How Can I Stop My Dog Pulling On The Lead?
This is a subject that probably accounts for around 80% of the problems clients bring to us on a daily basis.
The biggest single piece of advice I can give you is look at whats happening before your actually get your dog on the lead !!
- Are you predictable every time you get ready to go for a walk?
- Is your dog chomping at the bit to get its lead on an pull you out the door?
- Have you tried all the gear ? Anti-Pull Harness ? Slip Lead etc
- Does he / she pull you out the door, down the drive and through the gate?
Well, the answer to many lead walking issues is STOP REWARDING BAD MANNERS, or what people would rather call it Excitement. (Its not excitement is P Poor Manners, and a lack of self control, nothing more nothing less.
When you decide to take your dog out, at probably same time every day, you are creating a routine. A routine that will see your dog increase in its lack of self control. Then at each stage of its walk, the bad manners (going through a door for example) is rewarded, by going through the door. Then bad manners up the drive to the gate is, rewarded by going through the gate. Your dog then pulls you all the way to the park or field, where you reward it for bad manners, by..... letting it off to run around. (at the same time as you cross all your fingers and toes, in the hope that your ill mannered dog on the end of the lead is suddenly going to listen to 50-100 yards away while is investigating the local wildlife.
When you do finally get your dog back, it walks almost perfectly on a lose lead all the way home.
YEP, BECAUSE YOU HAVE REWARDED IT FOR BAD MANNERS, (by letting it off) and now its got what it wants its happy to walk beside you.
Similar to a child screaming for an ice cream, and the parents giving in and buying the little bugger one, only for it to shut up once its got it, until it wants something else.
If you want to put a stop to pulling on the lead, and have those relaxed walks you thought came with the dog, then Train It, not sure how, book a 121 today so Steve can help you on the road to getting those nice relaxed walks.
