Pulling Weimaraner!

[veilside Angel]

I second the dogmatic leather halters, I have one on my Great dane and it's brilliant. Doesn't cut into her nose or ride up in to her eyes like a halti did to her.

She happily wears it when walking, altho the first time I put it on her she did wipe her face( and drool) all down my leg-nice! lol I only make her wear it now if there is another dog we have to walk past as she can be a little unpredictable towards them ( she's been attacked a few times so she tends to be overly defensive if they bark at her)

Once I had that on her I was much more confident holding her as in just a normal lead( even a check/slip lead) she could pull me straight over( she weighs around 10st I weigh about 8-less when i first got her)


Then I started to walk her on her lead and halter just in the garden and up and down my drive reinforcing her to heal. I had the fact she's a greedy madam on my side.lol so used treats to reinforce her good behaviour

Then I introduced a few distractions, my friends overly excited dog ( again still in the garden) or the kids next door playing with her squeaky toy,and taught her to stay to heal with those going on. If she pulled she got a sharp downwards and inwards pull on the halter( so her head came downwards and in towards her chest-you need a short lead, or even hold the halter strap)

You can then progress to a quite street, then a busy field etc

Really I was just teaching her some manners and to accept me as the leader I guess.

Not sure if it'll work for you as my dog only lunged forward at other dogs rather than constantly pulled?

Good luck

 

[Shadowlark]

It depends.. do you want a quick fix or do you want to solve the problem?

I train all my dogs to walk on a lead - without one. All the way to top level obedience competition. Heck my national dog only wears a leash when in an on lead competition. I don't believe in correcting them - simply being the best thing going and therefore the centre of attention to them. Rather than a boring nag or dead weight.

If you just want to fix it quick, a head collar or a standard 2 pt harness with the leash clipped to the centre ring in front will do the job for you.

 

[vimto92]

Thanks everyone.

I don't want a quick fix, because I know that is all it will be. He will fight against whatever lead/harness I throw at him, and thats not pleasant for either of us.

With a harness, I know it will still be me battling against him, he will throw his weight into it and be dead set on trying to crawl! I know with a halti, or nose pressure device he will go insane trying to get it off!

I definately need a method that is going to show him I am boss, and he is going to walk by my side. I'd take treats and reward him when he walks by my side, but when going for a walk he is just too hyped up to be interested in treats - it is something I've tried before!

He has unbelievable strength!

 

[Shadowlark]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v559F522jV8

(posting as Susan has posted it to be used for training purposes)

Can you see that for Feature this is a game? and that game is FAR more fun than anything else going on. This has nothing at all to do with showing the dog who is boss. But simply being enjoyable to be with.

Your dog pulls because A it works. He CAN drag you to whatever he wants with no consequence and why not? Where he is going is more fun than the person who is either yelling at or correcting him or simply "along for the ride"

Everytime I take a dog out alone it is a training process. With a problem puller I may not even leave the front of my house - every time they go one way without me I go the other - until they learn they need to watch me. At this time I would normaly go to the 2pt harness as I don't like to correct dogs at the neck I would simply rather they had no choice but to follow me and not correct them but instead reward what I like. I then mark the behaviour I like and either treat or play. Many dogs don't like treats when they are excited. So what DO they like... ball.. stick a special game tug perhaps?

I could actually take video of me working a problem dog if it might actually help you and you are willing to put the time in. I am babysitting a border who is bad on the leash and this is among her "boot camp" items. I realize "Features" vid is more the finished piece and not the progress.

 

[vimto92]

Thank you

 

[Shadowlark]

Well we had to keep THAT short and sweet. It's -10 now that the sun is down BRRR!

We tricked her into pulling, as in the week she has been here with us she has learned she isn't allowed. She was a steam roller when she got here - exuberant walk you down the street kind of dog. She is 2, and has lacked boundaries in her life.

I switch her over to the front ring on her harness as she really cannot pull with the leash there or she ends up flipped around to face me. IT doesn't matter how big OR strong the dog is, I have used it with great success on everything, without the risk of damaging the trachea. (I like this methoed much better than head halters now, as the dogs don't fight it which saves fuss and bother)
I mark her naughties with AH AH so she knows what I don't want and her goods with Yes! and then get it as she knows we are going to play with her wholly roller.

Her default "safe" position is down her owners forgive all naughtyness if she lies down - so you can see she keeps doing it.. a lot. But just the same I hope you get the idea. She ignores me - "AH AH" and I go the other way she stays with me - we play together FUN! Playing with human WAY better than silly harness turning us around... hmm stay with human!

With a longer session, she can walk the whole block in position which is about what I expect before she plays - but this was a bit of a mad dash for you

It's all about engagement, on your part and your dogs. Pulling is total disengagement with one another.. by making it fun and motivating you engage your dog, you tell your dog that he and the act of walking by side you are important enough to you to give it your full attention - which is going to make him a whole lot more likely to reciprocate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BByRi9PSoB4

 

[pink-pony101]

dont generally have a lead on mine she heels and stays at heel until you release here with an 'ok' but whilst training a couple of other peoples i used the haltis.

