# Pulling on a walk



## paradoxlnx (Dec 17, 2014)

Hi 

I've got a 4month old GSD which is new to walks, our other GSD Ditch never really pulled.

I've read several other posts on this forum and thought this was a good alternative trick:

"The best way to stop the pull is to stop whenever they pull and do not proceed until they relax. Or change direction."

But when I stop, she is just as interested in the scenery, a leaf, a rock, some wind, some noises.. everything.

How long do I stop?
How do I make this work?


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## taivu (Jan 26, 2015)

I've been making her come back to me before we continue walking. Its progressing well, but there are many moments like what you describe: she will be eating grass, looking around. Being patient, she will come back to me when I say come back, then I pat her on the head and we continue walking. 

She will often times start running as soon as we continue, and I have to stop again. It makes a 20 minute walk into 45 mins, but I think it will progress to tension on leash = comeback to me before we continue when shes an adult. fingers crossed

edit: mine's 14 weeks old


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## My2shepherds (Jun 10, 2014)

When Athena (now 1) was about 6 months she decided she would decide the direction of our walks and I should follow.... so I confused her. As soon as she started trying to lead I would change direction sometimes away from her, sometimes into her and sometimes just making tight small circles. She would look at me like I had lost my mind but I could also see the wheels turning as she began trying to anticipate my moves. It soon became the game that I would try to catch her off guard and she would try to stay one step ahead of me. It made her heel really tight and kept her attention on me even with distractions. It also kept me from having to "correct" the unwanted behavior because she was too tuned into my moves to make her own....


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## My2shepherds (Jun 10, 2014)

As a side note the stopping the walk thing never worked for me as it just gave her more time to do as she pleased. Make them move with you... control the pace and the direction and if they are not cooperating keep moving... they will follow, they have to... the leash will assure that... btw I never used a choker or corrective collar while doing this... the restriction from constant changes in direction would have been too much.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

https://www.facebook.com/monique.anstee

Quote:
A skill I teach in both Pet Manners, and Growl, that will change a dog more than any tool or training method...

Domestic Leash Skills:
I often think dog training has gone away from actual dog training. Dogmanship and good handling are becoming a thing of the past; and are not something frequently taught, or even pondered. Many people have no clue how to use a leash, and use it more as a tow rope than an aide for communication.
Leash handling is is reward based and punishment based; but our rewards and punishments are not something that many think of. Or are even aware of.
Your reward for a job well done should be muscle release, and a consequence, tension. When they have done good, we need to have an absolute softness about us. Or if we plan on them doing good, we need to have that softness in advance. Tightness will trigger badness, be it reactivity, or pulling.
Yet many people who have not yet conquered their fears are feeding and rewarding 'good behaviour' while their muscles are tense. No one wants to be held rigidly and controlled. Save the hot dog, and instead be respectful with your hands and muscles. 
And if you don't believe me, jump on a sensitive horse and tense every single muscle as you approach a plastic bag and see what effect that has on the horse.
We cannot lie to a dog. They know that if they did good that we will relax. So if they tried, and you did not relax - in their hearts they will know they failed...
When you walk your dog their leash should sit in your open, relaxed hand, while both of your arms swing. On every second step, your leash arm will swing back, and this is your dog's check and balance to know if they are in position or not. My arm continues swinging, even if they are out of position. It doesn't take a dog too long to work out that it is annoying being ahead - and to check their position an inch or two. By swinging your arm, you make the right thing easy, and the wrong thing hard. Sure they can pull, but the dumb human continues to swing their arm, oblivious of the tension on the back-swing. I let them work it out - I don't say a word.
By swinging our arms, we move normally. As you look 'normal' they will follow your lead and start to act normal too. 
Ponder this!
Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC
www.naughtydogge.com


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

When teaching Stella to heel, if she pulled/tugged, I would stop, say _sit_, wait, then once calm, _heel_. As she matured, she heeled at my pace and carried her leash in her mouth. When we moved to the country and went on group walks, Stella was the only dog that stayed with the girls, the others were running here, there..in the woods...

PS, Jax's idea works on Fritz! Swinging arms!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Debanneball said:


> PS, Jax's idea works on Fritz! Swinging arms!


