# Pulling/Walking... Tips and Tricks that have worked for you



## twins&golden (Jul 14, 2007)

Thanks so much for this info. We've successfully trained Izzy by clicker and she is a sweetheart to walk. We praise and click as soon as she's walking nicely beside us and then of course treat right away as we're walking. She's very food oriented, so I think we lucked out there. She caught on quite quickly and I thoroughly enjoy taking her for a walk. Our trainer told us that a mistake many new dog owners make is not looking at their dog and not getting them to "check in with you". She gets us to do this by making eye contact with the dog and clicking whenever she looks up and checks in. This is another treat for her. Right now we're one big clicking, treating machine to her during our walks and it's worked really well. I look forward to not having to take all the paraphanilia on our walks in the future, but for now, this is what works for us.


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## MisterBailey (Jun 28, 2007)

thanks for posting that!! We're working really hard with Bailey at the moment to stop him pulling. Hes getting too strong for me, and if he decides to pull he yanks my arm pretty hard. He was starting to get better, but seems to have gone backwards a bit recently :doh:


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

OMG Izzy is so freakin' CUTE! (I know off topic but... awww)


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

The quick turn around and go the other direction worked for me. Although the first few times it took us an eternity to go 100 yards. Once she realized she needed to follow me because she didn't "know" where we were going she got the picture.


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## Carsonsdaddy (Nov 1, 2006)

Since this is a common question for people on the forum, I'm going sticky this to the training tips section.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

My lab/golden, Jasmine, was a horrible puller for 6 1/2 years. Jasper, my older golden is 2 1/2 and he was a pretty hard puller. Then I decided that I was going to have to walk the 10 month old (former) foster, Danny, and Jasper together when we went to adoptathons. So I bought the Easy Walk harness. 1st for Jasper, then one for Jasmine. They worked miracles! 

When we decided to adopt Danny, I bought one for him (I was using Jasmine's on him when I didn't need it for her). Now I walk all three of them three mornings a week. And I do it with one hand! They do not pull at all.

This walking nicely on a leash transferred over to Jasper with his flat collar immediately!


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

For me, first all the yard work is done on the property. Once we move out and the distractions hit the prong collars went on the dogs and the corrections were given as needed as well as consistancy maintained in prior training. The correction given depends heavily on the dog as to how it is given.

Second method i've used is off leash e-collar training. This is done by way of OB training. The only difference between this method an using a pinch or choke and leash is instead of a pop on lead, is the correction is now being given by way of remote.

NO tool replaces training, they are only used to inforce the commands the dogs are trained for during the yardwork since the consistancy must be there or else the tool will also fail.


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## foreveramber (Feb 25, 2007)

right now, i use a gentle leader. jake hates it, BUT i have it on for the first half of the walk, and then by the time he is a little tired, and i am ready to turn around, i take the gentle leader off, and use the regular nylon collar. he does great. if he starts to pull, i put the gentle leader back on for a little while, then try again without it. this has worked very well lately. 

i bought a clicker with the intention of teaching him to heal. but i think i may stick with what i am doing.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Here's a helpful Gentle Leader Tip:

If you decide to try one, and I think they are great for some dogs, when you first get it, spend a week doing just this part--

Fit the GL. Make sure the neck piece is tight enough to ride high on the neck, just at the base of the skull. You should only be able to fit one finger underneat that piece. For the snout part, it should be loose enough that, when you try to slide it off, it goes to where the leather of the dog's nose *starts* but no farther.

Everyday, for one full week, put the GL on the dog for 30 seconds and rapid-fire feed treats for about 20-30 seconds, praising the dog along the way. Remove GL and food stops.

Do this 2-3 times daily for 7 days and it will make a HUGE difference in your dog's ability to tolorate walking with a GL on. Remember: for that week, you're not actually walking the dog on the GL -- you're just putting it on, feeding and taking it off. That's it. Walks are still on regular collar and lead or whatever you'd been using pre- GL.

When you start walking the dog with it on, be sure to keep your leash hand relaxed. YOu want the clip part to hang loose under the dog's chin at all times. The only time the clip part shouldn't be hanging loose is if the dog is trying to pull - at which point you can respond by turning around, standing still and being a tree, etc. Often people make the mistake of short leading with the GL and then you quickly desensitize the dog to the sensation, with makes it non-effective for pulling.

Also - NEVER, EVER give a leash pop on a GL.

-Stephanie


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## DokterZ (Nov 21, 2007)

The gentle leader has worked really well for us - of course, there is the obligitory scraping the face on the ground about every third of a mile, just to let us know he doesn't like it. However, he has gotten good enough at it that he can rub his face on the ground while still making forward progress on the walk.

I've also noticed that he doesn't rub his face on the ground when the ground is wet - heh.

I like the idea of switching to the other collar partway through, although I'm sure that he will try to go back to pulling, with all of the associated sound effects.


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## nolmscheid (Dec 18, 2007)

I am going to somewhat disagree with the note about only walking one dog at a time, under a condition. 

There is nothing BETTER for training healing and no pull walking by having your puller tied closely with a trained dog. It is truely amazing if you watch it. I know one poster said she can walk all her dogs with one hand and I have seen group walking benefit more than not.

Like I said if you have two major pullers it MIGHT not be a good idea, but you never know until you try. But if you can connect up with some good walking dogs and short leash them together to walk you might be amazed! Dogs learn my example very much. This really holds true in the hunting world as well!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I can walk all four of mine with one hand... and do so multiple times daily... but for beginning training, I start with one at a time (if I have a puller). I train baby pups with my old dog, though  Helps tons.


