# No more pulling on-leash breakthrough!



## Alexander

So, there's a park nearby my apartment and I usually walk my 9 month old Vizsla over there once a day to let him run around off-leash to get some energy out. For weeks he was been pulling and pulling on leash, and it's been driving me crazy (and hurting my hands). 

I've tried numerous techniques, including stopping when he pulls and waiting until he comes back to me, as well as the "confuse your dog" technique where you go in the opposite direction of wherever your dog pulls. I've used treats, positive reinforcement for when he walks loose leash, etc. Nothing worked.

Just bought an Easy Walk dog harness from petsmart and bingo! If he starts to pull slightly, he immediately stops on his own and walks slower. Walks are much more fun and rewarding for both of us. I'm really excited. If anyone else is having this problem I encourage you to try the harness, it was about 20 bucks after a cardholder discount.

The best part is there's no strap around his neck so it's a lot more comfortable.

;D


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## datacan

Sadly, he will pull again once he gets used to it. Ours did. 

Only real cure is to teach the dog to obey leash pressure. Google leash pressure work to get an idea. Working with the dog between you and a wall is how how it's done. 

There is still fun in pulling if you get a normal harness and clip a bungee leash to your waist. Excellent exercise value if you just follow the dog without correcting much. The more he pulls the more you benefit. Harness needs to be comfortable, though http://howlingdogalaska.com/

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## Alexander

I feel like the bungee technique would tell him it's ok to pull, no? Unless you're running with it. I wish I could use landrollers like caesar millan does. I feel like that would be the death of me though.


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## datacan

Yes, the harness, bungee combo is for pulling. Why not let him do it? It's harder than one thinks. I corrected his pulling habit on harness and came to regret doing it. They don't naturally pull like the huskies. Trick is to keep them ahead and going forward. 

In any case, congrats on fixing the pulling for now. Later, if you feel like it, give harness pulling a try.


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## SteelCityDozer

Alexander- that harness might work but it inhibits their natural motion IMO. plus, are you always going to take it with you? Probably not and I doubt your V will be able to jump into the car with it on. I'm speaking from experience. Whatever method you want to use, try sticking with it. Don't try three different methods in one outting. Give it some time, like a few days or even weeks. Then if you see no progress try a different method.


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## SteelCityDozer

Oh, and it rubs away the fur on their shoulder/chest area.


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## hotmischief

Well having read Alexander's initial post I though I might finally have to give in to a harness. Boris is very well trained now, with the exception of walking on a leash. In training class he heels off and on the leash beautifully. Outside on a walk...he is a maniac husky pulling 10 sledges.

I have read so many posts on this forum about vizslas pulling on their leashes, it seems to be very difficult to train them to heel.

I, personally do not like harnesses, but I don't like taking my vizsla for a walk on the leash either!! 
He is so strong I feel he is likely to pull me over. I now give him to my husband and I take our 78Kilo Gt Dane who heels beautifully!!

Has any one got any more suggestions as to how I can sort this problems, as I have tried all the suggestions above, except the harness????


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## MilesMom

We used this harness for Miles until he was around a year in new and exciting situations. We found that it was fine for walks under 2 hours, more than this he would get some skin irritation. I don't see anything wrong with using a training tool in places needed. The dog is still a puppy! Kids learning to ride bikes don't go right on 2 wheelers. 

I don't find anything wrong with using a harness or gentle leader as long as the person using it is using it as a tool for the puppy to learn to heel and behave on leash and not a crutch to avoid the training. I took Miles on a hour walk this morning and he walked right by my side with just a flat collar. We found the harness a good tool in training him to behave this way. We still have the harness for my parents to walk him, and we have a gentle leader for when he gets over excited.


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## CrazyCash

Hotmischief - I was also thinking that maybe I would give the harness a try, Cash knows how to walk properly on a leash, in class, and the yard, but once we get outside he gets so excited and wants to drag me down the street. I was thinking maybe the harness would be the way to go, but after taking a closer look at it, I'm not sure it would work for him considering his leg issue (you know, only having three of them  ). Harnesses don't always stay in place for him, they usually twist around to the side and in reading about how this one works, I think it would more likely throw him off balance than help with the pulling. I have a Halti (like a gentle lead) that I used years ago with my other dog - I might give that a try, but again I worry that I'm going to mess with his balance more than anything. 

Maybe for Cash, we are just going to have to tough it out with the pulling / constant correction and then throw Penny into the mix who also pulls and my walks are just a joy. . Luckily Penny is smaller and she's just started learning about the leash, so hopefully I can get her under control soon!


