Loose lead training

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Just a quick question. We are loose lead training.

I can see the clear of advice is to stop still if the dog pulls until he moves back towards you and the lead gets slack again.

I have been doing that but doggo (19 weeks old GR) stops still and sits down. He looks around but doesn't come back towards me.

I had been keeping the lead taught but then walking up to him and saying 'walk on'. But then I thought I was probably reinforcing the pulling??

So now I stop, wait, if he looks round I offer a treat and see if he comes back. But he is not very food treat motivated and it can be a bit of a stand off.

Advice welcome!

You have two basic ways of doing it

• make pulling bad by linking it with punishment
• make staying near you good by linking it with reward

When you stop still, you are linking the pulling with the punishment of not getting to carry on walking. This is not a bad way to do it, bit ime it takes a bit more than this with lots of dogs. My own included.

I combined it with rewards at hip height. In practise this meant:

• getting the dog used to the idea that treats are delivered when his nose is next to my left thigh
• once he would assume the right position for a treat I started to build in walking. Just a step or two, then treat. Another step or two, then treat.
• At first I kept the treats at nose height to lure him along with me as I stepped.
• After a while I raised the treat up and out the way.

On a walk I would take treats and practise the treats but stop still if he pulled ahead. Mine is also not especially treat motivated so it was at least 50% time with treats and 50% with pulling.

By keeping consistent he has gotten better and better.

That said, it's been a looong process. He's a year old and walks nicely now so long as nothing excited is happening anywhere near. He will still pull to greet other dogs, pick up litter, sniff a leaf etc. He gets better and better each time but it has taken ages.

My guess would be that you are not standing still long enough. If the dog is looking back to you then it is likely only a matter of time before he tries other things to get you moving. Maybe pulling even harder at first but eventually he will come back to see what the problem is. The first time might take several minutes but he will pick it up quickly enough. Just be consistent.

There are two things you should teach every dog and everything else is easy

One is reflex to their name and the other one will help with everything you do especially loose lead walking - it is simple, it is the magic pill, it is fool proof, I may have to kill you if you know this simple cure all method as I will be out of work

Don't stand still, don't turn around the dog just get really frustrated and you never get to go on a walk as you are standing still or going back the way you came!

Get some yummy treats, dog on a lead, you can be sitting down if you like to start with. Every time the dog looks at you in the eye give him a treat - it is that simple. No words, no luring just reward eye contact. Do not have a treat in your hand as the dog will look at your hand.Just dog looks at you you get the reward from your treat bag or pocket and reward.

Start with this at home,then go and sit in the park and do it there, go everywhere and just reward the eye contact - do not worry about loose lead for a day or two (after all they have been pulling for months what is one more day!)

Next stage when eye contact is pretty often stand up and wait for eye contact, reward, take a step and wait for eye contact and reward,take a step backwards, sideways walk like a drunk person but reward all eye contact.

No pulling no stopping no getting frustrated just relaxed rewarding eye contact.

No dog and I mean no dog can pull forward and look at you to give you eye contact.

All you do need to do is to proof the eye contact when their are distractions and this can take a bit of planning eg if I take my collies to a tennis match that would be hard for them but if I gave enough distance I would get the eye contact and could then move nearer etc.

Default behaviour for all dogs is to check in with you at regular intervals for a reward easy peasy and it is foolproof.

I love teaching this method it always works and it is so easy to do -let me pop over and introduce it to your dog

Great ideas guys thanks so much!

A difficulty has been that he is really not motivated by food treats. Whatever is tried. It's just not his thing!

See stubborn dog thread for tips on non food motivated dog.

I hate the method used in the above video. The dog is not being taught a behaviour he is just getting stressed out by erratic walking no"learning" is taking place at all. Look at the dogs body language in the video.

What about when your dog just sits down and won't move?!!

With treats have you tried doing the training before a meal so dog is hungry?

I used the focus on me type training Valhalla describes in her post from the start with my second dog and even as a teeny tiny pup he walked like a loose lead pro (the only exception being when we go to the vets - which he loves and gets extremely excited about strange dog).

My first dog, with whom I did the stop start thing with, will come back to my side anytime I stop but as soon as we move off he goes straight into pulling the lead taunt again. I've never been able to do more than a few steps before he pulls again. Starting again with the method used with dog 2 is helping but taking much longer because I'd stuck with the other method for so long.

Is he sitting when you are trying to walk?

Thanks for this,

Spanielsarenuts - he frequently goes out when he hasn't eaten in a while. He is just really excited by being outside and treats seem to be meaningless. He does train with treats at home but he is a bit 'meh' about them.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten - he sometimes sits when walking but often this is because it's been hot, and when he finds a little shade, he lies down.

I don't walk him very far. We stick to the suggested 5 mins per m onth twice a day and he doesn't pull all of the time (it depends how excited he is - e.g. if he goes to a new place, he's more likely to pull).

But I just don't want to reinforce the pulling by moving towards him.

Basically, he pulls, I stop, he sits and looks round, and then I have been moving towards him and then saying 'walk on' as the lead gets slack.

But then I thought - perhaps this is reinforcing the pulling?

Also, we have let him off lead in an empty field a couple of times and practised recall and treated him for it. He can be great but is growing in confidence and today just legged it. Woof. Not doing that again until I've got a better grip on this.

Do you use a lead or harnass?

We thought harnass but have heard others (including a reputable dogs' charity we attend for training) say use a collar.