Parso Russell pulling on leash !!

[janmk]

Hi

Can anyone help as this problem seems to be getting worse. Our PRT bitch pulls like mad . She is also aggressive with other gigs when on her leash. Tried a gentle leader but she scratched it off causing her mouth to bleed and it was all over her paws!

We have been to training classes but popping the lead and saying heel make no odds!

She pulls 10 times less when wearing her coat but warm weather makes this a no no !!

We have a JR who thinks hes a husky, we bought a special harness type lead from our local pet shop that has worked miracles, i think it makes him uncomfortable to pull as it pinches under his front legs - i can't remember what its called sorry, thts not much help really, but it does work, even my 6 year old can walk him and he nearly pulls my arm out of my sockets without the harness.

How is she with other dogs when she is not on the lead?

Is it a lupi harness by any chance - was considering one ???

She is good with other dogs off the leash.

Thanks
Xx

I am really not sure, if i go to the cake shop tomorrow i will let you know (obviously you know that the cake shop is next to the pet shop!) , but it is a sort of harness with padded bits that go under the dogs "arms" It cost £10.99 and was the best £10.99 i have ever spent, on the dog anyway.

It is quite common for dogs to be aggressive on the lead, they have no-where to run. How do you react to other dogs when they approach? Do you just ignore them or make a big fuss about pulling your dog away, tighten the lead and generally give out anxious signals? Its hard to do this when it is worrying, but try and be as nonchalant as possible around approaching dogs, let her say hello (unless she is a total psycho) and then when she has said her hellos gently encourage her away. This might work as you dont want her to associate other dogs ith you feeling threatened. Saying that, my dog is an absolute demon with other dogs when on the lead an i have been known simply to grab him by the scruff and drag him away snarlling like a maniac. Its a terrier thing im afraid, but the upside is they are small enough to be able to scoop up out of harms way.

A lupi worked brilliantly for me, but remember to use it as a training aid, not a forever every day thing. Some dogs will eventually get used to it and not care if you you don't work on the problem in addition.

The padded version wasn't good. It was much more difficult to put on/take off, and the padded bits were too bulky and rubbed badly. The rope lupi slackens immediately when the dog stops pulling and is much kinder imo.

I have a PRT who also pulls like mad on lead/collar despite my best efforts trying to train her. Although to be fair she is hardly ever on her lead which makes training quite difficult as well. I tend to take her where she doesn't need a lead and it seems so much more fun than walking up and down roads trying to teach her to heel. What fixed it for us is a simple harness that goes round chest and under belly and lead fixes on the top over her back. She does not pull with that on at all. I had a little trouble finding one to fit as the XS was fine when she was young but then got too small and the small was too big for a while but as she has filled out as she has got older it is now fine. Works a treat!

Have you tried the technique of stopping as soon as she pulls, and not moving on again until she is back at your side? It needs a bit of training (you'd have to teach a "back" command), and loads of stops, but a clever dog like a PRT should eventually get the idea that the quickest way to make forward progress is to go a little slower and stay by your side.

When I do it with my PRT (not a routine puller but prone to pulling when we get near to the start of the exciting offlead part of the walk, or if there is another dog up ahead), he comes back -- but he cries every time he has to walk backwards. The crying literally replaces the forwards motion that he is working so hard to limit.

And re the onlead aggression with other dogs, there is a lot of good advice about this on MN. What has worked best for me is keeping a squeaky ball in my pocket and bringing it out as a reward/distraction the second he has spotted the other dog, and before he has a chance to misbehave. He prefers the ball to the encounter with the other dog and will now look to me for the ball when he spots a dog. It hasn't cured the problem (if I forget the ball we are still likely to have a bit of pulling and snarling), but it certainly ensures that he is having lots and lots of positive experiences of passing other dogs quietly, which makes walks more enjoyable and is gradually reducing the level of aggressive arousal that he associates with the presence of other dogs.