pulling on the lead

[arctic wolf]

Hi all, I obviously can't get to your training classes as I live in the midlands, I have 2 large dogs that when I walk them together pull on the lead, Sapphire 18m did go to puppy training until she caught kennel cough, then she came into season so we didn't go back. But even the instructors there told me to use a halti as her pulling was so bad, Talli came to us age 4, when he is walked on his own he is not as bad, but when they are both together he pulls more than Sapphire. The only way I can walk them both at the same time is to use dogmatic headcollars They have both passed their kc bronze certificates which we did at a dog show, so they are capable of walking nicely on the lead when they want to. Any ideas I can try.

[Emma*]

I had the same problem with my 2 Great Danes. John would advise you better, but he recommended the prong collar to me and it worked instantly.

I can now walk 2 Great Danes together on separate leads or a split lead and even my 8 year old daughter can its great.
No dragging me along the road anymore
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Happiness is being loved by 2 Great Danes

[marcella]

To be honest I think it's partly down to the breed too. Inuits are bound to want to pull!!!! It's instinct for them.
Every GSD we have had will pull you off your feet given a chance, again GSDs are notorious for walking ahead of you. In training class they will walk perfectly, but outside they want to go ahead.
We tried several different methods from simply stopping in your tracks and refusing to walk until they came in to heel, to about turning and walking the opposite direction, to Halti's........ that was until Diesel snapped his halti with sheer brute force! Both boys wouldn't come to get their leads on when we used the haltis, spent their time trying to get them off and would get distressed by them, so in the bin they went. I hated how they would slide up their faces and cut into their eyes. Despite trying several sizes, when they pull hard they move up to their eyes.
Anyway, we ended up with prong / pinch collars............ problem solved. If they slowly put tension on the lead all we have to do is tell they to heel and they do. The collars do look a bit scary initially but the are far more humane than choke chains.
They now can both be taken out at the same time by our daughter!
A big advantage when you have big strong dogs!!!!

[kirsty]

The final straw with me as far as pulling on the lead went was when my two shepherds had me flat out on the ground when they wanted to get to a little pack of terriers.

I had looked at the prong collars in class and thought they were horrific, but having used them now for almost a year could not recommend them highly enough.

I don't use mine all the time, only when I know I will be walking the dogs on leash. If I know I am having them off leash and will want to put them on quickly if I come accross another dog, I use something I can slip over their necks quickly. So using both systems I know the dogs will still pull me when they are not on the prongs.

I went a walk with the forum folks to barrhill and did not realise that a large part of the walk would be on-lead. By the time I got home I was soaked in sweat and my shoulders and arms were breaking as I did not have the prongs. Next time I done that walk I had the prongs and the walk was a pleasure.

'PRONGS RULE'

[Janis]

as an owner of much smaller dogs, cockapoo's (cocker spaniel cross poodles), i found walking them together to be less than pleasurable!

my daughter first introduced me to the prong collar and i thought it was the most barbaric thing i had ever seen! i was adamant that no such item was going to be used on my dogs!

however one evening while in the waiting area at training class there was one lying on the table and quietly i picked it up and tried it on my wrist myself!

unbeknown to my daughter i ordered one of appropriate size from the company in the u.s. and when it arrived i popped it on and after one lunge from my girl she walked perfectly! i quickly ordered another and now it is a pleasure to walk out with my two!

they still get off lead and run like the wind and enjoy their free time but it is now a comfortable pleasurable walk when out with my girls!

my daughter, my 4 year old, and i can all now walk the dogs with no fear of them trying to pull any of us over!

do your own research but i would and have recommended these several times since my discovery!

as john our trainer states it simulates their mother's own natural nip if they were doing something wrong as a puppy and corrects them!

i will continue to use them in future for my girls and any further pups that come my way!.................oh just to note they should not be used on a dog under 6 months or so but can be used from a chihuahua to a newfoundland!

[arctic wolf]

thanks everyone, I have tried most things, I had never heard of the prong/ pinch collars before, how do they work and how do you use them?

[marcella]

Ali,

John is out today until later afternoon. When he is back I will get him to pm you with links to where you can find the most information.
He has a good knowledge of them and can advise you.

[JennyMc]

I have a N.I too who is fine on her own but if walking with the my other dog (a newfie) she will pull until she is in front of him (think it's partly a dominance thing). As long as he stays a bit behind her she's not too bad. prong didn't work as she would not move with it on just sat there same with choke chain. Marcella was right though about breed as her brother pulls with every type of lead/collars etc but will stay to heel of the lead!

[Suzanne H]

Otto walks fine if he's between me and Ian, but not if we're on our own. Been weaning him off the halti and he's getting better.

Just needs a bit more training I think.

[Janice]

Dale's settled really well since we started using a balanced lead. Its so easy. You just wrap the training lead across his chest and he stops pulling. Magic Usually he pulls when we set off then calms down so I can unwrap the lead and use it normally.
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Janice and Dale

[Magz]

[Janice]

Its a Ttouch thing. You can do it with a training lead. You use the whole length of it, clip it on the collar take it across the back, then through the front legs depending on the dog you can then bring the end through the collar, so its going across the chest. You hold it with one hand above the collar but with your hand turned away from the collar so no pressure on the neck, and then you hold the end of the lead in the other hand. If the dog pulls the pressure is against the chest not the neck. I was told to think of it as brakes and steering.Brake with the chest and just steer gently with the neck. If you google Ttouch you'll probably get a better explanation. Its easier to show than to explain, but I'm sure someone else will know how its done.They also do balanced harnesses where the lead clips on to both the collar and the harness, but I haven't bothered because Dale just stops pulling as soon as I put the ordinary lead across his chest.
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Janice and Dale

[marcella]

[brenda]

I use one on our Kaiser would not be without it, I have tried everything on the market but the prong the best. Only think you cannot buy one in Britain only sold in Germany or America.

Brenda.

[arctic wolf]

thanks for your help and advice everyone