Dog pulling

honerbright

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to stop my dog pulling like mad when she's out walking?

Shes a 9 month old Jack Russel and while shes teeny shes strong and it gets a bit tiring after a while.
She wears a harness when she's out for a walk. I used to just use her collar but she pulled so hard she would cause herself to vomit up froth everywhere. She also makes awful panting noises the more she pulls as well, to the point people look at her like she's about to attack them, even though she's just excited about being out and about.

Does anyone have any experience with using head collars on small dogs? Do they work for pullers? Do they even make them for smallies? I've only really seen much larger dogs wearing them.

Pic to show her size:

are you serious

honerbright wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to stop my dog pulling like mad when she's out walking?

Shes a 9 month old Jack Russel and while shes teeny shes strong and it gets a bit tiring after a while.
She wears a harness when she's out for a walk. I used to just use her collar but she pulled so hard she would cause herself to vomit up froth everywhere. She also makes awful panting noises the more she pulls as well, to the point people look at her like she's about to attack them, even though she's just excited about being out and about.

Does anyone have any experience with using head collars on small dogs? Do they work for pullers? Do they even make them for smallies? I've only really seen much larger dogs wearing them.

Pic to show her size:

Your dog must weigh all of 5kg at max I would imagine, surely you can pull him back and just correct him??

How long do you walk him for?
How often do you walk him?

Head collars are a great aide for dogs that pull.

gramar

I've never tried a head collar but I had problems with harness. Basically they are designed to help the dog to pull so I switched to a normal lead. You'll need to practise on the lead inside or where there is no stimulation and be patient. Hold the lead short and if the dog pulls stop. If they do it well give them a treat. 9 months is old enough to be fairly obidient on the lead so it shouldn't take too long.

Nino Brown

It's a pain, but every time the dog pulls stop walking until they let the lead relax, then go again, and so on. Eventually the dog will associate pulling with a lack of progress and stop pulling. Trust me it works, but it takes a LOT of patience.

honerbright

are you serious wrote: »

Your dog must weigh all of 5kg at max I would imagine, surely you can pull him back and just correct him??

How long do you walk him for?
How often do you walk him?

Head collars are a great aide for dogs that pull.

She weighs just under 5kg, and while I can handle her, it does get tiring walking along with an arm stretched out in front with her pulling the whole way.
I've tried pulling her back and holding her on a tight lead so she has to walk beside me, I've been doing that since I started walking her, but she still chokes herself.

She's walked for roughly 40 mins a day, everyday. I've tried breaking it up into shorter walks a few times a day but it made no difference in her pulling/excitement.

DBB

It doesn't matter what size a dog is, pulling is uncomfortable for the owner and can harm the dog's neck in the longer term.
I'm not a fan of the headcollar design OP, as they require a bit of habituation training to get the dog to accept them. If this is not done, you'll find the dog really not enjoying the experience of wearing one. People do use them with success, but these are the owners who put in a bit of work first. Even at that, some dogs never really like to wear them.
An easier option for many owners is a front-attachment harness, which is different to a "normal" harness because the point of control is, as the name suggests, right up in front of the dog (the lead attaches to the chest), giving you much more control over the shoulders. It requires no pre-training. There are a few different brands, but my favourite is the Premier Easy Walk Harness... It seems the most effective, best-fitting, and reasonably priced one out there.

are you serious

You could try a long lead, one of the "flexi" leads and that might give him the freedom he wants, some times the dogs drive is just going to be too strong so any amount of stopping and starting wont calm him!

Beekay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

honerbright

gramar wrote: »

I've never tried a head collar but I had problems with harness. Basically they are designed to help the dog to pull so I switched to a normal lead. You'll need to practise on the lead inside or where there is no stimulation and be patient. Hold the lead short and if the dog pulls stop. If they do it well give them a treat. 9 months is old enough to be fairly obidient on the lead so it shouldn't take too long.

Nino Brown wrote: »

It's a pain, but every time the dog pulls stop walking until they let the lead relax, then go again, and so on. Eventually the dog will associate pulling with a lack of progress and stop pulling. Trust me it works, but it takes a LOT of patience.

DBB wrote: »

It doesn't matter what size a dog is, pulling is uncomfortable for the owner and can harm the dog's neck in the longer term.
I'm not a fan of the headcollar design OP, as they require a bit of habituation training to get the dog to accept them. If this is not done, you'll find the dog really not enjoying the experience of wearing one. People do use them with success, but these are the owners who put in a bit of work first. Even at that, some dogs never really like to wear them.
An easier option for many owners is a front-attachment harness, which is different to a "normal" harness because the point of control is, as the name suggests, right up in front of the dog (the lead attaches to the chest), giving you much more control over the shoulders. It requires no pre-training. There are a few different brands, but my favourite is the Premier Easy Walk Harness... It seems the most effective, best-fitting, and reasonably priced one out there.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I think I might give the front fitting harness a go, I like the way it sits low on the chest and away from the neck. I had no idea they even existed, I thought the only other option was the head collar, I'm glad I don't need to try one of those!

strandroad

honerbright wrote: »

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I think I might give the front fitting harness a go, I like the way it sits low on the chest and away from the neck. I had no idea they even existed, I thought the only other option was the head collar, I'm glad I don't need to try one of those!

