Walking/Running

[bonster]

Thanks - I'll give it a try. I've seen advice before about stopping whenever your dog pulls -- trouble with Bonnie is that she'll realise she's "doing wrong" and in fact often return and sit... waiting to go on - but will then get overtaken with the excitement of new sights + smells which will sometimes cause her to pull again (she missed puppyhood in a pound). She looks like she's trying to please so hard - just gets excited, and I hate to see her straining against her neck -- which she is pretty fearless of to the point where she has ended up panting and coughing on a few occasions!
The harness has been an 'instant fix' and I can walk for miles without problem -- and I often use it to 'wear her out' a bit before sessions on a normal collar --- and this is improving things - I think she's gradually learning that the 'right place' to be is by my left leg! I'll go through the site + tips though, thanks.

[Locust]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think im going to try that chest harness while attempting an entirely new heel training approach from scratch.

Do you think once the walking situation is addressed the running issue will fall in on its own? The problem when running really isnt pulling for the most part, she just makes me lengthen my stride and it works well for both of us. Its when she gets distracted and starts darting through my legs thats the issue there.

Has anyone ever had to do specialized "heel" training for running with there dogs or heard of anyone who has?

I definitely want to give her an improvised and focused heel training now, however I don't want to have to wait until she has mastered walking before running her regularly, but dont want to continue running her the way I have been and further engrain the idea that how she is doing it is alright.

[Saje]

Originally Posted by bonster

Thanks - I'll give it a try. I've seen advice before about stopping whenever your dog pulls -- trouble with Bonnie is that she'll realise she's "doing wrong" and in fact often return and sit... waiting to go on - but will then get overtaken with the excitement of new sights + smells which will sometimes cause her to pull again (she missed puppyhood in a pound). She looks like she's trying to please so hard - just gets excited, and I hate to see her straining against her neck -- which she is pretty fearless of to the point where she has ended up panting and coughing on a few occasions!
The harness has been an 'instant fix' and I can walk for miles without problem -- and I often use it to 'wear her out' a bit before sessions on a normal collar --- and this is improving things - I think she's gradually learning that the 'right place' to be is by my left leg! I'll go through the site + tips though, thanks.

On that same site, if you go back to "home," you can see that there is a section on "heeling" which is meant to help keep a dogs attention when there are distractions. Could help...