# Not to pull on the lease



## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

How did you all teach your dogs this or what are some good sites that teach this.


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## Josiebear (Oct 16, 2006)

When she starts pulling walk the opposite direction. Keep turning around every time she goes ahead of you. Eventually she'll have to start watching where you turn and will end up being next to you. Once the pup is next to you reward that behavior even if she is right next to you for the slightest moment, reward her. For me i find that stopping like a tree does not work because if she's focus on something she's way out there and the leash is tense. So i have to turn the other way. Took patience but it ended up working. She now heels if she jumps forward and i say heel she'll return to my side.

I think teaching heel helps with the leash pulling at least for me anyway. Before you take your dog out for a full walk do some sessions with heel and practice walking back and forth in front of your house.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

OK thanks I will try it tomorrow.


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## BuoyantDog (Aug 21, 2009)

See this thread...

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/how-do-i-teach-my-dog/128778-follow-me.html

There is a few links on there of videos, etc. that have GREAT information.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Here's a technique I like: 




And in more detail:


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

One thing that doesn't seem to be mentioned much when it comes to pulling is the dogs excitement level. If I put a leash on a dog that is in bonkers excited state, they are going to want to go much faster than I do so they will pull.

Any of the various techniques for preventing pulling can work, but they will work much faster if the dog is in a calm, follower state of mind. For this it's a good idea to associate the leash with calmness (put it on when he's napping, take it off. Put it on and when he stays calm, pet him calmly), and waiting for calm behavior before proceeding with the walk, and make sure when you leave the house, your dog is following you. If they are running past you (even if you have released them from a stay while you were outside), they are probably in a hyped up state of mind and could benefit from going in and out WITH you a few times before the actual walk.

There always seem to be new methods for teaching it but it's relatively simple. Don't think about teaching the dog what NOT to do, instead think about what you want him to do which is to walk in a certain position near you, where you have decided you want him to be. Then, get him into that position and make it pleasurable for him to be there (praise, food) and non-pleasurable to be away from there once he has learned what the command means.

The turning around and going the other way works great in my experience, without paying attention to the dog or giving him a signal that you're turning around. That puts the responsibility on him to follow you, which is what you want him to do anyway (me thinks).

I second taking a look at the Follow Me thread.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

I never really thought about her excitement level. Well starting today I will get her to calm down with the leash out then on then work on walking outside and just being calm. Anymore tips.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Here is a little more background on her. Bam is almost 3...shes a pretty good dog but we are working on a dominance thing lately I figured out a lot of the problems we have been having is because I let her thing shes the "alpha" dog accidentally. We go on walks or runs just about everyday sometimes twice a day and she acts decent on walks she doesn go crazy, just when we are leaving the house and yard. But the rest of the walk she is ok...she sits when I ask and things like that...she just pulls alot.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

If she's really excited when you are ready to go for a walk, work on that a LOT. I grab the leash off the hook, and if my dog is jumping up and down with excitement, I put it back on the hook and wait for him to stop. I don't say a word, and I don't even look at him, I just wait for him to stop jumping and sit. (I've done NILIF with my dogs from the time they were young puppies, so they already know that sitting and looking at me "makes" me give them what they want). Do this as many times as necessary until she remains in a sit. Attach the leash, and if she breaks her sit before you get it on, put it down again. Keep doing that until you can attach the leash with her remaining calm. If she just won't calm down long enough to get the leash on after a few tries, you can say something like "oops, no walk', put the leash down, and walk away, ignoring her. Try again in a few minutes. 

Once you've got the leash on, approach the door and ask for a sit. Wait as long as necessary, but don't repeat the command. If she sits, reach for the doorknob. If she breaks her sit, pull your hand back and wait for a sit again. If you can reach for the door and she remains in a sit, start to open it. If she breaks, close the door, pull your hand back, and wait for a sit. (Bored yet?  She is too!) Keep working on this until she will remain in a sit with the door all the way open, wait for eye contact, then release her to go through it with you. If she launches herself out the door, turn around and go back inside and start over. You need to be extremely patient and persistent, and realize that if she's really bad about this there may be some days that she either misses a walk, or it's delayed quite a bit, but it WILL work. 

In the meantime, try the exercise is the videos I posted, where you teach her (in the house) that gentle pressure on the leash means she's to move towards it, releasing the pressure, rather than pulling against it. It can take awhile if pulling is deeply ingrained behavior.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks everyone


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Im working on calmness right now. I am sitting and watching TV playing with her leash. At first she was jumping around then she was pasing and winning now she really isnt pay attention to me. Should I reward for this or just not even pay attention to her?


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## heather122 (Nov 6, 2009)

I had a hard time with Sadie too. Even turning did no good nor did rewards for being by my side. There is a "Gentle Leader" which is a collar type thing with a piece that fits around the muzzle. When she pulls, it puts pressure on a pressure point. With the gentle leader on, even a child could walk her. Just a suggestion. Got mine at PetSmart.


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

I think I have one actually...she still kind of pulls with it and she gets really annoyed with it..but maybe thats what I want so she wont pull I dont know..I also tried a prong collar which did very little. I will work on calmness and some of the turning and silky lease and maybe her knowing that not pulling is a good thing she will do really good with the gentle leader.


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## heather122 (Nov 6, 2009)

With the gentle leader, I kept the leash short so that she had no other option than staying by my side. She hates it and if its not snug, she can get it off in about 2 seconds!


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## Shelbyrenee (Apr 13, 2009)

Ya i figured that out to...she got out of it a couple times.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i taught my dog to heel on leash
or off leash.


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