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#1
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So frustrated with leash pulling!
I am completely and utterly frustrated right now and I desperately need some help and advice.
My huskies are almost 16 months old. They've never been perfect on a leash, but acceptable. By that I mean, I'm fine with tension on the leash if their sniffing and checking things out, as long as they're not pulling. Tonight however, all h*ll broke lose. I don't understand what's gotten into them. I didn't take them last night (which is very unusual) since it was pouring rain all evening. My husband isn't home this evening so it was just me with both of them. They were pulling so hard at absolutely everything I felt like I had zero control over them and I'm sure everyone who saw me with them thought the same thing. They've always gotten excited when they see other people or dogs, but tonight, they were going crazy over absolutely nothing. I tried having the leash so tight that they could not walk 1 inch in front of me - that didn't help. I tried stopping and making them sit every time they pulled - that didn't help (it litterally took me 12 minutes to walk past 5 houses). I gave up and came home (almost in tears) after only 20 minutes. Usually their walks at night are well over an hour. I don't know why there were suddenly being so defient, and clearly, I have no idea what I should have done about it. I haven't talked to them since we got home, which for huskies, is like torcher to them. Sorry for the long rant, I just really need some help. I can't deal with another walk like this - my limbs are going to come right out of their sockets! |
#2
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Do you have a backyard to make them run a bit before their walks ?
I know how hard it is to walk more than one dog at a time. |
#3
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just so you know.. its not you! its the breed! they are BRED to pull! and will pull.
I have a husky mix that i did so well in training him to walk beside me.. little did i know i'd get into sledding. and he would rather walk beside me then infront and pull it! lol I'm not really sure what advice to give you.. i'll have to think about it for a bit |
#4
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Dogs feed off eachothers energy, whether it is the kind of energy we owners view as good or bad. Dogs learn through patterned behavior, and sometimes - without us realizing it - they're constantly pushing our buttons to see how much they get away with.
My first suggestion is to start walking them seperatley. If your husband can't walk them with you, then you may have to start walking one at a time until this behavior can be more managable for you. Quote:
Quote:
If you need to take half an hour, just to get down the street - do it. As long as you are remaining in control, that is the point. It sounds like up until now, your dogs have led you on walks. Eventually, it was going to reach a point where they felt they could do whatever they want - so what you need to do is start from square one. Do not walk OUT your door, without feeling like you are in complete control of your dog. That means you should be able to open the door wide, without your dog barging out in front of you. If they do, they are not ready to even leave the house.
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~B~ "If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater. . . suggest that he wear a tail." Bailey (Labradoodle) Tippy (Collie/ShepX) Vali (American Bulldog) Artiro (Cane Corso) |
#5
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Thanks everyone. I think I've calmed down a bit since we got home .
I actually walk both dogs quite frequently on my own, but I wonder if they were partially acting up because my husband's out of town for a few days? I don't know. Maybe they're just awful teenagers. Regardless, I'm positive they were picking up on my frustration, which was just making things worse. Surprisingly, they're actually quite calm when we're getting ready for walks. They'll sit nicely at the front door while I lock up, and they know to automatically sit and wait whenever we cross the street. It was just all the in-between time that they were so terrible tonight. I'll keep up with stopping every time they pull, as you suggested Bailey. Looking back, I probably gave up on that too quickly. Perhaps another try later this evening would do us all some good. Another thought, is there any collar in particular that is helpful for a breed such as them who love to pull? I have a canny collar for each of them right now, which was very effective in the beginning, but has clearly lost its touch. |
#6
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Glad to hear it SHM!
I am actually a huge fan of the martingale collar. It's the only collar I reccomend for training. It's very safe (when fitted properly they can't slip out) and very comfortable for your dog, and you can use it for innterupting unwanted behavior. It's a very forgiving collar. Love them!
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~B~ "If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater. . . suggest that he wear a tail." Bailey (Labradoodle) Tippy (Collie/ShepX) Vali (American Bulldog) Artiro (Cane Corso) |
#7
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Thanks Bailey.
I was actually thinking about the martingale collar. A friend of mine has it and loves it. I'll have to look into it some more. Man, their x-mas list just keeps growing and growing.... |
#8
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Are you trying to get them to heel or walk on a loose leash?
If they aren't lunging, the Canny Collar should still be ok. Personally, I prefer to use the Easy Walk harness that attaches to a leash at the chest: http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?pag...uctdescription I think that by stopping, you may be giving them the wrong message. "If you pull, I stop. You stop, I walk, you can pull until I stop again." See what I mean? It would seem like you're inadvertently teaching them to pull. Rather than stopping, how about changing directions? Doesn't matter if you walk up and down your street for the full hour. In a short time, you should be able to go longer and longer distances. It would be a good idea if you rewarded them every now and again when they do walk on a loose leash (You can give them a treat when they are catching up and still behind you and change directions if they pass you). Rather than telling them what not to do, you're teaching them what to do . Whenever you have time, you can practice for a few minutes with them individually. Even 5 minutes each, 2 times a day will get them learning quicker. Basement, backyard, front yard, hallway, wherever.
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"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -Will Durant |
#9
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Quote:
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I hope you are not going to hate me ; in most cases, a different collar will only buy one some time before the dogs adjust to it... |
#10
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I would recommend walking them one at a time at first.
I would also recommend a prong collar. Save your breath, those of you who dislike the prong - I've been using them for 10 years, and in certain situations they are wonderful tools when used properly. I use a simple leash around waist, and when the dog gets in front of me I turn around. While Martingale collars are great for soft or moderately focused dogs, a dog in the throes of an instinctual explosion requires a tool that gets the point across in a very black and white manner. Keep in mind that these are tools, and not solutions. They are simply there to provide you an opportunity to break a negative behaviour and attempt to reinforce a positive one. These are large dogs that could seriously injure someone simply in play or excitement. If they were to ever get away from you and leap on an elderly person, you could find your insurance rates skyrocketing and your dogs labeled "dangerous".
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***Above All Else -- Let Science Be Your Guide, and Truth Be Your Goal.*** Lexus - Rottweiler/Cattle Dog - Raw fed, lover of all things humorous Fable - Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd - Grain Free - hyper, hyperintelligent, apple of our eye And of course, the cats Jasper and Pey'j, and the current flock Kenya, Kirby, Sunny, Simone and Duffy. Last but not least, the endless stream of incoming and outgoing rescue pups! |
#11
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While I believe that prong collars when used properly can be an effective training tool sometimes, by no means would I ever resort to using one simply because a dog is difficult. In fact, prong collars in the wrong or uneducated hands, in an attempt to deal with any kind of behavioral issue while on leash can do MUCH more damage than good. I've trained hundreds of dogs, all of varying levels of anxiety - aggression - age - and behavioral issues; and have YET to resort to using a prong collar. In fact, most of the times, I'm taking the prong collars off of dogs on a first meeting. If anyone is relying on a prong collar to get their point across to a dog in a black and white manner, they are trying to skip many steps BEFORE the walk even begins - therefore looking for a quick fix.
__________________
~B~ "If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater. . . suggest that he wear a tail." Bailey (Labradoodle) Tippy (Collie/ShepX) Vali (American Bulldog) Artiro (Cane Corso) |
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