Charley Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 We got Millie back in March (15/16months) as previous owners could not take care of her, she was kept in the garden and not walked. Since being with us she is walked daily (1-2 hours) both morning before we go to work and night when we get home. However she constantly pulls! Up until recently it has not been a problem but last week she pulled me over, and has pulled my mother in law over who walks her for us if we're working longer hours, causing injuries to both of us. She hates walking alongside and will run ahead if we even slighlty overtake her, the only time she isnt pulling is about 25/30mins into a walk and on the long line. She seems to pull more when there are two of us walking her rather than solo walks. She is walked on a harness as i felt it was damaging to her neck to be walked on collar, and we use a 5m lead. She is good at recall, and follows commands easily with the offer of treats but being a new dog owner i dont know how to break the habbit of her pulling. Any advice, training tips, equipment suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich & Kody Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 A walking belt will make it alot easier to keep your balance, there are several videos of methods used to teach them not to pull, Staceybob has a good one from what i remeber but i cant find it. I would suggest using a shorter lead to begin with. Best of luck, sorry i wasnt much help, I just get dragged around the place ;p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charley Posted May 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 A walking belt sounds good- might stop me from getting pulled over at least, have got some lovely bruises! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 Huskies dont tend to favour loose lead walking, their way of thinking is more PULL PULL PULL! I MUST PULL! a walking belt, harness and a bungee lead will be a lifesaver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charley Posted May 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Huskies dont tend to favour loose lead walking, their way of thinking is more PULL PULL PULL! I MUST PULL! a walking belt, harness and a bungee lead will be a lifesaver It didnt used to bother me, it's only since she pulled me over that I realised I need something to help her stop pulling so much! Will definatley look into a walking belt - seems like a lot of people use those. Any suggestions on where to get a decent one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Well, I just made mine because I didn't want to spend any money. Although if your Sibe really pulls then I don't recommend making your own - Suka almost never pulls (he's one of the rare Sibes out there that can walk loose leash!). What I did, though, is I took an old belt, put it on, and then put the loop of the leash (4ft leash but I tied knots in it at certain points so I can shorten it if need be) through the belt. Then I did up the belt. Instant walking belt! You might want to do what I did first, though, to see if you like the sensation. It feels a lot different than regular leash walking and can take a little getting used to. Maybe try it for 5-10 minutes and then invest in a real walking belt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 i have a walking belt too - lifesaver with mine - this is where we got ours from (sid_wolf has the same 1) http://www.dogtraininginfo.co.uk/dog-collars.htm <--- its at the bottom of the page - its just under £30 including postage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Dogs only pull because we teach them that's how to get where they want to go. Every time you let your dog pull on the leash they are being rewarded for it and the habit is becoming more and more ingrained. It sounds simple but if you want your dog to walk on a loose leash you have got to be 100% consistent in teaching them that pulling will get them no where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceybob Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Using a walking belt is a good idea, but it's not actually solving the issue you have, and it means you will be relying on having a belt all the time or risk having your arm yanked off, and if she's caused injury to you both, then it's time to start looking at some ways to correct the behaviour. First of all, yes, collars can cause damage to the neck - but only if you allow the pulling to continue. The key to achieving loose leash walking is never allowing the lead to become tight and always allowing the leash to be slack. I see too many people walking with their leashes at an angle like this: When you should always aim to have a U-curve in the leash like this: First of all a 5m lead is too long to try and walk your dog to heel. Think about it from the dogs perspective, if you had the choice of hanging around you or being individual and leading ahead by 5m, where would you rather be? In the dogs eyes, they'd rather be that 5m ahead. Aleu get's two different types of walks a day; A 100ft leash run in the park in the morning, and a 5" leash walk in the afternoon. I also walk her to the park on a 5" leash and heels the way there. I think you need to decide how you want to walk your dog. Yes it's nice to give them more freedom, but maybe it's better to reduce some of the freedom while you get them under control. If I was in your position, I would get a 5" lead and start working on heel. Secondly, it sounds like you need an advantage to get you going, so for a few weeks, I could consider the use of a face harness. Now you've got a bit more control, you can start to work on getting them off the face harness and back on to a standard collar. This is the technique I advise, though see how his dog already knows how to follow this, but this technique does work as that is how I trained my girl: zoJPUH6ULLc Thirdly if your dog gets far too excited in the first instance before you've even left the house - refuse to go until they are calm. Fourth, remain calm and but make sure you do the turn every