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## doglover08 (Apr 19, 2008)

when i train loose leash walking, i adopt walking backward method. 

it works great on dogs. click and treat when the dogs are besides me.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I am so glad I found this thread. Max has a gentle leader harness, but he manages to get the leash under his right front leg so it just doesn't really have any effect. We have a Halti, but he totally hates it, does nothing but try to get it off - I tried the "put it on and give treats" trick for over a week with no change, so I gave up on that. If I just use a leash hooked to his collar, he takes me down the road. 
Also, there's one spot in the park where we walk that seems to turn him into a possessed monster - he will start throwing himself around and biting at the leash and pulling and jumping and today he almost knocked me down. I know I'm supposed to remain calm and assertive but after about 5 minutes of this, I'm ready to scream. (Doesn't help that it feels like everyone in the park is staring at the crazy lady with the nutso dog.)
I'm gonna try the walking backwards trick, and the stopping in my tracks and turning trick - and remember to keep lots of treats in my pockets. 
Thanks for the hints.


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## Cami (Nov 25, 2007)

I recently went through this with my 8 month old golden. I was visiting my parents and had forgotten the clicker at home. My parents live right next to a bike/walking trail so I really wanted to go on a walk. (this isnt an issue at home because he has a huge field to run in everyday) Anyway, after a couple failed attempts, I was getting irritated. So this is what I did:

I had him sit and then I put a hand on each of his shoulders-just enough to be able to restrain him. I said "walk" and off we went. Yes I was walking akwardly becasue I was hunched over. After a few steps I said "good walk." Then I let go and he walked without pulling for a few more steps. And as soon as he started to pull, I just said "bad walk." After doing this process about 5 times, it is compltely night and day. Not to say he never pulls, but when he does I just give the bad walk command and he stops pulling. And that was without any treats at all!

Everytime I teach him something I am amazed at how fast he learns. Hope this helps!


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

With Rusty (puller) I started looping the leash around my waist back thru the handle and then hooked Rusty up. It makes it like a short lead thats a belt as well. I found that keeping him close at hand really helped establish a good pattern. (plus it leaves my hands free for coffee at 530am)


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## winewinn (Jan 7, 2008)

kalkid said:


> The quick turn around and go the other direction worked for me. Although the first few times it took us an eternity to go 100 yards. Once she realized she needed to follow me because she didn't "know" where we were going she got the picture.


That has always worked great for me, too. If they start pulling, I turn and walk in another direction.


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

Allee was doing really good about not pulling just by giving her a little tug and making her wait. Now, she's obsessed with birds and rabbits and even other people and tries to take off whenever even of the above are in sight. What can I do about that?


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## gunjee (Aug 28, 2008)

*I know we are only supposed to write things that have worked for us, but....*

..some people have written their problems with walking their dogs, so I will write mine. Gracie pulls and so I got the gentle leader. I have it positioned correctly according to the pet supply store staff and the vet. The vet said I should just continue using it and eventually she'll get used to it, but she absolutely hates wearing this thing. She will rub her face into the grass and even the sidewalk to try to get it off, and it's been 2 weeks since we started walks using it. Her lip bleeds from her rubbing her face into the sidewalk, yet she still does it. So whenever she tries to put her head down (and it could be to sniff the ground too), I pull her head up again so she won't rub her face into the concrete. Also when I give her a little slack so that the loop is hanging below her chin, she immediately pulls ahead of me and pulls with constant pressure like a ox pulling the yoke. If I turn around to go in the opposite direction, she just stops and looks at me and refuses to move. She won't even make eye contact, she'll just look away. And if a squirrel or bird comes into our field of vision, we immediately go into prey drive and nothing will make her move until that squirrel or bird has disappeared. Walks are not fun for us, and because of this, I walk her less and less every day.

-Shilpa


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

gunjee said:


> ..some people have written their problems with walking their dogs, so I will write mine. Gracie pulls and so I got the gentle leader. I have it positioned correctly according to the pet supply store staff and the vet. The vet said I should just continue using it and eventually she'll get used to it, but she absolutely hates wearing this thing. She will rub her face into the grass and even the sidewalk to try to get it off, and it's been 2 weeks since we started walks using it. Her lip bleeds from her rubbing her face into the sidewalk, yet she still does it. So whenever she tries to put her head down (and it could be to sniff the ground too), I pull her head up again so she won't rub her face into the concrete. Also when I give her a little slack so that the loop is hanging below her chin, she immediately pulls ahead of me and pulls with constant pressure like a ox pulling the yoke. If I turn around to go in the opposite direction, she just stops and looks at me and refuses to move. She won't even make eye contact, she'll just look away. And if a squirrel or bird comes into our field of vision, we immediately go into prey drive and nothing will make her move until that squirrel or bird has disappeared. Walks are not fun for us, and because of this, I walk her less and less every day.
> 
> -Shilpa


Apparently the gentle leader is not going to work for her. Have you been to an obedience class or had a trainer come in? That may help a lot. Some dogs suddenly click with the walking idea when they are in a class of dogs all doing the same thing. 

For your girl I would try a pinch collar, BUT ONLY WITH A TRAINER's instructions. I have a female who could not care less that I'm at the end of the leash. I tried the gentle leader and she continued to pull like an ox too. I have had _some_ success with the pinch collar, but I have to be completely consistent and not allow her to move ahead at all or she takes a mile. Good luck. My male is a dream on the leash, but my female is a battle every time, so I sympathize with you.


