Help ...any tips on pulling!

My two babies are getting mighty strong. We have always walked them on non pull harnesses they were great at first but now they are getting stronger they can pull against them easy. We are doing the stop and start training and have been since day 1 but is there anyone that has used a halti? My friend suggested it as he had the same problem with his staffie, and it worked. Im on the fence about this one. They are great at waiting at the road ect ect, just this pulling problem. Please help

I've never used a harness until my dogs will walk properly on lead! Not saying it's wrong, I just think it's harder! I've never used a halti, so I'm afraid I can't comment on that.

One thing you can try is, every time your dogs start pulling ahead abruptly turn around & walk the other way and at the same time say "heal" or "nicely" or whatever word you want to use. Keep doing this (it'll take you ages to get anywhere!) and eventually they'll be so fed up with changing direction they'll be watching you to see where you're going!

Join the club lol! To be honest the best thing to do would be to try and teach them that pulling isnt going to get them anywhere. You will have to do this individually. As soon as he/she starts pulling make them sit and wait or spin them around and start walking in the opposite direction, then carry on with the walk and treat them when theres no pulling. Dont get me wrong this is very time consuming and u dont get anywhere fast lol but it does seem to work in the end if u keep on with it (as in months lol) x

You beat me to it caryll lol x

We did start off on collars but they pulled so much they used to cough with lack of air! We did try the turn around method a few times but id end up looking back at two dogs digging their paws into the ground and not moving any where.

You will find it alot easier doing one at a time, i do. Otherwise they just feed off eachother. I also had to put mine in a harness as Ty actually passed out once from lack of air with a collar x

Lou I had the same problem with Ty I tried the turn around and walk method but got no were fast lol. I decided to take him to obediance classes and was told to try a half check collar we have been going there for 4 weeks now once a week and he is getting it. He now walks by my side with a bit of correction but hey its only been 4 weeks but its made a big difference I love walking him now!
In answer to the Halti I have never heard of it so I am no use there sorry lol.
Hope you get it sorted though.

I was going to post something similar to this, I know that Molly should be way past this at 13 months, but she's really not.
We've been through many different methods, she's currently on a harness, a half check doesn't work, no collar works, a choke chain won't as she just ends up chocking herself.
I'm going to start the stop start technique she's so strong now she's physically pulling and straining my muscles.

I agree with what caryll and blaze have said, its frustrating and takes loads of practice. A lot also has to do with the way you hold the lead. If your arm is out strait in front of you when the dog pulls you have no way of absorbing the shock and your shoulder will get jerked and your body will follow!

You should aim to always have your arm beside you, relaxed and with a slight bend but loose at the elbow not tense. When your arm is being pulled from this position the dog needs to be corrected (and i dont mean a yank on the lead, this is when you need to turn round, using the same command - 'watch' or 'look' - and walk in the other direction, waggle a treat whatever works!).

When walking you shouldnt be tensing your arm and pulling the dog back because he's going to win! Learn to position your lead and arm in such a way that it is minimum effort for you to turn or manouvere the dog and your not being pulled here there and everywhere. This is something I have found anvaluable over the years when training and something which took me the longest to realise.

Another thing I do to teach a new dog to heel is find an open space and put the dog in position and run with it on-lead until it's initial excitement has toned down and it is ready to work. Dogs which pull generally will work better at a fast pace, they want to be moving forward so if you jog/run with them they will engage with you much more quickly. This is a good way to teach the 'watch' and 'heel' commands and will wear your pooch out making it listen more!!

Aside from those tips I would follow everyone else's advice.

I used a halti but the problem i found with them is that Staffies necks are all muscle and adventually become numb to the halti when it comes to their head moving sideways to put them off the pull but it did help cassie with the pull and it still does just not Taz. so now i just make sure their thin collar or slip lead is around the top of the neck just below the jaw line which is where their weak spot is and they physically can not pull but you have to be careful with it the dogs may fight it at first because it is their weak spot and don't want it exposed and down the bottom of the neck is their strongest part and it tends to make them want to pull more.

Also meant to put - I don't agree with check/choke chains, slip collars, prong collars, electric shock collars etc. I think its lazy and is just a quick-fix it never solves the problem just masks it. And they rarely work for long, when the dogs neck gets stronger or it learns a way to brace against it or work around it they will just get worst. I have nothing against harnesses for walking, they take the strain off the dog's neck which is very delicate and allow better circulation, they just don't help for training because you cannot direct the dog's head.

I also meant to include some photos pulled off google to show how the lead should be held.






(the first guy is doing well. the others are holding the lead how you would in show ring, fine for small dogs but will hurt your wrist with a staff)

You can see in the photo below that the woman doesn't have a lead on her dog, however that is where the arm should be even if she did!

[quote="Nosipho"]
I also meant to include some photos pulled off google to show how the lead should be held.quote]

This is how i hold the lead while walking my dogs seperately but its hard to hold it like that when you'r walking all three like myself so i op for keeping Collars up the top of the necks, carfull not to over correct or they will become numb to strong necked to have the desire affect i want.