It's not my idea. It's Monique Anstee's who has an incredible blog (link in post above.)

And yes, it works. Seger thought I was crazy but in just a few minutes he stopped pulling.


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> It's not my idea. It's Monique Anstee's who has an incredible blog (link in post above.)
> 
> And yes, it works. Seger thought I was crazy but in just a few minutes he stopped pulling.


I CANNOT wait to try this...does it work on puppies who are pulling because they are trying to eat literally everything?!?!?! What about when they stop completely and won't move because they want to see something/someone etc??? My puppy who is so sweet and obedient in the house completely forgets or cares I exist outside. All he cares about are dead worms and strangers  I don't want to just drag him all the time but he doesn't even come to treats because apparently dirt ?! tastes better than chicken (his favorite). Any advice would be very helpful.


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## ViciousXUSMC (Feb 2, 2015)

Tried swinging my arms, I think it may help some but it causes the leash to drop enough that she steps on/over it much more than if I keep a good slack on it.

She now gets angry at the leash and picks it up and holds it in her mouth, that is actually kind of good as it keeps her from eating other things and is probably a good gateway habit for when I plan to teach her to carry her own leash.


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

Loose leash walking is the toughest thing to train your dog. Much tougher than potty training.

It takes patience, and above all (As Jax said) self confidence and relaxed attitude on your part.

I recommend go to youtube, and check some loose leash walk training videos. It will help.


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## jackiej (Apr 1, 2015)

We have been trying to do leash training too and our puppy, who is 4 months old, has gotten in the habit of pulling on his leash when on a walk. We have tried to do the stop method when he pulls but sometimes I feel he gets frustrated and starts jumping on us or just jumping and pulling even harder :/ Its very frustrating. I got him a harness yesterday because I feel he is pulling so much he is hurting his neck...

Can you guys elaborate more on this swinging arms thing? lol Im willing to try anything!:wild:


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## OkieDog (Mar 15, 2015)

Okay, I'm going to give Monique's method a try. 

That's if I can get Finn to even walk! He used to be so good at leash walking, but now he stubbornly refuses! He lies down, chews on the leash, pulls and tugs, won't budge. He's like a mule and he's only 17 weeks old.


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## ViciousXUSMC (Feb 2, 2015)

OkieDog said:


> Okay, I'm going to give Monique's method a try.
> 
> That's if I can get Finn to even walk! He used to be so good at leash walking, but now he stubbornly refuses! He lies down, chews on the leash, pulls and tugs, won't budge. He's like a mule and he's only 17 weeks old.


:/ Hope that does not happen to me.

We went to a nature trail today and I was able to let Nova walk off leash, oh so much better! She stayed closer to me without the leash than she does with one, and for those one or two times that she would have gotten stubborn and stopped with a leash to investigate I can just keep walking and 4 or 5 more steps later she is running to me.

Definitely enjoyed that walk, would have gone further but do not want to overdo it as I read its not good to take a young pup too far.


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## jackiej (Apr 1, 2015)

I have tried the swinging arms these past 2 days, short sessions, minimal distractions and it has really helped! These is a lot less pulling on the leash!


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## ViciousXUSMC (Feb 2, 2015)

jackiej said:


> We have been trying to do leash training too and our puppy, who is 4 months old, has gotten in the habit of pulling on his leash when on a walk. We have tried to do the stop method when he pulls but sometimes I feel he gets frustrated and starts jumping on us or just jumping and pulling even harder :/ Its very frustrating. I got him a harness yesterday because I feel he is pulling so much he is hurting his neck...
> 
> Can you guys elaborate more on this swinging arms thing? lol Im willing to try anything!:wild:


My last few walks with Nova I feel she is getting only worse instead of better. Tons of pulling and I stop her over and over until she pays me attention and soon as I walk she starts pulling again. After about 10 or so times she starts to get upset, whine/yelp and enter panic mode.