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## hotmischief

Ah but CrazyCash, Penny isn't finished growing yet!!! I agree with you, you need to be careful with Cash as his balance is so important.

I tried a Halti on Boris but he went ballistic trying to get it off his nose. I think Vizslas have such sensitive noses that perhaps this wasn't a good solution. On the other hand, my hands and arms are sensitive too.

I am taking Boris for a one to one gun dog training lesson next week with one of the top trainers in the UK, I am hoping he might have some suggestions. I might also phone his breeder (not to return him) and see if she has some suggestions as Boris's mother has her CDx & UDx, so is very well trained.

I am not prepared to give up on this one. We are fortunate in the UK that we have lots of places to let dogs run loose, but I take it as a personal failure if this dog doesn't learn to heel nicely!!!


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## CrazyCash

I agree - I'm determined to get these dogs to walk nicely on a leash. Penny's issues are truly because of me, I need to put more time into training her and she picks up things so quickly, I just need to buckle down and work more with her. Cash is great in almost every way except on leash walking and when I have him alone he's much easier to handle, but with the two of them I definitely have my hands full! 

This last weekend two of my nieces were at my house and we were going to go to the duck pond to feed the ducks - they really wanted to bring the dogs with us, but the thought of walking two crazy dogs and keeping an eye on both nieces was too much, so the poor dogs had to stay home. 

We'll just keep working on it - both dogs are still young so I have faith that as they mature things will get better...

Good luck with Boris and let me know if you get any fascinating tips that work wonders.


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## jld640

Hi Hotmischief - at the risk of causing an uproar...

I read a blurb once that said not to expect too much in terms of leash manners before a dog is fully mature mentally. I took that to mean somewhere around 2-3 years for Savannah. She had some flashes of brilliance as she was growing up, but basically, outside was just way to cool for her to focus on keeping the leash slack for the full duration of a walk. We kept working at it, but for the first 2 years, I didn't expect more than a few minutes at a time.

She's 2.5 now and her leash manners are steadily improving. That being said, I can absolutely tell when the limit of her attention span has been reached. She is probably still a couple of months away from consistently heeling for a long walk.


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## pippylongstocking

I too suffered from being dragged around on walks. My saving grace was a head collar. They are a godsend. I would never have believed how successful they are - instantly. It's a bit like the lightbulb effect! I agree that V's have very sensitive noses, so you do have to be careful, but for us it works. The best I have tried is the dogmatic, recommended by a trainer at puppy training. They are brilliant, and I can highly recommend them! We also tried a figure of eight lead (lead and halti type in one). Our walks are a pleasure now. However, Ester does tend to hide when I get them out now, but she's fine when they are on, and my arms don't feel like they've been pulled out the sockets! ;D ;D ;D


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## threefsh

*CrazyCash* - have you tried a hitch? This would work perfectly for Cash and not throw off his balance at all. The hitch is the only thing I can use on my pups at this point to stop them from pulling when they are really worked up.

Here is a link to a video showing how to do the hitch with the leash:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc_sJJ04tPA

The actual hitch instructions start at 2:50.


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## hotmischief

jld640 that is good to know, but as he is only 13 months and I am getting close to my pension I would like it to happen sooner than later  But I think you absolutely right.

Pippylongstockings - I need a photos of this miracle head collar and a brand name so I can look it up on the internet - I can't wait for the light bulb effect. Hope I can get it here in the UK.


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## Ozkar

@ HM & CC.

You both say pup walks in heel with your trainer/in class, but not on a walk. So without upsetting your sensibilities, the issue is you guys, not the dog. Pups has worked out that it's ok to pull on a walk but nor in class. You need to review your behaviour and look for the breakdown in process. 

I bet London to a brick you're both showing pup a form of acceptance when breaking heel on a walk. 

To get it right, can spoil the fun of walks for days, weeks sometimes months, so often we give in and accept less than what we really should. Frustration creeps in and it's easier to put up with the pull than concentrate 100% of the time and being unwavering on the requirements. 

I have had lots of pulling dogs as pups. The worst puller I have ever had is Zsa Zsa. She took weeks of ruthless, inflexible expectations to get it right. She is now near on 3. I still have to give her constant reminders while walking to ensure she doesn't start charging forward. 

Persist though, as when they get it, its heaven on a stick........


