Pulling on the fecking lead!!!

[Claraoswald36]

Please supply the wisdom to stop ddog doing this
He is a 1 year old show cocker. I am alternating between a no pull harness - he got used to it. And a half choker collar - dp idea and he just pulls and pants with it on. It's slightly better than the harness.
As long as I practise with treats regularly he is pretty good with other command and recall and he's so harmless but this constant lead yanking is driving me nuts - I don't understand how to reduce it as my previous dog (c docile greyhound) didn't pull at all it's a new problem to me!?
Please help x

[dontmakemedothis]

When he pulls, stop in your tracks until he lets the lead go slack, then continue. Do this every time the lead goes tight. At first you will be stopping every step. Gradually it might improve to 2 steps, then 3, etc.

Don't ever move while he is pulling, as that just teaches him that pulling will lead to him accomplishing his goal. He needs to learn that pulling makes the walk stop ( = boring) and letting the lead stay slack lets him walk ( = reward).

[TrionicLettuce]

I'd swap back to using a normal harness (not one that tightens or anything under pressure) first, if he's pulling and tanking on a collar he could potentially damage his neck. This is a good article the covers the potential issues with using a collar on a dog that pulls.

Kikopup has some excellent videos covering loose lead walking on her YouTube channel. is a good one to start with.

by Steve Man of the IMDT.

[OnlyTheDepthVaries]

Morning, following advice on a similar thread I bought one of these figure of 8 leads
((www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FITNME4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1%29%29&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

It sorted out my dog pretty quickly - no pulling at all. However, she has recently learned that if she faces me, then pulls away the lead slips off over her head and she is loose!!
I've reverted to a slip lead now as I hope the worse is over.
I can also recommend the advice above from dontmakeme - makes for a slow walk with little distance done - but does teach them not to pull.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Knew this would be about a spaniel.

[Claraoswald36]

Trionic thank you for the wake up call about the choke collar. That article was so distressing I cut the collar off him and binned it - never again!
We are going to persevere with teaching him not to pull and popping out for a bog standard harness later on.

[allthebestplease]

I watched the fog whisper and he said to ensure the fog walks slightly begin your step, thus is now what I do with my cockers - so I have their lead shirt and my hands behind my back. It teachers the dog you are the leader of the pack.
I tried the stop start it never worked for me. I have the harness that goes around their nose and a normal lead.

[Claraoswald36]

Fog! But yes I get the idea

[Floralnomad]

Anybody who says anything about being pack leader should be instantly ignored because it's utter rubbish ! Personally I don't think you can say your dog doesn't pull unless it doesn't pull when being walked on either a flat collar or a 'normal' type of harness , not pulling on a headcollar is not down to training ,it's down to use of equipment , which is fine but not a substitute for training.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

BastardSpaniel doesn't pull DH. He pulls like a train with me. I rarely have him on the lead, I drive to places where he can run freely and injure himself. I have one that loops round his nose which does stop him pulling, but he hides under the chair when I produce it.

[LadyV90]

OP I have a 10 month old boxer who was really bad for pulling and we've been going to puppy classes here are some of the tips we've been given.

• regular change direction when walking you dog will need to walk beside you to know where you're going
• slip lead when the dog pulls give it a short sharp tug rather than a long pull trying to wrestle into submission
• if the dog is pulling keep stopping it'll ruin the dogs fun and they eventually realise if they walk nicely they'll get where they want to go faster

[Claraoswald36]

What's a slip lead?

[Kit30]

Long experience of show cockers suggests that you've got a typically stubborn one. I'd endorse 'dontmakemedithis's advice but add that you need to mix up your routine and go back to basics. For a week, walk only on the lead and in short bursts, say 15 to 30 minutes. Your dogs only young so not too much roadwork in the mix. Your aim is to make her/him understand that being on the lead isn't a means to an end, ie. charging off somewhere to have an off lead
run. if you want to exercise off lead, drive to your park/open ground and munimise lead time. After a week you can walk to your off lead area but continue the same lead practice. I also find that periodically stopping and getting the dog to circle you so she's back at your side reinforces that that's where you want her to be - treats sparingly & praise often

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

slip lead when the dog pulls give it a short sharp tug

So if your dog pulls you choke it?

[Floralnomad]

Slip leads are like an all in one collar and lead , so a bit like a noose IYSWIM . They work in a very similar way to choke chains ie dog pulls so noose tightens .

[LadyV90]

It's essentially a gentler version of check lead, you make a loop by threading the lead through a ring and slipping it over the dogs head, and as the dog pulls it tightens.

Should be available from the likes of pets at home or the likes

[Floralnomad]

Surely it's only gentler as its rope / material not metal like a normal choke chain - it's effect is the same .

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Surely it's only gentler as its rope / material not metal like a normal choke chain - it's effect is the same

Would you put you or your child's head in a "gentle" rope noose and then tug? Dogs necks are pretty similar to ours....

[Claraoswald36]

No to the slip lead then. Kit30 that wAs a really useful post I was wondering about the getting to the field etc. Thank you. I was thinking I should do one thing at a time and practice the lead work around the streets for a while before we get back to yahoo ing around the park which is what we normally do

[LilCamper]

Invest in a Dog Games Perfect Fit Harness and Google the 300 peck method of loose lead walking.

Tools are not a magic fix and any that claim they are are going to work through pain or discomfort.

[tabulahrasa]

"not pulling on a headcollar is not down to training ,it's down to use of equipment , which is fine but not a substitute for training."

I use a headcollar (and a harness for that matter, he's way overdressed, lol).

Headcollars don't actually stop pulling, they take a bit of pressure off, but you still have to do all the same training to get them to actually walk with a loose lead.

[ChairRider4]

Slip leads are useful only when your dog walks well on lead they are not designed to stop your dog pulling as it would choke them no different to a choke chain and just as dangerous used that way

I use a slip lead when am somewhere I need to put on /off lead quickly (I struggle with clips due to disability ) but my boy does not pull and walks loose lead so not tightening on him

[Shizzlestix]

Yy to the sliplead, but twist the excess from under the chin over the nose in a figure of eight until the dog learns to walk on a loose lead. Dog doesn't choke, you can control with one finger.