I need to remember to take a toy/treat with me or something so I can get her to focus on me with our walks.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Choose right collar and leash. Your collar could be too thin. Thin collars or chains make dogs pull, because they work as natural obstructions like bramble shoots or bush thin branches, or cane stalks, disabling your dog in moving forward, so her pull is unconscious. Use wide collar to teach heeling like http://www.ezydog.co.uk/neo-collar-wide/ The leash should be short with a ring on its end for extension traffic leash with a ring - Bing Images so you wouldn't confuse your dog by giving more or less leash than necessary. She must get used to the same distance between her and you. You should also try heeling off leash at least 5 min a day.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Definitely try something different if she's stressing that badly.There are tons of you tube videos on leash training.Check them out and try them until you find what works.One hint for you...as you try various methods keep sessions short at first and make sure she's calm and responding well BEFORE you leave the yard.Five minutes of no pulling around in the yard,a couple minutes out on the sidewalk and done! Patience will pay off,no problems to fix later.You'll get there!


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## Winkwinklaugh (Jun 7, 2014)

Im struggling with the same thing with Rylee everything is crazy exciting outside something I discovered helps with Rylee is her love of tug one day I was playing tug with her and shoved the toy in the pocket in the front of my sweatshirt to take her to the potty area and she stayed right at my side I guess the thought that I at any moment could pull this toy out kept her attention I realized why she was behaving so well soooo I took advantage of the moment and got to the bottom of the srairs without a pull on the leash whipped the tug out 5 second tug session had her out it tug went back in my pocket and we started walking again got to the rock outside of potty area pull free 5 second tug put it away kept walking after Rylee went to the potty we walked up and down the driveway to see how much loose leash walking we could do. its definitely A work in progress but Im hoping maybe I found a way to keep her focused on me. hopefully this will help some people. I think its like anything else it may work for one dog and not another anyone out there that can tell me if this is an ok way to train or if im going to create a monster or maybe a way I can take it to the next step so she continues to learn


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

Besides getting a 6 inch wide collar for her (it works as good as a prong, because its large impact on the dog's neck) you might wish to investigate into the matter - why your dog has to pull at all? Why all untrained dogs do pull? The majority of dogs pull BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE WHOM OR WHAT AT THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH. Your pup (most likely) doesn't care - is it you she is dragging, or a wooden log. If that is the case - make sure she turns her head back when you tell her "Heel" Reward verbally if she does. But, some dogs mind themselves to be leaders. They mind it as their task - to drag you forward, and refuse to understand any corrections. So, you should work on leadership as well. Don't let your dog to rush first, especially through any doors. Train patience by asking her to sit for a minute before you open the carabiner of the leash. There are many other methods to train patience, training patience will reflect in good heeling, as well as performing other commands.


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## ViciousXUSMC (Feb 2, 2015)

Id like to dive a bit deeper into understanding.

I have nova on a 1/2" collar (9wk old) based on the recommendation to not get a big/heavy collar for a young puppy as it would be "too much" for them (thing size/weight restricting them) I like it as its clip on so I can take it off and on easy as needed.

She does pull pretty hard sometimes and I wonder if it would hurt her so I kind of want to upgrade to a larger collar. I have a 3/4" martingale to use as she gets bigger/older and I feel that is going to be my happy medium between standard and a prong/choker.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

ViciousXUSMC said:


> My last few walks with Nova I feel she is getting only worse instead of better. Tons of pulling and I stop her over and over until she pays me attention and soon as I walk she starts pulling again. After about 10 or so times she starts to get upset, whine/yelp and enter panic mode.
> 
> I need to remember to take a toy/treat with me or something so I can get her to focus on me with our walks.


She is only 9 weeks old. You are expecting to much of her. She's just a baby.


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## ViciousXUSMC (Feb 2, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> She is only 9 weeks old. You are expecting to much of her. She's just a baby.


Yeah I know, but she is learning fast. She already knows that after she tugs about 2 times on me and I have no play in her direction that she stops and turns around to look at me. Then after eye contact for a moment she usually walks up beside me.

My concern is more of her safety pulling on her neck too hard with the collar.


