# Loose leash walking



## Cstout (Mar 19, 2012)

Hi guys, you have all been so helpful with all the questions I have. You are all such a good resource  Stark is 12 weeks today and he has always walked well on a leash, never really did that fish at the end of the line reaction. But, he pulls and wanders away and I want him to stay near me and walk on a loose leash. I have seen tips on how to do this, and we've been practicing short steps with him focusing on me in the hallway in the house. But, when we go out to the park or for a walk to burn some energy I don't control his pulling bc we would never get anywhere if I did that. Am I hurting my chances at teaching him to walk on a loose leash. What do I do in the meantime while he is learning to walk on a loose leash? We still go out and do socializiation things, so I need to have him on a leash. I need advice please.


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## DKHarris (Jan 10, 2012)

Last night in training class we worked on the Come command. She said this works well with pullers too. Basicly when you pup looses you as his focus and starts to pull you give a quick tug and say come as you start to walk backwards with your hands at your knees holding a treat. This brings the attention back to you. Xena was coming immediatly last night with amazingly few trys. Xena is not a puller but the teacher has been 100% to this point.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

When Lakota was a puppy, while walking I would call her name, as soon as she looked at me I gave her a treat. She learned that being there at my side was were the goodies come from, so it is a "good" place to be.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I was in your shoes not very long ago. I also let my little guy pull on the leash. Boy, do I ever regret letting that bad habit start. He was such a tiny little guy at 12 weeks, only 26 lbs. Fast forward to today, just over 23 weeks old, and now a whopping 60 lbs, with surprising strength. Now I'm working backwards with him to get him not to pull. 

One thing I've discovered this week: I used to play ball with him to burn off some of the excess energy before we began our walks. At least, I was under the impression that it did. But now I think (for him anyway) it just got him more revved up. The reason I believe this is that I made him a flirt pole over the weekend, and now that we're spending some time with that before our loose leash training, he's 100% better at it. Don't ask me why this tires him out so much more, but it definitely does wonders for him. Maybe he has to think more, since he can't predict what direction it will go in? It works!

In case you're wondering what a flirt pole is - you can basically make one for next to nothing (a stick, a rope, with a toy on the end) - but to really have fun, get a lunge whip for horses. Nylon ones are cheap, mine was $12. Be careful of how much he tears around though.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i always kept my pup on my left side. to make sure he stayed
near me i use to slide my left hand down the leash so i could
control him. i didn't give him any verbal commands or corrections.
i made sure he was on my left side and near me. i would leash him and walk around indoors, the yard, the street and anywhere
we went he was on the left. i gave him plenty of off leash time.
when my dog was 4 months or older i started saying "heel".
it was easy for him to learn the command because all he knew was
to walk on my left. once he learned "heel" i taught him
to heel on either side with or without a leash. if i want
my dog to switch sides i say "other side". it doesn't matter which side
he's on if i say "other side" he switches sides. as my dog became
more understanding of the command "heel" i started adding in
all sorts of distractions.


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## Cstout (Mar 19, 2012)

doggiedad-
I do hold him at my side when we walk, and I hold the leash very close to where it attaches to his harness so he doesnt have any choice but to walk next to me. When he pulls too hard, i stop. And, if he continues to pull harder, I turn around to the direction he doesnt want to go. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. When it doesn't work, I just walk really slowly in the direction he wants to go, holding him even closer to my side. I dont use any commands yet, I just want him to understand that he will not get what he wants until he isnt pulling me while hes on the leash. I also allow off leash time everyday, running or chasing balls or exploring the park. Is this enough to show the results in the future? I do want him to learn "heel" but I dont feel with all the fighting I have to do with him to stay near me trying to incorporate the command is a wise choice yet. I just want to know if I need to be doing more than this? Or will he in time calm down and get it?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

kiya said:


> When Lakota was a puppy, while walking I would call her name, as soon as she looked at me I gave her a treat. She learned that being there at my side was were the goodies come from, so it is a "good" place to be.


I did this too...I mixed up heel with watch me and got a dog that walks on a flat collar


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## kidkhmer (Jul 14, 2010)

kiya said:


> When Lakota was a puppy, while walking I would call her name, as soon as she looked at me I gave her a treat. She learned that being there at my side was were the goodies come from, so it is a "good" place to be.


*x2*

Keep rewarding your pup with treats and clicks as long as she stays near you. She will learn that's the place to be !


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

You may want to take a look at this thread --> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/training-our-puppy-basic/182025-leash-training-help.html


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