# 11 wk Pulling on leash



## Janilynne (Feb 18, 2011)

Hello!
OK, so our 11 week old is coming along nicely. She's learning to wait at her kennel door till invited out. She waits at bottom of stairs for me to go up first. She sits and waits for her food. She knows "sit" and "down".
She is not highly treat motivated. She sniffs it for a moment then takes it tentatively and takes her time eating it! We're talking tiny pieces! 
My question is what should I expect on walks with her? Being so young?
When we start out she drags behind me and I have to tug her along. Midway she gets to keeping up with me and walks next to me nicely but is easily distracted and tries to zigzag about. On the way home it's a tug of war! She knows we are headed home and starts the pulling! I correct her each time she pulls the slack out of the leash. I do this so much my hand is sore! Today I started to stop and wait when she pulled. When calm we would start walking again and. From her sit position she leaps forward and starts pulling. 
Am I just asking way to much too soon?? I know I keep hearing "small dogs small problems, big dogs big problems". So I wanted to master the walk early! Is this too early?
Should I get a different collar??
I already know I need to work on "focus" and will be researching how.
Thanks!


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Look up silky leash training on youtube by ahismadogtraining*

THAT is what I use for all loose lead walking tasks and it works GREAT. Better than anything else I've tried.


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## jrod (Jan 10, 2011)

Baron starts out pulling strong out the door, he is so excited to explore! When he gets pulling ahead I simply stop, tell him sit, walk up next to him, and then say ok as I continue to walk. If he starts out strong pulling right away I stop again and repeat. It gets a bit annoying but he is starting to understand that he needs to stay by me to continue on. This is not a formal heal by any stretch, I just want him to walk next to me and keep slack in the leash. I don't know if I'm doing it exactly right but I'm trying to stay consistent. About halfway through the walk he is usually doing better but sometimes still gets ahead and pulls.

I will be looking at some different collars or harnesses. I saw a harness at Petsmart that is supposed to discourage pulling. I'm not a real fan of the gentle leader. The Harness is called "Premier Easy Walk Dog Harness" and I found it at Petsmart.com

I'm hoping to get it this weekend so I will let you know how it works out. My only concern is can I get one to fit him now and into adulthood, probably not.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

She's not too young to start learning, but it will take time. The collar pressure techniques like those described in the silky leash training videos work well.

But if using collar pressure techniques it is absolutely imperative to avoid setting up situations where the pup practices pulling on a collar, and thus becomes desensitized to collar pressure and gets mixed signals about whether pressure on the collar is or is not ok. So while teaching loose lead walking in that manner, one must use a body harness of some type for walks and other things where the pup will pull. That way the pup only ever gets a chance to pull in harness, never a chance to pull on the collar. Letting the puppy pull on the collar outside of training sessions just undermines the whole training session.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

I do not believe in using harnesses or special collars when you can physically control the dog. They do not train the dog, they just serve as a crutch, and you raise a dog that's dependent on this stupid harness to walk right. I hate that. TRAIN the dog to walk correctly and save yourself the money.

eta- The use of a harness would make some sense in the case described above. But I still don't condone using them as an end all be all to training.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

A harness won't train anything. But it allows one to prevent undoing other training by avoiding setting the pup up to practice the absolute wrong behavior until the training is complete. So much easier and quicker to train a dog when one can control the environment and situation to make sure only the desired behavior is habituated and rewarded, and never allow the undesireable behavior to be practiced and reinforced.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

My puppy is 11 weeks old as well and yes, he pulls. They are just way too young to understand, give it time. I have the Easy Walk harness and will be using that for walks. 

I don't take him out for walks... well... just a few houses down from our house and back, anyway, as soon as he starts pulling, I call his name and redirect his attention to me. I avoid pulling him towards me, I don't want to injure his neck. 

Maybe you could change treats? I make my own treats (beef jerky) and Odin loves it.


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## MissCherry (Mar 16, 2011)

Oh I know what you mean! My puppy is just like yours (10 weeks), when we get out he is way behind me where I have to add slight pressure to get him moving (I allways look a head, and give a slight glance back to see what he is up to so that it does not seem like I am begging him to move.). Then half way he walks pretty well (I give him lots of praise when he is by my side), and right when he realise we are heading back home he starts the tugging. I stop when I feel a slight pressure, or if he is walking too fast ahead of me. Then I wait that he calms down. My pup whimpers alot so I have to wait til he stop whimpering. It is pretty hard, but it seems like it is working for me. For example after a week doing this he is starting to come back to me when I stop. It is fustrating because sometimes to do a walk that should last 25 mins it takes us an hour before we get home. It takes up allmost all my time, but I make shure I'm allway consistent, and calm. I do not look at him while he whimpers. I do not stare at him when he is tugging. My husband on the other hand for example gets dragged by my pup because he is not consistent with him. I do not know if this ever happened to you but when we cross the street my little one is allways nipping my pants (so painful, soooo many wholes in clothing). If he nips me on the side walk I stop, and shove toys in his mouth (some times we remained 10 mins in one spot til he calmed down). When I cross the street I'm forced to pull him away from me... which I hate because I do not like pulling but I can't risk us getting run over! You know what I have found that works alot bringing treats around, and giving a treat when he leaves the house plus going to other various places. When we enter inside a store I give him a treat, when we are around lots of people, when we get on a bus, when we go to someone's house, and also when he is behaving really well. Today I had Joker allways watching me waiting for a treat . I really do not give him treats, but I give him his pieces of his dog kibble.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Josie/Zeus said:


> My puppy is 11 weeks old as well and yes, he pulls. *They are just way too young to understand, give it time.* I have the Easy Walk harness and will be using that for walks.
> 
> I don't take him out for walks... well... just a few houses down from our house and back, anyway, as soon as he starts pulling, I call his name and redirect his attention to me. I avoid pulling him towards me, I don't want to injure his neck.
> 
> Maybe you could change treats? I make my own treats (beef jerky) and Odin loves it.


They are not too young to understand at all... They just haven't been trained enough yet.


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## JanaeUlva (Feb 5, 2011)

Chris Wild said:


> She's not too young to start learning, but it will take time. The collar pressure techniques like those described in the silky leash training videos work well.
> 
> But if using collar pressure techniques it is absolutely imperative to avoid setting up situations where the pup practices pulling on a collar, and thus becomes desensitized to collar pressure and gets mixed signals about whether pressure on the collar is or is not ok. So while teaching loose lead walking in that manner, one must use a body harness of some type for walks and other things where the pup will pull. That way the pup only ever gets a chance to pull in harness, never a chance to pull on the collar. Letting the puppy pull on the collar outside of training sessions just undermines the whole training session.


Totally agree. For me a harness has worked great for general walks since puppy day 1 and now that we have started formal obedience the sensitive neck combined with training to give into collar pressure is worth it in my opinion.


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## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

I always use a harness on young pups. Flat collars add unnecessary pressure to the developing neck and trachea. 
To teach walking on a loose leash I utilize a target stick (you can also use a long handled spoon as well). I teach "target" which means each time the puppy touches his nose to the stick or spoon he gets rewarded. Once this is happening consistently I begin working the target stick while walking on a leash. First inside without distraction, then outside.
Start with pup on a leash inside, hold the target down at your side and ask for a "target". Pup moves forward to touch and reward. You can either put peanut butter on the stick or spoon or just reward from a treat pouch. 
Once the pup is walking nicely I keep the stick/spoon up and just drop to my side every once in a while. Then take it away completely and only reward from your pouch as he is going along nicely.


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