a harness is great on little dogs as you can literally just pull them back with no fear of hurting there necks or anything but with big dogs it just allows them to exert all there strength against you and you end uo being towed along which is great fun on rollerblades with a dog who stops on command (yes ive tried it and no i didnt end up in a+e) but isnt if your heading off after a squirrel or something

i normally just train dogs to heel and sit stay ect with clickers which when you hsve a food motivated dog works brilliantly but to start off or with a really bad puller use presure and release with a halti but make sure you release the second they stop pulling or it doesnt work click, and reward with something (toy, food whatever works for you)

if you dont like the haltis then dont use one. just put on a noral lead (dont use the chocker chains unless you are absolutley sure you have it in the right place an dknow how to use it. i've seen what damage they can do) and just click and treat whever he stays by your heel or slightly infront. he will soon learn it is way more fun to stay with mummy than charge off

 

[em n stormy]

hi i own 2 rhodesian ridgebacks who weigh over nine stone each! I can absolutely recommend the dogmatic headcollar which is designed on a horses headcollar. he may not like it to start with but will get the idea.
i use these if i am handling them both in a busy area (i am only 5 ft tall and weigh around 8 stone!!) but otherwise you cant beat a half check collar and leather lead with a ring on the handle end. if he tries to pull make a loop of the lead and flip it in front of his shoulders keeping your hand low. does that make sense?? this means that he cant set his neck against you to pull. personally dont like harnessess as i think they encourage pulling and you are too far away from the head to be in control!!
also i was told when training my boys to never settle for anything you are not happy with. he may not realise that it is not acceptable to drag you everywhere!!

 

[FayeObs]

Hi,

I had a terrible time when i got Obi ( American Bulldog) They are used in pulling sports and he was horrible to walk. He'd pull until he nearly passed out.

My uncle walks him on a halti, - which is fine but i dont like them and never have. however he now walks perfect for me.. and this is how...

I walk him on a choke chain, and i put it RIGHT at the top of his neck (this is where the nerves are). When he used to pull, which he doesnt anymore, i just used to do a gentle tug and he was right back by my side again. It worked straight away and now 99% of the time he walks with lots of give on the lead its not even tense. It may sound harsh to begin with but i now have control over my dog (it was on sky one ceasar milan).

I promise you it works wonders. He learnt within the first week...

I think the hati is fine but it doesnt discipline your dog. If you do it this way, your dog knows what it can and cannot do.

This is MY personal opinion and im only speaking through the sucess off my dog.

 

[x-jenni-x]

ahh, we have a dog who pulls LOADS, we tried so much, regular body harnesses, nope just chocked him, a halti, worked okay, but rubbed his nose till it bled after just 15 minutes of walking, a bungee lead, worked but was scared it'd do too much damage so stopped using it, now we use whats called a "lupi" and he walks nicely, still pulls occasionally, but doesnt have much to pull agaisnt, only problem is if it gets wet, it does rub the skin.

http://www.petdealz.co.uk/lupi-dog-harness-medium-p1619.html thats the one we have now

 

[Kerpug]

Hiya i have a 7 yo weimaraner and he used to pull really badly. Previous owner had a nose halti and he hated it, he would launch himself to the floor trying to rub it off and his nose was sore from it. When we got him it came off straight away and we went to a chain choker.

It involved alot of consistant training with him, everytime he pulled i changed direction quickly. Stoping and starting, walking in circles, in squares, you name it we did it. He would also stop at every opp to wee again which we stopped to certain areas and it worked. We now get comments that he is the best behaved weimaraner in the area as everyother one i see is pulling his owner all over the place! I can now walk him and push my little girl in buggy. If he goes to pull then a little shake on chain which makes a noise but doesnt come into contact with him is enough to gain his attention again. This can be done with other types of leads just need to be consistant. Good luck he's gorgeous by the way

 

[buffytariqxx]

a halti is the best way to stop him pulling. it puts pressure on the nose. It worked fantastically on or dog who pulled a lot

 

[.denz]

I'm sorry to say I don't have much advise but I have to say GORGEOUS dog. My friend has one and they are such fabulous dogs. Full of personalitity!

 

[vimto92]

Thanks for all the advice and "gorgeous" dog comments! He is a babe. I recently found his favourite itching spot and he reacted in a way he has never before, I scratch his ribs really fast and he lifts his back leg up and starts shaking it, whilst pulling the most hilarious face.

I, personally, can't take him out for weeks and weeks due to my appendectomy but when I do next I will try some of the suggested things (hopefully it will be lighter too!)

Sorry but, I refuse to make him wear a halti or a harness - it is moreso manners I want to establish. A harness wouldn't do much for him, probably just lift his front end off the ground while he furiousley tries to crawl And he would absoloutely hate a halti, it would be a case of ME pulling him along.

 

[ravenstorrough1]

He's lovely - we just got a weim puppy

This post really strikes me as similar to horses - personally, I wouldn't touch the 'training aids' like haltis/harnesses etc as it only masks a problem. I have never had a problem with pulling and never had to use any haltis etc. I would NEVER use a harness unless it was with a pulling breed like the husky and then it would not be used to walk them to heel, it would be to encourage the pulling instinct.

Very good suggestion earlier re. Dog Borstal. This technique works really well but you have to be good with your timing. Another option to try if you find it difficult is, as soon as they get infront of you, walk or even run swiftly backwards for about 6 steps, stop and carry on with loose lead. If you repeat this over and over, your dog will soon realise that getting infront of you means they will be dragged backwards. This really works with perseverance.

I would also suggest making sure that you always walk in doorways etc infront of your dog and that you walk tall and as fast as you can when you are walking him as we all walk slower than our big dogs naturally do.

I would highly recommend the Dog Whisperer or TV - he is excellent. He actually has a very good collar which is designed to stay in place - it doesn't have any pressure or control points just a better design for big dogs necks. Good luck and let us know how you get on!