What sort of harness or collar is good for a dog who pulls on the leash

Dogs that pull on the leash is the second most common thing that people ask me about. Second only to housebreaking. If you have a dog that pulls on the leash there are loose leash walking techniques that you can learn. I will be happy to teach you how to train your dog to walk properly on a leash using these techniques.

For a dog that is really bad about pulling, in addition to the loose leash walking techniques, I also suggest a no-pull harness.

There is a difference between a no-pull designed harness and a traditional flat harness.

The green and black and the orange and black harnesses pictured above are both flat harnesses. The orange and black one is a mesh comfort harness. Both of these are good for their intended purpose which is to distribute the pull from the leash across the body rather than at one point on the neck ( as with a flat collar). They do prevent choking. However they offer no resistance to pulling. They actually tend to encourage pulling because the dog gets no resistance.

There are a couple of options that I recommend for no-pull harnesses:

The Petsafe Easy Walk is a very good solution. The handsome Labrador in the picture is sporting an Easy Walk harness. It has a D-ring in the front of the collar. The d-ring in the  front is attached to a buckle that pulls the two nylon pieces in the front tighter when the dog pulls, thus giving the dog resistance. When adjusted properly, the harness does not really squeeze the dog it simply gives him resistance. The Easy Walk is the harness that I used to teach Copper proper loose leash walking technique. It is a really good product however, my experience has been that it does not fit all dogs properly. The other caution I will give you for this harness and pretty much any no-pull type harness is that they are only for walking. After the walk they need to come off because the dog can easily chew them up. Copper chewed up two of the Easy Walks because I neglected to remove them after walking.

The Beagle in the picture is wearing a typical no-pull harness that is available in many different brands at your local pet stores. It has a little bit of mesh in the front but it is different than the mesh flat harness. Notice the padded strings that attach to the mesh and go behind the little beagle guys front legs. These strings are attached to the d-ring to which the leash is attached. When the dog pulls, he feels resistance on the strings. When adjusted properly, this does not hurt him, he simply feels resistance. This is the type of harness that I am using now to train Cody, our newest addition to the pack. This harness is generally about half the price of the Easy Walk and seems to fit a wider range of dogs. The Easy Walk is a little easier to get on and off the dog, however.  I will give you the caution again that this harness needs to come off  the dog after a walk. They will chew this one too!

The brown collar here is a martingale collar. These are very popular with people who own sight hounds (or greyhounds). The reason they are popular is that they do not easily pull over the head. This is important with the sight hounds because typically the neck is wider than the head. After your dog stops pulling as much, you may want to transition him to a collar for walking. The martingale is a good choice. When adjusted properly, the martingale fits snug when the leash is pulled but does not choke the dog. I have a martingale on Copper. I have the leash connected directly to the martingale most of the time when we walk. It took a while to make the transition.

These are the products that I have used in training many times and I know that they work. There is a new product that I have heard nothing but good things about from people I respect. That product is the Walk-in-Sync harness. It is a little more expensive but seems to have the advantages of the Easy Walk while fitting a wider variety of dogs. If you are interested you can find more information at http://dogwalkinsync.com/ . At some point later on, I will test this product and post the results on this blog. The black lab in the picture is wearing a Walk-in-sync.

If you have a dog that pulls on the leash and/or is not well behaved on walks, please contact me at any time. I will be happy to help you!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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Tips Loose Leash Walking

Pulling on the leash is one of the most frustrating behaviors for many owners.  Sadly it can make the difference between a dog getting walked regularly and a dog who is only turned out into the backyard.  But its not a surprise to me.  Teaching a dog to walk on a loose leash isnt easy.  I wish I could say that it is, but its not.  Sit, easy.  Down, easy.  Even teaching a dog to heel can be easy compared to loose leash walking (and yes, I consider them two separate behaviors).  However, please note, I am NOT saying its impossible!  It just takes a little time and consistency.  And we can all manage that for our best friends, right?

