# Pulling..but only during the morning walk?



## ruchika (Sep 13, 2010)

Pepper is now about 17 months. She is well trained and listens to me (usually...unless she is being stubborn), has been to a trainer and multiple obedience classes. Overall she is great. 

She gets 3 one hour walks everyday (we live in an apartment with no yard....so she does need the exercise). But I have a real problem with that first morning walk. She pulls...I usually have a martingale collar on her.....it does not affect her at all. She is pretty heavy...and I have to keep stopping, making her sit and then moving on...only to have to stop again...because she is sooo full of energy in the morning. Our way back home after that walk is great....she walks by my side with absolutely no pulling at all. Its the same for the other walks during the day...walks very well. I don't know how to stop her from pulling me in the morning....I have a slipped disc in my back...and it has started acting up again because of this.

Any suggestions on how to tire her out BEFORE we go out to tire her out!


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

ruchika said:


> Any suggestions on how to tire her out BEFORE we go out to tire her out!


Try doing 15-20 minutes of training or something that will tire her out mentally.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

With your back problems I wouldn't mess with this.

I'd either work with the Gentle Leader head collar or harness. Gentle Leader Product Description - Premier Pet


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## Ucdcrush (Mar 22, 2004)

In my experience a calm dog doesn't pull, it just stands there. A dog who is full of energy will eventually calm down if the high energy isn't reinforced by allowing the dog to progress (to what she wants: a walk) in that state of mind.

I think it's a matter of leaving the house with her in a more relaxed state. If you try putting her leash on when you have no intention of walking her (for me, this would be in the backyard, a bedroom etc.), you will probably see she just stands there stone calm, and will tag along with you as you hold the leash and walk away. Yes there might be some initial excitement if she thinks she's going for a walk, but if you try it a few times with no walk, in environments not associated with the walk, she will probably calm down when the leash goes on.

But the point is, just putting a leash on her in the morning doesn't mean she's going to pull, especially if she doesn't know where to go. She'll just stand there waiting for you, willing to follow you who are holding the leash.

Now just wait for her to be calm before you click her leash on in the morning, if she gets excited, wait for her to calm and sit on her own. Take one step, she gets excited again, you wait for her to calm/sit on her own, etc. Then she sits by the door, you step through, she follows. Then come back inside take her leash off. And repeat a few times. Then go for real, she will be calm by that point and will not be likely to pull.

It takes a lot of patience, it is very easy to get frustrated and just give up after 10 minutes and go, I've done it several times . But at least try to be consistent with it, require the sitting and a decrease in excitement with each step, and it'll become a habit.


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## brandeeno (Jan 3, 2012)

ruchika, 
I would be interested to hear how the morning leash pulling problem is going? Still just as strong? Have you tried any solutions? Did anything work?

Thanks


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