# Why is Callie so awful on a leash!!!



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

It sounds miserable. As she has had over four years to practice and get really good at pulling, I think I would find a good trainer to work with. Meanwhile I'd get a new kind of collar or harness, and use both to go right back to basics. When she is wearing that particular collar no pulling - none at all, ever - is allowed. As her urge is to move forwards I would use that to reward her - pull = turn and walk the other way, walking with you = briskly walking on. If at all possible I would give her a really good run and play off leash before starting work, and keep sessions short. Treat it as a game, with lots and lots of excited praise and treats and fun going on while she keeps her attention on you and stays close, and don't be too strict on what constitutes loose at first. Meanwhile the old collar or harness is a stand by for when you really have to get somewhere, and don't have time to train on the way. I am sure you can teach an intelligent dog like Callie to walk poitely, but it is going to take a lot of time, perseverance and patience. As far as she is concerned the only way to get anywhere is to drag you there - I bet if this really _were_ a Poodle forum she would be asking for advice on how to get her human to stop pulling!


----------



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Have you tried a head halter ? Maybe that would make a difference. Or making her wear one of those dog back packs ?

I agree with fjm, after 4 years of trying, a trainer would help you think of new ways and give you good tips.


----------



## Poodlerunner (Jul 4, 2014)

second vote for the head halter. I don't use it much anymore but it was a sanity saver for me. I could walk two adolescent spoos in head harnesses and carry a cup of coffee in the other hand -- that's how well it worked. They simply cannot pull with their faces and I do not think it is cruel. I think it is the opposite of cruel, especially to my arm 

My spoo is highly reactive outside too and our walks are never without many stops and goes but I am seeing progress and that's why I don't rely on the head harness anymore. 

Yes it sucks but I don't go on walks without either the head harness or being fully prepared that it is a training walk. I go on the feel of the lead... as soon as I feel the slightest tension, I say "come back" and bring her back to me and we do not proceed until SHE makes the lead slack and then I say "let's go."

pr


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am not a huge fan of head halters, but do think you need something different. I would use a body harness of any type that fits her comfortably and clip her leash to that. If you search around PF I have posted about how I got loose leash with Lily. She was a tremendous puller and still will pull under certain circumstances. A trainer for a few sessions will help too. Sometimes it is really useful to have another person who isn't invested emotionally in what is going on to look at the situation.

This doesn't preclude doing the other things that have been suggested but, you should give rewards behind you to discourage forging. If she is walking nicely next to you, even if only for a few steps offer her a treat by holding your left hand slightly behind your leg. This will help her to understand that staying close=rewards.

I also do not recommend walking dogs on a coupled leash. If there is a problem with one then it is a problem for both. For example if we were approached by an unfriendly or even an overly friendly dog, I would want my dogs to be able to respond independently and each deal with it in their own way. In that scenario if I had to I could drop all of the leashes and help whoever needed it the most. I also think the odds of me getting knocked over if the dogs were coupled would be much higher. Right now if I have all my dogs with me that is over 150 pounds of dog in three separate packages. They need to be able to be controlled separately as well as collectively and I need both options at all times.

The coupled leash is a pretty concept, but I have opted for getting each dog a nice collar and leash that matches the other ones. Lily and Peeves have a number of matched sets. I haven't gotten Javelin's yet since he is still a baby boy.


----------



## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

Hi
I'm sorry about your situation. WE had a standard female who was terrible on leash also. Walking her was not fun either. This was before head halters...
This may seem like a very basic question, but WHAT kind of a leash are you using?
Please tell me it's not a flexi.
Flexi, especially in this situation gives you zero control over where a dog goes.
also what length of leash are you using?

Just trying to figure out how we might give you some early suggestions.

I agree with a trainer, it may be time, otherwise.

GOOD LUCK


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

How much focus training have you done? It sounds like she's all over the place with her attention. Like a green horse needs loads of ground work before he can be ridden, it sounds like your dog needs much more "ground" work in the way of focus exercises, being able to get her attention WITH you.

Also, maybe you've been fighting a losing battle because you're not setting her up to succeed by trying to get this nice behavior in an environment she's simply not ready for. I would start back at the beginning and work in low to no distraction areas. Work on getting her attention on cue. Really show her where to be when you walk. Use a very small area to work in. You can even start in your house, then your yard. 

In the meantime, when you must walk in distraction areas, use some kind of no pull harness. (I don't like head halters...they can cause injury if they decide to lunge AND they can be construed by a dog to be very intrusive. The muzzle is a psychologically very sensitive area) But if you must, that could be a last resort.