So, here are some tips:

• Clicker train your dog.  Using clicker training will make the process faster, easier and clearer for your dog.
• Consider some special equipment.  There are plenty of tools available, such as a front clip harness, to make walks more enjoyable (for you!) while your dog is still learning not to pull.  Have a trainer help you pick the right one for you and your dog.
• Click for slack in the leash.  When you start out, click & treat frequently whenever your dog is not pulling.  This might mean you go through a lot of treats - consider using his breakfast if hell work for kibble.
• If he pulls, STOP.  If he pulls on the leash and gets to go smell the grass, pee on a bush, or meet another dog, you can bet hell think that pulling brings great rewards.
• Start slowly.  If your dog is just getting used to walking without pulling in your neighborhood, or early in the morning when there arent many people out, dont expect him to be just as successful in front of the dog park or near that pond with all the ducks!

Apple and Ethan (age 3) walking with a nice loose leash.

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Effective Dog Training by Using Collar and Leash

Leash Training is one of the most common training approach and the leash itself would perhaps is the most basic tool used in training your dog.

Below are some things you should consider into before going into leash training which will help you to be more effective in training your dog:

1. You can begin leash training even when your dog is still a puppy. To Start leash training as early as the puppy stage will increase the effectiveness tremendously.

2. Buy only a good quality of training leash and collar, do take care to ascertain the proper size of the collar and the length of the leash. A good training collar is intended to put specific pressure whenever the leash is tightened. The leash must be made with strong material, you would not want to go chasing your dog around with broken leash.

3. Be patient with your dog. Different dogs adapt differently when they are put on leash for the first time. Some shows no problem while other might struggle initially. You can put on the leash on your dog even when you are not taking your dog for a walk; this will help him to be comfortable moving around with the leash.

4. You must understand that in collar and leash training, the leash become a method of communication and correcting your dog, once you understand the use of the leash in dog training and you are comfortable in using it, then only you can begin your training effectively.

5. One of the basic behaviors that you can train your dog with collar and leash training method will be to have your dog walk properly on a lead. A well trained dog will be able to adjust his pace with yours. You do not have to slow down or speed up your pace but instead your dog will have to adjust to your pace.

During the initial phase of the leash training, it is common to find that your dog will charge ahead of you or lacking behind. In this case you need to give your dog a tug on the leash to tell him that he needs to adjust his pace. Once your dog responded well, you need to relieve the pressure as soon as possible to show him that he has perform well in obeying your tug.

6. Remember that the leash is just one of the simple tools in dog training. Although the leash is a basic tool that is needed in this kind of training, you must be aware that there are many more tools out there exist and you should make it your objective to learn and achieve the same great result in training your dog as when you are using the leash.

To end this, leash training can never be more successful than when it is practiced with your great relationship with your dog. The end objective is to get your dog to obey you even when they are not on leash. It will be a great accomplishment when you can just use your own hand or tone of voice to make your dog obey you.

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Employing Leash Coaching To Your Benefit

Puppy training develops a healthy partnership with both you and your family pet. The greater you understand about instruction your pet, the greater off of you will be when the time goes to apply the education. The subsequent article will provide you with some great suggestions to use to assist you achieve success.

Make use of your pets title without notice to acquire his attention. Attempt to get this done at the very least ten times every day, and not phone your pet for you by label to reprimand him. This will help you to achieve better control over your dog and create a solid romantic relationship.

You require a commanding control if you are beginning to coach your puppy. Or else, the dog will assume that he or she is in control and may not answer your coaching techniques. When you move together with your dog, make sure to keep him at back heel because you are the leader.

Go through the front door prior to your pet dog, consume your own evening meal first and always make sure that you win tug-of-war, if you take aside the toy when youre accomplished. All of this asserts that you are currently the rest head plus your pet is subordinate. This will assist curb other obedience difficulties and assistance in other areas of instruction since your puppy realizes that he MUST do everything you say. Its how hes tough-hard wired.

When your dog is not going to do what you would like, notify him "No!" then redirect him. Have patience and relax. Your dog wishes to please you, but at times puppies just dont determine what is anticipated of them. By no means strike or yell at your pet. If you yell thus hitting, your pet dog will imagine you will be unmanageable. You need your dog to trust you and value you as being the load up innovator, so stay relaxed and regular.

