# How to stop pulling on the lead?



## Matilda32 (Oct 18, 2011)

My Border Terrier is a little madam, she pulls constantly during a walk. I don't mean just pulls me but she practically gallops, tongue out, constantly thirsty....... She is 3, she has always pulled a little but after puppy training she wasn't that bad.

We have 2 dogs now and I find walking them together pretty difficult when I have 1 that pulls like this. It has suddenly started quite badly and I can't seem to stop her from doing it.

Any tips?


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## Howl (Apr 10, 2012)

One dog at a time. I stop dead in my tracks when they pull. I treat trained for them to recall to "back" for when they are by my side. Then developed it so that the treat disappear and the reward is me moving forward. If they ignore me I take a step back. 
Eventually I get to the stage where they run forward then second guess and run to my side. With impatient dogs who are running in circles I added in a sit command. Before long they are sitting at your side watching waiting to be allowed to move forward.
Slowly and it take a lot of patience, they learn that the best way to keep moving forward is to be at heal because I keep walking at a good pace. The number of steps by the side grows from 4/5 to 70 + until the blast forward is less frequent. 
I also do a lot of control work sitting and waiting for other walkers/bikes to pass which builds up their patience and tolerance to waiting. 
Keep plugging away at it, it isn't easy but really worthwhile. On a long walk you get to a point where you and the dog are really in tune you are watching them and vise versa which has to be good for the relationship. 
If I have to walk both at the difficult stage. I personally keep their leads a bit shorter and keep to the same rules.


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## kathateria (Nov 11, 2012)

get a halti head collar.brilliant things
same idea as a horses head collar (sorry,dont know the proper horsey name)


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## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

i'm similar to howl. I'll either just stop as soon as the lead goes tight and wont resume untill flo is focused on me again, or i'll turn randomly and walk off in another direction. The principle is the same tho, as howl described - To make the dog understand that it's faster to just walk at your side than to pull on the lead.
It will be a slow and gradual improvement, but you should be able to see _some_ improvement pretty quickly in my experience.

As for Halti collars: They do work, assuming you havent got a dog that can just flick it off the end of their nose at will, as my boxer did. I suppose thats just a problem for short nosed dogs though.
My problem with haltis though, is that while they do stop the dog from pulling they dont actually TEACH the dog not to pull.


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## kathateria (Nov 11, 2012)

I used one on my dog for months.eventually,i didnt need to use it at all,as he must of conditioned himself not to pull


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## MirandaA1 (Jan 12, 2012)

Like two of the posters above, we used the stop and turn round technique with both Fly and Scout. Fly (now nearly 4) walks very well now on a loose lead, both in the park and on the street. Scout is 8 months and learning from this stop and turn round technique (I also spend quite a lot of time with her weaving in and out of bollards and street furniture, so she has to stay behind or with me). It does mean you can't just do a quick trip out to the shops if you take Scout with you - sometimes it can take ages just to get to the corner!

We're now doing the same in the park on the long lead or flexi; when she gets level with me or pulls ahead, I change direction and she has to follow me. After about ten or fifteen minutes of this, she comes and walks by my side on a loose lead.


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## Matilda32 (Oct 18, 2011)

Thank you all. I'm going to start with her today, leaving my other dog at home whilst I take her. 

Se really pulls so I hope I can do this. She is a feisty girl. In the house she's good as good but walking, she's pretty much always been a nightmare, but never this bad. My other dog, Lola, is as good as gold walking.

Thanks again, wish me luck lol!


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## Howl (Apr 10, 2012)

Best of luck!! 
It does work, my two are quite feisty and have high prey drive and scent distraction so supposed to be a difficult breed to train and with E learning a bit older thats 25kg of stubborn untamed bassetness. 
We are going to try a head collar with E alongside this. 
You could also try training classes it really helps because a good one challenges your dogs obedience gradually by increasing distractions and uses obstacles and routines so that as an owner you cant overthink it and can drop any bad habits because you are focused on following the class.


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## tanglewood3 (Nov 13, 2012)

With two dogs you need to teach them separately. You need some sort of anti-pull lead because there are times when you have not got the time to keep stopping. Your dog needs to learn that when the collar and lead is on you will not accept pulling 100% of the time. 
She must learn that forward motion stops immediately the lead goes taught. You can either turn around or change direction, but it's best to simply stop and wait..... She will either sit, turn round to see what you're doing, or back up a couple of steps. Any of these will loosen the lead. You do not have to say anything; let her work out what she needs to do to make you go forward.
It takes time and patience and only works if you are consistent.
If you have a dog who LOVES her dinner, put her on the lead, put her dinner outside the back door and go up the garden path, turn round and do as above. The more determined she is to get at her food, the quicker she will learn


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## Matilda32 (Oct 18, 2011)

Thank you all. Today wasn't too bad, she did well, no pulling half way round, then towards home she pulled bad again. She seems to constantly look around at birds, leaves.... lol! 

All was going well until she went for another dog, that I shall post for advice in a separate thread. Not sure why she has changed recently


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Here are some links to qualified, reputable trainers and behaviourists on this subject.

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/loose_leash_diagramed.doc
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/letsgoforawalktogether.pdf
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/strolling_on_lead.doc
http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/walkingyourdogwithheadhalter.pdf
http://www.apdt.co.uk/documents/Looselead_000.pdf
http://www.cleverdogcompany.com/tl_files/factsheets/Pulling on the lead.pdf
How to Teach Loose-Leash Walking | Karen Pryor Clicker Training
Leash Walking « Ahimsa Dog Blog
http://www.pawsitivelydogs.co.uk/LLW.pdf

Look under loose leash walking here:

ClickerSolutions Training Articles Contents

Books:

My dog pulls what do I do? 
By Turid Rugaas
Help, my dog pulls on the lead 
by Erica Peachey
Can't Pull, Won't Pull 
By Alison Rowbotham

DVD

Your Clever Dog: How to stop your dog pulling on the lead
Sarah Whitehead

Why dogs pull: the secret your dog doesn't want you to know; How to stop pulling instantly; What you need to do before you even attach the lead; Why the type of walks you go on matter.
Includes: Training DVD, training manual, clicker, tote bag.

Dogtrain.co.uk


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## Howl (Apr 10, 2012)

Matilda32 said:


> Thank you all. Today wasn't too bad, she did well, no pulling half way round, then towards home she pulled bad again. She seems to constantly look around at birds, leaves.... lol!
> 
> All was going well until she went for another dog, that I shall post for advice in a separate thread. Not sure why she has changed recently


Mine two.. the walk today was hilarious mainly involved D trying to catch all the leafs


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## Matilda32 (Oct 18, 2011)

Thank you all. 2 days of walks and she's back to not pulling, not quite sure what got into her but she's now walking nicely and I can walk my 2 together and enjoy it again

Thank you


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## LauraLou (Nov 17, 2012)

I had the same problem with my dog, as she had always been walked in a harness before I got her. I used a halti at first, and then I got her a martingale collar which is quite thin so it's uncomfortable for her to pull against and she's got much better manners now


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