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## gunjee (Aug 28, 2008)

*Yes, we're having the trainer come next Tuesday...*

She came this past Tuesday and told us we need to establish our leadership role in the pack before she can teach us how to teach her to do what we want. The pack order has been reformulated for the most part, and so I thought walks would get easier. Should I stop using the gentle leader and just walk her with the regular leash? She absolutely loves to go for walks and gets so excited when she sees the leash, and in general I like to walk, just not have my arm pulled out of its socket.

-Shilpa


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## goldengirls550 (Jun 12, 2008)

Resist the urge to yank back when the dog pulls. This will only teach the golden that pulling is a game... and most of us know that the dog will more than likely win! :uhoh: Any tension on the leash on your part is seen as stress to the dog. Dogs feel every emotion we have on their leads! Ask any person who actively shows! Keep a loose lead and call your dog to you when he/she reaches the end of your lead. Save really good treats and treat and/or praise your dog the moment he/she turns around. You should act like coming to you is the best thing on earth! Having a reliable recall onleash or offleash is highly beneficial in teaching the dog not to pull.

Emily and the golden girls: Aubrie and Layla


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## wagondog (Aug 24, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Here's a helpful Gentle Leader Tip:
> 
> If you decide to try one, and I think they are great for some dogs, when you first get it, spend a week doing just this part--
> 
> ...


I also believe that a word of caution should be given to those who choose to use a Halti or Gentle Leader. Unless your dog has absolutely no prey drive and is not prone to lunging for anyone or anything that stimulates the dog to bolt even in play mode, be prepared to drop the leash before the dog reaches the extent of the lead. Serious neck and verterbrae damage can result from the snapping of the neck with those "gentle" leaders. when they first hit the shelves they had no warnings on the packaging, they do now!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

NEVER use a GL with a long leash, a flexi leash, or with a Greyhound, Whippet, or other sighthound IMO...


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## wagondog (Aug 24, 2007)

Good advice with sighthounds and especially Flexi Leads, imagine a dog running full tilt to the end of the Flexi and being stopped by snapping the neck!.....I go one step further with "gentle leaders". I avoid any dog being walked on a GL especially when my dog is pulling the wagon. I certainly don't want my dog to be the stimuli for another dog lunging and suffering injury to the neck. If I see a dog in a GL I will generally mention it to the owner so they are at least aware of the danger.
WagonDog


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

Boy this is an interesting thread and just up my alley. 

As a pet sitter, I have a lot of dogs that are huge pullers. I have various ways to work with pullers. I use a British slip www.mendotaproducts.com/sliplead_comp.html lead to walk most of my clients dogs. That is because their collars are usually way too loose and if the dog slipped the collar and got loose, it would be harder to get the dog back. I always make sure the collar part of the leash is right behind the ears and under the neck. I have a lot more control over the dog and we end up walking on a loose leash. Some of my clients have harnesse's on their dogs and this is what I do..... I will start out walking the dog and if it is a hard puller, I wil make an about face and walk in the opposite direction. For most of the dogs they learn very fast not to pull. If it is your own dog pulling and you have the time to train it then as the dog starts pulling, you stop. Only when the dog isn't pulling do you walk again. If the dog pulls again, you stop immediately. Once the dog is relaxed you can walk again. It might take a long time to go 100 feet but the dog will learn that if he pulls he doesn't get to go anywhere.

Pat


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

kalkid said:


> The quick turn around and go the other direction worked for me. Although the first few times it took us an eternity to go 100 yards. Once she realized she needed to follow me because she didn't "know" where we were going she got the picture.


This by far has been the most successful method for me also. I twinned this with 'if you pull me, we stop!' I think all dogs at about 6 months will pull like a train if you let them! Also, with 2 dogs they are far too strong together if they pull. 

One day I thought to myself "she is not going to pull me - ever again" and I resolved that I was going to be consistent. It worked, but consistency is the key. It's no good not allowing them to pull one day and the next day not being bothered. If the dog realises you are going nowhere if they pull, they soon get the message.

Good luck with whoever is training to walk properly on the leash. We have intelligent dogs here, but they are large and strong. Ultimately with patience and consistency it is possible to get even the most urgent puller to walk to heel! It really becomes a pleasure!


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## Thor0918 (Feb 28, 2008)

kalkid said:


> The quick turn around and go the other direction worked for me. Although the first few times it took us an eternity to go 100 yards. Once she realized she needed to follow me because she didn't "know" where we were going she got the picture.


 I know, it takes me 20 minutes to go 2 blocks:doh:


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## buckeyegoldenmom (Oct 5, 2008)

On my first two goldens I used the choke chain. This time I tried the "gentle leader". The gentle leader works wonderfully for walking 1 year old Tucker. It took a little time for him to get used to it, but he loves the walks, so he puts up with it. Now I can walk him without any pulling.


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## MCHarmon (Jul 31, 2008)

My Spencer is just 15 weeks old and we are going on brief walks down the street. I have him on a step in halter and a regular leash. When he pulls I just stop and usually he sits down, then I say lets walk and if he is walking well I say good walking and give him a treat every so many steps. He does get distracted and it takes us a while to get downt he block. Today he just decided to lay down in the middle of the street and not move. I had to coax him with treats to get back home. He is too big to carry already 26lbs. I don't know if he is going to be a puller or not but I do know if he does start since he is growing so fast that it will he hard for me. 

What do you think of this method? Am I missing anything? 

