Leah on lead

sezpet · #1 25-01-12, 12:34 PM

Hi Guys
Leah has always been an incessant puller on her lead and we have had all sorts of training aids to try to rectify this but she remains as bad.Both Jess and Leah like to charge ahead on their walk although i have now got Jess walking reasonably on a flat collar and lead,however she does not walk to heel but she does walk nicely without applying pressure to the lead but always a little ahead of me.
shey walks beautifully to heel and only needs a correction from time to time.
I do not know how to break this habit with leah,we do the stop start and turn around thing but the walk takes ages as most of it is spent trying to correct her.
She is not dog reactive and so this is not too much of a problem other than me getting dragged about and Leah having zero respect for my aching arms!!!(Leah is almost 3yrs old)
I have ordered a gencon today and intend to start over again with her walk to heel training but she is the most headstrong, stubborn girl you could imagine...any tips please!! I am dissapointed that we once again need to resort to these sorts of measures but her walks are just a nightmare.I walk all 4 dogs seperately to ensure i have full control and so that i can do some one on one training but i am exhausted and would like to take leah and jess together as kyla will walk with anyone and this would mean 2 dogs at a time would be possible.

Thanks
Sarah x

LOVEGSD · #2 25-01-12, 12:59 PM

Is she food motivated? Could you walk with food in a treat bag on your hip that she could smell, might make her keep close to you if she's rewarded for it??

Or could you just stop dead as soon as she pulls and when she comes back to you reward and walk on?

sezpet · #3 25-01-12, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOVEGSD

Is she food motivated? Could you walk with food in a treat bag on your hip that she could smell, might make her keep close to you if she's rewarded for it??

Or could you just stop dead as soon as she pulls and when she comes back to you reward and walk on?

No Lynn,she is not really a foodie!! I think treats might help but may not cure it, she is far more concerned with charging ahead,strangely she never pulls too much on the way home so i think it is the excitement and antisipation of the walk but having this facing twice a day when you have 3 others to walk is getting me down.We can meet dogs, horses sheep, chickens you name it, she just steams right past them no probs but always at full pull!!!Despair

LOVEGSD · #4 25-01-12, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sezpet

No Lynn,she is not really a foodie!! I think treats might help but may not cure it, she is far more concerned with charging ahead,strangely she never pulls too much on the way home so i think it is the excitement and antisipation of the walk but having this facing twice a day when you have 3 others to walk is getting me down.We can meet dogs, horses sheep, chickens you name it, she just steams right past them no probs but always at full pull!!!Despair

Damn, it's always so much easier when they are foodies...lol

I can well imagine Sarah it makes walks hard work doesn't it....could you try leading her up walking out the house then turning round coming back in and taking her lead off and keep doing this for varying distances until she's not sure where she's going??

sezpet · #5 25-01-12, 02:10 PM

Thanks Lynn, anything is worth a try!! i am sad that i have to go back to a headcollar(gencon) as i do not see it as a real cure but the walking her on a flat collar is getting me down,shey was so much easier as he loves food and he and he is twice her size and just a little lamb to walk. I have even almost cracked it with Jess who was a total hooligan when i got her but Leah is a tough customer!!!

LOVEGSD · #6 25-01-12, 02:22 PM

Good luck hun and don't worry you do a bloody fab job with all your babies, Jess' turnaround is amazing and that's all down to you and your hard work.

I'm sure you'll crack it with Leah, I have faith in you

Keep us posted, I'd be really interested to hear how you get on. I'm just thinking if the excitement of the walk lessens a bit you might be able to take her out with the others and without a head collar.

Stuart · #7 25-01-12, 07:18 PM

Just bear in mind that although the Gencon is a great training aid, I am sure that Leah will not like it at first,..I have never known a dog to like it straight away,.. but stick with it, and they do tend to get used to it

sezpet · #8 25-01-12, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart

Just bear in mind that although the Gencon is a great training aid, I am sure that Leah will not like it at first,..I have never known a dog to like it straight away,.. but stick with it, and they do tend to get used to it

Thank you Stuart,wish i did not need to introduce the damn thing in the first place but i do so i must,this dog will be the death of me,she is a delight at home, so graceful and really quite a snob, she does not like getting dirty,hates getting wet and cannot abide too much noise either.She is very mature for her 3 yrs.....until you walk her!!!

Moobli · #9 25-01-12, 08:00 PM

You could also try doing some heelwork training with her at home, as well as chasing a ball in the garden or some brain training (hide & seek with a toy or treat etc) BEFORE taking her for a walk (and I know how hard it is trying to train separately at home when you have more than one dog) but if you take the wind out of sails so to speak, before a walk, then it might just help with her over-excitement to get to wherever she is going at high speed!

I hope something works for you, as it must be very frustrating.

sezpet · #10 25-01-12, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moobli

You could also try doing some heelwork training with her at home, as well as chasing a ball in the garden or some brain training (hide & seek with a toy or treat etc) BEFORE taking her for a walk (and I know how hard it is trying to train separately at home when you have more than one dog) but if you take the wind out of sails so to speak, before a walk, then it might just help with her over-excitement to get to wherever she is going at high speed!

I hope something works for you, as it must be very frustrating.

Thank you,that is a jolly good idea,as you say it is difficult when you have multiple dogs put i have a massive garden and this is achievable as i can kennel the others whilst i wear her out a bit,she has always been the same and really it is down to me because i have not managed to break her habit.Too soft for my own good i suppose but i did find training the others fairly easy.Leah is very headstrong but not naughty if you know what i mean,in every other respect she is fine.