How do I get my two recued, adult dogs to stop pulling on the leashes?

Question

I have two rescues, one about 1 yr. old and 65lbs, the other 2 yr. old and 40lbs. I take them for a four mile walk every morning so they do get regular exercise. These walks are absolutely miserable for me, because the two of them are nearly tearing my arms off. I've tried harnesses of all kinds, I refuse to use chokers so please don't suggest them. (I don't choke the ones I love) I am looking for positive techniques. Eventually, I would love to build them into being able to jog along side of me. Please, help?

Answer 1

There is a leash called the "Gentle leader" that turns a dog's head in another direction than the one he/she's going if the dog pulls.  It takes about ten minutes before the dog learns not to pull anymore, and it's much kinder than chokers!

http://www.gentleleader.com/View.aspx?pa...

Answer 2

Please don't use a choke collar. And prong collars are even worse than choke collars. Get a nose leash. it fits around the neck and the nose. And the leash is connected to the part around the nose. That way when they pull, they wind up facing you.

Good luck.

Answer 3

There is no such training tool as a 'choker' -- there are chain training collars when used knowledgeably would NEVER 'choke' anything but when used by someone who doesn't have a clue, like ANY training took can be dangerous.  Your 'techniques' don't seem to be working.  You don't know what you are doing and you have actually trained them to behave the way they are behaving and likely will continue to do so.  You need to find a good obedience class and learn how to train a dog instead of allowing them to learn to misbehave for a freaking four mile walk every day!  Hopefully you can learn and in turn be capable of retraining them and undoing all the harmful training you have already done.

add:  'head halters' are actually the only tool I will never use as they are inherently horribly dangerous as they can and do cause severe cervical injuries and do not 'train' a dog any more than harnesses do.

Answer 4

petsmart and petco sell a collar that is called a head harness.  it is totally humane, is comfortable for the dog and it works like a charm.  it looks sort of like a muzzle but it is not, the dog can still bark, drink and eat with it on.  when you control a dogs head, you have control of all of him.  they will not pull anymore.  the worse thing you can use is a body harness, while it is the most comfortable, it gives them total control of you.  Caesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer also designed a special collar that prevents dogs from pulling.  You can find it online.  When you get your new collars, train the dogs one at a time and they will be jogging along beside you in no time.

Answer 5

i would recommend obedience school for both

choke collars are great for training purposes, and i would suggest them for that (sorry, i know you don't like them, but if used properly, they are fine, just never leave them on if you are not with them)

Answer 6

try using a gentle leader. it will take some time to train them on it but they are really great ways to walk a dog.  

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

the strap that goes across the top of the nose applies gentle pressure when they start pulling to slow down and kinda snap them out of the mind set that they are in.  the leash clips on underneath as you can see in the picture so it may make it a little harder for them to grab ahold of the leash.  i used these at school when i was going to school to be a vet tech (nurse for a vet) and they worked great for our dogs.  if all else fails, take them to a trainer...  if they start to paw at the nose strap just pull up on the leash enough to make them feel uncomfortable about being off the ground in the front and they will put their paws down.  also a little noise from you telling them that its not okay to do that.  don't use the word "no"  just a little vocalization from you will do.  kind of like the dog whisperer type of thing..

Answer 7

try taking one at the time and  take shorter walks to begin with

Answer 8

Gentle leaders!  These are like head collars for horses.  See, the straps go over the nose and behind the ears--they should not be too tight, but should be snug--so when the dog pulls, his head comes around.  Ergo, eventually, no pulling.  For the eventually, teach them to heel--most dog training programs will show you how to do this.

Works like a charm, so long as you remain calm but firm, and have paitence.

Mine is not only a lurcher but a courser--Viszla, like a greyhound, but more of a sprinter--and he does wonderfully with his.

Answer 9

well harnesses just encourage pulling , so get a strong leather or nylon collar. you could get a coupler http://www.denverdogworks.com/images/108...

hook it to the end of a leash that way our only dealing with one leash instead of two, also the dogs will have to stay right next to each other, if that doesnt work then start walking them separate until they both learn how to walk properly.

i wouldnt suggest a choke chain either, but i would recommend a prong collar, they look intimidating but if used properly they work great and they do not choke the dog, they actually were invented to resemble another dog of a pack nipping the neck which would put the other dogs in line, i use it on my dogs while training to walk, you dont yank on it, when the dog pulls it will get a slight pinch on the neck, that doesnt hurt, more of a startle than anything. http://www.downtownpet.com/blog/uploaded...

but before using this you should find a website and do some research on the proper way to use it.

