stop when they pull

[Maxy24]

You know the method to stop pulling where you just stop when they pull. When are you supposed to start moving again? Do you wait until they walk towards you are look at you or what? When I tried it with Max (We had JUST started when he died) I would stop and he would just stand at he end of the leash, leash still tight, waiting for me to go. Eventually he would look at me or walk towards me a little. So at what point do you continue the walk?

 

[Charliesmommy]

I don't start again until Charlie is back standing at my side where he is supposed to be. I don't know if this is how you are supposed to do it, but it has worked for us.

 

[Zoom]

I have had better luck with taking a few steps backwards, praising when they catch up to the correct position and then continuing the walk from there.

 

[Maxy24]

So by position you mean heel? Max never knew heel and I didn't really feel it was needed as long as he would stop pulling. But if that's the best position for them to know then I will train my future dogs to heel.

 

[CountryGrl]

The techniques that I have read say that when the leash gets slack to praise and then let them continue. If the next step makes the leash go tight again then stop again. Repeat.

 

[malmo]

I agree with the poster who said to take a few steps backward at first. Milo would pull, I'd stop walking and stand still. He'd still be lunging at whatever smell or sight interested him, and then he would ultimately stop moving but the leash would still be tight.

The minute he looked back at me, like "Hey, what's going on here?" I'd take a few bouncy steps backward and encourage him to return to me. Once he was at my side again, I'd praise (sometimes C&T or just treat, whatever we were doing at the time), pause with him in that position for a moment, then give the cue ("Let's go!") and resume the walk.

I couldn't rely on him to return to my side without some encouragement. I think it served double, though -- it got him back to my side, and it engrained in his mind that he had gone too far ahead. We had to move back. Then, we could keep walking.

These days, he's pretty darn good.

 

[jess2416]

If Chloe pulls and I stop.. I dont move again, until she walks back to me, and is still....

 

[milos_mommy]

Until the leash is slack. (if i'm teaching to heel, i keep the leash so that it goes tight as soon as the dog is away from my side).

 

[heavyjay]

I've tried stopping, backing up, doing a 180 and walking the other way....and am not having a whole lot of luck.

 

[Maxy24]

I've tried stopping, backing up, doing a 180 and walking the other way....and am not having a whole lot of luck.

Pick ONE you think will work best. You see a lot of time people say they have tried many things but it turns out they have not done ONE consistently over a long period. Pick one, use it every time never fail and don't let him get away with pulling ever,it will take time but being consistent and patient is the key.

 

[Sher]

I have tried the stop when she pulls and she stops at the end of the leash and lays down. She will just stay laying down until I begin walking again and then she starts pulling all over again. So we get to walk about a foot at a time. What am I doing wrong? She pulls like a sled dog and she is only 10 lbs!

 

[Zoom]

So by position you mean heel? Max never knew heel and I didn't really feel it was needed as long as he would stop pulling. But if that's the best position for them to know then I will train my future dogs to heel.

"Position" is usually a square foot boxed area by my knee...generally it's not a solid heel, but it is the correct spot for a slack leash. Once the dog gets used to walking on a slack lead, then I'll start making them move in tighter until we get to a heel. By this point, since they've stopped pulling, I'll do a 180 if they get out of position.

 

[jacensolo]

When I tried it with Max (We had JUST started when he died) I would stop and he would just stand at he end of the leash, leash still tight, waiting for me to go. Eventually he would look at me or walk towards me a little. So at what point do you continue the walk?

That's what I try to do with Jack and it doesn't seem to bother him that we stopped. He doesn't pull excessively when we're stopped, but he keeps the leash tight. So then I tried moving backwards instead and it worked better, he would keep the leash loose for about 10-20 seconds, but he just starts pulling after that and the process starts all over again.

 

[Zoom]

If you can start to move backwards right before he hits the end of the leash, so that he can feel it's taut but not tight, then that might help him get the point. Shorten the leash, in effect. He doesn't get as much room to go out to start pulling. And it will start over and over and over and over and over...if a dog has gotten used to pulling, it's very hard to break them of it, especially not quickly. It requires you to stop and backtrack EVERY SINGLE TIME the dog even begins to pull, otherwise you just undo the last 30 feet you walked while he wasn't pulling.

 

[Dekka]

What I do. I teach heel first. (click treat off leash in the yard sort of thing) so they have a history of being rewarded beside me. Then if they pull I stop. At first if they look back at me I praise and continue (no need for treats really, this is a good example of a life reward) If they don't look back, I back up (not turn around..that never worked for me) untl they are walking towards me. Then I verbally mark it, and continue. Once the dog is checking in with me, every time they feel pressure, I ask them to move into heel, beside me, for few strides (I dont' expect them to go on a walk in a formal heel the whole time) Then say ok. Repeat. Now all I have to do is stop and they turn around and walk to my left side.