Loose Lead walking

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Mattie
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Loose Lead walking

Post by Mattie »

I use a trail/tracking type harness on my dogs. These go down each side of the neck instead of round the chest so it is more difficult to pull in them. also the strap round the body is futher back than most harnesses and they don't rub. 2 of my dogs rub easily but these harnesses have never rubbed them.

I also have a 6ft lead which I attach to the harness, with the dog on my left I hold the loop in the lead in my right hand, my left hand holds the lead nearer my dog but which lets them me on a loose lead, the lead between my hands is loose as well.

I say, close to my dogs and start to walk, if their head goes in front of my hip, I drop the lead in my left hand and turn and walk the other way. When the dog is getting close, again I say close. I don't get very far at first, usually just walk up and down the same piece of pavement but it doesn't take long when my dog starts to watch what I am doing and starts to walk next to me.

After about 5 or 10 minutes, depending on how they are doing, I like to finish on a good note with praising my dog, I stop the training. I do this daily until my dogs automatically walks close to me, normally about 7 to 10 days.

With this method if you forget to drop the lead in your left hand it does pull on the dog but not hard and because he has a harness on, it doesn't hurt him. If your timing is off and you let him get further forward than you want, it won't matter, just make sure next time your timing is better.

If I can teach a dog to walk on a loose lead anyone can. :lol:
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
emmabeth
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Post by emmabeth »

Thanks for that Mattie.

Just to add to Matties post...

If you dont have the time, or if you are stressed/angry/annoyed/tired... and you think you wont follow the method.

Dont walk your dog - go and do something else instead.

If you start this method and then sometimes you are too busy or in a stroppy mood and you allow your dog to pull, you will set yourself not back to square one, but back even further than that.

So whatever you do.... don't ever allow pulling to be rewarded by you walking ever again.

Em
Ocelot0411
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Post by Ocelot0411 »

Crumbs, I have just had a MAJOR setback on this one as I think I got too cocky too soon. :?

We have been doing brilliantly with this and Ellie was walking to heel almost all of the time. Then the other night I noticed that her harness had been rubbing her, so I thought as we were doing so well I would try to walk her in just her collar. BIG MISTAKE. Yolu would think we had never done any heel work ever and she almost pulled me over on a couple of occassions (she is ridiculously strong for a puppy :shock: :shock: ).

I have obvioulsy pushed my luck and tried to run before I can walk (scuse the pun), so my question is Mattie at what stage do I go from harness to collar? Does she need to be 100% all of the time on the harness before I even think about it? Also do you think your trail harness would be better and not rub, as she is in a Halti at the moment.

Sigh silly me :oops: :oops:
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

You put the lead on the collar because the harness was rubbing, it is what I would have done and many others so don't beat yourself up about it. You can put some silky material over the straps were it is rubbing.

I never walk my dogs on a collar, if they see a cat, rabbit, etc, they will want to chase and could hurt their neck. Dogs have damaged their necks so much by something like this that they have either had to have surgery or pts. I also have a staffy whose voice box has been damaged, she pulled like a train when I first got her.

I have never had a trail harness rub any of my dogs but I have had them rub when I have bought from pet shops.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
danabanana
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Post by danabanana »

do I *need* a harness to do this? Teagan will be out soon and the first thing I want her to learn is how on walk on a lead - she is fast outgrowing her puppy collar so I need to get her a new collar and lead anyway - will it not work as well in just collar and lead? Where's the best place to get a harness if I do need one?
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

Yes a harness is a must, a lot of damage can be done to a dog's neck by an ordinary collar, especially if you do managed to pull on the lead when you are turning quickly.

You can get harnesses from any pet shops and I prefer a 6ft lead for this but you also need a shorter lead for walking on roads. I have lost count of the leads I have, there are so many different types :lol:
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
danabanana
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Post by danabanana »

Mattie wrote:Yes a harness is a must, a lot of damage can be done to a dog's neck by an ordinary collar, especially if you do managed to pull on the lead when you are turning quickly.