Answer 10

The same way you teach any other dog to not pull on a leash.  You need to train them not to.  Using a harness may have been your first mistake.  I am not a big fan of harnesses for walking unless there is a medical necessity for it (such as a neck injury or collapsing trachea) for the very reason that they encourage pulling.  IMO, harnesses should be used for activities where you want to encourage pulling or for instances where a collar around the dog's neck would be dangerous or harmful for the dog, never for walking.

Head halters like the gentle leader or halti are a good option to help discourage pulling because they work with the dog's anatomy and instincts.  But even with head halters you are still going to have to put some effort into training them what exactly it is you want them to do.  And you can't yank on head halters the way you might a collar or harness because of the possibility of neck injuries.  

To simply teach them not to pull, stopping any and all forward motion when there is tension on the leash can be very effective and does not require any punitive action on your part.  You have to do it every single time the dog pulls and it may take a while for the dog to get it, but if you stop any and all forward motion every time the dog pulls your dog will eventually learn that tension on the leash means they don't get any closer to where they want to go.  You will probably have to teach them one at a time not to pull because they will be a distraction to each other.  And when you start walking them together again you should expect some setbacks as you have changed the conditions to be different from the ones you originally trained under.

Answer 11

First,you need to take one at a time.Then you need to talk to them as you walk each one.You have some training to do so you need to talk to them like you would to train them for anything else.It is there natural instinct to run but you want to walk at a fast pace so you have to train them to do that.Talking calmly and treating them with a treat when they obey you is a good way.

Answer 12

Have to train them 1 by 1 first.... they have several methods to stop pulling ... many harnesses ... chokers..... leashes ... go to the closest pet shop and they can show you ... 2nd how do you hold the leash ?????? If you hold the leash in 1 hand ... w/ a lot of leash room for her to pull ... SHE WILL !!! have 1 hand on the end of the leash ( w/ ur hand inside ) then have the other hand close to her .. don't give them the chance to pull ... and if you have a HARNESS ... pull back w/ a firm force ..every time and say no ...making them sit at that point helps to .... you have to keep all control ....

Answer 13

A few things you can try...

First, definitely separate them during leash training.  You need to concentrate on them one at a time, so both you and the dog can focus and learn.

Try using a Martingale collar.  It has a similar result to a choke collar, but when you are not correcting them, it remains loose and comfortable.  They come in nylon and are very comfortable for dogs.  Plus--you can use it as a regular collar--so no need to put something on special for walks.  Many humane conscious, experienced trainers prefer or demand use of them because they get great results without the cruelty of traditional choke collars.

When you are walking, separately of course, keep some training treats in your pocket or in a little training treat pouch--they carry them at most pet stores.  Essentially, your dog should be able to walk at your pace, right next to you without jutting in front of you, and without stopping to sniff and p**p and pee on everything.  Basically, you say when it is time to sniff, p**p, pee, stop, dance, hop, jump, etc.  If you haven't given permission for this to happen, correct the dog by gently but firmly pulling the leash with a quick release--just a tug and release, but nothing abusive.  Combine the tug with a "no" word.  Typically, we use a noise like "ah-ah" or "whoops!" instead of "no" because dogs have heard "no" so many times, that it has lost its meaning.  Continue to do this on every walk until the behavior changes.  You may still need to do this as a maintenance type routine if your dogs tend to lose practice over time.

You can use the treats in your pocket to call your dogs' names when walking them, and every time they look at you directly in the eye, treat them.  This works both for solidifying good walking behavior and for ensuring that your dog has excellent attention skills.  Doing this often and regularly will ensure that your dogs always respond to you calling their name which can really help when an interesting dog, bunny, person, etc passes by on walks.  Just make sure you praise verbally when you treat.

Doing these techniques will ensure that your dogs are able to walk, jog, run, fly, whatever, at your pace without pulling and while paying attention.  And, if fact, because your dogs will be actively paying attention to you, they will wear out easier, which is great for them to get even more out of your walks than before.  It takes a lot for a dog's mind to keep up interest in a human partner, and so you'll be working all their muscles--brains and bodies!

Answer 14

well  it might be kinda hard for the simple fact these dogs are older dogs  and maybe not use to walking the way u want to  hold the leash close have a short leash and hold it beside u as he walks  make sure to  talk to him as ur doing this so he may have an ideal