Pulling while walking

[MartMan86]

Hey gang. I'm new here. I've lurked around in the shadows looking at pics, discussions, etc. But anyhow, I'm on my second chow-chow, as my first stayed with my mother when I moved out because they were both very close and I didn't want to break either of their hearts.

My 2nd chow, Nadia, the one who currently lives with my wife and I is great. She listens, doesn't mind other dogs. The only bad thing I can say about her is she's so full of energy at two years old I can't keep up with her, lol. Just the other day my wife and I were playing tennis and she was running around the court, literally jumping completely over the net and stealing the ball in mid-air and making us chase her for it... we had on-lookers laughing so hard it was unreal.

My dilemma with Nadia is when I walk her. She likes to pull way ahead and almost have a power struggle with me while we walk daily. I've tried stopping, telling her easy, and begin to walk again but the problem repeats. I've tried walking her on a shorter leash but the problem still persists. I walk her with a harness as well if you were wondering, I really don't want to use a neck collar. I'm lost as to what to do to stop her from pulling. Has anyone else had a similar problem and have any advice as to how to correct this, or limit how much she does it?

And on a side note, Nadia is EXTREMELY cautious around old men, I have absolutely no idea why. When ever one approaches her she goes on guard and backs way up. When she was one, I was talking to this older gentlemen a few houses up from where I live, she was bucking like a horse and acting like a fool, but I couldn't back away from the gentlemen because a UPS truck was coming down the road. When the truck finally passed up, Nadia bucked up so hard and far she got herself out of the harness and ran down to our house and sat in the yard and waited for me.... weird eh?

Thanks a lot for any help and or advice

[chowpups]

One of Nikki's trainers once told me not to put a harness on her for training to walk,that it gives them the power like a sled dog you notice has a harness and they can pull better? I did notice she pulled alot with it so I tried a martingale collar(trainer told me about them) and I really noticed a difference. Now some people have said they can back out of a martingale collar but I've never had a problem but then again I don't want to say its a couldn't happen.. It must be fitted correctly thats for sure. mine is about 11/2 inches thick and has a clip to snap and a chain choke in front so you fit it once and use the clip to take it on and off if you like. I keep it on cause it has her id on it and license, but it can mat the fur if you don't brush under it.
Good luck some people have used a gentle lead harness Iam not sure what that is but type in and see what comes up. That might be another option. But patience and training really is key. We walk alot and go to pet stores just so nothing is so new that shes that excited about it anymore.

[Piff Poff]

I use a easy walk harness with Henry, you can get harnesses for non escaping, harness designed for pulling and harness designed for anti pulling. I cannot walk Henry on his collar, he pulls too much and he has head tossed out of it. OH walks him with the collar without a problem. Even with his anti pull harness Henry pulls hard if there are gopher holes to inspect.

[Tippsy'smom]

I use the Easy Walk Harness on my chow and chow mix:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2751027

And I use this on my GSD/Aussie mix:

The Gentle Leader Head Collar:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2751021

Both of these have worked wonders for me.

[IliamnasQuest]

The Easy Walk harness is a great device. I've used it on my own dogs and had many students (I used to teach obedience classes) use it with great success. The ring you clip the leash to is on the chest strap, so when the dog tries to pull the harness turns them to the side and the pulling usually stops. It's not painful at all, not a corrective device, just helps keep the dog from pulling.

But whatever device you use, it doesn't teach the dog anything. If you want a dog that eventually can be walked in anything (regular harness, flat collar, etc.) then you have to actually teach your dog to walk on a loose leash. Using the Easy Walk type harness gives you the opportunity to reward your dog for having a loose leash. If you use the Easy Walk, praise and reward your dog for not pulling, and stop all forward motion every time she goes to the end of the leash (even if the harness prevents her from actually pulling), your girl should start learning that having the leash loose is what you want. Right now she really doesn't know, and is going to pull because it allows her to get her way (how often does she get to move forward with the leash tight? everytime that happens, she's learning that pulling WORKS).

