lost my temper....... (dog pulling on lead)

hi all,

feeling really bad this morning . i lost my temper with sam this morning on our walk. he was just dragging me everywhere. i did the stop and start, turning round etc...but just nothing seemed to work. he just stood there choking on the end of the lead. in the end i just had to keep dragging him round back to me. his neck must be so sore along with my hands! i was shouting at him in the middle of the field too! in the end i stopped the walk because i just wanted to strangle him. we got back home (or dragged home). then i took him on the green in front of my house (just to try and end on a good note). he was as good as gold! just at my wits end again!!!! think i'm just gonna have to suspend all his walks until we get some control. maybe just walk him on the green at the front of the house in a morning....and walk both dogs separately in the evening (which i have been doing). just worried he's not gonna get the physical exercise he needs....but i have to think about my health too (dont think my knees will put up with all this dragging around anymore). sorry for the rant!!

I have never tried this method personally but it might be something to consider: http://www.gsdhelpline.com/leash.htm (It has a section on dogs that pull like steam trains )

thanks SB, thats very useful

I dont have any advice as Im newer to all this than you but just wanted to post to say I can totally relate to what youre going through. Tigger pulls in exactly the same way, even lifts his front legs off the ground sometimes in order to give himself a little more leverage!
I too have tried stopping, walking off at 45 degree angles in order to get them watching you for cues of direction. Does Tigger care if I want to turn round? Does he jibbery!

Ironically Tigs is better off the lead than on. He comes back regularly for OH and so today I took him out in the rain (figured the park would be deserted, which it was) and as it is enclosed I let him off. (First time for me alone) I had made sure i had a pocket full of treats and he knew it. Every couple of mins I called him back and gave him a treat and it worked really well. Obviously I dont know whether Sam is happy to be offlead or more to the point if he'll come back (could use a very long training lead tho') but Im hoping to use the off lead happiness as an incentive to walk nicely. It may go the other way with him dying to get there but I figure if im resolute enough and return home if he doesnt listen, we may get there.

Im also hoping that the Dogmatic will be good.

Hope youre feeling ok and dont feel bad, it really *is* hard work when they dont listen.

I Know how you are both feeling went through the same thing with Harvey. I used to be so embarrassed as he did the walking on hind legs all the way up the road pulling and making choking noises. We went onto the Halti and it worked a treat, I know this isn't the case for everyone. In the last couple of months I've stopped using it and he's so much better now. (Have to say he hated it and I did buy the clip as when he came across cats he'd go into full terrier mode and shake his head until it came off)Don't know whether age helps as Harvey is now 2 and sometimes they do calm down around this age. (Hopefully )

aw thanks tigger2 for your reply. i suppose i reacted in the 'heat of the moment'. it was 5.30 this morning and chucking it down!! he cannot be trusted off-lead yet, but having said that i need to find somewhere to take him that's fully enclosed so if he did run off there would be nowhere for him to run off to!! where i take him is on a golf course with woods, long grass and a lane nearby. springer heaven but not good if poor recall!! i do use a long line, but he pulls to the end of that too . maybe i should tie him to my other springer who comes back straight away!!!

hiya

can totally sympathise have a steam train here too.

Have tried all sorts and have to say the only thing that ended up working well for both of us was the walkezee - I know that you have tried that though to no avail. I also think to a certain extent Bruno has chilled a bit age wise he is now 5 1/2 and is slower in general than he was 3 years ago when he first arrived with us.

its a really hard thing and with a rescue its even harder as you dont know what was taught or not taught so you are trying to undo x number of years of doing what they like.

