Walking On A Leash UPDATED PICTURES

[lizbud]

You forcing a dog to submit to your control is one thing. You training the dog to be willing to submit to your control and enjoy doing it is another.

No, they are no different. Having a collar properly secured on the dog
is not about "using force". It puts no undue pressure on the dog at all. It's
perfectly normal, but it does prevent the dog from disengaging from it's
focus on the walker. The dog does not have to be checking out every smell he comes across to be having a good time.After the "ground rules" have been
set & your dog knows what you want, you can relax the rules a bit if you
want.

[borzoimom]

Be carefull in corrections with a gentle leader- they can snap the neck. It comes with instructions- USE THEM..

[NicoleLJ]

Be carefull in corrections with a gentle leader- they can snap the neck. It comes with instructions- USE THEM..

Any training aid if used incorrectly can cause damage to a dog. That is why people should always learn how to use a training aid before using it.
Nicole

[borzoimom]

Any training aid if used incorrectly can cause damage to a dog. That is why people should always learn how to use a training aid before using it.
Nicole

Yea- I know that- and you know that. But my statement encourages someone to read the directions etc.

[agilityk9trainer]

No, they are no different. Having a collar properly secured on the dog
is not about "using force". It puts no undue pressure on the dog at all. It's
perfectly normal, but it does prevent the dog from disengaging from it's
focus on the walker. The dog does not have to be checking out every smell he comes across to be having a good time.After the "ground rules" have been
set & your dog knows what you want, you can relax the rules a bit if you
want.

I have never seen a dog successfully trained to true loose leash walking using this method. You still have to resort to putting the collar high and holding the leash taut.

You know you've truly got loose leash walking trained when you can have both your arms full of gear and hold two leashes attached to two dogs and walk into a crowd of people and dogs and not have your dogs pulling you. This is true loose leash walking. If you have to have control over the lead/collar to accomplish loose leash walking, that's not what you've got. You've got a dog who is relying in the leash to keep it from pulling.

With my shelties, I don't even really have to hold the leash. It's in my hands for safety, but they just don't pull. Not even an ounce. I didn't use Cesar's methods. I used treat based clicker training. Works wonders if done correctly with good timing. Took me five minutes for each dog. Your milage may vary, but it's the better method for the long haul. It's a true trained loose leash, not a dog controlled by the leash/collar.

BTW, I like to sit back and watch the green newbies come into the dog training world of performance events and mention something Cesar has said. All the experienced trainers will roll their eyes, take a deep breath, count to ten and then begin to explain why that's a bad idea. It's always fun to watch.

[SunsetRose]

Exactly. As I said before, a dog holding it's head up during a walk is not natural at all and it will not continue to do it when you slack the lead. That nose will go streight to the ground. The key is training the dog to have self control on walks. The dog can sniff the ground, but must also keep up. So a properly trained dog will not be totally consumed with a scent on the sidewalk. Dogs are not visual creatures, they are creatures of scent. A dog that is allowed to smell will be enjoying the walk much more than a dog who has no other choice but to look ahead.

Be carefull in corrections with a gentle leader- they can snap the neck. It comes with instructions- USE THEM..

If I remember correctly, your not supposed to snap the leash at all with the head halti. The way it works is basically prevents the dog from moving forward and if it tries to lunge or pull, it ends up turned around and facing you. I'm trying to look it up, but apparantly the gentle leader homepage is down.

[timlewis]

Thanks for all the tips, i think. All i really want is to be able to walk my dog without her running up and then back and wrapping her leash around me. Im not saying it wont work but im not going to choke my dog into walking before i do that she can just run allover me. As far as having a loose lead, a tight lead or a whatever lead i have a nylon leash so what kind would that be oh yeah and its Red and 5 foot long if that helps, ha ha. But really i have no idea what ur talking about a soft or loose lead or whatever. i havent been on PT in a long time but i dont think u all understand that im not a big animal person. Dont get me wrong i love Daisy but, i dont think i look at her as most of you all do your animals, no offense intended. I live in a small town in Kentucky, almost at the end of a holler, im not out in some big city or anything like that. The only woman i ever knew who put clothes on her animals was an old high school teacher i had and everyone thought she was crazy. All i really need to know is it important to teach them to walk beside you?

[lizbud]

Thanks for all the tips, i think. All i really want is to be able to walk my dog without her running up and then back and wrapping her leash around me. Im not saying it wont work but im not going to choke my dog into walking before i do that she can just run allover me. As far as having a loose lead, a tight lead or a whatever lead i have a nylon leash so what kind would that be oh yeah and its Red and 5 foot long if that helps, ha ha. But really i have no idea what ur talking about a soft or loose lead or whatever. i havent been on PT in a long time but i dont think u all understand that im not a big animal person. Dont get me wrong i love Daisy but, i dont think i look at her as most of you all do your animals, no offense intended. I live in a small town in Kentucky, almost at the end of a holler, im not out in some big city or anything like that. The only woman i ever knew who put clothes on her animals was an old high school teacher i had and everyone thought she was crazy. All i really need to know is it important to teach them to walk beside you?

