| Does
Your Dog Pull On Leash?
It's
not just your dog! It takes two to pull.
Dogs
do not pull if there is no one dangling at the end of the leash!
Both
you and your dog need to break old habits.
"A
Leash is to the Dog-Human connection like a seat-belt is to the car-driver
connection. Both are safety devices and often mandated by law. Just
as we never use a seat-belt to drive our car, we should not use a leash
to “drive” our dogs. A leash allows us a safe and effective connection
to our dogs in case of surprises, emergencies, or situations where attention
is hard to get or keep." ....- Lisa
Edwards, CPDT, CDBC
Videos of various positive LLW training techniques
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Your
dog pulls because someone, somewhere
at some time, took a step when he put tension on the leash.
He pulls - because it works!
photo courtesy Laura Felgenhauer
He
continues to pull because it continues to be a rewarding experience. He pulls,
and he gets to the car. He pulls and he gets to greet that other dog in class.
He pulls and the neighbor lady across the street tells him how lovely he is,
even though he is now not JUST pulling but is also climbing up the front of
her with his muddy dog paws, to which she replies, "it's ok, I don't mind!"
This is what loose leash
walking looks like!
Photo
courtesy of Cathy Fox
What
gets rewarded, gets repeated.
Here is
the elusive answer to the ever present question of HOW DO I TEACH MY DOG NOT
TO PULL?? (Shhhhh - it's a secret!)
Don't
walk forward if there is tension on the leash.
View a
short film clip of loose leash walking on the Clicker
Solutions website:
*gasp*
Sounds way too simple doesn't it?
Simply STOP every single
time you note that the dog is about to put the slightest tension on the
leash and the pulling will go away. (Yeah, right.) No, honest - It really, really
works! The truth is, that if you tire your dog out first with a good game of
fetch and then take him for a walk in a quiet non-distracting place every day
this week with only ONE goal: to walk without tension and you absolutely refuse
to take a single forward step when you feel tension on the leash, he will discover
that pulling is "broken" and that the tension is a cue to slacken the lead.
You will see the lightbulb go on when he realizes this. If you are consistent
and don't give up, he will learn it. He will have good days and bad, but if
you are diligent he will figure it out.
Hi,
I just wanted to drop you guys a line thanking you for some great advice I found
in your behavior FAQ. I adopted a two-year-old, 100 pound American Akita recently.
He was exceptionally well behaved except when I took him out to walk. He would
pull on the leash with all his strength pretty much the whole time we were outside.
We had one of those retractible leashes and he actually pulled so hard he broke
the winding mechanism inside and pulled the nylon ribbon out of the casing.
It was annoying for me trying to hold on to him and probably unpleasant for
him since he would practically choke himself on the collar trying to lunge forward
(to look at him without seeing the leash, head downand legs straining, you would
think someone had hooked the poor guy up to a plough and was trying to get him
to till a field).
I
looked around on google and found your behavior FAQ. Starting on Sunday (April
1), I implemented the method you suggest on all of his walks --rewarding him
when he stays close to me and freezing when he puts any tension on the leash.
The first few days were frustrating, but after that,the change was remarkable.
By Wednesday evening, slack on the leash was the norm, though i still had to
correct him a few times. On the two walks we took today (saturday the 7th),
there has been slack on the leash the whole time. Our walks have become a lot
more pleasant -- hes like a whole different dog when I take him out now. Thanks
a lot for the information.
-
Jason
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The
other problem is that YOU want to get where you are going as much as your
dog does.
Responding you your dog's pull has been rewarding to you, too. You are
probably thinking right this instant: "How will I ever get to the car,
the park, the house, by standing still for heaven's sake?"
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First
we must break YOUR habit!
It is
as much an ingrained habit to you as it is your dog. He cues you to take
that step by putting tension on the leash and you dutifully obey. He has
trained you to respond and you are fluent in the art of following his
lead. You do it without thinking. He pulls without thinking.
Be
consistent.
Don't have
a great training session and have super results and then mess it up and
undo all the hard work you've done by allowing your dog to drag you to
the car when you are late to class. You must never move forward when the
leash is tight. Put all your supplies in the car first so you aren't juggling
your purse, your training supplies and can concentrate on your dog. Do
one step sit, one step sit, one step sit all the way to the car if necessary,
but DO NOT allow your dog to drag you where he wants to go.
LET GO OF THAT LEASH - it will keep you from pulling!
Noooo that
doesn't mean turn your dog loose to run in traffic, TIE THE LEASH SECURELY
TO YOUR WAIST OR STRONG BELT or better yet, use a waist leash, and go
hands-free. This will keep you from pulling. The only thing in your hand
is your food reward or a favorite toy hidden in your pocket. These items
will be delivered when the dog makes the right choice. If you "feel" your
dog decide not to pull, PRAISE AND REWARD lavishly !!! Reward any lessening
of the tension by proceeding forward. Deliver the reward at the seam of
your pantleg as you step in next to your dog to reinforce that magic position.
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Photo
courtesy of Cathy Fox |
BACK
AND TO THE RIGHT.
What if you
stop and he just keeps pulling? Stop for a couple of seconds and wait, if your
dog continues to strain like a maniac, turn abruptly and walk away from your
dog (imagine you are facing 12 on the clock, you are going to turn and head
for 4 o'clock.) The diagonal direction will set him off balance and he will
turn toward you, as he catches up, PRAISE and deliver a treat in heel position
- next to the seam of your pantleg. (This assumes that the dog is walking on
your left side. If he is on your right, you will turn and head for 8 o'clock.)
Then continue on your way.
The
first commandment of leash training:
DO NOT PROCEED FORWARD IF YOUR DOG IS APPLYING TENSION TO THE LEASH.
Don't give your dog anything to lean against.
The more tension you apply trying to hold your dog back,
the more he shifts his weight forward to compensate. Keep the leash slack!
Photo
courtesy of Cathy Fox
See also:
Leashes
- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly ... -
by Lisa Edwards, CPDT, CDBC
This
handout may be reprinted in its entirety for distribution free of charge and
with full credit given:
© CAROL A. BYRNES "DIAMONDS IN THE RUFF" Training for Dogs & Their People -
ditr_training @ hotmail.com - http://www.diamondsintheruff.com
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