We have tried many different things to stop or at least lessen his pulling. we have tried choke chain (sadly) we have tried haltie, we have tried many more things that i cant think of.
any advice on how to control him?
thanks
Major pulling on leash issues..... help!
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Major pulling on leash issues..... help!
My dog is always, almost no matter what, anxious, and whining during the day. whenever my dad walks near the door, my dog, Dusty, jumps up from his dog bed and wags his tail or gets antsy and starts jumping. he is also always walking around, and then laying down, again whining, or wanting outside and then 2 mins later back inside. also when i take him on walks, he is always at the end of the leash wanting to go faster and faster, or whining if i stop for any length of time. he doesnt want to play with toys or anything like that but he does chase after squirrels (and takes who ever is holding the leash with him) he has even pulled over my dad and hes no german shepard or great dane. He is a small 35lb dog. blue heeler mix.
We have tried many different things to stop or at least lessen his pulling. we have tried choke chain (sadly) we have tried haltie, we have tried many more things that i cant think of.
any advice on how to control him?
thanks
We have tried many different things to stop or at least lessen his pulling. we have tried choke chain (sadly) we have tried haltie, we have tried many more things that i cant think of.
any advice on how to control him?
thanks
My method for LLW:
This is not by any means the only method I have for llw. In fact, it has very little to do with the lead at all. It is all about teaching a dog that the most reinforcing place to be is at your left side.
Again, this is not a heel, just loose lead. But once learned, it can easily be kicked up into a heel. It is also not something you just start outside on your walk. While you may very well be able to use it that way, I think it is more effective if you start small and build.
If this doesn't work, I have other methods up my sleeve.
Ok, here is what you do. I am assuming that at this time, your dog knows what the clicker means, so we're ready to move on.
If the dog gets overly excited when trying to attach the collar or lead, it would be best to spend several session on just that first. She him the collar, wait for calm, the click and reinforce. Put it on his neck, click when he is calm and treat. Gradually work up to putting it on and having him stay calm. This may take several sessions.
Next, work with the leash. Show it to him and wait for him to be calm, then click and treat. When he stays calm, start clipping it on him. Clip it on the wait for him to be calm and look at you, then click and treat. Again, this may take several sessions.
I don't start training on walks, I start in my kitchen or basement. Initially, you are not moving very mush, so you don't need a lot of room. And let's face facts, if you can't do this in the kitchen, where the dog knows food reinofrcers are all around, you will not be able to achieve loose leash outside where there are so many things to compete for your dogs attention.
Each step of this exercise should be practiced to 80-90% compliance, then proofed on different locations, gradually raising distractions. It's all about baby steps.
Now you are ready to move. Hold the leash in your right hand looped over you last three finger, the clicker in you right hand between your thumb and first finger and the treats in your left hand because you will be delivering them off your left leg. The reason for delivering them off the left leg is because this is where you want the dog to be. Dogs, like people, will return to the place of the greatest reinforcement.
Think of it this way, if I gave you a ten dollar bill everytime you stood on my left, 6-12 inches off my bodt, parrallel to me, where would you be spending a lot of time? Dogs are no different.
Now, move only one step only in either a sideways, back or diagonal direction. If your dog follows, just one step, or follows you with his eyes while remaining in place, click and treat of your left leg.
Over the next few sessions, move any direction but forward, one step and click and treat if he moves with you or looks at you.
Now you are ready for a few steps, so take two steps, again, avoiding forward and click and treat as soon as he takes two steps with you. He should be moving with you at this point. I find the hardest part is bending over quickly enough to be sure my dogs keep four on the floor. Do not click if he is on his hind legs, but if you do click ALWAYS treat. This is where you add a cue. This is not heel, so I use "Let's go".
Once you are ready to actually begin walking, I find it best to start out backwards. When you are walking forward, dogs have a tendancy to focus on what is ahead of them. When you walk backwards, they are walking towards you and you are their focus.
Now you can begin moving forward. This may take several days or weeks to get to this point. Take three steps, click treat, then go to 4 steps, click treat, then maybe 6 then 10, then...well...you get it.
This is not by any means the only method I have for llw. In fact, it has very little to do with the lead at all. It is all about teaching a dog that the most reinforcing place to be is at your left side.
Again, this is not a heel, just loose lead. But once learned, it can easily be kicked up into a heel. It is also not something you just start outside on your walk. While you may very well be able to use it that way, I think it is more effective if you start small and build.
If this doesn't work, I have other methods up my sleeve.
Ok, here is what you do. I am assuming that at this time, your dog knows what the clicker means, so we're ready to move on.
If the dog gets overly excited when trying to attach the collar or lead, it would be best to spend several session on just that first. She him the collar, wait for calm, the click and reinforce. Put it on his neck, click when he is calm and treat. Gradually work up to putting it on and having him stay calm. This may take several sessions.
Next, work with the leash. Show it to him and wait for him to be calm, then click and treat. When he stays calm, start clipping it on him. Clip it on the wait for him to be calm and look at you, then click and treat. Again, this may take several sessions.
I don't start training on walks, I start in my kitchen or basement. Initially, you are not moving very mush, so you don't need a lot of room. And let's face facts, if you can't do this in the kitchen, where the dog knows food reinofrcers are all around, you will not be able to achieve loose leash outside where there are so many things to compete for your dogs attention.
Each step of this exercise should be practiced to 80-90% compliance, then proofed on different locations, gradually raising distractions. It's all about baby steps.
Now you are ready to move. Hold the leash in your right hand looped over you last three finger, the clicker in you right hand between your thumb and first finger and the treats in your left hand because you will be delivering them off your left leg. The reason for delivering them off the left leg is because this is where you want the dog to be. Dogs, like people, will return to the place of the greatest reinforcement.
Think of it this way, if I gave you a ten dollar bill everytime you stood on my left, 6-12 inches off my bodt, parrallel to me, where would you be spending a lot of time? Dogs are no different.
Now, move only one step only in either a sideways, back or diagonal direction. If your dog follows, just one step, or follows you with his eyes while remaining in place, click and treat of your left leg.
Over the next few sessions, move any direction but forward, one step and click and treat if he moves with you or looks at you.
Now you are ready for a few steps, so take two steps, again, avoiding forward and click and treat as soon as he takes two steps with you. He should be moving with you at this point. I find the hardest part is bending over quickly enough to be sure my dogs keep four on the floor. Do not click if he is on his hind legs, but if you do click ALWAYS treat. This is where you add a cue. This is not heel, so I use "Let's go".
Once you are ready to actually begin walking, I find it best to start out backwards. When you are walking forward, dogs have a tendancy to focus on what is ahead of them. When you walk backwards, they are walking towards you and you are their focus.
Now you can begin moving forward. This may take several days or weeks to get to this point. Take three steps, click treat, then go to 4 steps, click treat, then maybe 6 then 10, then...well...you get it.
Kim and Asher
“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotionâ€
“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotionâ€
i tried the sideways method that you suggested for the loose leash walking and he did pretty well. we did it in the kitchen like you said to. he moved around alot at first but moved alot less near the middle and end. he always wanted to step in front of me so i just kept stepping beside him before moving one step sideways and treating him.
thanks again
thanks again