It's hard to tell why she's cautious of older men. If she were my dog, I'd work on making her more comfortable about men. The problem with not addressing it is that many times, a little cautiousness turns into a full-blown fear and then she may react with aggression some day, and that just creates further problems. I would try to find some older men and then find out how far you can be from the men before your dog reacts (watch her for tenseness, staring, stiffness, growlling, barking, etc.). You want to stay far enough away that she remains calm and relaxed, and then reward her for that with praise and treats. When she looks at the men (from that distance) and doesn't react, praise and rewards will tell her that it's good not to be afraid. Gradually - over a period of weeks or more - work closer to these scary things. You want to get a bit closer, maybe only a foot or two, but never go past the point where she starts to show anxiety. As she associates the praise and rewards with seeing the men, you should be able to move closer in tiny increments, rewarding for each successful time. Eventually she will become much more comfortable with these frightening men.

When a dog acts stressed around things like that, they are truly uncertain about how to act and they react in a fearful manner. This is not a happy situation for a dog, and we can do much to help alleviate that stress, which makes our dogs happier overall. It does take time, but you have a lifetime with your girl!

Melanie and the girls in Alaska
Khana CD RD SD (Service Dog - Chow)
Tazer (GSD)

[Victory]

Melanie is very right, that you can get your girl to accept older men, it will just take time. When I got my Ming he didn't like children, he wasn't aggressive towards them, he just didn't want anything to do with them. His first owner had had a kid and Ming was no longer her first baby, (neither were his mate and two daughters) and there was another child in the house who was ADHD and a bit out of control. Ming had learned that children were not to be trusted. When I got him there were a lot of kids in the neighborhood and they all wanted to pet the "lion" dog. At first I did like Melanie said and would stand and talk to them, at a point that Ming was comfortable with, when he approached them on his own, I would praise him and reward with a rub. It got to the point that he would run over to a group of kids to let them pet him, because he knew he'd get praise from me, and he always did. Even he was sick with cancer, he would let the kids pet him, they understood though to be careful with him then.

My Firesong is another example she liked other dogs just fine, but people weren't her favorites, she just ignored them, or if they tried to touch them she'd back away. It took a lot of encouragement and patience from me, but now she'll run up to people just like Dreamdancer and demand her minutes of attention too. She still always gets praise from me for it, as does Dreamdancer. I like having socially acceptable and friendly chows.

[Michael's Maggie May]

I have serious pulling problem also. She thinks she is on the iditarod run. I have won obediennce ribbons with past dogs but this one is difficult. I have tried Ceasar's illusion collar but it is a pain to get on and off. I tried the martingale from one of the posters on this site and wound up chasing her down the street with the collar in my hand, then I was told you must adjust it putting it on and readjusting getting it off, no thanks. I do not trust the snap on plastic types that i have been seeing.I use a chest harness when I take her to the state park for I want her to enjoy the walk, sniffing and going where she wants on a 12 foot lead. But when I walk her in the neighborhood I want her close by and heel when I want her to and thats where my problem lies.I am now using a British style lead where the leash and collar are all one piece just like a choke but it is a material not metal. I can control her better but she is hardheaded and still pulls. She is so strong that she pulled me down when it snowed. I could not get the video to play about the Easy Walk Harness but I will look into it. I have a table by the front door that has a menagerie of leashes, collars and what not that I keep trying.

[Michael's Maggie May]

And the gentle leader head collar is not for a short nosed Chow. The snout is not long enough.

[Victory]

One of the things you have to do try is what Melanie said, pulling equals no movement, when she pulls stop. It's hard in the winter I know, because they can pull you over the snow with little effort. After the winter I have to give remedial walking lessons for a while. They don't get long enough walks in the winter, so by spring they have cabin fever and want to "WALK" as fast as they can...My rule is that I walk with my arms comfortably down by my sides, if they pull more than that, I stop, get their attention, even if I have to make them sit for a few moments. The purpose is to let them know we go when and if I say we go, I also make them look at me. Sometimes they get so excited that I know they've forgotten I'm on the other end of the leash, so a sit, a "to me" which means they have to look at me, in my face, then we go, it they pull again, we do all of it again. (a walk around the block in the spring can take an hour) . But generally they improve right away and in a week or so we are all enjoying our walks again.

[Tippsy'smom]

And the gentle leader head collar is not for a short nosed Chow. The snout is not long enough.