Thanks for the replies. You can also pm me with ideas.

Happily,
Mc
Spencer's Mom


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## JoelSilverman (Oct 21, 2008)

It is all about the leash, and tension on the leash. When there is constant tension and pulling, it becomes very confusing for your dog. Teaching the dog to walk with _slack_ in the leash, and teaching the dog to stand there next to your leg with _slack_ in the leash is everything. As a matter of fact, when I first start training this, I never leave the same 4 foot by 4 foot area for about 2 or 3 days. Here are the clips in the online training area. You don't need to watch them all, just the first 4 or 5..

http://www.companionsforlife.net/Heel_members1.html


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## GRZ (Dec 4, 2008)

JoelSilverman said:


> http://www.companionsforlife.net/Heel_members1.html


Hey great site! Thanks.


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Thank you for the site link very good information on all the videos .


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## schultze1000 (Feb 23, 2009)

Two things have worked for me, 1st is the prong collar it absolutely works, but one thing you must do when using a prong collar is not yank on it. Let the dog pull (s)he will let up, and all of my dogs have enjoyed the walk with it on. The other thing is with a regular collar just refuse to move if the leash is tightI won't move until the leash is slack this works better if we practice where there are no distractions first.


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

Since this thread is stickied, I thought I'd add my two cents.

Seems to me that it's worthwhile searching the threads on "heeling" since it's impossible to pull when the dog is heeling. LJilly28 is especially adamant about treating the dog when he/she targets your left hand, rather than leash popping them when they pull ahead. It works. 

Most of the discussion has been about keeping your dog from pulling, rather than teaching them to walk properly. 
It seems much more in tune with the positive training methods that most of us follow for just about everything else. 

And experts (including Joel above) suggest that you need to practice leash walking in familiar, boring circumstances. At six months, Tessie heels like a show dog in the back yard, up and down the driveway both on and off lead, stopping and sitting when I do without so much as a glance from me. If we're outside on the sidewalk, exciting smells and sights distract her from this. But she's a puppy and she still heels and/or walks with a slack leash far more often than she pulls or lags because of the practice we put in on perfect 20-foot walks with a treat at the end.

IMHO, good leash walking is a "trick" just like rolling over, only it's more complex. What's worked best for me is finding ways to break it down into bite size pieces and encourage positive behavior (a nice heel while walking across the lawn).

best
Allen


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

The prong has been a very good tool for us. We haven't used it long, however I notice that even without the prong (when I put Lucky on a leash and take him out to brush him or follow kids about the yard) he is less likely to pull.

I myself hate messing with it, but it makes for a very enjoyable walk.


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

> I myself hate messing with it, but it makes for a very enjoyable walk.


For you perhaps, but maybe not so much for Lucky?

If I said in another thread, "My dog jumps. What do I do?" I don't think you'd all advise me to
a) put an e-collar on her and zap her every time she jumps.
b) tie her down so that she can't jump. 

But it seems that so many of the solutions to "my dog pulls" are based on using equipment like prong collars and head leaders to keep your dog from pulling or cause negative feedback when they do, rather than just teaching them to walk properly.

It can be done. My sister's dog would pull grown men down the street. But my five-year old niece could walk him like a show dog. Why? Because she walked him every day around the house while she "went shopping" or whatever. 

I'm not enough of an expert to say that these things don't have some place in a trainer's arsenal. Maybe they do. But it seems to me that they're really stopgap measures that shouldn't replace teaching your dog to heel and/or walk with a loose leash.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

avincent52 said:


> For you perhaps, but maybe not so much for Lucky?
> 
> If I said in another thread, "My dog jumps. What do I do?" I don't think you'd all advise me to
> a) put an e-collar on her and zap her every time she jumps.
> ...


Hi Allen,

I understand your point but in my situation I don't agree. Lucky is 3.5 years old and this has been a problem for 3.5 years.

The prong collar controls Lucky....I sincerely believe it doesn't hurt him. I think once someone uses it, and see the dog actually using the collar...viewpoints can change.

Because of Lucky's personality--tad bit unstable and unpredictable on walks-- and past history on walks....I would never let my 9 year old walk Lucky. It would be dangerous for her and Lucky. (My nine year old is the size of a six year old...me and her we are very small, low weight people). 

So this isn't a "quick fix". For us its "finally a fix". And I think the more good walks he does while on the collar, the more that will reinforce the same behavior when he is off the collar. 

Dogs are different and for some one measure might be best then another.


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm not a dog, and neither are you, but why do you think he doesn't pull with the prong collar? 
Lucky's your dog, of course, and you're free to do walk him, train him, or treat him any way you please. But since this is a stickied thread, I thought I'd point out some alternatives.

allen


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

avincent52 said:


> I'm not a dog, and neither are you, but why do you think he doesn't pull with the prong collar?
> Lucky's your dog, of course, and you're free to do walk him, train him, or treat him any way you please. But since this is a stickied thread, I thought I'd point out some alternatives.
> 
> allen


I think he stops pulling because he has a very distinct and profound sensation. I see now why they call it the "pinch"

I don't believe Lucky is in pain. But I don't think the pressure is comfortable.

Prior to the Prong, Lucky has lunged and surprised himself with pain. I see none of that "ouch" body or facial language when he receives pressure from the prong. 

It is certainly not the only alternative. But it can be a very good one for some dogs.


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

Okay, you got the last word.


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## Asteri00 (Aug 19, 2008)

Gentle Leader. It was a GOD SEND tonight. I just wrote about it!!!


