# Walking Question



## austin03 (Feb 19, 2014)

I have a 6 month old vizsla that loves to pull when we go on walks/jogs. He pulls to the point where we get worried he is going to injury himself. We have tried the stop when he pulls, the turn around and walk the other way, and all the praise in the world when he is right beside us. None of it works though. We are unsure what the next step should be.

Anyone have any experience with the EZ walk harness? Pincher Collar?

The pincher collars seem a little harsh to me but it was recommended from a few people that they work.

Any thoughts?

Thanks


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

We use a harness with the leash attachment in the front, on the chest. This has helped a lot for us.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

We LOVE the easy walk harness. Our V now always walks with a loose leash even when we have him in a back clip harness, etc. We used treats and praise in conjunction with it to praise him for walking nicely as well. In my experience, any front clip harness (even minus the martingale part that can tighten up) gives you a lot more control. Our guy was a Medium from 4 months until just recently. Now he's pretty much full grown and wears a Medium/Large.


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## daniellamarcella (Oct 18, 2013)

Vika is about 8 months old and we've been working with her on heel and walking since we got her. She's mostly good about it, but when we go somewhere she wants to go (like walking up to the dog park), she'll pull pretty hard no matter what. We took her on a Sunday walk last week and were exhausted by the end of it from her constant pulling.
We bought a pinch collar the next day and have had a lot of success with it. Here's what we did that worked for us:

1. Read up on the proper usage of pinch collars! The placement and usage is important in the proper method for using them. They can be a helpful tool but can also be disastrous if used improperly, and really damage your V physically and especially mentally & emotionally. 

2. Make sure you introduce the collar to them gradually. We just left it on the ground and let her sniff at it and gave her a treat or two when she sniffed at it. It's definitely a new experience for them and you don't want them to get a negative connotation with it in any way. Especially since V's can be such sensitive dogs. Once she got used to the look and smell of it, we put it on her when we were at home, in our space, and just let her wear it for a minute the first time, praising her and petting her. At first, she gave us these eyes like, "I must be in trouble," and she looked so sad I almost just took it off and gave up. But we stuck with it, and took it off and on in a couple minute increments. 

3. Once she was used to the sensation of wearing it, we took her outside and put the collar on. We gave her the heel command and as soon as she tugged ahead we gave a small touch of the leash. With the pinch collars, it takes just a light touch and they immediately feel the pinch. She was an entirely different dog with the pinch collar on. If she started to pull a little bit, we'd give a tiny tug on the leash and she would fall right back into place. She padded along quietly at our sides with complete slack in the lead--something she rarely does on her own. It was WONDERFUL. 

4. We also use it to help her learn to control her impulses with people and other dogs. So far, she's always been able to run up to any dog or person she wants to play with, but obviously that's not always desirable because other dogs/people don't always want to be greeted by an overly enthusiastic puppy. So, while she's on leash, we'll use it to give small tugs and corrections when she's pulling toward dogs or people so that she learns good habits.

5. She only wears it when we're walking somewhere with her--we never leave it on her when she's playing around the house or with other dogs. 

Honestly, we're not planning on using the pinch collar for the rest of her life--ideally, we'll use it to form and strengthen good habits for walking and impulse control. It looks like it hurts them, but as far as I can tell she doesn't even mind wearing it now. It has made a HUGE difference for us with walking on leash, and she doesn't tug as much when she's not wearing it. In all honesty, I wish we would have started with it earlier. 

One last thing--we also got her a regular harness, and at least that helps when she's pulling because it's not just pulling at her neck. The only downside is, she pulls harder with the harness. Good luck!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

If you type in the word Pulling in the search box to the right, lots of past posts will come up on that topic.
Have you worked with anyone on teaching obedience.
It can be very slight things you need to do that can help with the problem. Someone watching how you handle the pup, and then showing you what to change can make a huge difference. A sideways tap, instead of pulling pack on the collar is one. Never letting the dog keep pressure on the collar is another. Keep changing directions is another, along with standing until the pup has calmed a bit. You also need a release for when you start walking again, so the pup starts to understand that the walk doesn't start again until you say.
Plenty of different collars on the market to help get pulling under control, but all need to be used correctly, and most take a soft touch when using them.


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