If you want your dog to respond to directions including sit, you must devote approximately ten minutes every day positioning your dog in the proper place and reproducing the order. Your pet dog will relate the phrase with the action of seated. Be patient and incentive your puppy each and every time it obeys the command.

Some pet dogs have massive supplies of electricity that may cause the canine to act ridiculous via out your day time. For canines this way a fenced in yard or electric powered collar fencing can be quite a great tool to allow the canine to perform close to in a included location. The canine could have much more exercising and also be more relaxed as it pertains inside.

A great way to train your pet dog to avoid nibbling items when youre out of the house is always to find them inside the take action. When you see your pet dog collecting a product, prepared to take a bite, slowly take the product far from them and securely, nevertheless in a delicate way tell them "no".

When coaching a dog, it is important never to allow the pet disregard a given demand. In the event the manager allows his or her pet neglect a command, the family pet will get unacceptable support. The canine will start to assume that its owners orders are optional. This functions from the complete reason for instruction a dog.

At all times spent with the dog will contribute to build your dogs character. Remember this, because bad behaviors toward the dog could have an enduring impact. Be certain to only compensate positive habits.

When you train your puppy, you need to only give your puppy foods snacks if it behaves particularly as outlined by your wants. The link in between great behavior and incentives needs to be consistent and unvaried. Inconsistent incentives sends blended signals for your animal and lower the strength of the positive reinforcement treats should supply.

Puppy proof your home to stop treasured possessions from turning into your puppys favored chew plaything. Take away products, for example shoes or boots, in the area where you make your puppy. Several family pet shops offer a sour tasting apply which can be used to maintain your pet from biting on power cords. Remember that most puppies will grow out of this phase.

Canine-confirmation your house if you know that your dog is at risk of chewing and biting all things in eyesight if the family is out. In the event you dont wish to kennel your puppy, you will need to behave as when there is a new baby inside your home and take away entry to those activities that the pet could get into when youre gone.

For any delighted puppy, it is very important begin socializing from an early grow older. While in the first few weeks of daily life, a puppy needs to be in contact with new scenarios, men and women, and animals. This helps him to get greater tweaked and friendlier in the future. This may also make sure that he will feel less stressed when going through different scenarios and stuff.

While education your dog, it pays to work with alluring goodies as rewards. Regardless of whether its food items which are not typically permitted, like hotdogs or dairy products.

Target training functions as a basis for more advanced strategies. Focus on training is teaching your puppy to feel a physical object (the marked) together with his nose area or paw. The object can be any item, but once you pick something to utilize (some personal trainers make use of a tennis ball mounted on the conclusion of the adhere), adhere to it persistently. After your canine has discovered to concentrate on the thing, it is possible to condition his conduct by placing the subject near to the up coming task you desire him to learn. Concentrating on enables you to train a dog to accomplish everything from shutting down entry doors to converting light swap on or away from.

It really is vital that you use a dog that can comply with your instructions. The above post has supplied numerous ideas to help with proper dog training. The method requires some perserverance, and also you have to persevere no matter what took place initially. Dogs learn by rep and persistence, and the much more you already know, the more effective loaded you will be to exercise your puppy effectively.

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Leash Pressure

One of the most common requests I get from dog owners is to help them teach their dog to walk politely on the leash. I dont want to confuse this with heeling, a very formal and complicated thing to teach, which requires a lot more training, patience and time than one might think. Rather I am referring to the dog not pulling its human around on the end of the leash and stopping as soon as it feels pressure on its collar, no matter the length of the leash, even without a command. Unfortunately, for dogs who have rehearsed pulling this can be a difficult thing to learn.