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## Andythom (Jun 20, 2009)

What about those who walk their dog to potty as well as for exercise?

I just got my golden a few weeks ago. He is around 7-8 months and was leash trained by the previous owners using a prong collar. He was great on the leash and would walk right next to me, but wouldn't go to the bathroom (he was used to doing this off-leash in a yard).

In the past couple weeks he has gotten really good about going potty on the leash, but in doing that i've let him stray away from me to find a spot to go.

Now, when i walk him for exercise he's starting to stray away from me. If i call him or tug a little he will stop and come back, but i'm afraid if i get him walking next to me all the time he will get confused about when it's potty time.

Any suggestions?


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## Pez (Jun 9, 2009)

nolmscheid said:


> I am going to somewhat disagree with the note about only walking one dog at a time, under a condition.
> 
> There is nothing BETTER for training healing and no pull walking by having your puller tied closely with a trained dog. It is truely amazing if you watch it. I know one poster said she can walk all her dogs with one hand and I have seen group walking benefit more than not.
> 
> Like I said if you have two major pullers it MIGHT not be a good idea, but you never know until you try. But if you can connect up with some good walking dogs and short leash them together to walk you might be amazed! Dogs learn my example very much. This really holds true in the hunting world as well!


This worked for me! I coupled Brinkley with our Silky Terrier and she stopped pulling almost immediately.


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

I've got an interesting tip from my trainer. She suggested that I loop Rookie's lead around my waist to walk him. The idea was that I was giving conflicting feedback with my hands. I was sometimes giving Rookie slack on the lead when he should be the one making sure the lead is slack, not me. It's been very interesting trying that this week.


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

mdoats said:


> I've got an interesting tip from my trainer. She suggested that I loop Rookie's lead around my waist to walk him. The idea was that I was giving conflicting feedback with my hands. I was sometimes giving Rookie slack on the lead when he should be the one making sure the lead is slack, not me. It's been very interesting trying that this week.


 
I use to walk Rusty like that all the time - keeps them a little closer PLUS it gives me a free hand for my morning coffee!!!!!


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## HoldensMom (Dec 3, 2007)

Prong still works best for us for situations where I know there will be lost of distractions (still working on that), but for regular trips around the neighborhood the "turn the other direction" method with a normal collar is fine. 

One thing I was hoping someone could offer assistance with is proper heeling. I'm not able to watch those companions for life videos (perhaps they don't play on macs?), so does anyone have suggestions for retraining a correct heel? Holden will walk beside me without pulling just fine, but he's always just a wee bit too far ahead of me. How do I reposition him so he learns to walk nose to knee?


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## SensationalRoyalGolden (Nov 28, 2009)

*Teaching heel*

To teach a dog to heel it is better to start in an open area rather then a sidewalk or road where it is obvious to the dog where you are going. When you start you should change directions often change speeds and make heeling fun. If you use a martingale you can tighten the leash as you turn and release the pressure as soon as they are with you. You do not need to yank on the leash, the pressure is just enough to remind the dog to pay attention. Use lots of praise when the leash is loose and give treats only when you have eye contact. When turning bend your shoulder in and make it obvious to the dog that something is going to happen. Clap your hands to get your dogs attention or speed up/or slow down. Talk to your dog and let them know what is going on. Most importantly make it fun! 
Once your dog understands and enjoys the concept of heeling you are then ready for straight line heeling. Tell your dog to heel if they start to pull take a giant step back while steering them in a counter clockwise circle bringing them back into position. Continue the walk until your dog no longer tries to pull. The next few times you go for a walk it may take a few reminders that they are not suppose to pull, but this technique has worked pretty quickly for all the Goldens and Labs I’ve worked with.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Andythom said:


> What about those who walk their dog to potty as well as for exercise?
> 
> I just got my golden a few weeks ago. He is around 7-8 months and was leash trained by the previous owners using a prong collar. He was great on the leash and would walk right next to me, but wouldn't go to the bathroom (he was used to doing this off-leash in a yard).
> 
> ...


Give the potty walk a specific name. He has "permission" to wander and find the right spot (maintaining a loose leash) when you say, "potty up" but if you say "heel" or whatever your word is, he must say close. There will be some confusion in the beginning, but be calm and remind him which is which and he'll get it. Do be certain he's not dragging you to a pee spot, though. Even when my dogs are sniffing for the right patch, I try and make sure they aren't on a tight leash.


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## SensationalRoyalGolden (Nov 28, 2009)

*Walking your dog/ giving him a potty break*

I agree with FlyingQuizini's advice on this. I also have my dog sit and look at me before giving the command to go take a potty break. This helps make it obvious to the dog that now s the time to go.


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## Daisy and Rita (Aug 31, 2009)

I now use the combined harness which also comes with a strap/clip to secure a dog in the back seat of the car.

I obviously started off with various types of collars with her lead, and different ways of training her on them (walking the other way as she pulled etc), but I think she is born puller. So I tried the harness and it was amazing!!!! 

I was so worrried about all that self stangulation, and the awful noises she made, the pulling on her throat etc, that I really thought she was going to harm herself.

But now it's so wonderful for ME to also enjoy our walks together in casual manner

So I personally would recommend the harness, it really has made our walks pleasure and far more controlable - she doesn't even pull like crazy now to get to other dogs/people


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## Mary (Oct 6, 2009)

Thank you, all of you! After reading this thread, I adopted the "be a tree" method with our 3-year-old GR, and so did my husband. I really expected it to take a while for it to work, but it didn't. Especially when I added a horrified little gasp, each time she began pulling. Between the gasp and the stopping, it only took a few days for her to catch on, and now she has decided on her own that she likes walking right by my side -- go figure! And thanks again for the tips.


