Hi I have a 9 month old labrador who is becoming a nightmare on her walks. Some days she can be really good and others she's a pulling machine!! Iv had advice from dog trainers I've spent a fortune on leads and collars but no luck. Is this something she will grow out of? Like iv said some days she's brilliant and a real pleasure to walk and then some days it's like someone has flipped a switch . She listens when I tell her to heal but after 10 seconds she's back to pulling. I have pockets full of treats. Am I being to hard on her with her only being 9 month? And suggestion will be greatly appreciated.
Re: Walking issues hi hayley and welcome from myself and jasper also 9 months i have only the experience of my jasper my first ever dog do you do the same walk every day ?
Re: Walking issues Hi Hayley and welcome Unfortunately pulling is not something that they grow out of Pippa has recently posted an article on this problem here: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/?p=4739 When your girl pulls on the lead, what do you do? Do you allow her to pull you along (I know it's difficult with a strong dog)? It's important, though, to never allow your dog to pull you a single step. They need to learn that pulling is absolutely futile and results only in stopping dead. It can make walks a bit slow, but if you stick to your guns it works in the end. Sounds like you are also positively training walking on a loose lead (or to heel) which is great.
Re: Walking issues Hi there, Welcome from me and Charlie - 7 month old choc boy. Much sympathy, walking nicely can be a real struggle and lots of us have been through it (although I got some good advice on here before Charlie developed a real pulling habit, he was just starting to pull - I might have overdone the solution though, as he is a bit of a lagger now!). The advice in the article that Racheal gave you the link to does work if you stick at it.
Re: Walking issues Julie, Lead training requires the patience of a saint eh? I'm in the middle of this too. Sometimes I have success with her but often - when facing a distraction- it goes to pot. Pippa's article is really useful and working well for us but the sticking point is proofing her with distractions. I have also bought a no pull harness which helps me feel more in control of her weight when she launches. She couldn't get away with a gentle lead - it made her miserable even though I loved it as she simply couldn't pull at all with it. Might be worth trying one if you haven't already. I cling to the fact it's a phase and it will pass but it's not much fun!!! I love walking her but drives me nuts when she launches. She has no manners basically. Yet! How you getting on??
Re: Walking issues Much sympathies....dexters pulling reduced me to tears,I let a front fastening harness mask the extent of the problem ....there was a time when he was injured and couldn't use the harness.i was horrified how bad it was.that was probably round the 9 month mark ( he'd always been a puller,he's our first dog and inexperience helped me to make it worse :'() I started right back at the beginning using Pippas clicker training articles and how to establish a good heel position....I changed my command from heel to walk and off we set.......no pulling allowed!however I need to add a caveat in here....I live in the Middle East and the summer temperatures rise to about 50 degrees C,he was housebound for most of the day,by 6 pm It was cool enough to get him out and it was a lead walk...he HAD to be excercised so after a few really intense weeks I probably let my standards drop a bit just so I could get a walk in,that doesn't mean he could pull,it just means that my criteria changed......my heel position is very casual,as long as he walks on my left and the lead is loose I don't care where he is! ;D Also, my Husband.......sigh!he's lovely and adores Dexter but he is as soft as butter with him.he was letting him pull all over the place when he was walking him there was a time when he would even walk him on one of those extendable leads(,I know they have their place but not when I was battling a pulling issue!)he removed the gentle leader when I was using that,oh it was a nightmare,we were falling out awful about it all the time.Chris actually realised how it was getting me down and made some changes but he will still let Dexter pull and the say to me....he's not pulling,just walking fast........what?????my point in this is its a really hard issue to tackle and if other people who walk your girl aren't doing exactly as you are it dilutes your effort and takes longer to improve.im slow as well because I am learning as I go along ...... Let me give you hope though....Dexter is so much better,just the last couple of weeks so many things have just clicked with him( probably quite literally as there is a clicker round my Neck most of the time ;D) I still walk him on a harness and he mostly walks nicely,but we have short collar and lead intervals on his walks when there are no flash point distractions( other dogs and cats mainly)he will loose lead walk but needs constant management and forget it if he sees another dog.....but we aren't done yet,we are still trying,it is so much better I might even eventually crack it,you can too but certainly in our case it's been a lot of work and commitment ,it takes patience and perseverance and it can be really frustrating but it's worth sticking to even if you feel you aren't making any progress just keep,practicing Good luck,it can get better and you can do it xxx
Re: Walking issues Hi everyone thank you for your replies!! Iv had a good read into the article thanks and it sounds like this is going to be tough! She's not the calmest if dogs lol! Maddies been brill on her walk tonight we use the same walk as I'm new to my area so I stick to what I know lol. I have a head collar for her but not used it yet. I don't know whether it's the right thing to use.
Re: Walking issues my 4 month old lab pulls like crazy for my wife but not for me hes quite happy to trot along side even off the lead he sticks close or in view the bloke in the pet shop recommended a holty but when I have received it to be honest it looks like a torture devise it hasn't been used yet as didn't like the look of it are they cruel? and will it solve any problems or just terrify him having something wrapped round his nose?
