By lel
Date 26.01.03 22:45 UTC

Can anyone help with advice on a pup that pulls when out on his walk ?
We try to walk him by our side but he pulls so much he sounds as though he is choking himself . Even when we lengthen the lead he still likes to pull ahead . I just worry that he will hurt his throat or his neck as he makes a choking / coughing noise .
What collar would you recommend - he currently has a simple leather one - would a nylon collar be any easier on him ? He is 13 weeks old by the way .
Lel

First thing, get a copy of "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey (Ringpress Books). This will give you a lot of invaluable advice.
When he pulls, STOP! Don't go any further until he stops pulling. He should eventually turn round and look at you, when you can offer him a treat so that he comes back to you. Only when the lead is loose do you move forward. Walks can take a LONG time, but it's worth it in the end. Basically, if the lead is tight, nobody goes on. When the lead is loose, on we go. He's not daft, he'll soon learn.
Hope this helps.
By Jenna
Date 26.01.03 23:49 UTC
Hehehe, we are currently trying this method with Minx, she behaves exactly as you describe lel, we've now got her in a harness to stop her from choking herself (you'd think they'd learn not to throttle themselves quite quickly, but apparently not!) Sometimes we are stopping every other step, and she realises that she has to come back to us before we move again, but then, hey presto, off she goes like a train again! I can certainly see this taking a very long time! We have actually found we get better results when she is not on the lead, because she'll pay attention to tit-bits and toys and our voices (babbling) while she's loose, but the minute the lead goes on, off we go again. Perseverance and patience I guess - those of you who have used this method and had it work, how long did it take your dog to get the picture? I can see us still doing this in five years time!
By digger
Date 27.01.03 11:09 UTC
I'd try teaching the puppy to be with you as you walk around with the dog offlead at home to start with, reward the pup everything it comes up to you was you walk around a room at home, once he's coming up to you as you walk past, reward him for staying with you for a few strides, and slowly increase the number of strides you want him with you before he gets a treat.