Hi

I have a two year old Springer Spaniel who I have had for around 6 months, I got him from a rescue centre.  He was extremely nervous at first but his confidence has slowly got a lot better.  I got advice on this site a while ago about clicker training and have taught him a few simple things using this method, he really enjoys learning, but......

He isn't nervous at all outside and one thing I haven't managed to teach him is to walk nicely on the lead - has anyone got experience of doing this using the clicker, or is there a better way?  He is just so excited to be out he pulls from the second we're outside.  I've tried haltis and a harness but obviously would rather teach him not to pull.  I've tried standing still every time he pulls and going the other way or waiting until he stops then setting off again, but this doesn't seem a good method as he just pulls ALL the time!!

I wonder if it doesn't help that we often have him on an extending lead as he seems to walk a bit better when he is on a heavy chain lead (with a proper clip I don't mean a choke chain !).  Would it be a good idea to have him on the chain lead when training?

Thanks for any advice

It's not a good idea to walk him on an extending lead, because extending leads teach the dog that when they pull, they get to go further ahead and given more freedom.  It encourages them to pull against the tension and pull into the lead more in other situations, like when you're using a normal lead.

If you want, you can exercise him on a long line using a harness so he doesn't get whip lash at the end, rather than an extending lead.

To use the clicker to train heel, you just click every time the dog is in the correct heel position and deliver a treat.  If the dog gets ahead, lure it back to your side, click and treat that position and then take a step forwards.  Dog will hit the end of the lead, so stop, lure dog back and so on.  It will take a long long time and a lot of persistence, so don't expect to see improvement over night.

Thanks for the reply.

I think you're right that it will take a long time, I meet a lot of people with springers who've had them for years and have them on a halti as they haven't been able to train them but I will give it a good go - it is my project for the summer!  It doesn't help that he's now had nearly 3 years of constantly pulling on his lead to overcome, I suppose it's a lot easier training a puppy.

I think I will need an extra hand too to lure him to walk by me, click, treat and hold the lead!!  Might have to not worry about fashion and get a bum bag   Should I also be saying heel when he is walking by me?  I'm not sure how I will get him to walk at the side of me at all as he never does, might go and have a go in the garden now.

We do use the harness with the extending lead so he doesn't get whip lash....would a long lead be different?  I suppose it is getting him used to having the short lead on when he is expected to walk nicely, e.g. on paths rather than in fields.

No, don't say "heel" - the command or cue for walking nicely on a lead is the lead going on.  Whenever the lead is on, the dog should know to walk nicely.  After all, you don't want to be walking around saying "heel" - you just want the dog to automatically walk nicely when the lead is on.

Yes, you need to get a treat pouch, bum bag or put a small treat pot in a pocket.

The difference between the long line and the extending lead is that the long line doesn't go in and out when the dog pulls - it is a fixed length.  Really, if your dog has a reliable recall, you shouldn't need either - the dog should either be on lead and walking nicely or off lead and free to run around.  The only use for a long line is if your dog doesn't have a good recall in certain situations.

If you do use the turn around method of training not to pull remember to try to keep the lead loose and don't just run around and walk the other way while he's pulling. Get a long training lead, I have one of those 3-in-1 types (they're great). I hold the end in my right hand, have the dog on the left and loosely hold the lead with my left hand. Loose enough to let it slide through but thight enough for the dog to feel tension when it pull. When the dog starts pulling let him get out in front, I even push forward a little with my left arm to get the lead loose then turn around. Now he's a couple feet behind me and has to catch up. While the lead is loose we walk but as soon as there's the slightest pull then out goes my arm, I turn and he's running to catch up again. Once he got the idea of how to walk nicely I was stricter. If we had to turn around three times in the first 30 feet we went back in the house. Lead came off and I sat down and picked up a book or turned on the telly. It was really effective for my Golden.

Important thing is to not have the lead too short. It creates tension and the dog will naturally pull against it.

I say 'heel' and do say it if my girls are being naughty!

Hi Pinin,

Lead training is all about consistency, which is why people take so long to teach it (humans are terribly inconsistent creatures). You have to set very clear rules on when the dog can pull and when it can't and stick to it 100% of the time. If you let the dog pull when you are in a rush and the next day you don't want him to pull, then this just confuses the dog and you will not really be teaching your dog anything.

First of all you have to make the rule that when the lead gets clipped on the collar, all movement will stop if there is any pressure on the dog's neck. That is the most important rule. Then you will need to get your dog back to your side. There are a million ways to do this, you can walk backwards, you can turn around, you can lure the dog back by your side (you will need to fade the lure pretty quickly and change it to a hand signal - then reward intermittently), you can stand there and wait for your dog to look at you, at which poitn you say good boy and give a treat by your side so that he has to come beside you to eat it; you can teach it to walk backwards to your side, etc, etc. But it is important to fade the lure and only reward intermittently, otherwise you run the risk that the dog gets into a pattern of pulling then getting a titbit. Make sure you make it clear what the dog is getting rewarded for and this must be for staying beside you. For coming back to you or looking at you must also be rewarded, but the emphasis is to reward for the correct heel beahviour as much as possible.

After you have the dog by your side, move forward again and if the dog stays with you for 1 step, click and reward (or just say good boy and reward). Then up to 2 steps, and slowly increase the distance your dog has to stay by your side. You want to reward very, very frequently at this stage. Make it absolutely crystal clear that the dog is doing well to give him confidence and for him to start enjoying doing the exercise. Do not use the lead as a training tool, it is there just for security. The lead must stay loose at all times. If the dog goes forward then just and repeat the process. Think of yourself as a robot and the dog will learn faster.

This means you have to set your dog up for success. Practice heel work after the dog is tired and with no distractions whatsoever. Do not increase the distractions until the dog can walk around the garden by your side for at least 5 minutes or so.

Heelwork is really easy, but you have to be consistent.

Dogs are great at contextualising things. If you put the harness on or the halti, then you are letting your dog know that he can pull and you will not stop.This is useful for when you are in a rush and do not have time to stop and train. When the lead is on the collar, this will tell the dog that no pulling is allowed.

Vary where you walk and how you get to the park. Make walks unpredicatable and make sure it is YOU that determines where you are going. This means that you will change direction many times, take different turnings and in general make the walk unpredictable so the dog learns to look to you for guidance. Also, stop and relax in the middle of the walk and ask your dog to settle beside you. This will help with his self-control.

All the best,
Patty

Dogs are great at contextualising things. If you put the harness on or the halti, then you are letting your dog know that he can pull and you will not stop.This is useful for when you are in a rush and do not have time to stop and train. When the lead is on the collar, this will tell the dog that no pulling is allowed

I agree this is a great help and I find it makes total sense to the dog - I used a StopPull harness simply because it is easier - doesn't stop pullling exactly but just redirects the pull into an upwards movement, but you can walk along happily and not bother about what the dog is doing...:)

Lindsay
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