next »

[zarathustra]

I don't have a quick fix for the basic "demented hyena" behavior, with which I am currently (currently=the past 3 years) dealing with one of my own dogs, but I do have advice on how not to get pulled over. First, the kind of collar and leash you are using makes a big difference. If you are using a buckle or plastic-clip collar, or a harness, I suggest you change to a nylon or metal "slip" collar (also unfortunately called a choke collar) that tightens when the dog pulls. Not because he will learn not to pull (not much chance) but it is more secure; he can't back out of the collar. Also, a harness is MADE for pulling. As for the leash, if you are using the "flexi" or one of it's copy-cats, because of the way people hold the handle reel, it is very easy be pulled over if the dog pulls suddenly. I suggest a simple 4- to 6-foot nylon leash with a loop on one end. Put the loop around one hand (on the side away from the dog) and hold the leash with your closer hand a comfortable distance from the end.

Once the equipment issue is dealt with, one thing for the human to learn when walking a powerful dog given to sudden bursts of insanity is Keep Some Bend in Your Elbow. You want to feel the pull of the leash in your forearm, not your shoulder. If you let the dog run at the end of the leash with your arm out straight, it's easier to tip over. If you can spot a sudden lunge about to happen, bend your elbow even more and plant your feet. The dog will still act like an idiot, but the leaping and spinning won't pull you down. If possible, when you are standing in a stable position, bend at the waist, run your closer hand down the leash to a spot just above the clip to the collar, and exert more influence over how much leaping the dog can do. Be careful, though, because a dog like this in full frenzy may pay no attention to anything but the other dog, and will bite a hand too near its mouth without having any vicious intention toward the human.

My problem dog lives with an experienced canine behaviorist (moi) 24/7 and still goes berserk when we are in public and she spots another dog. This even though she happily lives with another dog in her home, has dog friends next door, has been to obedience classes and learned to do all the CGC exercises with other dogs just a few feet away, and has been exposed to many techniques meant to extinguish the problem behavior. I should add, she's a terrier. Yes, I know. Lesson learned. I always admired their spunk. Now, in the words of Lou Grant, "I hate spunk!"

Thanks so much for posting this! You're making me feel tons better about my own spunky dog (who's a Mountain Cur).  

On preview: not even the chest halters stopped Zarapup from pulling like a fiend.

[biomancer]

FWIW, Biopup can pull like a sled dog, especially if there's a bunny to be chased, and she's strong as a horse.

I use a martingale-style collar as well, and a 6' leash, and I hold the leash with both hands against my belly.  It's a lot more stable for me to hold the leash against my body core than it is to have my arm extended, and it's a whole lot easier on the shoulders.

We did spend the money on one-on-one training and that did make a huge difference in many of Biopup's problem behaviors, but it didn't stop all the pulling.  Our trainer warned us that harnesses would be useless as they only encourage pulling, as do retractable leads.

[miss_jane_marple]

Have you tried the chest halter with the leash ripped to the front ring between his front legs? That's what I do to Biodog... if he lunges, he just ends up turning himself around.

I bought a chest halter with the front ring for my puller maniac. It works beautifully, she won't pull when I use it. However, she substitutes an even more annoying behavior -- she barks at ME as we walk, because she's so frustrated that she can't pull. So she just faces me and barks, barks, barks our way around the block.

The head harnesses are okay as long as you are trained yourself, but a dog can injure it's neck if you aren't careful.

My thoughts exactly. I think they work fine on dogs that are mild mannered, but the leaping freak-out characters may injure themselves, or just bite through the material.

[marfa]

Have you tried the chest halter with the leash ripped to the front ring between his front legs? That's what I do to Biodog... if he lunges, he just ends up turning himself around.

I bought a chest halter with the front ring for my puller maniac. It works beautifully, she won't pull when I use it. However, she substitutes an even more annoying behavior -- she barks at ME as we walk, because she's so frustrated that she can't pull. So she just faces me and barks, barks, barks our way around the block.

The head harnesses are okay as long as you are trained yourself, but a dog can injure it's neck if you aren't careful.

My thoughts exactly. I think they work fine on dogs that are mild mannered, but the leaping freak-out characters may injure themselves, or just bite through the material.

I have the leash attached to the front, not on the back, of the chest halter.  It might slow him down a little, but it doesn't stop his forward pull.

I agree that the head harnesses might injure him.  I think I need to either spend the bucks and take him to Obedience class or let someone else foster him.  Any takers?? :)

[bioteacher]

Have you tried clicker training him? You might add that to your bag of tricks, start practicing leash walking indoors, then move literally 2 steps out your door. If you can get his brain focused on making you click/treat, maybe you can teach him that pulling turns you into a tree but slack means you get to walk.

I once read about one trainer who spent about 3 or so sessions of 30 minutes each in the driveway. They never made it beyond the driveway for a very long time. But finally, the dog figured out that pulling meant the walk wasn't going to get them very far... literally.

[pink_]

Pink_puppy is part pittie, and she used to be a puller too. We use a prong, and when she starts to get worked up, I brace my leash arm against my body by crossing my forearm across my lower back. it gives me a great deal more stability, and pink_puppy hasn't figured out that going behind me will solve her issues--she's awesome, but she's not the brightest bulb in the lamp, if you know what I mean. We also practice walking daily, and if she starts to pull, I will sometimes randomly switch directions, which confuses her enough to stop the behavior, or I will suddenly "be a tree" and stand perfectly still until she realizes that she needs to pay attention. It took a long time, a clicker, and many, many positive reinforcements to get her to be a good walker, but we did eventually get there.

