[DONNA]

On new years day we toke Buddy with us to watch the village soap box derby ,BIG mistake there were lots of dogs and owners there and Buddy was CRAZY!!!! he was pulling all over the place acting very hyper etc.

Anyway i thought id investigate on line how to carm dogs that are hyper anyway i came across a page talking about dogs pulling on the lead etc and it also decribed how if a dog is left to walk in front and pull etc how it can make them hyper because they are so stressed from worrying about there owner and being top dog and looking after its pack .Everything they had written made sense
1,you must always walk out of the door before your dog never the other way around.
2,while walking you should always walk in front of your dog this way you are pack leader and guarding your pack.
3,pull on the lead whenever he trys to walk in front saying HEEL,its upto you when you allow the dog to stop and sniff etc.Walk with a loose lead though.

4,dont keep praising your dog for walking to heel dont make a fuss of him .

All seems like common sense really and i must say ive tryed it before and Buddys always still pulled,however because i was in the mind set I am in charge i must walk in front of him it was amazing !!!!

This was the first walk ive been on with Buddy where hes not pulled!! and weve come home and hes really chilled out and relaxed and is lieing by my feet chewing his bone happily.

Could this be a one off?? i will let you know ,i hope not!

 

[Mogdog]

Well done Donna! I sure they pick up on our mind set. I read in a Cesar Milan book that he gave someone the advice of pretending they were Cleapatra, ie. shoulders back, head held high, full of confidence etc (instead of being unsure with her dog) ... and the dog reacted accordingly and was happy to trot along at her heel. Amazing!

Hope it wasn't a one-off for Buddy.

 

[Turi]

Wow - well done Donna. That must feel like a huge breakthrough!

 

[DONNA]

Hope not!
I suppose i have been soft with him but he's so damn cute ! I need to stop treating him like a human and more like a dog.
Fingars crossed for today x

 

[Turi]

Go go go Donna - show him who is boss

 

[Rufini]

oooooh, Vincent has started to be a right little terror on walks, he almost pulled my shoulder out of its socket recently :/
I might see if this works with him too!

 

[colpa110]

I still get good days and bad days with Betty and have no idea why - sometimes she is happy to trot along side me and other days just seems to be on a mission to get somewhere...it's quite frustrating although with her being small it doesn't
cause me much of a problem. One thing that I have discovered( and aplies every time) is that if Betty walks in the middle between two people she never pulls!! I wondered whether it is because she feels she doesn't need to be 'out front' as protector??

 

[DONNA]

Just been on a very windy off lead walk but when he was on the lead i followed the same rule again and it worked again ,im well impressed!

 

[Turi]

Hurrah - well done Donna!

 

[Mogdog]

Just been on a very windy off lead walk but when he was on the lead i followed the same rule again and it worked again ,im well impressed!

Brilliant! roud: Long may it last!

 

[Janev1000]

Hi Donna

I follow all those principles except No.4!! I have been praising him when he does it right but only because I read it in 'The Perfect Puppy' However, it doesn't seem to make much difference so I'll try your suggestion. The problem with Biscuit is that I have to drag him away from the house - he keeps looking back! - and then we get into a nice walk but as soon as he knows he is on the home stretch, he starts trying to sprint home! He loves his 'off lead' walks but I think he must hate the lead ones!

 

[Ali79]

Hi Donna - thank you for this excellent thread. Beau has always pulled and I end up with a sore arm when we get home as although small she is very strong! Yesterday I started off doing the walk how you have posted and she was a lot better. I have just got back from this mornings walk and she has made even more improvement. She still tried to pull a bit but I did what you said and she relaxed and walked slighly behind me (nose next to my leg). She also sat at the door and waited for me to walk through first! Hopefully she will stop trying to pull with plenty of practise. Thank you once again

 

[DONNA]

Wow thanks Ali thats made my day xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Ali79]

No Donna...... thank you as made my year xxxxxxx

 

[Ali79]

Reviving this thread as it is definitely working for Beau and thought others who hadn't read it may like to try. Beau is nowhere near as anxious on walks and I tell her to sit when leaving and returning so that I go through the door first. She has always loved walks when on her flippy lead or running around fields etc but when walking around streets where she has to be on a short lead she has pulled all the way but now doesn't

 

[DONNA]

Ive just brought a gencon lead which is really good ,i dont really need to pull him back to heal now he seems to walk nicely without me jerking him he's just getting used to it at the mo but its really good .

 

[Sarette]

Ive just brought a gencon lead which is really good ,i dont really need to pull him back to heal now he seems to walk nicely without me jerking him he's just getting used to it at the mo but its really good .

I'm really pleased it's working for you too! They are such fab leads, thanks to Harri for recommending it to me

 

[sharplesfamily]

So pleased it works for you guys too. I took some video footage of my four year old Charlie walking her the other day with a really loose lead with the Gencon headcollar on. Amazing.

 

[Bini]

I will give it a go as well with Cider. I follow these rules, but probably not consequently enough. I will put my head up high tomorrow
It will help as well, that our boys not wee on every post, if we descide, where a place is for them to go busy, busy and then continue with heel walking
Thank you for this thread