Canny collar

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#1
Has anyone tried this and have any input on it? I am just looking for something that will work for Rolyx until I can get him trained better to walk on the leash...he pulls, very hard and it hurts my arm/shoulder a lot. I have used a head halti and halti harness and though it cuts it down, it still hurts quite a bit. The canny looked like it may be a little more effective because it corrects directly under the head, rather than allowing too much pull from the side like the head haltis. He is also learning to turn his body slightly to the side giving himself more leverage.

I have also tried walking and stopping, which does nothing....I think that'll improve over time when he gets better at focusing on me, but for now I am just looking for something to use so he doesn't have to miss out on his walks and won't hurt me in the process. :)

Thanks!
 

Saeleofu

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#4
If it's a pain issue for you, you might try one of those bungee type leashes that gives when the dog pulls. Ultimately training is key, but it might give you some temporary relief in the mean time. I don't like head collars for pulling issues (they have their uses but I don't like them on dogs that pull). Or you could try a prong. But nothing will fix it withotu training.
 

Saeleofu

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#6
So...how is this different than just putting the collar high on the neck? Is the nose loop supposed to keep it up high or what? It's just not making a whole lot of sense to me at the moment...
 

crazedACD

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#7
It's supposed to work off pressure I guess to restrict pulling via the nose. Similar to like...a bitless bridle for horses. I don't particularly care for it, I don't think it would work "right" the way it is designed.
 

ihartgonzo

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#8
Have you tried a front-clip harness? Those will actually turn him around, and I find are the safest and most helpful no-pull training tool. Honestly, I walk even the most excitable, obnoxious Great Danes using a simple, soft rope slip lead adjusted with a leash stopper to stay at the top of their neck. And I'm pregnant! No pain or strain at all. Keep the dog engaged with you! You might want to restrict him to heeling at your left side in between practicing loose leash walking. I understand that playing "be a tree" gets super old and sometimes you feel like you can't even walk your dog, so in those instances I'll walk at a quick pace with the dog in a "forced heel" while giving lots of treats and praise for eye contact and not pulling (as in, I give them only enough leash slack to be right on my left side for much of the walk, with breaks where I play be a tree and let the dog sniff around and go potty). Keeping a dog on your left side with the leash properly adjusted at the top of the neck makes it super easy on your arm! The further he is ahead of you, pulling, the more tiring it is to hold him back. Working with your dog is much easier the more tired out they are. If you can, wear him out with a game of fetch or tug before going on a walk so he's less hyped up to pull.

Carry a treat bag with hotdog/chicken/cheese chunks and a clicker on walks! Click/treat for loose leash, eye contact and moving into the heel position! Play "Be a tree" religiously! Practice in the house and yard! It's annoying AF when you first start, but teaching him a loose leash walk for life is worth all the trouble.

Head halters really fail with smart, determined dogs. They learn how to angle their head and keep pulling. I don't like them for strong dogs who pull... they can cause serious whiplash. In that sense, a canny collar would be safer. But, all you really need is a Mendota slip lead adjusted to stay at the very top of the neck.
 

crazedACD

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#9
My preferred method is the "go the other way" method. Dog goes to the end of the lead, turn around and go the other way. Rinse and repeat. You must be consistent to have the results stick. You might look kind of dumb on the side of the road but it works. It doesn't matter what collar you use.
 
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#10
This is really only meant as a temporary solution until Ro and I can get on the same level for walks on a regular collar. He has serious focus problems outside [even for food], but we are working on it [starting inside]...it takes time and I am just looking for ways to continue his walks in the meantime. :)

I really don't know a lot about prong collars...I have read some threads on them and was nervous about using it incorrectly. I would consider them more if I felt more confident how to select them, how to use them properly, etc..

Thanks all, and thanks ihart for the extra tips on working with him...you gave me some great ideas to try as we progress and I appreciate that greatly. Crazed, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying about the 'go the other way' method, is there a link or thread on that I could read in more detail? I have read on the walk and stop method, but not sure if that's the same or totally different from what you are talking about.
 

ihartgonzo

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#11
I'm glad some of my tips helped you. :) I fully understand that your dog still needs walks while he's in training, and you don't want to walk your dog if he hurts you! But the reality is, the more you walk him and the more the outside world becomes the norm, the easier it will be to get his focus on you and to work with him. It's important to find a method that works for you, so you can actually walk him instead of stopping and going constantly. It is most important to be consistent in what you do, get him into a routine and don't let him drag you around!

I feel that prong collars, any type of correction collar, should be used as a LAST RESORT. Because of the fact that introducing pain into training can create more problems, serious problems... especially in an energetic, excitable dog. I think of it this way: your dog pulls hard when he sees other dogs and people just out of excitement, right? Well, every time he pulls hard on a prong collar he will self-correct and experience pain. So every time he sees another dog or a person, he'll be in pain. Dogs are great at making quick associations and if he begins associating pain with people and other dogs, he could begin to react aggressively to them in anticipation of that pain.
 
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#12
This is really only meant as a temporary solution until Ro and I can get on the same level for walks on a regular collar. He has serious focus problems outside [even for food], but we are working on it [starting inside]...it takes time and I am just looking for ways to continue his walks in the meantime. :)

I really don't know a lot about prong collars...I have read some threads on them and was nervous about using it incorrectly. I would consider them more if I felt more confident how to select them, how to use them properly, etc..

