i have a 10 mth old chocolate lab , he has grown into a very large very strong boy . Can anyone help advise me on how to correct his appalling behaviour on walks . I have owned labs for years and have experienced all the normal naughty behaviour and survived it . But I am at my wits end with this one , he is incredibly strong to the point I now have a back injury which is increasing every time I walk him . The pulling is impossible , I have spent a fortune on leads, harnesses, nose leads you name it . I dread meeting other dogs on walks as On the lead I cannot control him and off the lead is a nightmare . If he spots another dog he charges them jumps all over them and generally causes chaos . This results in the most mild mannered dog eventually snarling and growling and the owners getting very angry .Recall is when he feels like it which I fear one day is going to result in serious trouble . He is not motivated by food at all , the best way way of describing it is his eyes glaze over and he bolts . He has been bitten but still goes back for more , he is not aggressive at all .The thought of walking him now fills me with dread
I don’t know whether I am right but I think you have to go back to basics. I am sorry you have a back injury and you need to protect yourself as much as possible. He has got used to pulling so you need to break that pattern of behaviour. I would suggest not actually going for a walk but just going up and down so he gets used to walking calmly by your side. He could then be rewarded with whatever - a toy? I would use LAT - Look At That - so when he sees other dogs, he looks to you and I’d train ‘middle’ to manage those situations where you think he will get over aroused. I don’t think this will be easy. I have a 13 month old - she is only about 19kg but I feel her strength and she walks well but I am conscious that training and her knowing I am in charge is key. Sorry if this is not helpful and I am sure others will have good advice. Recall needs working on too and there are a whole lot of games you can play at home to start improving this.
Hi and welcome! I agree with @Atemas - it's back to basics time. Even if he did have a good recall and on lead walking at one time, it's gone now so time to start over. Ten months old is prime "snarky teenager" time, so even dogs with a solid training base can regress. I had a dog who was on-lead dog aggressive for a while, so I understand this look well. I called it watching his brains dribble out his ears. He's overstimulated. When he's in this mode, you might as well temporarily pack it in. The goal is to not let him get into this mode and only expose him to as much as he can handle. Does he respond to food or toy rewards at home? If yes, good - then this is where you start. LAT (Look at That) is really your best bet, so get a good handle on how it works and then jump on in using the technique. I'd recommend completely stopping the walks in your usual high-stimulation areas. Start working on the on-leash walking in low-stimulation areas. To start, I'd even ditch the lead entirely and work with lures and getting him used to the idea of walking next to you calmly. Your living room, your kitchen, then your own enclosed garden/yard (if you have one), then once you can add in the lead in a positive way, a quiet street or path. You may have to go out at unusual times (very early or late) to avoid other dogs or if you have car, drive to more quiet locations. It is really important to build the stimulation levels slowly so you're both feeling successful at the end of each session. For the recall, that also needs to start in your living room. Just as with the leash, stop using whatever word you've been using for recall (ie. "Come!"). Use food lures or toys just to get your dog to approach you and praise/treat. He needs to learn that coming up to you is good, not the end of fun. I've always been taught that you don't even start to add a command until you are 100% certain your dog will in fact come to you. That means a ton of repetition in scenarios where your dog CAN'T not come. I've always used a long line for this when proofing, but that might conflict with the "hey, the lead is great!" work you also need to do. Pippa Mattinson's book Total Recall has been recommended and praised by lots of people here on the Forum, so that may be the best starting point for you to re-teach a solid recall. You both need some positive experiences, so please remember to take it slow and end each session on a positive note. Even if it takes you several months to get him sorted, it's better than what's happening now. His current behaviour is not only dangerous for you and him, it could end up on you simply never taking him out again, and that is no happy ending for anyone. Working with him now, plus getting through the snotty teen phase, will set you up in the future for a great dog who you can take anywhere, which is well worth all the work.
Very good advice in both above replies . I went through a similar phase with my late boy Sam , he even brought me to tears at times because I felt I was getting nowhere fast . I used to take him out at night on lead , when there were fewer distractions , and eventually , we got there , the end result being a dog who would walk right by my side , keep the faith !
My dog, Coco, is rather like yours in that he will pull and lunge to get to other dogs, his desire to play with everyone is overwhelming. I just avoid meeting other dogs - he is so strong he pulls me over. We do a fairly dogless walk in the morning, where sometimes we do meet a couple of others, he is gradually getting better with these dogs. It would be better, I think, if I could set up meets in a controlled way, but it's not possible, so progress is slow. He does go to group training once a week, which is helping too. We are getting there, slowly.