Re: Walking issues Hello pmack86. I know a lot of dog owners disapprove of collars like the one you mentioned that go around the snout at some point. Let me be the one to tell you it has changed our walks completely, and right from day one, with our 4.5 month old Zoe. My wife was at the point where she could not walk Zoe because she was so strong and determined to pull that she was constantly knocking my wife off balance. And Zoe was never scared of it either. When the collar comes out, she sticks her nose right through every time with no fuss because she knows she gets to go exploring. Our vet was actually the one who recommended that we go that route. The version we use (I am in Canada) is called the Holt Walking Collar made by Top Paw. At no point have I ever noticed it causing her any discomfort. She walks right beside either one of us with the lead loose. [quote author=pmack86 link=topic=2763.msg28615#msg28615 date=1380884217] my 4 month old lab pulls like crazy for my wife but not for me hes quite happy to trot along side even off the lead he sticks close or in view the bloke in the pet shop recommended a holty but when I have received it to be honest it looks like a torture devise it hasn't been used yet as didn't like the look of it are they cruel? and will it solve any problems or just terrify him having something wrapped round his nose? [/quote]
Re: Walking issues I used to be a bit anti head collars but I've softened my view too. My dog Obi has recently started attending a dog walk and playgroup service every Thursday morning. Prior to an hour's off lead playtime, they walk the dogs for an hour in groups of 4 to 5 and they all have to wear head collars. I was a bit unthrilled about the head collar aspect until I saw how Obi sits quietly to have it put on and then walks off in a happy, relaxed way with his dog walker. So - some dogs hate them and really shut down and I would not use one if this is the reaction I got. But some dogs do just fine with them.
Re: Walking issues Pmack86's puppy is only 4 months though...still a very young baby. At that age it would seem that there is still a good chance of teaching the pup to walk well on a normal lead - and a head collar won't teach that. It seems a shame at 4 months to use a head collar.
Re: Walking issues That is true, he could adapt to any method. But in reality I don't think it matters which 'dog attachment' you use when walking your dog, as long as it is a positive experience for all concerned. Harnesses, collar and leads, slip leads or head collars - they are all human inventions to control dogs and keep them safe and it does not really matter at the end of the day which is used as long as it works for human and dog. The exception would be if you are participating in an activity that mandates a certain type of 'attachment' - e.g. in obedience trialling you have to use a collar and lead. We used to have to walk our old Lab in a harness as he had two displaced neck vertebrae (result of a serious dog attack at a young age) and for his entire life he was a few millimetres away from paralysis. One good lunge on a collar could have been it. My old vet, who treated this dog, was also of the view that no dog should be walked with anything that was likely to put pressure on or tighten on its neck. My experience of a dog with a serious neck injury has heavily coloured my view and I would only use a 'neck based attachment' in an obedience trial these days, even though the collar was not at all a factor in the original injury .
Re: Walking issues Well, good point. I agree about body harnesses being the best thing - Charlie would still be on a back fastening padded harness if he had tolerated it (but he wouldn't, of course). I've no real experience of what happens in terms of a shock to the dog if a dog lunges on a head collar either.
Re: Walking issues We used a harness while Riley was going through early socialisation and heel work training so we didn't have to cope with lunges on a lead of any kind. Once we'd done a reasonable job of those two things we went with a slip lead. If my dad walks him though he goes back in his harness and long line as dad isn't confident enough to let him off lead. This way he can walk at a distance from dad and there's no ambiguity that if he's on a lead round his neck he walks at heel
Re: Walking issues Oh dear.. I have a 5 month old boy who is presenting a bit of a challenge too. I suspect my rewards are not valuable enough. It's reassuring to know that it's a common problem that needs careful working through.
Re: Walking issues thanks guys think im going to persist with the lead and collar for now and see where we go tried a puppy class felt like having a break down he just went mental unresponsive and naughty It was like he was a wild animal and had forgotten everything we have done I was so ashamed and down hearted as soon as we outside to walk home he sat at every curb and near enough walked to heel all the way home I am baffled lol defiantly think patience is going to be key with this.
Re: Walking issues Don't be downhearted He's just a puppy and sometimes they get over stimulated and go a bit bonkers. Try to stay calm and take him as far away from all the excitement as possible so he can calm down, try and do tiny little things - a quick sit or make eye contact. When they're all hyped up you have to go back a few steps in your expectations I'm sure as he gets more used to classes and other puppies he'll settle a bit more.....
Re: Walking issues I did beginner puppy school twice - the first time, Charlie was too young to learn much and spent the first lesson crying into my shirt and then being cuddled by everyone. Then he recovered and was a complete hooligan for the next three lessons and did NOTHING but try to get to the other puppies and disrupt the class. When we repeated the classes he was still a hooligan, but now an over confident one...it took us until week 8 to put in any kind of respectable performance. I don't mean that you will be as bad! I mean you most probably are not anywhere near as bad as we were. But it was good for us, got us out and about, and we picked up the basics in the end.
Re: Walking issues I can only agree!!! If there's a puppy going mental in class, odds are it'll be a Labrador.... They are playful, friendly dogs and seem to think that classes of any kind are a party organised just for them. My dog Obi is doing well in our obedience classes but, out of all the dogs in our class, he's the one most likely to be whining, barking and inviting play sessions from his classmates. Managing this and keeping him entertained and quiet takes a lot of effort sometimes. Sometimes I need a rest and hand him over to hubby for respite care ;D It can be good to have a second person there if possible so you can tag-team and share the public shaming!! So, don't feel dispirited - they were sent here to embarrass us in dog school and you are most certainly not alone!!! The good news is that, if we keep with it, they do grow a brain eventually and then they're the most delightful dogs in the world to own
Re: Walking issues Just keep at it.......I cant tell you how many times I've said...'but he's really good at home ;D'.....bit by bit it clicks......and you are so proud of them when it does.....don't forget you are still learning to know and understand your dog ....when I look back at our first obedience classes Dexter and I were like 2 clueless strangers looking at each other.......well I was looking at him,he was looking everywhere BUT Me!......you might think its a waste of time but keep going......listen to what they tell you then practice at home when there's no distractions......it's too much for a little puppy ..... I went back when Dex was 11 months and did another set of obedience classes.......the difference was unbelievable and I got a lot more out of it and felt much less ashamed ;D