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## Luci (May 26, 2009)

I've had this problem with Lucy as well and have only just figured out how to fix it! I just used a flat collar and her regular leash.

What I did:

1. Put my 8' lead around my waist... this cuts down on the holding back the freight train effect. Whenever he starts to pull come to a dead stop. Don't be gentle... just stop. If he yanks against the leash really plant your feet and wait until he has stopped moving. 

2. Entice him to come back to a heel position beside you with a treat or just reel him back in... I usually alternate.

3. Only start walking when he's beside you again. Try to keep his attention on you, rather than on where you're going. Happy voice (you're such a good boy! You're so smart! Handsome man! etc), treats... etc

4. If you find that isn't working very well and you can't keep his attention... go to a field (soccer, baseball, park) and do what our trainer calls *drunken heeling*. Go every which way... if he doesn't come, drag HIM. Cut infront of him and if he doesn't move back out of your way, knock into him. I only had to do this a few times with Lucy and she seems to have gotten it. Continuing on with the positive voice etc. 

5. Then start out again with your walk... the most important thing is to be consistent. I'm usually the one who holds the leash when we (dh and I) go for a walk so this works out well for us.


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## PuppyAddict.101 (Jun 18, 2010)

Harness. I do not have a Golden. But we have a 7-8 month old Bichon Frise/Poodle mix and we use a Harness on her. Works WONDERS

A Harness that goes across the chest is the best one. Unless your Golden has a biting problem(Use the one that goes over the mouth but doesn't restrain them from taking treats), use a Harness that goes across the chest.


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## Curtis (Jun 20, 2010)

Wrigley is a semi tugger but keeps improving every day. I use a lot of Cesar Millan's techniques and no matter if you like him or not, they work. The most important thing you do before you go on a walk is make sure your dog is calm before you walk out of the door and that he/she doesn't associate the collar or leash with excitement. I make sure I walk out of the door first and invite them out. They need to know from the get-go that they are following you. Not the other way around. 

I do not hold my leash from the handle. I fold it multiple times so that he has room to walk but not walk ahead of me. If he is walking correctly I hold the leash with as little tension as possible. If he begins to get ahead of me or focus on other things instead of the walk (other dogs or animals, sniffing plants or the ground, cars, other people) I give him a correction in the form of tension on the leash or a tug. The tug is not angry or hurtful. It is just meant to snap him out of whatever grabbed his attention. They should be completely focused on the walk. 

It may seem ridiculous to some of you but when you give the correction make any noise you wish. Just something quick and assertive. I used to give the noise along with the correction but now all I need is the noise and he knows to slow down and come back by me. Once I give the correction I release tension so he associates the loose leash with what he's doing correctly. 

Most of the time, a good walk starts before you even leave the house or property.


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## HoldensMom (Dec 3, 2007)

PuppyAddict.101 said:


> Harness. I do not have a Golden. But we have a 7-8 month old Bichon Frise/Poodle mix and we use a Harness on her. Works WONDERS
> 
> A Harness that goes across the chest is the best one. Unless your Golden has a biting problem(Use the one that goes over the mouth but doesn't restrain them from taking treats), use a Harness that goes across the chest.


Not to be snarky, but there's a big difference between a bichon/poodle and a golden, and I can't imagine that a basic harness like the one you're describing is going to help a golden learn how to walk properly. I've noticed that a lot of owners of small breeds use harnesses, but I've also noticed that a lot of owners of small breeds don't practice proper walking/heeling techniques. Also, I've never known a golden to have a "biting problem."


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

HoldensMom said:


> Not to be snarky, but there's a big difference between a bichon/poodle and a golden, and I can't imagine that a basic harness like the one you're describing is going to help a golden learn how to walk properly. I've noticed that a lot of owners of small breeds use harnesses, but I've also noticed that a lot of owners of small breeds don't practice proper walking/heeling techniques. Also, I've never known a golden to have a "biting problem."


Actually, the harness the poster you quoted is describing sounds like the Easy Walk harness and I use it with all of my fosters that are pullers. It works wonderfully. I even still use one on Jasmine, though I just use martingales on Danny and Jasper now.


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

With Sadie, everytime she pulls, I stop walking and say NO PULL. Once there is slack on the leash we continue walking again.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

I train my dogs to three commands when walking; heel, by me, and go out. By me is for when there are other dogs nearby or when we are walking through a crowd. Go out means they can walk out in front of me. I use treats for all three for training. For go out I toss the treat a little in front and say the command. I change directions often and praise and treat when they turn and follow me. I have to admit I never pop the collar. 

I have three commands for come as well; front, come and that'll do. (Yes, I used to herd) Come means make you way back to me. That'll do means stop immediately and come back. It doubles in meaning as a leave it/ignore. 

I tend to have multiple commands for most actions, it depends on the situation as to which one I use, and the dogs understand what each one means.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Ben loves to go on walks. We're starting to work on loose leash walking, mostly using the turn and turn again technique or stand like a tree. He's very confused right now and seems to pull harder when I start going straight again, but I'm hoping that will change as he gets more used to it and starts to realize that it isn't getting him what he wants. It's not exactly a brisk walk though.

