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I need advice on getting my 6 month old pup to stop pulling on the leash.  She is getting really bad about it.  I'm not a very big person and she has pulled the leash right through my hand rope burning me.  Any advice or ideas would be welcome.  I don't know how to correct her in a way that she's going to respond to but not be scared of me or walking on the leash.  She had been doing really well up until about 6 weeks ago and now she is just getting worse and worse and her first show is supposed to be the end of the month!!

Katie

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He is five months old - do you think that running around for an hour to tire him before you take him on a walk is wise?
It is before we practice and work on some training. Find another target dear.
This video that you see will sort this thing out in less then 5 minutes... http://www.saltwaterfly.co.nz/lead.mov

Watch it but also read this thread and focus on what the guy called "Cicada Ex Member"
has to say...

You will sort this problem out in no time.
Thank you, I watched your video, got the point. It's a bit windy and hard to hear words, but changing direction is clear. Thank you very much. I'll try with my dog. May be we should also try walking on a walkway and not on a grass, where lots of interesting smells all around her.
Important points to take out from this is that

1 - az you change direction give a correction with the lead (the correction comes fast, and when walking the lead should be loose on the dogs neck like a nekles.).
2 - when you start of with the lead, use a softer lead, if that does not change the behaviour make the correction tougher. IT sounds horible but if you give a correction and the dog does not change his behaviour, it means the correction doesnt mean anything to the dog.
3 - take into account how old is the dog. if it is only 3 months, start of soft, take your time. On my dog, I started of with a small rope made like a slip lead, then I had a actuall bitish slip lead, I got results but nothing reliable and the dog after a while got use to the corrections which ment the lead was to soft, so I finally got the choke chain and now he stays next to me until told to have some free running time.

The idea of grass and lots of interesting smells should not metter to the dog if you get his attention with this method. The whole idea is that he should be paying attention to you when you walk him, if he doesnt and you change direction, he will get corrected. So in a few tries, he will realise that "IF I pay attention to where my lord is walking, the I will avoid the correction" but if he doesnt pay attention, you will make him.

Sorry if this sounds bit rough, but If you are fair with the dog, and only give correction when appropriate, you are doing more good than bad. In another way think of it as 2 corrections with the chock chain will make him heel right away, instead of him pulling all the time which makes more damage to his neck then those 2 corrections will.
Im not gonna argue anything here.... thats why I gave I link and a video of a proffesional trainer.
I haven't got the experience to be a credible source.... so read it, if you like it fine. if not. Still fine.
I could write a long paragraph of why I belive in this advice but I dont wont it to escalate into a big argument.
:)
But YOU taught her to pull Katie. So now go out and teach her not to!

You can watch all the vids and take all the advice you like from any expert but you have to apply the advice and you have to WORK at it!

So stop thinking about going "on walk" and start thinking about making your puppy a likeable and respinsible companion.
Get out and practice.
Hi everybody, thanks for the good advice. I wanted to give a quick update and share my experience for otherrs that may be reading this with the same problem. GiGi is making progress by leaps and bounds!! I'm so proud of her and of myself for figuring out what works best for her. I stopped and thought about what has worked well for her so far with other training and it has been the clicker. So I went and got a pocketful of treats and the clicker and we walked and whenever she would stop pulling and walk nicely next to me I clicked and treated. She figured it out in about 10 minutes that walking nicely got her treats and praise. She can still get a little strong at first but it usually doesn't now take more than one correction to get her back on track. She is an incredibly smart girl but I just wasn't talking to her in a language she understood. Didn't have to do a ton of correction on her once I figured out how to show her that "THIS RIGHT THERE" is how I want you to walk. That's what I love about clicker training. I'm now teaching her to "look" at me which basically means "whatever you are doing do that and watch me at the same time." and that is really helping also. I never changed collars, still just have a flat regular nylon collar as she is still just a 6 month old puppy and is VERY sensitive. Never would I want to hurt or scare her. But she is doing great and thank you to everyone for their advice and getting me thinking of the best way to train my lovely girl!!
Thats lovely to hear Katie, well done for working hard and figuring out whats works best for you and more importantly what works best for your lovely girl :)
Love that clicker training it works
She does great with the clicker. I just have to figure out exactly when to click so she gets what I'm trying to teach her. She is soooooo smart, when there is a problem with her it's usually me ;) !!
Same here I have to figure out what I am doing that is confusing Hawk.

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