The reason for this is that pulling is a self rewarding behaviour, the more it is practiced, the more rewarding it has become. The dog is simply reacting to a natural resistance reflex. When you pull back on a dog, it wants to pull forward. So how do we stop our already pulling dog from repeating this activity? I suggest switching the dog onto a harness to manage the pulling and training with a new collar, one with action. Active collars tighten evenly around the dogs neck when they pull and release as soon as the pulling ceases. The idea of a martingale or choke collar is not appealing to some people, but an active slip or an active collar is often the only way to get a dog who is already used to pulling on a flat collar to give to leash pressure. Snug fitting martingale collars are often active enough to train more sensitive dogs, but more resistant dogs will be more likely to need a choke collar or a slip collar.

To begin with, if your dog is pulling all the time, you wont get it to stop dragging you around by just changing its collar. You must manage the behaviour on walks with a halter or front clip harness and teach the dog about the collar and how to turn off leash pressure as a separate thing. This training on the new collar must not be done while walking the pulling dog. You begin teaching leash pressure somewhere familiar, like in the house, with treats in hand, to ease the stress. You want to set the dog up to succeed. The point is to teach the dog the skill of turning off pressure without any other variables at play. These training sessions should be short and sweet until the dog gets the idea that pressure from the collar means back up or stop pulling. Eventually, you can transition to walking the dog on the collar, but to start with you need to work on this as a completely different sessions than the daily walks.

I like to put a properly fit slip or martingale collar on my dog ten minutes before I use it, so the dog doesnt associate the stress of learning this exercise with the new collar. If you dont know how to fit a collar properly, it should be snug and fit high on the smallest part of the dogs neck. Looser collars are not "nicer", they are just less accurate timing wise, there is a delay on the pressure release and they require more muscle to be effective. The dog may scratch at or be aware of the collar at first, but if you put it on well ahead of time they will get used to it before you begin the conditioning process. To begin the conditioning session, simply attach the leash to the collar and pull the dog forward, leash parallel to the floor and level with the dogs shoulders. The dog will probably resist, at the point in which it takes a motion or step forward, drop all tension on the leash and verbally reward the dog. Dont give it treats immediately...wait a few seconds before food rewards. Then repeat the exercise. The treats are just for reducing stress if the dog starts to shut down and to help break up the drill. The dog wont want to keep working if every time it shuts off the pressure by giving to the leash you immediately go right back to pressuring it again. So use the treats and praise to break up the process.

Next you want to teach the dog to move with the leash in other directions. To teach the dog to go to one side or the other, pull on the leash, parallel to the floor at the level of the dogs shoulders, toward one side, right or left past you. As you did with the forward pull, as soon as the dog moves in the direction you are pulling drop all tension and verbally reward the dog. If you are using treats, give the dog a treat after a few seconds to ease the tension. The dog should move a bit easier now that it is beginning to get the hang of it. If not, do not back down...keep the leash short in your hand and keep the pressure steady until the dog gives to it. If you let go, the dog will learn that if it resists pressure it can shut it off, the opposite of what we want. Repeat this on both sides so the dog is moving to the right across you and also to the left across the front of you. Remember to break the stress up with praise and even some treats if the dog is shutting down, however, dont use any obedience commands during this learning phase. This type of stress can be hard on some dogs and we dont want to colour it with any other variables. We are just concerned with the dogs giving to leash pressure outside any other activity or situation.

Finally, you want to teach the dog to back off the leash. You want the dog to feel the pressure from behind and stop or back up as soon as it feels you pulling on the leash from behind him. This is what will help us teach the dog to NOT PULL. So stand beside the dog, on whatever side you walk it on and line the leash up behind its head, parallel to the floor at the height of its shoulders and pull back along its spine, steady and slow. You must have the leash short, so only your arm moves. You must not pull up or the dog will most likely sit. You want the dog to back up...as soon as it does, even an inch, release all pressure. If the dog is used to pulling, this will be challenging, but dont give in! You need the dog to give to the leash, even if you just feel it stop resisting, that might be enough to reward. You can work on this for a few repetitions and then shelve it for the day. I stress, keep your sessions short and do them daily for few days if the dog isnt giving readily at first. Then go out and have some fun with your dog...make sure if you are going to walk him, do it on a harness, or even a haltie, but keep the collar on for a while after training. Keep in mind not to switch to the collar for walks right away because you have just taught him to give to leash pressure, dont undo your work by rehearsing pulling right after.