[marfa]

We used the head halter yesterday and made it home without falling down.  He *almost* made it by the two labs being walked without a tantrum.  We went to the far side of a parking lot, and after they were actually behind us a little, he lost it.  But we kept walking and he settled pretty quickly. 

Unfortunately, he barfed in the bedroom during the night.  That's a problem with leaving him at the animal rescue during the day while we're at work--he gets too many people giving him treats no matter what notes we leave!

[anakin]

Rory is totally spooked by the wind, which is causing the house to resonate and vibrate. It is creeping me out a little too. Three times in the last hour, branches have audibly dropped on the roof. He cringes and barks at the ceiling. I can't make it better, so I'm just trying to keep him distracted with a peanut butter Kong.

[dr_alcott]

Rory is totally spooked by the wind, which is causing the house to resonate and vibrate. It is creeping me out a little too. Three times in the last hour, branches have audibly dropped on the roof. He cringes and barks at the ceiling. I can't make it better, so I'm just trying to keep him distracted with a peanut butter Kong.

Yikes. Have things calmed down there yet?

[thrillcheese]

My little Boston mix tried to fake me out this morning. Just before I leave for work, I put the dogs out and then give them a "cookie" when they come back in. Today it was raining (the pup hates water). I said "let's go out" and the pup ran to the door. When I arrived to open the door, he ran to the treat cupboard.

He was very unhappy when I picked him up and made him go out.

[anakin]

Rory is totally spooked by the wind, which is causing the house to resonate and vibrate. It is creeping me out a little too. Three times in the last hour, branches have audibly dropped on the roof. He cringes and barks at the ceiling. I can't make it better, so I'm just trying to keep him distracted with a peanut butter Kong.

Yikes. Have things calmed down there yet?

Yeah, hi, I'm back again. First the internet went down, then the power went out for 18 hours. Nothing better than a moaning house and no lights - none of us slept very well last night. Today was doggie day-care day, so he's zonked out and happy now.

[archaeo42]

My little Boston mix tried to fake me out this morning. Just before I leave for work, I put the dogs out and then give them a "cookie" when they come back in. Today it was raining (the pup hates water). I said "let's go out" and the pup ran to the door. When I arrived to open the door, he ran to the treat cupboard.

He was very unhappy when I picked him up and made him go out.

Haha, this is an archaeodog move too.  He'll even go so far as lifting his leg to make it look like he's peeing (nothing comes out and he does it for less than a second).

[ranganathan]

Rangalab's a big time faker.  She fake squats, and when she can get away with it, will ask to be let in, let out, every 30 seconds, in order to get a treat upon coming back in. She's an excellent pattern matcher.  Earlier this week, I was in the kitchen with her at her dinner time and she went to sit by her water bowl, as is the rule.  I gave her dinner, then left the room. (Note: it takes her approximately 18 seconds to scarf down her kibble.)  Less than 5 minutes later, I heard Mr. R go into the kitchen- followed by about 18 seconds of her scarfing down more food!  Turns out as soon as Mr. R entered the room she had gone and sat by her water bowl. He glanced at the clock, figured it was time for her to eat, and gave her dinner. 

When I (good naturedly) scolded her, she gave me a big smile and happy wag. Labs.

[dr_alcott]

Rangalab's a big time faker.  She fake squats, and when she can get away with it, will ask to be let in, let out, every 30 seconds, in order to get a treat upon coming back in. She's an excellent pattern matcher.  Earlier this week, I was in the kitchen with her at her dinner time and she went to sit by her water bowl, as is the rule.  I gave her dinner, then left the room. (Note: it takes her approximately 18 seconds to scarf down her kibble.)  Less than 5 minutes later, I heard Mr. R go into the kitchen- followed by about 18 seconds of her scarfing down more food!  Turns out as soon as Mr. R entered the room she had gone and sat by her water bowl. He glanced at the clock, figured it was time for her to eat, and gave her dinner. 

When I (good naturedly) scolded her, she gave me a big smile and happy wag. Labs.

Mo does this too: tries to trick us into feeding her twice. She's got my son wrapped around her little paw.

[infopri]

Holy cow, anakin!!  I've been off the thread for a while, so I just read about your winds and power loss.  I'm glad everything is back to normal, but it doesn't sound like a fun night!!

White Dog was a big puller, in his youth.  It took a couple of months (I didn't walk him every day, as we have a fenced-in yard and brutal winters), but he learned not to pull.  I didn't use any special equipment, though.  I had a retractable leash, and every time he started pulling, I locked it, commanded "Easy!" waited half a count, and then jerked the leash just a bit.  It wasn't enough to hurt him or even pull him off balance, but it was enough to annoy him.  As soon as he pulled again, I repeated it:  "Easy!"-leash jerk.  "Easy!"-leash jerk.  Sometimes he'd get it, and sometimes I'd have to "Easy!"-leash jerk all the way around the block.  But he began to learn that if he stopped pulling when I yelled "Easy!" there was no leash jerk.  He liked that.  So, eventually, all I had to do when he pulled was say "Easy!"  And, eventually, he learned not to pull at all.


I think I've told you all about the six yappy dogs in the yard behind mine here in Somewhere Warm.  They are making me crazy.  Tonight, one of them (occasionally joined by one or more of the others) has been barking steadily for three and a half solid hours, at least.  (I didn't notice the time until 11:00.)  It's now 2:30 in the morning, and I'm ready to shoot the damned thing.  This has been non-stop, not even for a few seconds.  For. Three. And. A. Half. Freaking. Hours.

I think tomorrow is going to have to be the day I finally knock on these people's door.  (I'm not looking forward to it.  The guy who lives there has a bad temper.  I'm hoping to catch the woman instead, but I don't know their schedules.)