Hi there, sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. I have a 10-month old Labrador, so I understand how strong they are, and have also recently just experienced a situation where my normally well-behaved young chap completely ignored the recall whistle and indeed my shouting. The trouble is, at his age your puppy needs to be able to run and let off steam, and it will be difficult to get him to concentrate without that. If it were me, I would be inclined to take him somewhere safe where he can run around without meeting other dogs, for instance an enclosed paddock or similar, and then practice lead walking with him, once he has got rid of his first burst of energy. I would also engage a trainer, first I would do some one-to-one sessions, and then I would join a training class. He needs to use his brain, which will tire him out just as much (if not more so) than just walking or running.
A front attaching harness will help some in limiting how hard he will pull, so you can walk him while you are working on the loose lead training. Ours aren't good loose lead walkers when they first start out, but they settle down after a little while. Fortunately they are both very good with recall so letting them off to blow off some energy is often possible.
You've had heaps of great advice, but I'm just going to add some suggestions for where to train the loose-lead walking - empty car parks, tennis courts, schools (after hours obviously) - places like that are far less sniffy than fields or pavements. Once you've got the solid foundation then graduate to a quiet street and build up from there. It wasn't until Xena was 12 months that I was able to start really exploring the neighbourhood in confidence that she wasn't going to behave like an absolute **** Lead walking is a hard one to crack, it's just hours of endless training.
Hi, we have the exact same issue (my husband more than me though). He has just called me at work and told me about our dog managing to get out of his harness, jump up on an old lady and flatten her. I have been working really hard with trying to get him to walk next to me and this morning most of the time he managed it. The issue I have is that our son (who is 13) also walks him as does my husband and I don't think there is the consistency in how we walk him between the 3 of us and I don;t think that is helping. Rocky is 11 months old and 32kg so I feel your pain when they pull on the lead ! I think I will also try some of the above tips as well. Best of luck
I've tried the front harness and while I agree that it works or helps considerably, the adjustment buckel under his belly rubbed so much that he had a hotspot. I tried loosening the harness but it was no longer effective.
It sounds like you had a badly designed or badly fitted harness. There are lots of makes on the market, another design might suit your dog better.
Hey, I have been pulled over etc as you describe. Its not a nice situation and really knocks the confidence. We tried everything too. We ended up having a session with a trainer. We had an initial 2 hours session where we were taught best approaches for us and our dog (before my fall). We have had 1 follow up session since for an hour - after my fall. A lot was about us learning how to walk our dog correctly. Our boy hadn't been walked on a lead it seemed when we got him. The former owners mentioned they took him to the dog park once a week and he was great. Well...... he is great with other dogs - playing. He wasn't with walking past them or up to them - he thought that meant play. I had no control with a harness. However I have maximum control with a headcollar. I know many people on here do not like them but for us it works. I loose lead walk, rarely need to pull him back and whilst he doesnt like having it put on, he forgets about it right after. I hold him back when other dogs are around and use verbal commands to make him wait.... allow the dog to come to him and then give him free reign. I use a double ended Kumfi lead. He learnt very quickly and was very responsive. We have just started a series of puppy training classes for recall and obedience. We have to use a harness (not headcollar) as long leads are used....... I'm sure everyone had a right giggle when i was dragged several meters through slippery mud on Saturday no control.
I also have had this problem. I have tried many a harness but they do not give control. I have bought a halti and will be trying it for lead walks, currently getting him used to it in the home.
I too use a head collar (Gentle Leader). Without it I'd taken a few falls from sudden lunging...and my head literally bouncing on the ground with the strength and unexpectedness of his pull. And I too know it's not ideal, but it is what it is...I've done my absolute best but I need to continue using the Gentle Leader...he now walks nicely on a loose lead with it (and a harness [I use two leads]). In Australia, other than specific dog parks, it's not legal to walk your dog without a lead, so it's imperative I can take him for regular (lead) walks as safely as possible.
My previous dog (a Border Collie) was a terrible puller. He wasn’t big enough to pull me over, thankfully, but I still tried to train him out of it, to no avail. The Halti was a great help in allowing us to have enjoyable walks where he wasn’t choking himself trying to walk. So I don’t have any problem with using a head collar. It sure helped me! But I would continue to train heel and loose lead walking at the same time.
I use a front attaching harness with our dog Duke who weighs 40kg. Unfortunately even using this harness he still drags me everywhere and if he sees a ball he wants to get at he actually pulls me over so I end up on my face on the ground. I have thought of a head collar, but he has the habit of lying down and refusing to move so I didn't think a head collar would work this situation.
