straight out - no excitement! I would put it all on, leave it on for fifteen mins or so and take it off, without taking them out at all.

All this helped desensitise them to getting excited about their walking gear being put on as they never knew if they were actually going out or if it was a false alarm. I think this helped strengthen the road crossing technique as they would not be so wound up at the start of their walks. I have three Mal, known for their pulling, who walk right by my side and I'm very proud of them for doing so.

Good luck and don't ever give up hope as I had a hell of a job with my Flynn yet only last week someone stooped their car to compliment me on my "well trained dog" how proud was I eh?

Don't say a word to your dog, either when putting the walking gear on or when out, just use the clicker before you give a treat - the clicker is your voice!

__________________

Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"