I think the key is what might work for one wont for another - but consistency pays out - or so I have learnt with bruno. To be honest you need to not try to do the training on the way to the park etc as he knows he is going somewhere exciting so will pull even more. I used to take Bruno to places he didnt know to lead walk and he gradually has slowed down. Also if he pulls as soon as we leave the house I just turn round and go straight home again until he stops. Look like a right numpty walking up and down outside my house though !! LOL

good luck

I do sympathise it must be such hard work. When you watch these training programmes on the television it always looks so easy, but I am sure it is never as easy as it seems. I do hope you get there in the end.

springergirl,
I wouldnt have taken Tigger off the lead so early tbh, its just that my OH takes him on long countryside romps (horses, pheasants flying, muddy ditches, you name it!) with his mum who also has a Springer who is now 12 months old.
So Tigs followed Gyp everywhere he went, thus coming back to them as they walked. Actually Im probably doing Tigger a disservice there as he will stay on the path when Gyp goes somewhere too dangerous for him. Whether he would do so for me too Im not sure.
Tigger also has been known to pull at the end of his flexi lead. I dont mind once Ive *got * to a field etc for him to run in arcs at full length (if you get what i mean by arcs) but just not on the pavement going there!
I must admit Im concerned about damaging his neck, as mum-in-law told me springers have delicate necks? Is this right? Mine wont have one at all at this rate.
Does Sam watch your other springer or follow at all?

I started to look after people's dogs overnight, and realised most dogs, even older ones pull people around. i can't handle this, and so started training them all. it was exhausting, but then the dogs went home, and the owners were calling me up with praise and how the heck did I do it. The eldest was 9 years old and always a puller.

They get into the habit, and don't grow out of it...

Since, I have had people calling me up hearing how 'untrainable' (laugh) dogs have learned to walk nicely and can I help with theirs...

The halti is one was to quickly gain control, but some dogs don't like it, and I have been questioned why 'my' dog is wearing a muzzle in the past, which put me right off, as I don't want any ignorant or not people to think my dog is a biter.
So I went out and bought a few different sizes of half check chains...

See here for a pic: http://www.ourpetshop.co.uk/Leads/Ha...herCollars.htm

but the ones I use are material and not leather, but I suppose it doesn't matter.
The first lesson is that at all time the lead must be loose. You do NOT want to be choking your dog, that's a big no no. My parents dog learned to walk squinty-ways and got into that habit (until i broke it -ha!) of leaning and walking squint, and choking himself. Can you imagine what years of that would do to his posture and mucles -not good.
So at no time is the lead allowed to be tight.
Take the dog to your left, and make a note that his neck should be in line with your knees. Take your lead in your left hand, shorten it up and take the loose end in your right hand.
The left hand position is important, and I don't know how to explain this in writing, but i will do my best...
if you take the lead up with your hand pointing up the way and the pinky nearest the dog. This gives you the most leverage to 'check' when the dog pulls. If you get it wrong your forefinger will be pointed down towards the dog and this position doesn't help at all if the dog pulls.

Next walk on and he will probably start to pull immediatly, check once. I have come across people who pull at the lead slowly, this is wrong and the dog will continue to pull. (it's so much easier when the dog you are training is not your own!) You want to do a sharp check and you should hear the clinking or the metal as you do. Eventually the dog will respond to the sound of this and not need to be checked. It does take alot of work and EVERYTIME that lead goes tight, you check. To begin with it is hard work, but after two or three days you have a content dog who walks nicely.
I should add that I get quick results by talking and rewarding the dog when he gets it right, with verbal or treat praise. And I do lots of stopping and sitting and waiting and then walking on, to show him the idea. If you put lots of effort in for a few days you will have a dog that will walk wonderfully forever more. But it does require effort!!

I have a dog I am working on just now and his owners refuse to walk him on a lead as they get pulled over and it is not a nice experience. Within 5 mins with me he had the idea and was, to his owners amazement, walking by my side. They were with me the whole time and I did was not cruel to him in anyway. It's just a matter of him understanding what I want (and how to get treats from me!)
A few weeks ago I had a 2 yr old lab which I did two days worth of lead walking with. I had a dead arm, I am not kidding it was sore for a week from being pulled and me having to check this big guy every 0.5 secs. But we got there...

best of luck (hope you understand, it's so much easier to demonstrate!)