Please help me with walking my dogs

[MulledWineWasMothersMilk]

I have a 5yo terrier cross and a 7 month old jack russell. Both are lovely dogs, very affectionate and well trained within the house.

However, they are terrible on walks. They will drag me/us all the way to the park then walk nicely when there. If they see another dog, the older one goes crazy with barking, shaking, howling, pulling, snarling. It seems he is very frightened of other dogs but has always lived with other dogs. When he has this reaction the 7 month old joins in barking, but I don't think she's bothered.

The 5yo has a harness and a halti. These work until he see's another dog which he goes crazy at. Puppy has a harness.

We've tried distracting him from other dogs and trying to reward for a calm reaction with toys or treats, but he just doesn't want to know.

As the pulling is to get to somewhere exciting, everytime they start pulling, turn round and walk the other way. It doesn't take them long to work out that to get where they want they need to walk nice. It's best if you do this with one at a time, otherwise if one is actually behaving they will get confused as to what they are doing wrong. This has to be totally consistent, it's a right pain but once they've got the idea the rewards are wonderful - no more aching arms!

With the going crazy bit, have you tried mega high value treats such as hot dogs? And start treating before the reaction as by the time he is going mad, it's too late, and he probably doesn't even hear you. I would also not walk the youngster with him until this is resolved or he will also learn to react.

I agree with MrsZ, when they start pulling, either stop and stand still until there is slack in the lead, or else turn around and go the other way. Some dogs pick this up quicker than others, so it might take a while for the older dog since it is so used to pulling. You have to be patient with this method as it can be frustrating not getting to where you want to go.

Minimu posted a great way of teaching heel the other day, starting in the kitchen with treats, and that could be another way to tackle it.

If the older dog is afraid of other dogs, do you know any well-behaved dogs that you can use to help socialize him? It sounds like you've tried 'sit' and 'watch me' and treats as distractions - do these not help at all?

Here, there is some good advice about the pulling in this thread.