My puppy pulls at the leash too hard.?

Question

She's about 1 year old, and she likes to run. I want her to walk when we go to the mailbox or the park, but she runs and nearly chokes herself at the end of the leash. I have begun stopping every time she gets near the end, but she just doesn't "get" it. I tell her "good girl" when she walks right. How can I make sure she knows she can get a reward for walking and not running on the leash? Thanks.

Answer 1

normal

all dogs need training, exercise, socialization, grooming and vet care.

get a gentle leader and use with training

Answer 2

1- Give her mom exercise and a chance to run! I don't know your exercise schedule, but it sounds like you may be giving too little exercise. My Great Dane would get very erratic on the leash whenever she didn't have good amount of exercise, but after an hour and a half off leash running/playing in a larger SECURE field and (2) 30 minute walks she would happily walk at a nice pace. Up the exercise! She's telling you her amount now isn't enough!



#2- Training. When she pulls, give a quick, sharp tug on the leash and walk in the opposite direction. Praise with treats, vocal, and pets when she is in the zone you want her to be in. She will soon learn pulling will not get her anywhere she wants to go. As well, correct her with a sharp voice command. If this doesn't work and you're strong, stop dead in your tracks AS SOON as she pulls and let her pull while standing in place. Once there's even slight slack, praise her immensely and start walking. Second is very effective in getting the point across IF you stick to it and can really hold her back. Don't give her a correction, just stop, don't speak, don't look at her, don't move, just wait to praise when she does the right thing.



#3- If her pulling is that bad, get a Halts or a no-pull harness to help with training. Treating and praising her when walking along side you will TRAIN her so you don't need it forever. And when she pulls, pull her back around to you and praise once she's back walking next to you.



Good luck!

Answer 3

There is a possibility she may not be getting enough exercise and you should try to up it slightly if your dog is hyperactive, but the other answerers need to keep in mind that she's still a puppy and probably isn't full grown. Too much exercise, or whatever seems normal for most adult dogs, can damage her joints.



I would try a prong, martingale collar, or Easy Walk harness (mild self-corrections whenever she doesn't follow you) if her flat collar isn't working out (if she's wearing a flat collar, tug on the leash to correct) and walk her on a shorter leash. Whenever she pulls, stop (I'm sure you're stronger than a one-year-old puppy). Or, if she still continues to strain at the leash, turn around and go the other way. Keep her by your side and stop her when she ventures ahead. When she heels nicely, reward her to let her know she's doing something right. Spin around, jog, slow down, and give her commands when you're walking to keep her attention on you. Treat her when she follows you.



Once she is heeling well, then you can start loose leash walking. Just don't use a prong; if your dog still needs corrections, she is not ready for loose leash walking.

Answer 4

Well there are a lot of different ways to teach this, with my border i had to try a lot before she would start heeling properly, these are a couple we used, 2 was the one that worked the best if you have tried something like 1 it probably wont work. 1.) Encourage your dog to walk with you. Teach him the command 'here'. Whenever he pulls say 'here' and lure him with a piece of food. Try not to use leash corrections. 2.) Use a choke collar. It will not hurt him if you use it right. Get one thats the right size and use it the right way, make sure its not backwards and it loosens after you tug. Keep the collar high just behind his ears and give gentle tugs, be very gentle, if you pull hard he might want to pull back. To be gentle keep your thumb under your other fingers while lightly holding the leash/choke collar. Its hard to tell what will work if i dont know your dog, but my border was kind of the same and this worked.

Answer 5

Take a bag of treats on the walks with you and make her walk next you. Hold the leash firmly and say heal in a firm commanding voice and pull the lead back towards yourself so her head is in line with your body hold her there while you walk as soon as she pulls away stop and command her to sit when she sits give her a treat and say good girl. Keep at this and it should pay off but she really should have been trained to walk earlier it will take longer now. Good luck

Answer 6

Everytime she runs forward, tuck him back (pull her back quickly) and release immediatley after the tuck!@!!!! Do that continously until she stops! And everytime she walks the way you like it, reward her by grooming her and giving her a cookie!

Gladly, dogs get it pretty quick! Jut keep doing the same routine and after a few days she will be walking as you like it! :)

I also have a dog, infact a really big and strog dog! And everytime I went on walk with him he would pull me through the streets, until I kept tucking him and releasing right after the tuck! Now it is so easy going on a walk with him! :)

Enjoy it and take good care of your freind! :)

Answer 7

she's excited that she's out side the house! you gotta tell her No and make her focus. if she cant make her sit then have her focus. if no improvement is happening give her more walks and have her get used to them. that might work but if not i don't know

Answer 8

i think if he is really hurting himself he will stop.



but if he really wants to be away from you that bad...