Now that you have introduced your dog to the idea of giving to leash pressure, it is time to put it to use. To begin with, just attach the leash to the active collar and work it in the house without distractions. Remember we want to set the dog up to succeed. You can just use a treat to lure and treat your dog into a desirable position, on your left or right, your choice and take a few steps. If the dog gets ahead of you, stop dead in your tracks, lean back and become a post. When the dog stops pulling, release the tension and praise the dog. Call him to you and give him a treat. We dont want there to be extended pressure on the collar, so dont pull your dog to you. Encourage your dog to come to you, rather than correcting the dog for pulling and making him associate coming with something negative. I would recommend keeping training to a couple short sessions a day until you can get the dog to give easily to pressure and recall in the house or back yard with success. Then you are ready to take it out into the world. Dont be in a rush, you only want to do a block of this at a time and build up to durations. As a management tool, use the harness or haltie and practice calling your dog to you for treats or a bit of play while out on walks. Walks and training will be separate at this point, but dont let the dog rehearse bad behaviour on walks either. Just try and get the dog to stop excessive pulling by calling it back to you and rewarding it with treats for not pulling. The most important thing is that if it is pulling it isnt doing it on the training collar and becoming resistant to the feel of the pressure.

Although, positive punishment (like leash a correction) is sometimes necessary, we can use positive reinforcement, toys, treats, playing and other reinforcement to get the dogs to do most what we want them to do. I read recently that corrections make some dogs crazier. It is true in certain cases. I have seen corrections used intentionally to frustrate a dog to make him more excited and intense. The fact is, in the case of highly motivated dogs restraint and physical pain actually lead to more frustration and the heightening or the building of the behavior that most people do not want! People think that strong leash corrections will actually stop a behavior, but constant leash pressure and ill timed leash corrections are actually a form of restraint. Restraining a dog bred for sport or protection dog is actually how trained professionals get the dog to commit more to an object to want something more. This is how they get police dogs and hunting dogs to want an item more...not less. So if you want your dog to stop pulling, teach it to give to leash pressure as a separate skill and then incorporate that skill into your daily walks bit by bit. Eventually, with consistency and patience you can get your dog to be polite on leash.

A work of caution, dont use the heel command with this type of training, as it wont lend itself to formal heeling. The point is to teach the dog leash manners. To begin heeling work is an entirely different approach, of which giving to leash pressure is only one component. If you have the dog understanding how to back off the leash, you may one day want to teach it to heel. So dont pollute or poison that command or you wont have it at your disposal in the future.

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Tackling Leash Aggression

Many dog owners battle with leash aggression. Fido is fine and friendly off leash, but when he restrained, has problems with frustration and fear aggression. A common misunderstanding is the one of aggression vs. frustration. Many owners dont understand that restraining a dog on a flat or choke collar or even a harness, only frustrates the animal, especially when they are struggling for access to another dog. Pulling the dog back only aids in escalating the display of frustration, which often appears to be aggression. In fact, when shaping the behaviour of guard dogs, restraint is used to amp the dog up to bring out the dogs natural defence drive. Pulling your dog back when it sees another dog actually makes the dog want to pull forward even more. Ultimately, the best way to train a dog to not aggress, is to teach it to do something else, like SIT or HEEL off in another direction.

This is an excellent article which was posted on the SPCA website:

"This is your dog. This is your dog on leash."

by Dogtime expert Colleen Safford


Leash aggression is an extremely common behavior issue faced by many dog-loving owners.

You start on the blissful journey of puppy parenthood, envisioning a future of leisurely strolling with your dog: cup of coffee and newspaper in hand, ready to settle in on a park bench, street café, or just around the neighborhood. Then reality sets in. Lovable Fido often resembles Cujo while on leash.

I feel for owners battling leash aggression. I know they scratch their heads in bewilderment, sometimes even resorting to defending sweet Fido by blurting aloud to passersby, "Really, hes very sweet. He only does this on leash!"