Anyhow, because he loves to go outside so much, he gets overly excited when we get the leash out. He won't sit still to allow us to put the leash on his collar. We end up wrestling with a squirming, rolling, kicking, biting (the leash) wiggleworm. If we back off, he'll calm down, until we start trying to attach the leash again. Once it's attached and I say, "okay", he's fine. He'll get up and head for the door. But the wrestling matches need to stop. Should we just stop fighting and go do something else for a few minutes?


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm no expert, but I think I would back off when he starts acting silly. Then put him in a sit. He'll figure out soon enough it will get him nowhere when he acts silly. I would not engage in a wrestle match. He needs to learn he has to be calm before the good things happen!


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## OvieAlexander (Jul 9, 2010)

Ovie is a decent walker, and an even better running partner. We use treats to get him to heel still though. When we first started training him, he liked to lag behind. So, we lured him forward with treats. Held it in our hands and let him lick at it for awhile while we walked. Well, now he likes to walk in front of us, and to bring him back to our side we literally stop until he backtracks to us. Then we will continue to walk when he does that. It's a pain to stop all of the time, but eventually he caught on.


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## Kirlie (Feb 21, 2011)

Charlie is quite good on the lead. He walks to heel most of the time but his puppy curiosity gets the better of him sometimes and yanks me forward when a leaf blows across his path (!) but he is getting better. I use the changing direction method and as soon as I change direction, he walks perfectly and carries it on most of the time when we start walking back the other way. I've also just started using a clicker with him and this seems to work too, but I will give it a while yet.

The one problem we have though is if we come across another dog he just wants to go and play! How do I teach him that he can go and say hello if he stays to heel? Any suggestions? (He is still a pup so I understand why he wants to go and play  )


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## FineChina (Sep 21, 2009)

Our 6 year old Golden Kyle walks leash free at heel with incredible discipline. He will NEVER bolt to other dogs, people etc and diligently stays at my side. He does get a playful and strays if its just the two os u and no one is around will always snap back to attention to a perfect heel when asked.

Kyle is always walked with out a leash except when we take him to the vet or into a large crowd. He actually walks better without a leash.

This is the second dog we have trained to walk so well on heel, the first being a doberman. In both cases, we started with judiciouus use of a choke collar. The Dbie was trained 20 years ago in hindisght I was not as judicious as I should have been with her in use of the powerful chocke colar. We used it much more sparingly on our Golden.

I found it very helpful to go through a three phase repeat of commands--heel, heel (more loudly), NO, and then a correction with th collar repeating heel and No. Soon the dog associates the command and you eliminate the collar.

I also found my own trick that I have not read anywhere else. I pull the fur up right at the top of the rear quarters (before the tail), just grabbing a clump of hair/skin in my hand and puling on it. My dogs hate it. They never yelp and its not painful, just a mild snug pull. I do this if they get too far ahead when walking on leash. All I have to do now is thretaten that "I Will pull your fur" and they immediately fall back into a relaxed even heel.

This is less cruel than a jerk on a leash which chokes the neck. And you get to grab the rear of the dog as he is starting to move out of his heel position. I do not pull individual hairs and have never had my dog yelp at this but he clearly does not like it (indeed, he will coi in his top butt to avoid my grabbing it as he corrects to a perfect heel)---it gets his attention and is effective at getting him to immediatelty heel as a pull on the collar.

MY golden in particular seems to enjoy walking on heel, altho sometimes you can see his confusion when we walk as a family as a group trying to figure out where he can fit in a perfect heel to his master when some human is already is his spot.


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## FineChina (Sep 21, 2009)

Kirlie said:


> The one problem we have though is if we come across another dog he just wants to go and play! How do I teach him that he can go and say hello if he stays to heel? Any suggestions? (He is still a pup so I understand why he wants to go and play  )


My dog who heels leash free is much better at resisting temptation to stray to other dogs. We just continued his training and emphaized to him to stay and heel. If he shows discipline and is behaved, we will then let him loose (with other other owner's permission) as as reward.


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## GoldenGator (Mar 24, 2011)

I love these forums! I have been trying to teach my Golden boy to heel for 6 months! We started with nagging corrections that we quickly lost patience with, tried the gentle leader that he hated and refused to walk on, and have been using the easy walk harness for the last few months. The easy walk harness has worked wonderfully and allows me to safely run, bike, or roller skate with him, but now that we are competing in AKC events, he needs to be able to heel with just a buckle collar! I read through this thread and then took him for a walk to practice- changing directions when he began to pull, working on tight turns in each direction with the leash loose, and a treat or praise every time he refrained from pulling- it worked beautifully and was fun for both of us! The treats were a great motivation for him to heel and changing directing kept him from pulling. We were stuck outside my door walking in tiny circles for the first 5 minutes but by the end of the walk he could change speeds with me and stop without pulling! I'm sure it will take a few more walks before he can heel reliably (Without having to change directions) and with distractions, but it has already made such a big difference! P.S. The neighbors might think your crazy : )


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## Sid (Apr 20, 2011)

My Golden is about 3 months and 10 days old and has been with me for about 2 weeks now. I have taught him to sit, down and the stay for about 10-15 seconds and me about 15 ft. away. Also has learned to shake hands and give me a high five (which is just an extension of the shake hands so it was easy). He is a quick learner and I'm surprised he has learnt so much in just a short time with me as he is also my first experience at training a dog. 