You can get harnesses from any pet shops and I prefer a 6ft lead for this but you also need a shorter lead for walking on roads. I have lost count of the leads I have, there are so many different types :lol:
okie dokie, harness will be added to the shopping list! Was planning on a few different leads anyway as I want to get a really really long training/recall line so we can take her to the beach without losing her - obv that would be impractical for normal walks!
DawnStorm
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Post by DawnStorm »

So how do you get two dogs to walk by your side? I always walk my two jokers in the Haltis; those things are a godsend! Bruce the albino goofball could walk in a harness, but walk Flanders in anything else, and she thinks she's one of the Budweiser Clydesdales! I have the halti harnesses; I just need to learn how to walk my dogs using them.

Slight hijack: The packaging for the Halti--at least here in my area--says that it's a dog's favorite head halter. :shock: Whoever put that statement on the package should ask Flanders for a second opinion. She thinks it's some Soviet torture device left over from the Cold War days. :lol:
My current crew:
Bruce the Albino Dobe; Flanders the Belgian Malinut; Leela, Scuttlebutt, and Felix, da kitties.
All much-loved but not spoiled!
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

If you don't let your dog walk in front of you, turn as soon as their head gets in front of your hip, they have to walk by your side. When they are in front they can't see what you are doing so to your dog, it makes sense to walk next to you.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
Me and my dogs
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Post by Me and my dogs »

Since there are people on this board on different continents and we have different products available I wonder if we could clear up what a "Trail Harness" is and what it looks like.

Could someone post a picture of the harness or supply a link?

Do you know if it's anything similar to a Sensible Harness where you clip the lead to the ring on the chest?
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. ~Eleanore Roosevelt
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

I get my trail harnesses from http://petcraftproject.proboards24.com/index.cgi? and this is a photo of Bonnie with her harness on.

As you can see the strap comes down either side of her neck and not round her chest, then goes between her front legs to join up with another that goes round her body. This second strap is set well back from her elbows so con't rub her and there is a short strap at the with a D ring in and you can hold it for extra security if needed.

Image

When a strap goes round the chest like a horse's harness, it encourages a dog to push into the strap which helps them pull more. Like horses, dogs don't pull they push.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
Me and my dogs
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Post by Me and my dogs »

Thanks for the pic.

I've been using this style harness -

Image

It clips to the front so I feel I still have good control of the dog while training.

If I ever work w/ a really strong dog that thrusts right ahead I just stand still and the clip in the front pretty much steers him right around to face me again (since I've already done a turn and go he has to scoot ahead to catch up to my left side).

When I start working my dogs for off leash trail work I run the long line from the clip then to the side and once around the strap by the shoulder so the dog(s) won't have the line running underneath them where they might step on it and give themselves a little self correction.
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. ~Eleanore Roosevelt
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

With the trail harness, you can use a double ended lead, one clip to the harness, the other to the collar or you can have to leads. You can also clip to the harness, pass the lead round the chest leaving a loop you can hold, and hold the handle, this way you can steer the dog in any direction. Often though, just raising your hand a little lifts the dog's chest, that puts them off balance so they can't pull.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
Me and my dogs
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Post by Me and my dogs »

Mattie wrote:With the trail harness, you can use a double ended lead, one clip to the harness, the other to the collar or you can have to leads. You can also clip to the harness, pass the lead round the chest leaving a loop you can hold, and hold the handle, this way you can steer the dog in any direction. Often though, just raising your hand a little lifts the dog's chest, that puts them off balance so they can't pull.
Thanks for explaining that.

That really sounds nice and I can think of a few people I know that could use that - especially one w/ an American Bulldog.
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. ~Eleanore Roosevelt
ShannonO
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Post by ShannonO »

emmabeth wrote:Thanks for that Mattie.

Just to add to Matties post...

If you dont have the time, or if you are stressed/angry/annoyed/tired... and you think you wont follow the method.

Dont walk your dog - go and do something else instead.

If you start this method and then sometimes you are too busy or in a stroppy mood and you allow your dog to pull, you will set yourself not back to square one, but back even further than that.

So whatever you do.... don't ever allow pulling to be rewarded by you walking ever again.

Em
This is my problem: I have no yard! So my puppy goes on-leash at least 6 times a day (7mo old). How do I keep her at or behind my knee when she needs to go sniff to find her spot? :-/
Sage is my 3 year old darling American Bulldog (CGC, PH). Lola, another American Bulldog, is 7 months (as of May 2008).
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