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## pippylongstocking

Hotmischief. I can honestly say Ester changed instantly when I started using the dogmatic. She can get annoyed with it occasionally, and thows a bit of a wobbler, but soon settles again and accepts it. They are a uk based company, with excellent and very helpful customer service. Just type dogmatic into google and it should come up. They are available in different sizes and colours/fabrics. I went for a lemon leather one, but probably the webbed ones would be more practical. I never ever thought anything would stop Ester pulling, but she has, and even walks with a slack lead. Alas, I have yet to put any photos on here. Ester is a year old on the 16th of this month, and I have loads of photos of her, but don't know how to put them on here. Don't think I can do it from my iPad. Need to get one of my teens to show me on the PC!


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## CrazyCash

Ozkar - I completely agree that I'm a big part of the problem. If we are in class or in the yard, I'm 100% focused on him and what he's doing, so I can correct him and keep him in line. Then when we go for walks I have two dogs and they both need correction, so while I'm focusing on one, the other one is pulling. In a perfect world, I would take them each for a walk by themselves and work with them, but that doesn't usually happen. Maybe I need to change my strategy and take them each for a short walk by themselves first and then another walk with the two of them together...

Threefsh - thanks for the video on the hitch, I'll also give that a try with both of them and see how it goes. That could be a good thing to use when I'm walking both of them together to give my hands/arms a little rest! 

Or maybe I should just give up altogether, sit in a wagon and let them pull me around!! ;D


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## Darcy1311

I have a cupboard full of dog collars, from haltis, to harnessess to check chains, if Darcy wants to drag me down the road,then she does....nothing works..in fact I could sell collars for England I have so many....and Darcy is not even 2 yet..


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## pippylongstocking

That's what I thought till I tried the dogmatic! Only wish I had known about it with my previous dog, a choc lab called Ruby. Now she could pull!


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## Darcy1311

If I buy one more collar for Darcy....there will be a dog house with MY name on it...


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## Darcy1311

But maybe I will buy just one more..........................................................maybe.


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## hotmischief

Ozkar is absolutely right, and I do work on it all the time when I am out with him on his own, but for a very bright dog his attention span is really short with heel work. I will certainly keep working on it, but I am just going to order one of these dogmatic collars as they look excellent.

I like the fact that they don't sit to close to the nose and they only tighten when the dog pulls, as soon as he stops pulling he is rewarded by it relaxing.

http://www.dogmatic.org.uk

Darcy, I just called them re sizing and to order one, but they are out of stock on size 3 at the moment, but I think this might be worth a try.

Thank you pippylongstocking - will let you know how I get on.


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## datacan

Oz IS right, of course. Many years of experience have taught him that he is the BIG dog. Oddly enough, a bigger dog is much easier than a V full of drive... and a small spaniel mix female is even harder than a V :-\ On a mental level and not physical level.


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## born36

Don't waste money on another head harness. 

Just do this instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iv7uanUCZY


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## hotmischief

Born36 -I tried doing that and he went ballistic as the minute you relax the tension it slips down his nose and he is just fighting it the whole time.

I think harrigab found that method worked on Ruby. I am hoping that because the headcollar sits closer to the eyes and doesn't move that it will prove successful. If not I'll send it back and ask for a refund!!!

*Darcy*, they have size 3 in stock on Amazon from the same people so I ordered one via Amazon.


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## born36

hotmischief said:


> Born36 -I tried doing that and he went ballistic as the minute you relax the tension it slips down his nose and he is just fighting it the whole time.
> 
> I think harrigab found that method worked on Ruby. I am hoping that because the headcollar sits closer to the eyes and doesn't move that it will prove successful. If not I'll send it back and ask for a refund!!!
> 
> *Darcy*, they have size 3 in stock on Amazon from the same people so I ordered one via Amazon.


It shouldn't slide down his nose if done correctly. Did your slip lead have a stopper on it?


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## hotmischief

Sure did. Did you use this method on Mac?


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## pippylongstocking

born36 said:


> Don't waste money on another head harness.
> 
> Just do this instead.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iv7uanUCZY


Born36, I have a figure of eight lead. I have found that it is no where near as effective as the dogmatic, so for me it's been worth every penny!


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## Hbomb

We found the canny collar quite good for us. Www.cannyco.co.uk. Like the dog matic it doesn't rub against eyes. 

It doesn't just stop him pulling, it seems to completely calm him down!

That said, some of the other dogs at class still managed to pull with it on, so maybe it's not for everyone


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## born36

hotmischief said:


> Sure did. Did you use this method on Mac?


Yeah it works really well on him. Calms him and stays in place. He fussed a bit when we first tried it but just accepts it now.


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## datacan

Works but makes the dog look likes mad horse or something. 
I prefer hound collars because it doesn't chocke them.


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