Do try the Easy Walk, my easily excitable dog does not pull wearing it at all - the trick is that if they pull it turns them around. Perhaps you can attach the lead to the front of the harness you have now?

honerbright

mhge wrote: »

Do try the Easy Walk, my easily excitable dog does not pull wearing it at all - the trick is that if they pull it turns them around. Perhaps you can attach the lead to the front of the harness you have now?

Unfortunately the type of harness she has is made of material right down the chest rather than straps so there's nowhere on the front that I can clip it on.

In retrospect, I think that harness has most likely aided in her pulling
Off to the petshop with her tomorrow to fit her for an Easy Walk

I am pie

Stop, tell her to sit, wait until she looks up and you from a sitting position and go again. If she walks beside you at this point give her a treat...cheese or rice worked for out little monster!

fatmammycat

I walk my GSD in a halti while in town and it's brilliant with absolute no pulling, but as DBB said, I made sure he was completely used to it before we went out and about. I've seen dogs look very uncomfortable in them, but I've never had a problem with him wearing one.
( I run with him in a harness though, and he loves to throw his shoudlers into it)

JustAThought

I agree With the cheese! It was
The first Thing That really Made My 35kg pulling Monster heel like a Little kitten. And we Worked on the command learning, stop & wait, & not pulling
From that.

Cheese is the magic bullet!!!

Try it before you do the other.

Does your dog also get to run off lead? Mine will tolerate a Lead walk but
That isn't Enough for her - it will only get us somewhere !!!

honerbright

JustAThought wrote: »

I agree With the cheese! It was
The first Thing That really Made My 35kg pulling Monster heel like a Little kitten. And we Worked on the command learning, stop & wait, & not pulling
From that.

Cheese is the magic bullet!!!

Try it before you do the other.

Does your dog also get to run off lead? Mine will tolerate a Lead walk but
That isn't Enough for her - it will only get us somewhere !!!

She's a strange little thing, she won't eat any treats on her walks. I tried that at the start, but she takes the treat and spits it out before continuing on her merry way! Inside though, if I even look at the cupboard where I keep her treats she pulls out all stops - walking on her hind legs, doing her jumpy-spin-dance etc.

She doesn't get off lead time yet when we're out, her recall still isn't the great, she just gets so excited. She loves those retractable leads though, I let her on one of those in the woods - but she's broken two of those with her pulling so far!

Whispered

If you're having problems with pulling be careful using the retractable leads because they actually can cause pulling problems. I prefer to use a long line if we're somewhere I want to give Harley a bit of freedom but not somewhere I'd be 100% certain of his recall.

If you're using the retractable all the time, the dog probably isn't sure when they can and can't go far away from you. Maybe add a cue to let your dog know you're giving more length, and when you have the lead short, have it at the same length each time.

I totally agree with the front connection harness suggestion. I love the one we have. Even though H will walk well for me now, it's great to know that if he gets over excited I can physically control him if I need to.

Kukey

I also have a Jack Russell who pulls on the lead.I bought this http://www.zooplus.ie/feedback/shop/dogs/dog_collars_dog_leads/harnesses/harnesses/159289 at Zooplus and I find it great as when she has it on she stops pulling.
It's worth a try as well and it's not expensive.Keep practising her recall as JRTs are such hyper dogs and love a good run.My dog has great recall and it was all down to calling her to me,wherever she was in the house and giving her a treat each time she came and plenty of praise.
She is ball mad as well, and I bought the kong squeaky tennis balls which she loves.If I was out walking her and she ran over to another dog,I only had to squeak the ball and she was back over to me immediately for me to throw it for her (only trouble is half the dogs in the park come over to you as well,when they hear that squeak!!)

DBB

Just one caveat with the front attachment harness OP, they should not be used with an extending lead. Also, normal harnesses are not designed to work as front connection harnesses, so even if you could, simply attaching your lead to the front of a "normal" harness won't work.
I'm not sure how easy it is to get the Easy Walk harness in shops, but is avaiable online. I get them from www.friendsoffido.co.uk.

honerbright

DBB wrote: »

Just one caveat with the front attachment harness OP, they should not be used with an extending lead. Also, normal harnesses are not designed to work as front connection harnesses, so even if you could, simply attaching your lead to the front of a "normal" harness won't work.
I'm not sure how easy it is to get the Easy Walk harness in shops, but is avaiable online. I get them from www.friendsoffido.co.uk.

I ordered an Easy Walk from there yesterday after an unsuccessful hunt around the pet shops here. Thanks so much

Cork24

you can buy a lead that goes around their Neck and Mouth when they Pull the Lead closes on the Mouth, within a week he will not pull again

honerbright

UPDATE: Order the Easy Walk on thursday, they shipped it on friday and it arrived this morning. Didn't expect it till at least tomorrow!

Anyway, popped it on her the second I got home from the parcel motel and took her round the block and it worked like a dream! Actually kept my arm at my side for the entire walk for the first time ever, and Pops didn't seem to mind the new harness at all.

Utterly delighted, Thanks all for the help!

antodeco

Hijacking this thread slightly, but Ive the same issue with my Samoyed. What would be the best lead/harness to get? I had been using a full body harness on her, so the pull was even at the front, but its gone missing and Ill gladly buy a different one if its recommended! Thanks