Heres what is going on. Your dog is probably frustrated and anxious. Very likely, he wanted to run after or gain access to whatever he saw while on the street; it couldve been a squirrel, other dogs, skateboards etc.

That pesky prohibitive collar and leash however prevented your dog from gaining access to these things and over time, exuberant curiosity was replaced with frustration. Your dog needs to release that frustration and voila, the barking and lunging begins.

"I WANT IT! I NEED TO GO INVESTIGATE! I JUST NEED TO SAY HELLO! WHY CANT I HAVE IT?"

It is very likely that your dogs initial outbursts were met with some form of disapproval from you.

"FIDO, NO! HEY! STOP IT!"

The cycle then begins and now Fido begins to also feel anxious. He begins to think that not only do these things frustrate him, but they make Mom and Dad angry!

"HEY DOG! GET AWAY! MY DAD GETS MAD WHEN YOU ARE NEAR! GO AWAY!"

Now that we likely know the why, lets focus on how to manage the behavior.

In any case of aggression, I strongly advise working with a gentle and humane professional to guide you through this process and teach you about the importance of your timing and consistency. Seek a trainer whose methods are firming planted in reward-based training.

You need to develop a more refined replacement behavior for the lunging and barking. A dog that is quietly trotting along your side, staring into your sparkling eyes is ideal. In order to get this going, you need to be a vigilant owner. It is now your job to scout out other dogs before your dog has the opportunity.

You must also be a well prepared owner. You must always be stocked with tasty treats or your dogs favorite tug style toy.

Game plan

The very second you see a dog (before your dog has the chance to react) you quickly get Fidos attention with a happy voiced, "Fido!" Give him treats or access to his toy as you get close to and continue to pass the other dog. During this time, its important that you remain calm, happy and refrain from tightening up on the leash. We are teaching Fido that both you and he need to relax in presence of other furry friends. Once the other dog has passed and is at a distance, the treating stops or the toy is put away.
Learning that you are the giver of all good things, your dog will become conditioned to look at you automatically when spotting another dog. This conditioning will also help improve Fidos association with other dogs.

It is very important, in kicking off this project, to be lavish in your reward giving, distributing treats every second while in sight of another dog. People often immediately retort, "My dog is going to get fat!" Not if you are a good owner and recognize that treats are incorporated into your dogs daily ration of food. Cut back on what is going into the bowl, knowing that tackling this behavior hurdle is top priority for the health and happiness of both you and your dog. It might take a bit of retraining yourself!

Over time, as your dog becomes increasingly comfortable looking at you, while ignoring other dogs, you will slowly decrease the number of treats given. If you are a good consistent trainer, by the end of this process you will be flipping one treat to your dog after youve passed the other dog and even sometimes simply offering a "good boy!"

Setting yourself up for success

1. When you are lazy, avoid routes with dogs! If you arent going to be a good trainer, dont allow your dog to react--and thus unravel all the work you are doing. (Its like a smoker who picks up a cigarette again!)
2. Practice "Fido, look!" every chance you get, NOT just when faced with other dogs. Your dog must make eye contact with you for everything he wants in life: before you put his food dish on the floor, snap on his leash, open the door for him to go outdoors, between each toss during a game of fetch. This is your batting practice. The more you and your dog get in the batting cage, the more successful youll be at the big game!

3. Exercise your dog. If you have a backyard, play fetch for fifteen minutes before going on a walk. Your dog will be a bit more tired, a bit more convinced that you are cool (after tossing the ball to him), and likely to free less anxious about those other dogs.

Work hard and your training will pay off. Sitting at at outdoor café without worry that your table flies out from under your plate as Fido lunges for another dog IS possible.

[NOTE: If your dog is unable to pass another dog--while being treated and without reacting--you will need to consider proximity. Establish a comfort/space threshold: approaching other dogs only to the point where your dog is comfortable, and then crossing the street or creating a visual block as you get by. Over time, youll increase proximity. This will definitely require working with a professional.]

Colleen Safford, of New York Walk & Train and Far Fetched Acres, is one of NYCs most recognized dog trainers.

Read more about Colleen Safford in the DogTime expert center...

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