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## zazzy (Nov 9, 2013)

I have a very picky eater and don't know what to do anymore. I am beyond crazy over this. He is 14 months old. The problem is he will eat what I buy for awhile and then all of a sudden he refuses it. He doesn't get table scraps at all anymore and hasn't in 8 months. He will vomit bile in the morning when he doesn't eat at night and the same thing at night when he doesn't eat in the morning. I have tried dried food alone and added some canned food with it. Now he won't eat canned food if it has gravy or is chicken. Today he refused the beef canned food in his dry food and vomited. The vet says to give him Pepcid and that worked for awhile. I tried adding chicken and then beef I cooked. He loved it long enough to eat several pounds, and then he started refusing it too. PLEASE HELP


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## Kane's World (Mar 24, 2015)

Again, first time GSD momma & I've been obsessed with 'doing it right'....reading everything I can, watching training videos, etc. I have a puppy trainer who comes to my house & is extremely impressed with how well Kane and I are doing.

He is only 11 weeks old & even the trainer said he is too young for me to have many expectations from him outside. Since then, I've been much more relaxed on our walks and try to remember I'm doing it for him (and me). My main goal is to make MYSELF the best thing that happens to him outside.

I do have some basic rules; no movement with a tight leash and he has to calmly wait until I exit/enter doors. 

In my mind, keeping the leash loose is as much my responsibility as it is his right now. I don't see the point in making going for a walk a miserable experience for either of us. 

There a few techniques that seem to work and it's starting to come more naturally to me. If he pulls, I stop....but I always have enough leash in my hand to give slack when he stops, sits and looks at me. I give a tiny praise when he does that & walk up to him, keeping loose leash & keep walking. Repeat as many times as necessary....took us about a dozen times before he caught on & he rarely pulls anymore unless there is a leaf blowing or something. In that case, I try to give him the benefit of the doubt and sometimes will start running myself to catch the leaf so he doesn't have to pull, LOL. 

I don't get all caught up in having him in heel position, and let him wander side to side as long as he doesn't pull the leash....that all will come later.

By far, the thing that is working the best is just having fun with him out there...stopping every now and then for random belly rubs; throwing leaves at him; playing 'ready, set, go' and running for a few seconds (he LOVES that!) & it's a good motivator to get him off his butt when he's watching a bird or whatever. Today, I decided to head off through the bushes down a hill just because that's where he was looking...strangely enough, he was looking to me constantly to lead the way through the bushes.

I use other little tricks too... if he stops, I often reposition myself to get him in a general heel position & he's starting to just naturally go there all the time. Again, I don't get hung up on his exact position at this point...as long as the leash is loose, and he's constantly checking in with me, I let him explore a bit. 

The look in his eyes is completely different now & he really prefers to walk WITH me. By making it fun and unpredictable, I'm finding he's just doing it right naturally. 

I'll up the expectations as he gets older, but for now I plan to enjoy my puppy.


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## techinstructor (Nov 15, 2014)

This thread is older, but since it came to me as a link in my email, I'm going to resurrect it and offer another good resource for how to teach loose leash walking. There are two articles at Karen Pryor's site that helped me immensely. 

Loose-Leash Walking: Part One | Karen Pryor Clicker Training

Loose-Leash Walking: Part Two | Karen Pryor Clicker Training

After reading this, back when my pup was about 5 months old and starting to pull harder and harder every time we walked, I took a deep breath and decided to try Pryor's method. IT WORKS, but it takes time. Now at 11 mos of age, she will walk right by my left side and the leash hangs loosely. If she starts to get ahead, I tell her to "watch" and she'll turn her head toward me which slows her down so that she checks her position. Sometimes she gets a treat; sometimes I just say "Good girl." Even when I don't have treats she follows the pattern of checking in occasionally as we walk. If she doesn't I remind her with the "watch" command. 

She will still pull occasionally when distracted or overly excited. When she does I stop and have her sit, then reset her position by either backing up or going around me. Practicing heeling off leash has helped her to learn to reset herself if she gets ahead or out of position. When out in public in stressful situations (for her) I use a gentle leader and she stays right by my side. I never have to put pressure on it, so I'm not sure why it works. She doesn't like it so it may be that it is such a distraction that she focuses on the collar rather than what is exciting her. I hoping to be able to wean her from it eventually.

She doesn't "heel" like one sees dogs do in competition, with eyes totally focused on my every move. ( I don't desire that for dog walks - No fun for her or me.) But she is a joy to walk with now and I don't have painful arthritic fingers from having a taut rope pulling against them.


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