How can i stop my dog lunging at people on our walks??

Question

i have a 5 month old dalmatian who seems to think everyone should be his friend, however it is a bit of a problem when people are walking past us on walks as he always goes up to them, i keep him on a short lead around people but he starts lunging and is getting quite strong to control! i wondered if any one had any ideas to nip this behaviour in the bud!! thanks

Answer 1

Best thing you can buy is called a canny collar, it works like a horse harness, and totally prevents all pulling and lunging behavior, it is the best thing I ever bought, my dog belle, is a good nicely trained dog, who went to dog school, but she is very strong and if she got excited she could pull you over, the canny collar changed all that, now I can lead her with one finger if I so choose. Check out the website and watch the videos, they are hilarious!!  It works better then halti as it doesn't ride up into the dogs eyes, and I would NEVER electricute my dog, or choke it!!! Canny Collar is harmless and does not hurt your dog, it just reighs her back in, gives you the same control as you would have riding a horse!!! x

Answer 2

you can get a choker chain my dog has one and if she sees someone i yank it and she stops i got it from one of these how to train your dogs hope this helps

Answer 3

Try a Halti  head collar thing.

Answer 4

You need to get a choke chain style collar. Lots of dog owners don't like them because when the dog pulls away they get choked a little bit, but it would be perfect for a puppy Dalmatian like the one you describe.

It would just be easier to control. Also, I think this is pretty normal behaviour for a young dog, they just have to learn!

Answer 5

When he starts to react inappropriately, you should immediately and without a word turn around and walk the other way for a bit. This should accomplish two things: reduce his emotional investment in the situation, and show him that his behavior isn't going to get him anywhere. Be consistent, even though it means you'll basically be forced for a while to be kind of isolated on your walks. You might get some confused looks from people you're approaching when you turn abruptly on your heel. If necessary, explain that you are training because he gets too excited. In time he should start behaving neutrally to, or even ignoring, passersby. Praise and even treat him when you see a difference.

Answer 6

shout at them and say no or give it a treat when it stops doing it until it stops completly

Answer 7

i had the same problem solved it with halti collar and this gives you tremendous control over the dog.Idid not believe these would work because my dog was toyal loony when she was out but it worked like a dream.Good luck

Answer 8

try an electric collar.

they have ones that don't hurt the dog.

Answer 9

You need to go back to basics - your dog is clearly lacking any level of discipline.

Turn up for obedience classes and teach the dog to obey you.

Then it would be a simple case of commanding the dog to sit...

It takes effort.

I can understand people suggesting a harness - but that is just an attempt to control the dog while he is behaving badly. It doesn't actually correct his behaviour.

Answer 10

For now I would use a Gentle Leader head halti. The Canny Collar is a similar device. The head halti gives you really good control over the dog's head, similar to how horses are controlled; and it enables you to control large dogs with fairly little effort.

The problem with the head halti, however, is that it does not train the dog on how to walk properly. As soon as you take it off, they will start with their jumping/lunging behavior again. So at the same time, try training your dog to walk at home first, on a regular flat collar. Hold a treat in your hand, say "nose", and when your dog touches your hand with his nose, praise him and give him the treat; keep repeating until he understands the command.

Then walk a few steps, say nose, and treat; keep repeating. Then slowly walk more steps and treat less. When he pulls, non-mark him (ack, ack), get him to do some obedience commands (sit, down), then start the exercise again, Make the sessions short and end on a positive note.

Once you have trained your dog to give you his attention inside the house, try it out in the backyard, and try it out outside. When people come, just stop, make him do a sit, and practice hand targeting and attention exercises with him, so that his attention is on you and not the other people. Praise him well for giving you attention, especially outside.

Both choke chains and electric collars hurt the dog. That is how it works, it delivers pain, so that the dog would have an aversive response and avoid the behavior because he wants to avoid the pain. A problem with such techniques is that the dog may sometimes associate the pain with something else other than his behavior. For example if you shock him, or collar correct him everytime you see a person, your dog may think that the pain is a result of strangers coming near him. This may cause him to become aggressive to people. Aversive techniques can work, but it can be dangerous to use them and they can backfire and cause more behavioral issues down the road.

Answer 11

get a harness colar so he will be easier to control as it holds him round the chest aswell as his neck. we got one of these for my fellas dog toby coz he was the same and it worked really well.

or you could try a choke chain he should come back to stop the chain hurting his neck...but i find these quite cruel. but i know some people swear by them.

Answer 12

Watch the Dog Whisperer on tv, this guy can work miracles. I apply his techniques with my dog, and they really work.

Answer 13

I would take him to obedience training class.  Contact your local kennel club - which you can find on the internet.

They will show you how to use a choke collar (training collar) to have much better control over him.

Choke collars do NOT hurt the dog when used properly.  In fact, ALL show dogs wear them.

If you can't find your local kennel club, then I know they usually have training classes at Petsmart, though I have no idea how good they are.

Answer 14

Have you seen the Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan) on TV? This is a very standard problem that he deals with all the time.

Always, always, always, it's not the dog's fault but the owner's.

You need to show your dog that you are the pack leader, and that he has to submit and take his cue from you, not the other way round.

I think there are books and videos on his website to help you.