Using a half check collar to stop pulling and leaping

[Andy530]

Max (10 months, neutered) is generally well behaved. He is happy to accept us as alpha to him. The only issue that we have not been able to resolve is pulling and leaping when we walk him near other dogs and children (ocassonally some adults). The rest of the time he will walk to heal (ish) on a harness. We are thinking about using a half-check collar to help train him out of this habit. Does anyone have any experience of using these - have they helped, are there any tips on how we should approach this? Thanks in antcipation, Andy.

[Alex T]

No offence here but the main thing i find with training is not the tool/s that i use but how I go about it.

When he jumps up at people do you make sit and wait before your walk continues or before these people give him any fuss/ attention. I would imagine that that is his ultimate goal - jump up get fussed - hes won! Jump up, made to sit and wait - he hasnt got his own way!

We only walk Isis on a harness and at first she used to jump up at everything - but with the above approach she is far better than she was a few months ago, but shes not perfect!

Another thing that we have done is to teach her the 'onby' command, where she is expected to ignore whats going on around her, again she isnt perfect at this, but she is getting better.

The only thing that frustrates me is that Isis will not at the moment walk to heel!

[valkyries]

good advice Alex as i have this same prob with Odin so ty

[Bec]

I walk my dogs on martingales (half check collars) - I find I have more control if I ever need it as you can fit them nice and snug, and they won't slip over the dog's heads like flat collars can do, so it's a safety thing as well. I find I have much more control with a martingale than I ever would with a harness.

But a tool isn't a solution to a problem, your issue is a training issue not a tool issue. Putting him on a half check collar won't change his behaviour. I would be doing lots of focus work with him so you maintain control when you walk him past a distraction like another dog. I use the look command so I have a command I can use (once proofed) to get the dog's attention.

What turns him on? Food, toys, pats? A tug, a squeaky ball? Use what motivates him as a reward for him focusing on you. Start in lower distraction environments, don't take him out and wait until you're walking past another dog to try and get his attention, control in a high distraction situation is something you need to build up to. When he leaps towards people and other dogs, why is he doing it? Is he doing it because he's excited, or is it something else?

[valkyries]

mine jump up coz he gets exsited he's 16 month now and a big boy, he never used to do this but in the last few weeks he as. i do pull him back and make him sit till they pass by and i'm still working on this, he does not do every time now so fingers crossed it will stop

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

i used a half check on my boy (mainly cuz he used 2 slip collars - he has a harness now) n it didnt help with the pulling saying that the tool itself isnt gonna help hes gonna need training with it like alex and bec (smeagle) said good luck let us no how u get on

[mbb23]

We had the same prob with Grey when we would take him out for his walk he would get to over happy and jump up alot at people that would stop to say hello to him. With a little training and a good firm no and made to sit down when somone comes over to say hello and it got so much better!!!

It is in the nature of a Siberian Husky to pull but if you are finding him hard to control when out maybe you could have a look into harness for a bit more support or a halti or somthing like that?????

I think alot to do with it is his age (still very puppy like at 10months) I think sibes do tend settle down a little after 18months or so.......( I hope :p)

[Andy530]

Thanks for the tips everyone, we have been trying the "sit and stay/look at me" for about a month now, but to little avail, hence my thinking about training aids. It is predominantly excitement, but when leaping at children, it is a behaviour we need to control - for obvious reasons. Appreciate he is young, but do want to start using the right approach and patiently sticking with it rather than keep trying different techniques.

[Sarah]

sounds like you're doing the right things - keep going, it will stick soon

[Bec]

Thanks for the tips everyone, we have been trying the "sit and stay/look at me" for about a month now, but to little avail, hence my thinking about training aids.

But, when you do that, do you wait until he's already getting excited because he can see a distraction? To get a dog to be reliable with any command we need to proof it, and that means teaching it and getting it solid in a low distraction environment first. Once we have that, we can start gradually introducing distractions. In other words - don't ask him to run before he can walk.

Try getting him to do something like the look command at home. Get that reliable. Use something really exciting and high value to him as a reward - a squeaky toy, a tug, high value food like chicken etc - whatever he really goes wild for. Only use it when you are doing a training session so it's something he doesn't get all the time. Once he's solid with the command at home, get him to do it somewhere with a little more distraction, like the outside of your house; then once that's solid amp it up a little more and get him working well in your local park or field (when there aren't any other major distractions around). Once he's working well then slowly get him working closer to distractions. Building focus is a gradual progress if you want that focus to be solid and reliable.