She has been succeeding in pulling all this time. She has learned that pulling is part and parcel of going for a walk. In other words, in order to walk, she must pull. It goes together. She does not think she's being stubborn or naughty. She's actually been inadvertently trained to pull. Start back at the basics and work up. She's been doing what works to go for a walk for a long time. Now she has to learn that pulling does not work, but something else does. But she can't learn if her attention is not on teacher.

Focus training:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdraNF2hcgA




VERY GOOD. This trainer has lots of great videos! (I recommend watching both of these for starters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ

This, following has some important tips to incorporate into the first lesson above.

https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I am another one who prefers separate leads - Poppy's is red, Sophy's black, so I can keep track of who is on the end of what I am holding no matter how confused we get!


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Sometimes I walk all three dogs together, though usually just the two Poodle boys. But yeah....each has his own leash. No flexies. No way. For one thing, being coupled, I can see could cause one problem that I have to watch out for all the time anyhow. That is when they both decide to pee on the same tree or pole from opposite directions. lol. It's bad enough with separate leashes, but at least if I'm paying attention, I can pull one away from the line of fire. One time I had just given them both baths and Maurice hit Matisse squarely on his neck and side. Oy! 

And yeah, there are other things that might come up where you want to separate them. Sometimes I have each walk on his own side of me, )one on the left, one on the right) usually together though. One might like to visit with a dog we meet but I think it's too much for the dog if both my dogs get in his face. So, yeah...separate leashes are better for a lot of reasons. Sometimes I'll hold the leashes in such a way that they start winding around at the top near where I'm holding and it goes down the line so it's almost like they are coupled. I don't like that though. It feels like I have no control if something happens. So, I unwind them and straighten them out from time to time as we walk.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I have a very simple solution if you don't want to devote hours more to training her to walk with a regular collar: the EASY WALK HARNESS. Gentle, safe, effective. After walking on the Easy Walk for a while, you can go back to the regular collar probably. I have with Fiona and Maizie. They walk perfectly on a loose leash now


----------



## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

A head halter called a gentle leader. Imperative you choose that brand and not any other. I have 15 years selling, fitting using these and other brands. The idea behind it isn't just a heads halter like the halti brand ( they simply pull with their face), it has a loop that snaps at occopult, this one should be quite snug, when they pull the pressure is transferred there and it has a calming tendencies. The other loop sits over nose close to eyes and behind mouth opening. Dogs can eat, bark, pant etc. It does not close tight like the halti! I suggest getting help fitting it right and putting two leashes on at first so they don't feel too much pressure right away. Most dogs will have a little hissy fit, laying down, tossing head, etc. You can make the transition better by first putting on to feed awesome treats/ meal. Putting on for 2 minute walk to play ball ( leave on) or other favorite sport. Bring awesome treats and reward loose leash beside you. Most people's mistake is they don't make the value of staying beside you higher than in front ( we constantly reward in front everyday), and they let a pattern of forge ahead, handler stops, dog gets in gets rewarded, dog forges ahead again to start the cycle because that in effect was what got rewarded. Like the chain of jump up /" off!/ " dog get s off and then " good boy " ..


----------



## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

I have worked with a number of "pulling" dogs. Once started and unchecked it is hard to break the habit. The head halter is the best bet. One handler gave up and bought a skate-board!!
Eric.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

No offense intended, but those of you recommending the head halter have obviously never tried the Easy Walk harness. It HAS CURED our chronic, heavy puller, Fiona). Without any pain or going on the face (I have nothing against Gentle Leaders and Haltis for some dogs, but they're kind of outdated now thanks to Easy Walk).


----------



## Critterluvr (Jul 28, 2014)

I also do not recommend the Halti (head collar)........I have used them in the past and they do work wonders but the head/muzzle area is very sensitive and most dogs are absolutely miserable in them.
I have switched to a harness.....similar to the Easy Walk but is called the Freedom No Pull harness. It works great for controlling your dog without putting any pressure on the neck or head area.
I personally do not expect my dogs to walk perfectly at a heel when we are walking, I let them enjoy their walk, sniffing here and there, but I just don't want them pulling constantly. I really have found that the harness accomplishes that. 
If my dogs do see a rabbit or we pass another dog then I arm myself with treats and distract them until we get past, seems to help!


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Halti Black/Red Dog Harness, Medium

Here's another kind of no pull harness. I have heard that these front attached harnesses can cause problems because of tension on one side, pulling the dog at an odd angle. But perhaps along with good training to not pull on a leash, this wouldn't have to be used for long. I still recommend not leaning on this "crutch" for too long but spend plenty of time training the dog the right way not to pull on a leash. Look at Kiko pup videos, Lat training for teaching some focus etc. This harness and other similar things are really for when you must walk where it's distracting and you haven't trained the dog yet.


