how to train my chow to walk better on a leash?

[haifinn]

i've been taking charlee bear on a lot of walks lately, about 30 mins every day. she does good, but the only thing is she likes to pull me along instead of walking right beside me. what do i need to do to train her to walk right when i need her to? not gonna complain the pulling does give me a work out but i would rather her walk right beside me. she does good about 15 mins in to the walk when she starts to get tired from all the running. lol any advice would be much appreciated. thanks! (:

[Tippsy'smom]

Tippsy was that way her whole life... I couldn't figure out how to change it for 10 years. When I bought her an Easy Walk Harness, the difference was night and day!

I NEVER had a problem with Jasper. He's always preferred to walk beside me or behind me.

And then there's Dixie...She was a little terror when she was a puppy! (mostly because I let her get away with it) I tried MANY different training tools... Choke chain, gentle leader, Easy Walk harness, and the prong collar... NONE of the training tools really worked with her (she's a hard dog). So, I went back to the tried and true training technique of stopping when they pull. All I did was stop walking, turn, and walk in the opposite direction when she pulled and repeat when she did it again walking in that direction. It took maybe a week before she caught on to walking with a loose leash (I don't demand her walk right next to me unless we're in a crowded place) and now, I walk her on a plain Roman style harness with NO pulling.

[cherriemater]

Try with two boys ... they'll pull your arms off!!! Ah, but, regardless I love my boys.

After months of research (watching videos, reading articles, etc.), I am struggling with this myself and doubly so because I have to very strong, active boys. If they get a scent which puts them into hunt mode it's a terrible struggle. What I have learned to do is with a 6-foot leash I grab both in one hand, then turn my body 360 degrees so the leash is now wrapped partially around my body (butt or waist). So, rather than pulling my arms off, I can use my body weight to temper their pulling. Right or wrong, I believe the hunt drive is important for my boys brains. It's good exercise and keeps them very alert. We live in the semi-country (very small town) and have all sorts of animals which present lovely smells for them: chipmunks, moles, deer, kitties and (EEK!) skunks. I will add that as they get older they have settled down a bit (14 months old now).

There are also verbal cues that I give the dogs during walks, as well. When we're heading home from any point in the walk I say, Good boys go home, or Let's go home, or just "Go Home." I ESPECIALLY use this when we have encountered a (mean) dog or kitty-cat which they'd like to eat or (yes, God forbid) a skunk! By using "go home" casually when we're heading that way they already know it when we're in trouble, so to speak, and there is more urgency in this message. They know exactly where I need them to go so if I have to use additional force to "encourage" them in that direction (grabbing harnesses or walking quickly), they know where we're headed and it seems easier for them to obey, even when their attention is turned towards the interesting object. (Additionally, when we get to the driveway I switch to "inside" and, again, they knew exactly where they're supposed to be going. They're really good with that, as well as waiting at the door for their leash to be detached and/or harness removed before going inside.)

I'm sure you'll get some much better advice here so I am only relating my own struggles to you to show you you're not alone. The best word of advice I can offer is ... consistency! (This is made difficult for me because my husband walks them very differently than I do.) And that starts from before the walk, through the walk all the way to the return from the walk and even in picking up business during the walk. Since we have a fenced in back yard (play pen we call it) we don't keep collars/harness on all the time. If they ask to go for a walk their cue that we're going is when we say, "Harness!" and they go to the utility room where they are hanging up. When they're hooked up, they head for the door and wait until we attach the leash. During the walk I use words like, "This way," and a slight tug in that direction to which they respond (usually) by heading in that direction. If they're headed to mark something that I don't particularly want them to, I just say, No! or No-No and, again, a slight tug away from that direction.

((PLEASE keep in mind that when I say "slight tug" it's a very quick movement and NOT a heavy jerk, which would be counterproductive and just plain mean. IN NO WAY do I advocate harsh treatment in training. Chow chows are very smart and learn quickly but are also very stubborn AND sensitive. Yanking or jerking will NEVER teach a chow-pup a positive message, whereas consistency and praise are the best method, always!))

