2 things

tiredguy · 03-30-2008, 10:27 AM

So my male is now 7 months... and has really started acting up on walks, I think I made a mistake right from the start letting him walk apx 3 -5 feet infront of me, which is does great with doesn't pull much. But last week we were in a busy down town, and I wanted him to walk with me. there was no way! he was almost pulling me over, I've been trying for over a week to have him walk with me. no luck yet. I've used a every type of collar but pinch, Don't like the pinch. ANy other ideas? will he grow out of his pull?

Thanks

**K9Jarko** · 03-30-2008, 10:55 AM

Do you use different commands for him being allowed to walk out in front of you versus a walk by your side? If not...I would. At 7 months old it is not impossible...but IMO it is alot to expect from a puppy on a crowded street with so many distractions which is why YOU need to be the most interesting thing to your pup - I use rewards (food and ball) as well as noises and "silly" talk to keep my dog's attention at first - rewarded alot when he maintains position and attention...but then we spend a few months with little to no distractions before I expect to much with so many distractions.

I respect your opinion about pinch collars - but in the right hands and used correctly they are very useful and humane.

DobieOwner · 03-30-2008, 11:58 AM

Using a correctly fitting training collar (chain NOT a prong collar!) measure the neck and add 2 inches - bring it up to behind the ears (he can't pull with the collar in this position - and give a quick firm tug to the side correction - NOT hard... just firm. Tell him no and tell him to heel.
If he does not do this - don't keep jerking and walking and saying heel - simply stop - put him at a sit and start again - with the command heel.

Always start a training session with him at a sit - when you say heel and move out use your left leg to lead off with - the side that should be next to the dog (when and if you want to go to training using hand signals - he will associate moving at a heel with your left leg. To have him stay - you would leave on your right leg.) Have a definite destination in mind - not just wander around the yard while training.

After he has a firm understanding of the word heel and what it means - then you can let him know that "okay relax" or any other cue you want to use will let him know he can move out in front of you. Personally - I have never permitted this. It might be okay with the foo-foo type dogs - but not with one that may be headstrong.

I do make exceptions to dogs while traveling and need to relieve themselves while on a flex lead - but the cue there is "go potty" - and again, the dog knows what he is there for - you're not really walking per say ....I'm sure you understand what the difference is.

Remember your dog is only as trained as the next distraction... so use a LOT of distractions while training. Cats - people - bounching balls - anything that might be a distraction at a later date while walking your dog.

Good luck with your boy!

**Burns** · 03-30-2008, 02:00 PM

K9Jarko gave good advice - use any reinforcement that he loves (for example, my dog loves any treats - some dogs like toys, etc). Always reward for being at your side and/or focusing on you. If he starts getting worked up, stop, make him sit, do an obedience command or two (down, shake, whatever), then when he's calmer and more focused on you, start again.

Like K9Jarko said, you have to be the most interesting thing going on. If this means you acting like a total lunatic in public, then so be it - you are training your dog - it's nothing to be embarressed about. I use a happy squeaky voice or anything to get the dog's attention and reward for focus. Play the name game - say his name, when he turns his head and looks at you, give a reward. He needs to respond to his name each and every time you say it.

I wouldn't be so quick to discount prong collars if I were you. If used correctly, they can be much safer than any choke collar. They look mean but they are a great training tool. I didn't want to use one at first either, but Red's pulling got to the point that I felt I couldn't adequately control him in public and would try anything to train him to stop. The prong did a great job, and we didn't have to use it for very long. Then we graduated him down to a choke chain, then back to his flat collar. It's not something you always have to use - it's a training tool to help your dog learn how to walk properly without pulling.

You may have started too fast with all the distractions and he was in sensory overload. You want to gradually add distractions whie practicing obedience, not go from no distractions to overwhelming distractions - this just sets the dog up to fail.

Pet stores are great practice for adding distractions gradually. First start by going on a day or time that it is relatively slow and quiet (weekdays in the middle of the day are good) and practice obedience commands in the parking lot, then in front of the store, then inside the store. Be very interesting and reward for focus and attention. Keep the training sessions short and positive, and always end on a good note. Work your way up to going at busier times (on weekends or when they have pet adoptions going on and there are a lot of people and other dogs around).

Yes, training a puppy is a lot of time and work, but trust me, it's totally worth it when your work pays off and you have a good, obedient dog to take out in public.