----------



## kayla_baxter (Jul 17, 2015)

zooeysmom said:


> No offense intended, but those of you recommending the head halter have obviously never tried the Easy Walk harness. It HAS CURED our chronic, heavy puller, Fiona). Without any pain or going on the face (I have nothing against Gentle Leaders and Haltis for some dogs, but they're kind of outdated now thanks to Easy Walk).



Unless you have a dog with a body shape that doesn't work well with the easy walk, and there are many, or a dog who can still pull through the harness, which I see every single day. I much prefer the freedom no pull harness, it doesn't move around on the dog as much, has velvet wrapped straps that don't rub the arm pits like the easy walk and has both a front and back clip that can be used together for much better control. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

sorry


----------



## Critterluvr (Jul 28, 2014)

kayla_baxter said:


> Unless you have a dog with a body shape that doesn't work well with the easy walk, and there are many, or a dog who can still pull through the harness, which I see every single day. I much prefer the freedom no pull harness, it doesn't move around on the dog as much, has velvet wrapped straps that don't rub the arm pits like the easy walk and has both a front and back clip that can be used together for much better control.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes I use the Freedom No Pull because of the padded velvet straps, I think it's more comfortable and less likely to rub.
It has a front attachment as well which I have used but much prefer the back attachment. At least you have an option with this harness though.

I suppose a harness is a crutch and in the ideal world yes your dog should be properly trained not to pull. It is a very time consuming process though and some dogs are "pullers" more than others. I must admit that while my dogs are very well behaved in every other way I do enjoy resorting to this little "crutch" while walking......... for now anyways.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

The best tool is that one called *training.* LOL. I prefer to teach the dogs not to pull. And think of these special harnesses and head collars as last resorts during the interim...until your dog gets the picture that in order to walk, the leash must remain slack are a good help (unless they injure themselves with them). 

That's what I'm about to go work on right now. My dogs walk quite well on a loose leash most all the time, but not perfectly. They forget sometimes and get excited to go, go, go and I need to give them refresher courses. They're pretty good with some distractions...seeing people walking along. But not so good when they see another dog or something wildly reinforcing, like children! lol. They LOVE kids and need to learn to chill just a tad before getting to go see them.


----------



## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

thanks everyone. I'll try the back to basics training, but will get a Freedom No Pull. I have an easy walk harness. It used to work, now it doesn't!


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I guess I have some mixed feelings about head halters. I've looked around some more recently about injuries and it seems it's not as prevalent as I imagined. It just seems though, if a dog lunges, say toward another dog and his muzzle is attached to the leash, that he's going to get his neck whipped around. But what I've also read recently, is that there are more injuries with choke and prong collars. What I have noticed with lots of dogs wearing these head halters is that their heads are kind of down, tails are down and they look rather subdued or down. 

I don't mean that all halters are a crutch. I use them on my toy dogs because I am extra cautious about their necks and throats, even though I had to use a little, lightweight choke chain for showing. I didn't love it though. Anyhow, we're back to regular Puppia harnesses. They're not no pull or anything special like that. 

Bottom line...it's most important that owner and dog can enjoy a walk together and if that means some training harness that doesn't cause real harm, then that's great. It's always nice, if possible to keep working on nice, loose leash walking when it's not so distracting. Then some day the dog can walk nicely no matter what he's wearing. In a fenced yard or such place, it's effective to work on it with no leash or collar at all. Just a fun game of _stay by me every which way I turn, speed up, slow down, stop etc. _A game.


----------



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

whole dog journal article plus interesting comments: The No-Pull Debate - Whole Dog Journal Article
at least everyone writing and commenting recognizes collars/leashes/halters are coercives - something we've had trouble with people here recognizing. 

just thinking out loud because i can't say i've looked into this extensively. but obviously a dog that has done this for years is not going to be easy to retrain. if you take the basic principle of going back to step one, then i still like the idea of no leash in the house/fenced yard while using a long spoon with peanut butter on the end to encourage walking near your knee. eventually add the collar/leash you hope to be able to use fulltime (attached, but dragging) still using the spoon and peanut butter method, etc., etc.

if this works, of course it will not do so overnight, so the halter/harness (of whatever kind) makes sense for the interim (i do not like head halters, but i know they do work for some dogs)). eventually i would hope that the specific collar/leash associated with the peanut butter would mean we're going for a nice walk, no pulling needed! kind of what i'm planning to try once i have a dog again.