single time it occurs to teach them they can't do it any more. Fifth, once you are achieving the loose leash, you can start weaning them off the head collar and on to a standard collar. Sixth, relax whilst you are doing it. Try to do it without thinking about it. Your walk shouldn't consist of OMG I NEED TO TRAIN MY DOG OMG ARE THEY STILL IN LINE WITH ME?? Your walk should allow you time to relax and think about other things like what you're going to have for dinner or what are you going to do tomorrow whilst still maintaining control. My offer for you: I am a dog trainer in training building up to work with the KCAI as an official instructor, so I need all the experience with dogs I can get. I visit Birmingham and will be moving to Birmingham in the summer (should our university plans go as we would like it to). If you would like, I would like to help you achieve loose leash walking with your dog for FREE and I can help you do this in person when I visit. It would mean a lot to me to be able to get some on hand experience and I would like to help you enjoy your walks so as they become less hassle and more of an enjoyment. If you would like my help, please feel free to PM me or contact me on facebook under Stacey Rostron-Ashford. Hope this helps! Stacey xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 nice 1 stacey! ur a star and are also gonna come n help me train blaze arent u *nods yes* lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceybob Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 I would gladly help you with Blaze, I need all the experience I can get XD Stacey xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 he will give u that alrite lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpups Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 I agree with stacey a walking belt will help you but won't solve the problem and it could cause you injury if he does decide to pull and you aren't ready. I would get a shorter lead until he learns to walk to heel. Everytime he pulls you stop still and turn in the other direction so he will have to follow you and then turn back round to the way you was goin everytime my malamute pulls I stop and make him sit and wait for him to go calm before carrying on. I would get a headcollar to help control his head to start with everytime he pulls you can pull his head toward you. I think you use a collar having him on the harness sometimes encourage them to pull. When I'm on long walks I put there harness on and retractable leads until I get long lines for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceybob Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 he will give u that alrite lol Lol little devil! Stacey xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 indeed lol - tho uve seen he CAN be good lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charley Posted May 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Thank you all for your great advice, will definatley be trying the stop start technique tonight and look into getting a walking belt and head collar for her. Would love to take you up on your offer Stacey, as inexperienced dog owners we are trying to do our best but we could do with all the help and advice available! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahNukka&Shadow Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Walking belts all the way! I got mine from http://kisi.co.uk/ and I have to say my walks have never been easier! Hands free is brilliant! My guys (yes I walk two sometimes up to four at a time! I'm a dog walker and always take my two sibes with me) tend to pull a little for the first 5 minutes but after that they just go where I tell them and all is well! I think communication is very important, so I may look like a loon walking along talking constantly to my dogs but they respond really well to me telling them steady when their pulling a bit to hard and giving them directions as to which way to walk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 TIMf81vG_Sc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arooroomom Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 I walk all 5 of my dogs together everyday. No one pulls. Sometimes they see a squirrel and they pick up the pace for a moment or so... but that's about as exciting as our walks get. As Bec said they only pull because they know it'll get them somewhere. If I can train 4 Huskies to walk like civilized animals, anyone can! The key is you have to be consistent. This breed will take a mile if you give them an inch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceybob Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 Would love to take you up on your offer Stacey, as inexperienced dog owners we are trying to do our best but we could do with all the help and advice available! x Okie dokie, well you can either add me on facebook or PM me and I'll send you my telephone number. We can then arrange something and I'll come and give you a hand =] Stacey xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 @Staceybob ur already friends with charley on fb lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staceybob Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 @Staceybob ur already friends with charley on fb lol Only because I added her a second ago ='D Stacey xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 lolz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charley Posted May 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 Brilliant advice from everyone, thank you all so much for your help:) Walked her last night stopping everytime she pulled and about 20mins into it i think she learnt why we kept stopping! Nick walked her this morning and promised to keep up with this technique as think it will really work! Payday next week so will be ordering a walking belt aswell. Will be walking nicely in no time!!! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 nice 1 charley keep us posted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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