My Dog Hates His Leash

[lisahumphreys882]

My Dog really hates his leash/muzzle thing. When I try to put it on him to go for a walk he runs away. There's some pictures of his leash thing at the bottom. He can open his mouth to pant and such and he can bark with it on. I was just wondering if anybody knows how to make him like his leash or not be afraid of it. And also when I put it on him he won't even eat his treats or respond to his name or anything. He's a totally different dog with it on. So if anybody knows how to solve this that would be great. And the reason I have this muzzle thing on him is because he chases cars.

[carrie]

Hello there,
I would start with losing the head collar.
Get a large link check collar to give you some control when you need it, large links so as not to interfere with that beautiful coat. Get out in the garden or stay in the house and concentrate on making putting the lead on fun. Loads of easy training excersises that the dog knows well like sit, down etc and praise like mad. Make these excersises short to begin with, one sit, mad praising, take the lead off. Do it again half an hour later.
I suggest you work up slowly so you are concentrating on walking with a loose leash and the sit command before you even go out on the street if possible. Work in a long "ssssss" at the begining of some of the sit commands and when the dog is listening to that and slows down when it hears the "sssss" change it to a "ssssssteady" in a low, calm voice and slow your pace at the same time.
When you are rock solid on this and the dog is looking forward to having the lead on, go to the front of your house/apartment and get the dog to sit on the pavement for 5 seconds, go straight back to the area you have been training in and reward. Next time stay in the training area, next time go out front and get the dog to sit for 7 seconds, next two times stay in the training area. Next time go out front and get the dog to stay for 9 seconds. Next three times in the training area having fun....you get the idea.
Two things are vital to this working...don't rush it. The dog does not need as much physical excersise as you think as long as it's head is working. If the dog does not get the usual walk for a month, it is worth it.
Second is the reward you are using. If the dog refuses food when it has it's halter on then the food is not the ultimate reward for the dog. If the dog has a favourite toy (ball, rope, frisbee) that it likes to chase, make this the reward the dog only gets when it behaves well on the lead, i.e. if you don't chase cars, you get to chase this and get my attention at the same time. Your dog needs time to learn this so deny access to this toy at all other times.
Give it a try, stay as calm as you can, and take everything very slowly....as soon as we anticipate a problem situation we tend to try and rush the dog through it to get it over with. Getting the dog's attention onto you and slowing everything down with sits and steadys should help a lot.

[VTJess03]

We also tried the head collar (Halti brand), and it took a really long time for the dogs to get used to it; well, really they never got totally used to it. They would be so distracted by the feel of it that they would also ignore everything else in order to paw at it and try to get it off. It worked wonderfully to get their attention away from cars, but didn't put the attention on us, and so we just gave up on the Halti. I have been working with a trainer on obedience, etc. for Belle and we've just been using her normal leather collar and treats, etc. She responds well to that; it was more a matter of me learning how to properly communicate with her and telling her exactly what I expected from her in a way she could understand and was consistent every time. If you have time/money for it, I would definitely recommend working with someone that can help you train, since a lot of the time, it's hard to see our own mistakes and we confuse our dogs way too easily.

Good luck with that beautiful pooch!

[lisahumphreys882]

Thanks for the excellent suggestions I will be sure to try them out It does work to get his attention off the cars...he still chases them a bit but has improved greatly. And he paws at his leash too like every minute. I will try rewarding him with a toy maybe he'll respond to that, I doubt it but it's worth a try. I have a toy in mind (his frisbee) but I don't think he'd like it if he could only use it then...but then again if I practise often enough he'll get to play with it a lot. Another thing is if I was to change the lead he'd chase the cars more again because I've tried a halter and just a regular leash and he chases them and jumps at them more than he does with the new lead. Oh well I'll just have to try my best.

[Love That Collie]

Hi Lisa;
I too have a Collie.....soon to add another Collie when she is
ready to go, she is only 4 weeks old tomorrow.

Bailey is my current Collie, (I've had 4) and Bailey was a leash puller and
a jumper and still is a jumper sometimes when he gets excited. He is only
15 months old at this time. I don't like the head collars for Collie's,
especially the "Halti", I used the "Gentle Leader" by Premier but the head
collars just don't seem to adjust in just the right way for that long Collie
muzzle enough to have them on the dog for much time at all.

Bailey didn't like the head collar either but he was such a leash puller that
for a small amount of time I made him wear it and he did adjust, but hated
the thing all the same and so did I to tell you the truth. What DID work, like
a dream was also by the Premier Co. and it's called the "Easy Walk" harness
and it does fit correctly and worked like a CHARM for the leash pulling and only after a couple of weeks using that harness he no longer pulls the leash.
Instead of the ring where you attach the leash to the harness being on his
back it is on his chest and when he pulled it tightens just with enough pressure that he stopped pulling and there is so much control I could hardly
believe it. Really, I don't recommend any type of choke chain or prong collar
whatsoever, they can be dangerous to the dog. The harness goes around
their body and not the neck it really was a dream to walk with him after we
purchased this harness I was so amazed. We no longer have to use it now.

Bailey has a pretty high herding instinct but doesn't attempt to chase cars
when they go by but when there is a car coming down our street when we
are on walks I make him stop at the same time I say, "Car......wait" and when
the car passes I say OK and then we continue on our walks. Google "Easy Walk"+Premier and take a look at the product information. My next door
neighbor used it on her Lab and it also worked like a dream on him too and he
is a very very hyper dog. Good Luck

[Love That Collie]

Oops sorry Lisa, I see your dog is a Sheltie, I only glanced at the photo's
sorry about that but Sheltie's are also herding dogs...LOL......