HOWEVER, I have had much difficulty walking him on a loose leash outside my apartment. Within my home and into the basement to get into my car, he has no problem being beside me and obeying me by not pulling too hard but he does sniff the ground. I am preventing him from sniffing now that I realize it might help in his training. I also give a small jerk and he is almost at heel beside me. But as I said, the problem was taking him out on a walk. He gets excited sometimes. So after much research on the web, today I did not feed him breakfast. Took him only to the basement. He was ALL eyes at his chicken mince and rice he has for lunch. Attentive. We were almost doing show style heel and sit, some lax in the turns but he was SO much better than when he was doing this after meals. The treats also play a huge part I feel because sometimes he is not gaga over cheese or small liver all the time. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But today when I didn't feed him till training, he was doing much better. I fed him his lunch doing the heel and sit. 

I really want a well trained obedient dog. And he is certainly on his way to being that. My questions are, should you not feed your dog before training? Like really keep him off meals. In that way won't he be attentive? 

Also, do you think I'm asking too much for a 3 month old Golden like mine to walk on a loose leash right away as he is still a puppy and curious about everything else when we are outside walking? 

I heard someone say 6 months is a good time to start training. Maybe because their attention span is better. But if he is showing wonders now, at 6 months he will only be better right? 

Thanks, 

Sid.


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## Sid (Apr 20, 2011)

I did try the circle and tree technique. It was definitely working. But sometimes he just sat down and didn't want to move an inch. So I will also stand patiently there. Then he got up and we started the walk. But the sniffing annoys me. He wants to go sniff everything. But I won't let him do that because it will only encourage him. I have a short leash on him. I don't let him go even a foot in front of me because he will get ideas. Not even couple of feet to the left. I think this might be better in the long run. 

I use a clicker, by the way.


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## Alfie's mom (Apr 26, 2011)

hi... I am so new here and this is my first post...
I have this problem too but I think its getting better by turning around... but my main problem is with loose lead he is picking all the sticks up on the way and chew on them... I am working on giving him leave it command and give him a better treat... but its not getting better... any help?
and for pulling his instructor told me to get a harness, but shouldn't him learn to walk politely? and how u guys walking your goldens off- leash? I'm so jealous ; ))


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

When leash training my Cav spaniel as a puppy years ago, I used the stop-start method. At the moment she pulled and made the leash taut I would stop cold and go in the other direction. With Tucker this doesn't seem to be working very well, so I think I'll try some of the other suggestions in this post. 

What has worked fairly well with both is cooing at them when the leash is slack--good boy, good girl, etc., so they know when they're doing what I want them to. 

But Tucker's still such a puppy that I can't rely on him to walk loose leash.


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## Rexus (Nov 2, 2011)

GinnyinPA said:


> Ben loves to go on walks. We're starting to work on loose leash walking, mostly using the turn and turn again technique or stand like a tree. He's very confused right now and seems to pull harder when I start going straight again, but I'm hoping that will change as he gets more used to it and starts to realize that it isn't getting him what he wants. It's not exactly a brisk walk though.
> 
> Anyhow, because he loves to go outside so much, he gets overly excited when we get the leash out. He won't sit still to allow us to put the leash on his collar. We end up wrestling with a squirming, rolling, kicking, biting (the leash) wiggleworm. If we back off, he'll calm down, until we start trying to attach the leash again. Once it's attached and I say, "okay", he's fine. He'll get up and head for the door. But the wrestling matches need to stop. Should we just stop fighting and go do something else for a few minutes?


I would suggest to snap a leash on him and just go to the kitchen, laundry room or other boring places indoors, for a couple times, so he doesn't associate leash only with outdoors.
play with him inside with leash on. works for me


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## LilBitBit (Jan 15, 2012)

I checked the rest of the thread, and while I got some good ideas, I still had a question...


So this question is (in a roundabout way) about Buddy.


Buddy has an older brother in Hiro, our two-year-old Oki Mix. Quick background: where we live there are a lot of dogs and cats that often end up roaming free or (sadly) being gassed at the Japanese pound. Part of the reason this happens is that many Americans who get pets find out that due to their next duty station's rules or due to the sheer cost of flying a pet back they might not be able to keep their animal when they leave island. That's how we got Hiro.


Problem is, because of this, we are Hiro's fourth (possibly fifth) set of owners! So much of his training fell to us, because he was never really housebroken or given consistent training. We've gotten him housebroken with an excitement pee once in a blue moon*, he knows some basic commands (sit, shake, stay, come, go to x, let's go, get it as the release for food), but we're having a heck of a time getting him leash trained. He is TERRIFIED of traffic, and because of this, our half-hour walks are usually half an hour of me forcing him by my side while he freaks out. There's a nearby military base that isn't crazy-busy that we can walk him on, but he still gets spooked easily and doesn't really walk well. I've tried the "changing directions" trick, I've tried making him sit and stay when he pulls, I've tried making noises when he pulls too much, I've tried walking faster so he has to keep pace with me... 


He goes crazy for birds or cats, is 50/50 with humans (sometimes he pulls, sometimes he doesn't), and is pretty much solid with other dogs (as in he'll leave them alone). We switched from a regular collar to a harness, mainly for my own comfort, as he was pulling hard enough to be walking on his hind legs and choking himself before.


How does this relate to Buddy? Buddy's still not going out quite yet (he's only had his first set of shots), but soon he will be, and I don't want him learning bad habits from his sibling. I know the best method here might be to just walk them separately, but I'd love to walk them together at some point. So I've got about a month - any idea on how to get Hiro to calm down?


*he's peed a couple times since we got Buddy, but I think that's more of a marking/jealousy thing than anything; he still goes to the door when he needs to, and voids outside.


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