husky keeps pulling

[J-DeeBay-B]

hey i have this gawjus husky called malachite and hes 2 yrs old since november.he the best execept wen we take him out for walks he pulls like mad and we just cant enjoy our walks 2gether becoz he keeps pulling me everywhere it was ok at thestart but after a while it got annoying and i just hate taking him for walks now. we tried a collar but then we got him a harness its was better but not alot better

can anyone give me some advise tht will stop him from pulling me so we can enjoy our walks please thnak you for reading

[SLC]

I am wondering if you would receive some pretty good husky advice from other members if you are able to move your inquiry to dog behavior (I am worried they may have missed your message under this category).

What helped me with my aussie and my corgi from pulling (yes, a corgi can be quite strong even though I know they are much smaller than a husky )was taking a class at my local community center. During one of the classes I was introduced to a very helpful harness called the gentle leader easy walk harness - a harness made for dogs that like to pull. It is extremely gentle and effective while you are learning how to work with and teach your dog to walk/heal instead of pulling. I must admit I did not have the opportunity to see one used on a husky, but I am convince enough that it can only help until you are able to find some help/advice on how to train malachite.

[Husky_mom]

hi there...

well... huskies are made to PULL.. and they WILL pull... LOL... if he´s been doing it for so long, it´s because he never was told not to, so by now it may be harder for him to "reconsider"..

you might try a gentle leader or a no-pull harness... another thing to do is when he starts pulling change the direction you are walking... it does take patience and time, but I´m sure Malachite is worth it...

would you so kindnly share the hunky boy with us?...not only the husky comitte will love it but everyone else here... welcome both!!

[Karen]

I have moved this to Dog Behavior. Yes, I know Corgis can be stronger than you'd think - they're just "big dogs without legs"!

[Dariesh]

There are two types of gentle leaders the harness and the head collar.

If you do decide to use the gentle leader head collar make sure to condition your dog to the head collar before you attempt going for a long walk.

I would suggest taking a bunch of treats and the collar. Put the collar on ( make sure that it is on correctly) but make sure that you have treats in hand so that you can feed your dog as soon as you put it on or they will try to take it off. Once you feed your dog a good amount of treats with the head collar on, take it off. Refrain from giving treats when the head collar is not on. Put on and take off the collar 3-4 times giving your dog treats only when the collar on. This way they associate the head collar with treats ( good things). I would do this numerous times on separate occasions before you attempt to go on a normal walk with the head collar on. They may still protest a little but keep their head up and keep them moving forward and they should soon forget about it.

A head collar is a different thing for dogs and many people disregard this wonderful tool just because their dog "doesn't like it" and tries to take it off, when they didn't even give their dog a chance to like it.

Both of my Australian Shepherds were trained on head collar gentle leaders. My dogs walk very well on the leash and I no longer have to use the head collar, so it was a success for me. GOOD LUCK!

[Giselle]

I'll be the voice of dissent here. I don't like head collars and I don't use them (gasp)

I'm a firm believer that one can train a dog to heel with a flat buckle collar and a leash and some treats if desired. I am positive reinforcement through and through, but loose-leash walking is one of those things where I'm a staunch advocate of the "bare bones" equipment.

With dog on your left, begin walking. Dog pulls. IMMEDIATELY say "AH!" and quickly turn around and walk the other way. Dog pulls again. Immediately, say "AH!" and quickly turn the other way. Dog pulls. "AH!" and turn around. Dog pulls "AH!" and turn around. You'll probably be doing this for a good 5 minutes. This is normal. Until this point, your dog has been sure that pulling is an acceptable behavior, so you need to wait your dog out and let him know that pulling is NOT an acceptable behavior and it won't work.

Eventually, the dog will stop forging ahead. At this point, you can slow your pace and click/treat/reward the dog for walking more calmly. You're not asking for perfection at this point. You just want a dog who understands that strong pulling is not acceptable. Over time, you can refine the behavior.

For the first few days, you will have to repeat this stop-and-turn-around until the dog really gets it. But remember: YOU are human. YOU have thumbs. YOU have to be MORE consistent, MORE firm, MORE stubborn than your dog. You can do it!

[Dariesh]

Giselle,

I don't mean to cause a ruckus, but more for my personal use to make sure that I am doing the right thing with my dogs.

I was wondering about your opinion on head collars. Why exactly do you not like them? Other than you only believe in the bare bones methods.

Like I said before I am not trying to argue just make sure that I have the right information.