Thanks all, and thanks ihart for the extra tips on working with him...you gave me some great ideas to try as we progress and I appreciate that greatly. Crazed, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying about the 'go the other way' method, is there a link or thread on that I could read in more detail? I have read on the walk and stop method, but not sure if that's the same or totally different from what you are talking about.
The go the other way method is great. It go zelda walking nicely on a leash in about an hour. When the dog pulls you turn and walk in a different direction. It worked best for me in and empty field so I could go any direction.
 
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#13
Thanks again. I think I was misunderstanding...I thought I needed to get him more focused inside the house and then gradually moving it to the outside, I thought maybe I would be overdoing it by including training on walks since his focus is so bad.

I am taking him to a cgc class later today, though I do not know if I will be staying yet. The trainer has kindly agreed to meet him first and give me her honest opinion on whether he's ready or I need to just go home and work on him more at home. He really is a good boy, but people just see him when he's overstimulated....which is often as his triggers are anything moving outside. He gets a little overexcited meeting people, but it's not nearly as bad as if he sees a dog [especially off leash]. He goes into what I like to call the "Husky call of doom." This includes pulling extremely hard, temporary deafness, whining and sometimes screeching like he's being beat. Inside he's a completely different dog...most the time he just chews on his toys and hangs out next to me. Even when the windows are open and he's watching/listening to people outside, he is calm. Everything changes the minute we step out that door.

I will keep trying, and thanks to both of you...King I will try that method, though I don't really have any fields I can go to. I've been using the street at night since it's more roomy and is less distractions.
 

ihartgonzo

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#14
Oh... you have a Husky!!! That's actually what I envisioned when I read your posts. LOL! ;)

How old is Rolyx? Husies are such a pain when they're puppies/adolescents. Vigorous, exhausting exercise is your FRIEND. I recommend tiring him out almost to the point that he can barely stay awake before your CGC class. Practice heeling and commands in your house and yard constantly before introducing any distractions or stimulus. When working with primitive breeds, it's important to realize that they are meant to be independent, thinking dogs. They think for themselves. They are survivors. They want to RUN and be free! Take him to fenced, off-leash parks as much as possible to let him run & run & indulge in his desire to explore. Then take him out on leash for a good training session, and make yourself a source of SUPER HIGH VALUE food (hotdogs, chicken and string cheese are favorites) and play rewards (Huskies usually prefer tug games to fetch). Apply NILIF consistently to teach him that he has to listen to you & work with you to get what he wants. The key with Huskies and similar breeds is convincing them that what you want them to do is super rewarding and super fun, and desensitizing them to stimulus is also very important, so he doesn't feel like other dogs and people are way more fun than focusing on you. Fozzie is part Husky and seriously the smartest, most eager to please & perform dog that I've ever known... he also has a rock solid temperament! Huskies are great dogs when you set them up with a great foundation in manners and obedience, but they're one of the most difficult breeds to train. Not because they aren't smart, because you have to work your butt off to motivate them to work for you!
 
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#15
Rolyx is a chow/husky mix, and he is approx 1.5 years old, maybe a tad younger. He was a shelter baby, born and raised there. He didn't even have a collar on, let alone leash trained. But you are right, very smart regardless...but not without problems right off the bat, he had a nasty case of separation anxiety [which is TONS better now-about 95% improvement]. Most other things, he learned super fast, but yes motivation is so hard whenever there is stimulus. I use hotdogs which he loves until he hits into that mode. I don't think one person would believe I work with him...in reality without stimulus, he can sit, down, stay, heel and allow me to walk around him in a down/sit to his side. I can see why you said desensitizing him is important, but I am not sure how to do that quite yet, especially when the world seems to be it. I also noticed [esp after last night] he seems to have some sort of fear aggression towards larger dogs [around his size and up] which has me concerned. I take him to a friends large fenced in yard, and oddly enough...running is not his priority. He will run if his corgi buddy is game to play chase, but after a few minutes, he tends to fizzle out and want to stay in one spot or slowly patrol the yard. His priority seems to be to watch for things and investigate if he sees something...he doesn't miss a thing.

I went to the cgc class and I'm honestly drained...I feel like crying, as stupid as that sounds. Soon as he saw the other dogs...he went into his mode. They allowed me to stay in the back somewhat and he'd calm down, then catch sight of a dog and start yowling again. I didn't want to reinforce the yowling so I tried not to respond to it too much, but I didn't know if I should at least say NO. I honestly felt like taking him out of the building, which my instincts seemed to be close on the right thing there. One of the trainers helped me at end, told me to take him away when he gets like that and praise him when he settles, then try to come back. Rinse, repeat. She also gave some valid points, the time to work on this problem is now and I am definitely leaning to take the class. I just worry about disrupting the class too much, having to go out more than stay in and miss out on learning the training methods I am there for too...but those are my hangups, not Ros [he has NO problem with it lol]. :)


Ro waiting for ok to take meat. Now if I could get him this intense in the field, we'd both be set. ;)

Waiting for ok to eat...dinner time is serious business.
 

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