When he does jump or get excited around kids or other dogs, and you can't control him or get him to focus, turn and walk him away so he calms down, THEN get his focus. Don't let him greet any person or dog until he is sitting calmly and nicely.

[~*Shell*~]

I know it's not the same problem but when Zero was dog aggressive we worked on reducing his "critical distance" - the idea works to reduce the amount of distance it takes until the dog reacts to the stimulus to the point where it no longer over stimulates the dog. What smeagle is saying is that idea - if you've proofed the "watch" command so your the dog will always respond to you in the backyard, try doing it out the front of your house, then near a road, then with other people around, then try with the other dogs.

Once the dog is over stimulated, they totally lose the ability to learn - that's why you can pull, yell and give them any correction under the sun when they're jumping and pulling to get to the other dog or person and they seem to completely ignore you - it's not that they're ignoring you, it's that their brain is too overstimulated to register that you're giving them a correction. If the dog does get overstimulated - take him away from the source, calm him and then try to work with him.

It does take a while but it does work! It sounds like you're definitely on the way there so keep it up!

[ade hill]

the only things i would add to all this great information, is that sometimes it helps a great deal when training against distractions and regain focus to physically place yourself between the dog and the distraction. A firm "no" and then use your flat palm in front of him as a physical barrier, and when you release the barrier, bring it up towards you so the dog follows it. this in time will help make you his main focus, and he will start to look to your reaction in distraction situations.

the last thing that may help with a dog that jumps up, firstly, dont react...other than a verbal " no", just walk backwards and stop, he should soon get the message his alpha doent like jumping.

hope this helps

[infinitykate]

I was told by the breeder to NEVER EVER EVER us a check collar. I talked to my vet and a trainer, both of whom have experience with huskies, and they said, "You'll do more damage to the dog trying to get their attention on a flat collar and you'll end up tearing your hair out."

So, I gave up and tested out the full check, and I'm a convert. I actually use a full check collar with Finn. We just started with it last week. It has produced a complete 180 in her behaviour on leash. She walks at a heel with no problem and has her focus on me. When she starts to wander off I just give her a quick "Eh!" and then follow up with a check if needed.

You're right in saying that it's just another tool, but especially with a dog who's focus is off of you, it's a good one.

HOWEVER: Make sure that you've got the collar on the right way for which side you want the dog to heel on. Even with the half check, it matters. If you put the collar on backwards it won't loosen off after a "pop" where with it on the right way, it will tighten for the pop, and then loosen immediately.

Just my two cents.

[Bec]

Kate - one of the benefits of a half check (martingale) collar is that you don't have to worry about putting it on the right way, like you do with check chains. I find I prefer the martingales to check chains because you can adjust them to sit properly on the dog's neck, but that's just a personal preference.

[Ice and Cripton]

Well the countless times Alaska has slipped her collar with me and other family members...even at training..is a heart attack too many for me, once into the road and shes been lucky so far but luck runs out so i feel much safer when she has her half-choke on. She can even slip her harness although i do walk her on it as i see a mile off when shes tries to slip it >>>especc now she has tantrums when we go to the park cos shes not allowed off the lead for a while lol

Our stronger sibe Balto doesn't slip collars..but boy does he pull, and with my mums MS he was giving her terrible back pains so our trainer supplied us with a pinch collar >>>> when you walk him on the collar hes as light as a feather:)

However both of them were trained not to before we used these, all i have to say is "Alaskaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" or "OI" >> to stop the jumping we (and we told our guests) to put their knees up...Alaska thought "frigg this, way to dangerous" and Balto alwasy used to lunge at people so he actually got hurt once..hardly does it now. If they do it now its cos our pet shop lets them jump up at the counter anmd so do we...so its our fault if they jump, so when they greet strangers we tell them to sit so they dont get over-excited.

Youve got some great posts so i hope this helps you

[Andy530]

Thanks everyone!

[Kodiak's Mum]

Kodi has a half-check collar, and as long as he is on a fixed lead, he is fine on it, but if he is on a retractable lead (which allows him some freedom to run), he has to be on a harness. We haven't managed to stop him jumping yet, and he won't walk to heel. We're working on that, and he does pull on the harness, although not so much on the collar....we'll see.

How's your training going?