----------



## Tabatha (Apr 21, 2015)

As a dog walker, I don't like collars of any kind because of the damage it can do to the neck and spine. I use the Easy Walk harness for 95% of my clients and it works well but not for all. Some dogs with shorter legs slip out easily and in these cases, I attach the leash to the collar as well as the harness. I have purchased the harness in a few different sizes so I'm always prepared for whatever size dog I'm walking.

I have to use a Halti for a 2 year old, happy-go-lucky yellow Lab as he pulls, jumps on people and eats anything he can find on the ground. The owner has done tons of training, has gone to classes and the Halti is the only tool that works with him but it still doesn't prevent him from jumping on people. I simply avoid people when I'm with him.

I have one Jack Russell who will not wear a harness (snarls and snaps when you try to put it on) and sometimes pulls which causes her to cough. She isn't toy or treat motivated either, a tough case!

I have never tried the Freedom harness but there are just too many leashes for me when I'm walking 2 or 3 dogs, forget it. It's hard enough picking up poop with 2 dogs let alone 2 dogs and 4 leashes and it's just too expensive.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

The behaviorist who worked with Blue and me on dog aggression last spring advised me to stop using a prong collar and get a Gentle Leader (the only brand she recommends). She said the prong collar was aversive and might be compounding his problem--every time he lunged and pulled, the discomfort fed his overstimulation and increased his reactivity. I was reluctant, because I'd tried a head halter (I think it was a Halti) years ago on my son's dog and found it next to useless. Hiram had a long, narrow head and slipped right out of it. When I tightened it, he got a strap in his mouth and chewed his way out. 

Since I was paying for her advice, though, I did buy a GL, which comes with an instructional DVD, and was careful to fit it properly and ease Blue into using it with lots of treats and praise. The improvement was astonishing! I liked it so much that I bought one for Jazz, too. I don't put it on until we're ready to walk, I don't leave it on when we're finished, and I wash it fairly often. Neither one of the dogs seems bothered by it, neither one resists having it put on, and both of them walk like little lambs. I love it!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm not really trying to stir the pot, but all collars, harnesses and leashes are coercive. I prefer that term to aversive since all of those kinds of tools compel the dog physically to give a response and their primary design is not to punish the dog. Any tool can be harmful if not used properly. It isn't that any particular tool is bad because of what it does, I just think we should be clear about this concept. Ian Dunbar's Sirius Puppy classes are done entirely off leash and teach all kinds of great things to little baby dogs. Those classes are the only truly non-coercive training I've ever seen anywhere.

That being said I think that each dog will accept a particular tool differently and what one person swears by may not work for everyone. The key is to being open to trying different strategies when your original method doesn't work, but also that being persistent and consistent with the tools and techniques you do try matters as well.


----------



## Raven's Mom (Mar 18, 2014)

I still have this problem with Raven off and on. She behaves beautifully even off leash at the training center and in the yard but out on a street she can go wild. I do have a GL and it does help but I get tired of dealing with it, honestly. We used it extensively with our male collie because he was terrible walking with another dog and it was a miracle. 

For Raven what I like is my traffic lead. Having just that short length keeps her in check better than using her long leash even of I keep the long one wrapped up in my hand. She seems to know the difference and that there is no point because I cannot give her more lead with the traffic lead, no matter how hard she pulls. I just got home from walking and she was walking well until another could with a toy breed came out ahead of us and she started the pulling. I admit I don't usually have the patience required after working all day.


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

*SusanG*: Just want to offer you my support as you work on re-training Callie's leash manners. One of the greatest joys of dog ownership for me is having a steady walking companion, rain or shine! I am an avid (and fast) walker. Throughout the years my dogs have been my best walking buddies. I used the Easy Walk Harness for Chagall with great success when he was a youngster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P3GjsnbBgQ He had no problem transitioning to wearing a martingale collar, as he now does. 

Here's a short video of Chagall and I walking across the Delaware River Bridge (between NJ/PA) yesterday. https://youtu.be/A9sq2-VLPEA As soon as we get into town where we have to walk more slowly, he saddles up alongside me and we stroll on. Truth be told, he's more fun to walk with than most of my two-legged pals because he matches my pace!

You might find some inspiration and encouragement here. Good luck, my mini owning friend!:clover:
Most owners don’t understand why it is so hard to teach dogs not to pull on a leash. Don’t we humans tend to walk at the same pace, shoulder to shoulder with our other friends? And aren’t dogs our “best friends?” But dogs aren’t primates, and they don’t come hard-wired to walk side-by-side like we do. In The Other End of the Leash I described walking politely beside a human from a dog’s perspective as “walking at the speed of death and ignoring everything interesting.” That’s why we need to teach leash manners as if it were a circus trick. Here’s how I do it; See more here Making Leash Manners Fun for Your Dog


----------

