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treble02

Alpha Feist

07/17/2007 10:59 AM
I take trixi for a LONG walk each evening...and she PULLS me the entire time...to the extreme that I am afraid that she is going to bruise herself from her harness. I am still too worried to just let her loose to run...and when I have a chance i take to to a fenced in area to run...but I cant do that everyday! It seems like when were walking she is just so excited about all the smells and sounds and other animals of course....any tips for how I can train her to walk with me and not pull the whole time? is this ok for her? Should I let her keep doing it...i dont know what to do! thanks for any advice or opinions!

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

rattytatty

Newbie

07/17/2007 11:16 AM
No, don't let her keep doing it. You need to walk your dog... your dog doesn't need to walk you! Please train Trixi to heel. I promise you that your walks will be SO much more enjoyable once she heels for you. Put her next to your left leg in a "sit" position (if she doesn't know the "sit" command.. teach it to her). Say your dog's name and "heel", step forward on your left foot and begin walking with her. The leash should be loose, in order to give the dog a chance to perform correctly, and your left hand should be off of the leash. If the dog does not walk next to you, give a quick jerk on the leash, and tell her to "heel". Do not use your left hand on the leash unless it is needed for a quick correction to place the dog in heel position. DO NOT DRAG HER! She will not learn by being dragged around. If she forges ahead, quick changes in direction will focus her attention on you, such as an "about turn". If she is lagging behind, quick corrections and praise with her in heel position will help. During the heeling exercise, about turns, fast, slow, right and left turns will help keep her focused. These are to practice teaching her to walk with you at different paces and stay with you when you turn different directions. Most important, these calls are to teach her to pay attention to you. Remember to praise her when she is in the correct position. You may also want to use treats or toys as well as praise. If she becomes too unruly, have her sit and become calm before resuming your heeling. This is one advantage to having your dog know the "sit" command before you even attempt to train the "heel" command. Good luck to you!

crazy4ratties

Ratastic

07/17/2007 11:23 AM
Posted By treble02 on 07/17/2007 10:59 AM I take trixi for a LONG walk each evening...and she PULLS me the entire time...to the extreme that I am afraid that she is going to bruise herself from her harness. I am still too worried to just let her loose to run...and when I have a chance i take to to a fenced in area to run...but I cant do that everyday! It seems like when were walking she is just so excited about all the smells and sounds and other animals of course....any tips for how I can train her to walk with me and not pull the whole time? is this ok for her? Should I let her keep doing it...i dont know what to do! thanks for any advice or opinions! If she's a young pup its normal because they aren't born being used to a leash! I would start with a training leash, and once your puppy is attached to the leash, let her lead you, that way she don't bulk at being pulled or don't try and pull you! Here are some sites that may be of some help to you: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1124 http://www.perfectpaws.com/pup7.html http://perfectpaws.com/leash.html http://www.doggroups.com/dog-training/item/13 I personally just used a loose training leash, and let the puppy lead me until she got the hang of the leash. Then after that, I called her and tugged slightly, offering a treat. Of course she went for the treat! Puppies are naturally curious and thats normal! They also have short attention spans, just like real babies!, so when you are training her, make it fun and as short as you can possibly can! Hope this was of some help to you. If not, post something else, and I am sure people will help!

rattytatty

Newbie

07/17/2007 11:49 AM
How old is Trixi ?? Much has to do with her age, for sure....as to how you train her.

treble02

Alpha Feist

07/17/2007 2:07 PM
we got her from a shelter on June 30th and they said that she was about 7 months old....the vet did not disagree...so i guess almost 8 months...they said that the owner gave her up because they could not meet her exercise needs! :/

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

treble02

Alpha Feist

07/17/2007 2:16 PM
oh and just so you know....99% of the time she is pulling forward so...trying to pull ME not lagging behind. She did it so much last night that she ran around a pole and wrapped herself up so quickly that she bonked herself on the pole....poor thing!

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

Shadows Mom

Ratastic

07/17/2007 2:17 PM
the moderator's advice was great. I would like to add that Shadow "pulls" his lease too when we first start because he is in a hurry to go potty. He goes #1 one place and #2 another place.... once he has accomplished both tasks, he walks by my side calmly and just fine.

Shadow's Mom Laugh, dance and drink like nobody's watching cause life is too short.

treble02

Alpha Feist

07/17/2007 2:19 PM
so...for clarification....the heel command means stop or slow down?....sorry to sound dumb...my dad used it with our family dog but it meant stop....

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

doecart

Terrier Terror

07/17/2007 3:17 PM
Posted By treble02 on 07/17/2007 2:19 PM so...for clarification....the heel command means stop or slow down?....sorry to sound dumb...my dad used it with our family dog but it meant stop.... "Heel" means to walk in the correct position beside you next to your heels. With Vinnie if he pulled, I would change direction or just plain "Stop" and we would go nowhere until he got into position. Each time he was in the correct position, I would give him a treat... and ... before we knew it, our walks became a pleasure instead of a chore. Here is one of the definitions I found: The word "heel" in dog training terms actually comes from an older term "come to heel". The translation is that the dog will come to the left side of the human, with his head at the humans' knee and his feet at the human's heel. Nowadays "heel" means for the dog to walk on the left side of the human, neither forging ahead nor lagging behind. The goal is that the dog shall eventually walk off leash in the heel position when so commanded by his master. Good Luck!

treble02

Alpha Feist

07/17/2007 3:23 PM
wow...thanks so much! pretty specific....shes nowhere close to that but...we will work on it! lol....ill try it tonight...bring a pocket full of tiny treats!

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

jeremy

Rattie

07/17/2007 3:59 PM
Boy is that Trixie a cutie! Bandit needs some work on his walking manners too! Thanks for the advice!

treble02

Alpha Feist

07/17/2007 4:03 PM
also...is it better to train her on a slip leash/collar? Ive heard these work well for training...not that i want to choke her, but just to teach slowing down? or should i continue with the harness?

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

rattytatty

Newbie

07/17/2007 10:13 PM
You can use whichever you prefer. I personally prefer the choke collar because they tend to pay more attention to it. But you use whatever YOU are comfortable with.

Cricket

Rattie

07/18/2007 1:21 AM
Snickers is a great walker and Hanky Panky does well too but my lab Susie can be awful! 85lbs of pure muscle! I keep her leash short to control her and for the first half of the walk I make her WALK. No stopping or sniffing or messing around. If I feel her mind start to wander I say "COME" and if she loses it I put her in "SIT" , get her to focus on me and continue. It isn't always easy but I try to be consistant. If I lose control of her we can both be hurt, she could be hit by a car or lost. The last part of the walk when she is tired is when I let her sniff around. Also, a good fast paced game of fetch before a walk makes for a tired puppy. I am just a dog Mama and not an expert but this works for me.

Cricket--Mama to~~ Snickers my Teddy Rattie boy! Susie my sweet black Lab girl! Hanky Panky my Terrier/Border Collie Love Love boy!

treble02

Alpha Feist

07/18/2007 6:09 AM
last night was better...i did use the choke collar and she seem to be less interested in EVERYTHING but me! haha....i tried the heel command but forgot to bring treats...BAD MOMMY....so tonight i will try it that way! she responded to the heel command after i pulled her next to my leg a couple times then she would stop...i guess thats the first step! ??!! Thanks for all the suggestions

~ Mary, Trixi and Toa's Mommy, Ratbone Rescues Database Manager and Applications Coordinator

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