Leash Problems

I cannot get Bentley to walk on a loose leash to save my life. I try and I try and then I try again. It just isn't happening.

I've tried the method where I completely stop when he pulls and until the leash is loose I don't move. The problem is that once the leash is loose and I do move, he immediately pulls again. I've tried positive reinforcement by giving treats whenever the leash is loose.

I've tried using a show lead that is higher up on the head, but still he pulls so hard that he gags and I quit trying to use that method for fear of really hurting him.

I've tried the Caesar way of leash up on top of the head, shortened leash and just walking. But it doesn't work.

It seems like nothing does. I'm so frustrated... I just came back from a horrendous walk where he did nothing but pull pull pull and gag gag gag. I just feel like I'm constantly jerking the leash or HE is.

Can anyone help? Or has anyone been in a similar situation??

Have you tried the right turn method or the 180 turns? Anytime he gets ahead of you, make a right turn or even turn all the way around. He'll start wondering where in the world you are trying to walk to and stick right by you. Treat heavily...clickers also work well for shaping up a heel. Maybe also look into a Gentle Leader harness.

We tried the stand until loose method with Aubrey and all it taught her was that if she sat until we caught up, she could pull again. The turns and treats worked much better.

Thanks Zoom! I'll try that one!

I have to really watch myself because this is one area where I find myself getting really frustrated by. I have to end the walk/training session when I start to get irritated because it all goes downhill from there. The more aggravated I get, the worse that he walks for me.

The first thing you have to do is find a way to get him off the tight leash. People train their dogs to pull by allowing them to have a tight lead in the first place.

I would use food to keep him at your left side, and reward him each time he is there on a loose lead.

I would avoid a tight lead at all costs. I do this by a "tug and release" motion. I do NOT yank the collar. Once the dog has a snug lead, I steadily pull them right back to my left side, and then immediately give a fully loose leash.

This is harder than it sounds to do, because people can NOT remember to drop the leash down into a slack position.

You must eliminate his days of getting his way by leaning on the leash. Make leaning/pulling on the leash nonproductive for him. Make being at your left side NOT pulling full of joy and rewards.

Hi Krisy. How old is Bentley? Small breeds, especially a Yorkie, run the risk of a collapsed trachea if he continues to pull as hard as he is. You're very smart to stop when you get frustrated. Reccommend you start from "square one." Get a size O/zero halti or a gentle leader, a 1/4" 6 ft leather lead and some great bait. Bentley needs to learn where "close" is before he's up and moving. Practice attention exercises, teaching him to look up at you while on leash. From a seated position on your left, you'll teach him to look up on command. "Ready", "watch me", whatever you choose to use. Once he understands this is required and there's a big pay off for it, you'll then add foward motion. You are baiting him up just a few steps, "let's go" and "close", then stop and "sit". He needs to understand "close" means keeping his body next to your left leg. ("Heel" will be much more formal.) Make this a lot of fun and practice indoors without all of the good smells that he finds on a walk. The appropriate training equipment will keep his head up when he's seated and will drop his nose to his chest, taking him off balance if he pulls foward. No pressure on the throat, which he's now become desensitized to. Spend a few days practicing indoors, then move it outside on the sidewalk. You're going to take a few steps and then take a left causing him to drop back behind your leg slightly, as he can't step where you are and potentially be stepped on. You're not giving him enough leash to cross in front of you, sliding your left hand down lead and taking out the slack on a turn will prevent this. Lots of praise and reward for disengaging hind end looking up and stepping back. Timing on praise is important. When he successfully takes lefts on a loose lead, goes several steps foward on a loose lead, extend then length of heelwork you do. After a week of practice without the battle of the wills, put Halti on, but attach leash to collar. If he's unable to focus and starts to lunge, leash attaches to Halti again. If you have control of his head, you have control of his body. There are several ways to successfully stop the pulling, this is just a start. Reccommend you go to the "favorite training books" thread and get a good book that will address this and more. bentley's a very handsome boy. Good luck.

*blush* I forgot to look at the breeds before posting...don't do my method too much with a toy dog, you'll end up helicoptering them around corners without meaning to.

I just got a visual of that Zoom! Made me laugh. Or.. LMAO as I was told it's called. (Thought lmao meant "lick me all over" because we were on a dog site, when I first joined.) Lol

*snort* That...I think would be on the verge of innappropriate...and so of course I'm going to think of it everytime I see the abbreviation now!

Hmm, I detect personal experience in this post. And I think it may be the answer to my problem. The "sit and then bolt" phenomenon. I'll try the turns and keep 'em guessing approach.

Also, walking backwards a couple of steps helps as well...the dog wants to go forward so he pulls, but pulling means that he has to go away from what he wants.

Otch, Thanks for the advice. I'm very worried about collapsing trachea because they pull so hard that they gag themselves and they always have. I mean I know they're tiny pups but they PULL with their full force and end up tongues out of their mouth panting and gagging like out of control.

I ordered some PUPPIA harnesses that should be arriving any day now and I hope that that makes them AND me feel more comfortable on our walks while they're learning.

Also, I usually walk them both together. Until I have them both completely trained should I be walking them solo? When they're both pulling and trying to cross in front of me I get really overwhelmed.

Hi there, just saw your post. Until you've had training time spent with them individually, I'd walk them seperately. It's difficult to correct one puppy when dealing with another at the same time and the timing on correction and praise will be "off". Hope the harness works for you! Have a great weekend.

Wish I could help but I'm dealing with the same thing with Holly. I have also tried zigzagging around so she doesn't want to walk in front of me because she doesn't want to get trampled on or anything but now she just drops off to the back and runs around the other way and then runs forward which than successfully has the leash knock me off my feet.