Finally, find words or two-word phrases that work for your pup/situation. We just started having them "find the rock" which is just down the lane from our home. When they reach it ... LOTS and lots of high squeaky praise. They get really excited when they do something right and that, too, helps them learn. When I use regular phrases, I make sure the tone of my voice is low and calm so that when I have to use more urgency they respond in kind.

Okay ... now I'm rambling. I hope that helps you a bit.

[Fozzbear]

I think that the stop and turn round method is tried and tested - I never managed it as I'd almost be walking backwards and never get to where we are going. It takes committment!
I've heard good things about the Easy Walk harness and would like to try one. Fozz walks reasonably on a lead - I did a lot of walking with her on a very short lead when she was going through the adolescent pushing boundaries stage. I found I had more control with a short lead and I think she got the hang of staying close to me (just!). I always take short leads if we are out near lots of people/distractions.
I've failed to put in the time with Humphrey as walking two on leads is a nightmare for us girls -I've got a double lead and I'm hoping to get some use out of that that doesnt involve me tripping up every two minutes. I dont pound the street with Humph like I used to with Fozz; we go walkies mainly in the massive National Trust park near me, where he walks next to me off-lead and I just pop him on lead if I see any dodgy looking dogs coming up (it's so big we hardly see anyone).

[Cocoa]

The easy walk harness does a great job to keep Cocoa from pulling. It isn't perfect though, if Cocoa decides to plant herself and look at something behind her it is much more difficult to redirect her back in the direction I want to go than it is with a regular collar. I was using it all the time but now I use a combination, leash and collar for regular walks and the easy walk for car rides and places where she is likely to get too excited and start pulling. I think this combination also helps with reminding her how to behave on just the leash and collar. The easy walk doesn't really teach them not to pull, it just prevents them from being able to do so.
As far as teaching not to pull, for me the thing that worked was to stop dead and make her sit every time she pulled. It didn't take too long for Cocoa to figure out that pulling made it take longer to get where we were going that walking nicely. Of course all the rules go out the window if a cat is involved.

[Rory's Dad]

Since i have not overcome this issue myself, i cant offer any advice. But you have hit upon a pretty common theme. Chows are definitely single minded and it really comes out on leash walks. Try the advice presented by others, be patient, and hope to find something that works for your dog.

[Michael's Maggie May]

I have two obedience ribbons from my German Sheperd dog when I was a younger man. I could walk with her by my side without a leash. I am now on my second female Chow and cannot get her to heel without halfway stangling her.The main problem is I want her to sniff and enjoy all the smells on our parks and woods so I give her free rein with a 8ft lead and harness. But when I want her to be next to me on a busy street or for a quick walk down the block she doesn't get it. Lately I let her tire herself and the last 10 minutes of our daily walk I use the term "Walk with me" and I force her to be by my leg. It is starting to work but it has been a tough 5 yrs. I'm just at the age now that I won't beat her up for not obeying me. And we all know how stuborn they can be, thats what we love about our Chows.

[Ursa's daddy]

The Stop and Sit method have worked for me. When we first go out the door, they want to pull, but a few stops usually take care of it. In the van and in town, I use the harnesses and 6ft leads, but when we walk around out in the yard (country) I use 20 ft leads on them and regular collars. Most of the time there is plenty of slack, and if one steps on the lead, there is a quick stop, so the training has worked.

[JasonandNat]

A simple approach that I can guarantee works and can even be done by a 10yr old child, a long leash that can drag behind your chow several feet. This in addition to the one you use for waking. Now every time your chow starts walking ahead of you, step on the long leash. When you stop to talk, step on the leash. No commands, just do what you want, keep calm. This will take a few weeks to a few months depending on how often you do it. Works in the house, yard, at the mall, etc.. When you want your chow to do the same off leash, you now have the tool, eventually they will take every cue from you. This requires no physical strength on your part, no scolding, just happy thoughts. This has worked for horses, sheep, cattle, dogs and birds for decades if not centuries around the globe. Worked really well for our two chows.