I remember you Tim and I remember your dog Daisy. It's been awhile
hasn't it? Remember all the comotion on PT when you mentioned having
her ears cropped? I do understand you simply want to know an easy method
to teach your dog how to walk without pulling you.

Check out these directions: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/nopulling.html


Practice, practice, practice. You'll love when it's so much more fun to
walk without the fight.

[Bonny]

I use a collar on my dogs when I work with them. I either take them into our basement or in our own yard. Lets Go is a command I use to ask my dog to move out. I keep them on my left side controllling them with the dog leash. When the dog starts tugging I use a quick but not hurtful tug. I allow the dog to move ahead after the first tug if he/she keeps tugging I use a quick but not hurtful tug to give the dog the hint I am in command. It may take lots of what I call corrections but they do catch on. You have to be consistant & I usually work with them about 15 minutes a day to start with. The idea is to teach the dog to not tug & walk along at your command. Praise your dog when he/she does what you want.

[SunsetRose]

She's a beautiful dog!

I don't blame you for not wanting to choke her or use methods like that....There's no need for them anyway and I don't understand why people would want to cause pain to their dog when there are ways of doing it with treats and praise and love.

I was just reading a book last night and it mentioned a new type of harness that is becoming popular. Unlike most harnesses in which you snap the leash on the back, this new design allows you to snap it on in front at the dogs chest. It uses a similar concept to a GL or halti it seems, making it more difficult for the dog to pull and causing the dog to turn around towards you if it does lunge or pull.

Maybe somebody here who has used one before can share their experience using it.

[gwen]

Thanks for all the tips, i think. All i really want is to be able to walk my dog without her running up and then back and wrapping her leash around me. Im not saying it wont work but im not going to choke my dog into walking before i do that she can just run allover me. As far as having a loose lead, a tight lead or a whatever lead i have a nylon leash so what kind would that be oh yeah and its Red and 5 foot long if that helps, ha ha. But really i have no idea what ur talking about a soft or loose lead or whatever. i havent been on PT in a long time but i dont think u all understand that im not a big animal person. Dont get me wrong i love Daisy but, i dont think i look at her as most of you all do your animals, no offense intended. I live in a small town in Kentucky, almost at the end of a holler, im not out in some big city or anything like that. The only woman i ever knew who put clothes on her animals was an old high school teacher i had and everyone thought she was crazy. All i really need to know is it important to teach them to walk beside you?

I am new to the dog world too, I have only had my dog for a few months, I asked this question too and I was advised to buy a gentle leader it only cost £9.00 dont know what that is in dollars but it changed everything for me, I have a GSD so he is very strong, but now I am in control if I want to let him wander ahead I can and I can also get him to heel too without any effort he learnt very quickly and now we are both happy.

[agilityk9trainer]

I am new to the dog world too, I have only had my dog for a few months, I asked this question too and I was advised to buy a gentle leader it only cost £9.00 dont know what that is in dollars but it changed everything for me, I have a GSD so he is very strong, but now I am in control if I want to let him wander ahead I can and I can also get him to heel too without any effort he learnt very quickly and now we are both happy.

Good job, Gwen!!

[mike001]

I agree that the gentle leader is the greatest tool for instant control. What I really love about it is that I see weaker individuals with big strong dogs pulling them around and really hurting their arms. When they change to a gentle Leader, they have total control and no sore arms. The nice thing is that when the dog is fully trained and knows what is expected, you dispense of it and your dog will walk on a flat collar and loose lead. I've seen some owners keep them on their dogs for aggression issues, but then that would be another category. I mostly see this at Pet Smart, where owners want to bring their dogs, but can't control the aggression. This way they get to bring the dog and everyone is happy.

[lizbud]

I am new to the dog world too, I have only had my dog for a few months, I asked this question too and I was advised to buy a gentle leader it only cost £9.00 dont know what that is in dollars but it changed everything for me, I have a GSD so he is very strong, but now I am in control if I want to let him wander ahead I can and I can also get him to heel too without any effort he learnt very quickly and now we are both happy.

Congrats on having the GSD experience. My RB Buddy was Shep/Huskie
mix and a delight to live with. I accomplished the same training for Buddy
but, used a different method. I am so glad it worked.

[agilityk9trainer]

Tim,

With her you will want a Gentle Leader (GL) vs. a Haltie. I actually prefer the Haltie, but it's only for dogs who have regular sized snouts. She'll do best with a Gentle Leader that can be sized to fit her snout.

I would expect most pet stores - even small ones - should have a GL or be able to order you a GL. the advantage of a large store like a Petsmart or a Petco is you can get help from a trainer in sizing the GL (assuming the trainer at that store is a decent trainer, which isn't always the case). I'm sure you can get a GL on the internet pretty easily as well.

You'll want to read the instructions and watch the video. The dog has to be trained to the GL properly. It's a great tool when trained correctly.