Dixie's nose isn't much, if any, longer than Tippsy's muzzle. And I've used the Gentle Leader head collar on Tippsy, and had absolutely NO problem with it. It didn't rub her eyes or anything. I can understand not using it on a closed faced chow, but I don't see why it can't be used on an open faced chow.

[Piff Poff]

And the gentle leader head collar is not for a short nosed Chow. The snout is not long enough.

Dixie's nose isn't much, if any, longer than Tippsy's muzzle. And I've used the Gentle Leader head collar on Tippsy, and had absolutely NO problem with it. It didn't rub her eyes or anything. I can understand not using it on a closed faced chow, but I don't see why it can't be used on an open faced chow.

I tried one on Henry before I bought the harness, it covered his eyes....

[J & C]

When I first took Java to training classes she was a "puller". It was just exhausting and I might add: embarrassing. All the others could stand and listen between new assignments and I was in a full spread stance, heels dug in, trying to hold my pulling puppy; and we were just STANDING!! Finally, probably the 4th class, I told the trainer I was just frustrated beyond belief. She said let me have your dog, will she let me? Yes, Java went off with her. The trainer put the treat in her left hand and held it to her side. Java stayed right behind that treat and there went my exsasbarating (sp) Black Gorilla trotting along like a well trained Chow Chow with no tautness in the leash. I was amazed.
Now in all honesty the treat was not the sole solution. The trainers confidence was "big time" and I know Java felt that. It took me 3 more weeks to get her like the trainer had her walking with a loose leash. It was pure joy. Again, not the dog learning it all; I had learned plenty to. Be in charge. Speak firmly and mean it. Java had never seen me so stern AND so happily slobbering over her when she succeeded! The trainer explained that the joy in my voice on a success was as important as the Alpha expression in the bossy voice.
Now this is stuff I know, and/or knew. Of course you carry on when your dog follows commands. But with my new happy voice Java was actually wagging so hard she was bending in the middle So it takes time and dedication to a particular cause to succeed. I know I would not have stayed at it as diligently had I not been enrolled in a class Of course each class we go to she is getting older and more mature too; undoubtedly a huge part in our achievement there.

[J & C]

Hey, I just spotted this on the Canine Good Citizen blog! Thought it was super advice also!
Most people who will be bringing a new dog into their household automatically envision themselves taking the dog for a walk. My neighbor was no different. He said, “Well, Mary, I’ve decided to get a dog. I found a pretty little Aussie that a rescue group has and by next week when you look out your window, you’ll see us walking by.”

Sure enough, a few days later, I looked out the window and saw a beautiful tri-color Australian Shepherd being walked on a leash. More accurately, she was pulling on a leash, and my friend Bill was holding on for dear life as he tried to keep up with this powerful, athletic dog.

I shook my head and went back to work. The next day, same time, same station, there went Bill, flying down the street at the end of the leash. And then, a few days later, I saw Bill walking with no dog. I went out to the street and asked him if his dog was okay. Sheepishly, he admitted the dog was fine. “She gets plenty of exercise in the back yard, but it’s just a lot of trouble to walk her because she pulls so much.”


Here’s an easy fix for a dog who pulls on the leash-the general idea is if the dog pulls, you stop and wait a few seconds, then start again. If the dog pulls again, stop and wait. The behavioral concept here is Time Out. The reinforcer for the dog is walking, moving forward and getting access to sights and smells. By stopping, you send the message to the dog, “If you are going to pull, we aren’t going anywhere.”

The steps to this solution are:

1. When your dog starts to pull, stop.

2. Stand still. Don’t move forward with the dog.

3. Wait. The dog will pull, but eventually she’ll stop.

4. When she stops pulling, praise her and move forward. If she pulls again, repeat the procedure.

We did this with Bill’s Aussie. In only about 5 trials, she was walking nicely by his side.

Note: When you walk your dog, you should have two kinds of walks, one where you tell the dog, “Let’s go,” (or in obedience, “heel”) and the other type of walk which is basically a “free dog” condition. In the “free dog” condition, the dog should not be allowed to drag you, but you can let the dog sniff and explore new objects. Sometimes, even dogs need to take time to smell the roses.