# Layla turned blue...



## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Help!

Layla is horrible on leash... we don't go for many walks in the winter. My son took her yesterday and she was pulling so hard her tongue turned blue so he brought her home. Layla is only about 60 lbs. but so strong, she can yank my husband down, and has. We thought if we took her with Hurley (who is a dream on leash) she would settle down - but no such luck.

I am on a quest today...but need advice...Halti? Easy Walk Harness? Other? What do you suggest? I don't think she would like the halti, and it may be quite a fight getting it on her...

Usually by this age I have them walkable...Although old Dream can still pull our arms out of socket occasionally LOL. 

Thanks in advance,

Julie


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I use a prong collar if I 'need' to, mainly when they're young and getting into the role of walking/pulling. Then I either use a kennel lead or nylon 'choke' collar, right up behind the ears high on the neck, or a flat buckle collar. When going from one to another I'll put both on and use the easier one or move up to the firmer one. So if I'm working on using the slip collar, I still put on the prong but don't use it, if the dog is insisting on pulling then I switch collars for a block or so.

Keeping that in mind, I do NOT go forward when the dog is pulling. I'll stop and ask them to sit, or down, or simply release the pressure on the collar. If I have to turn around and get the dog to come with me that way, I do, but I don't let them drag me. Eventually they're fine on a buckle collar or kennel lead.

I just don't have the patience to deal with harnesses, and I find a lot of people assume a halti is a muzzle...

Lana


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I think you should try a Gentle Leader head halter. She will fight it at first, but make it a good thing to have it on, lots of treats and praise. It does work to stop the pulling. 

I didn't have much success with the Easy Walk Harness.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I use the Easy Walk Harness on my dogs, I just bought a Sporn harness for Jasmine because the Easy Walk Harness was rubbing her and she has a few warts where the harness fits across her front legs. I like both of them! They work really well. When I put the Sporn on Jasmine, she was really confused. LOL


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

We use the halti, but Dory HATES it. I mean HATES it. She bawls. When we're in the house and I put it on her, she just lays down and pouts. She looks like we've killed her. Then she doesn't do well walking with it. Lucy does great with it.

I tried her with one of Lucy's harnesses last night for a change, and she did better. I'm thinking of getting her an Easy Walk, which is funny because Lucy did horrible with _that_.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Depending on your leash handling abilities... a head halter is generally the product I recommend. BUT you ---HAVE-- to take the time to teach the dog to happily wear it and move in it. It's surprisingly distressing for me to read about dogs who have really negative reactions to it because people have not been taking (enough) time to do this.

A front clip harness can be another quick option... there are lots of them available.. a front clip and "no pull" harness tend to be two different things. I do NOT like the easy walk because it's hard to fit on many dogs, but golden-shaped dogs often do well in it.

You should take the time to train her to walk on a leash, regardless of the equipment you use. There is the possibility of causing injury by "just letting her pull". If you really don't want to teach her anything else...get a pulling harness (...I love mine from alpineoutfitters!) can help to prevent injury.

I would also recommend getting a private lesson to help get you started on walking skills. Group classes can help, but even just one private will allow your family and the instructor to focus on Layla the whole time.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

Misty was justhorrible on the leash..I bought the sensible harness...you hook the leash on her chest..it has done wonders...we have wonderful walks now! Good luck!!!


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Well Dory's reaction to the halti isn't due to our not taking the time to work with her on it. We've done all the things that you're supposed to do to acclimate her to it. She just hates it. Some things work for some dogs, and some don't.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

I tried the Gentle Leader (head halter) with Darby and it wasn't the right fit, switched the Easy Walker harness and it worked perfectly. He is now walking great on a martingale collar and leather lead.

Kirby is another story altogether. Tried about everything accept a pinch collar - she is just beginning to get where she won't pull on a walk. I am back to her martingale and leather lead, I use treats and when she pulls I stop. She will ignore almost anything for a treat so I have been going that route and it's working. The pinch collar will be my last resort if this doesn't work. 

I amy need to use it for both of them if I ever want to walk them together, I just can't take chances with all the traffic.


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Thank you all...we do use a martingale collar on walks now - that's why she turned blue LOL. I have an old harness around here somewhere, I am pretty sure it will fit her. I think I will try that first before I invest in anything else.

Thanks again,

Julie


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Do you correct her when she starts to get ahead of you while wearing the martingale? Martingales, "choke" chains, prong collars are tools to teach the dog not to forge ahead by use of corrections. Harnesses, "gentle" leaders, haltis are generally band-aids that will stop the dog from pulling when they're on, but don't usually fix the root of the problem. It's my personal preference but I'd rather teach my dog where he needs to be walking instead of using a quick "fix". If you don't want someone to push a button, you can either teach them not to or restrain them so they can't. I choose the former. Again, all personal preference. I know lots of people swear by haltis, "gentle" leaders etc so it might be a controversial stance.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

fostermom said:


> I use the Easy Walk Harness on my dogs, I just bought a Sporn harness for Jasmine because the Easy Walk Harness was rubbing her and she has a few warts where the harness fits across her front legs. I like both of them! They work really well. When I put the Sporn on Jasmine, she was really confused. LOL


the Easy Walk gives ME such confidence -- I can control the "little" guy when he acts uncontrollable (we have an issue). Think I sold owners of an equally bad mannered Airdale on 'em today.

(Bridger isn't THAT bad - but can embarrass me)


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## Dreammom (Jan 14, 2009)

Yep, we correct her, we will stop and make her sit...then start again - she keeps pulling. I watched my son with her yesterday, he was really working hard with her - she just won't get it and she is so strong. We have tried giving it a jerk, re-positioning her, making her sit/stay (as I said before), and treats. 

I think I may just build her a sled LOL. I have wanted to for Hurley anyway...
Maybe I should give her a big old tire to pull - might tire her out.


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## Eleanor's Mom (Nov 6, 2009)

I use the Easy walk harness and before that used the Sensation harness. Both work great. We switched because she out-grew the sensation and the training facility I work at did not have a sensation in her size. I have used it mostly as a training tool. When she starts to pull, I stop and eventually she gets the message and backs up. The harness just gives her that little extra bit of a message. It also gives me that little extra control, especially since she will sometimes just take off if she wants something- squirrels, birds, etc. Her ability to walk on the leash has improved dramatically.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ranger was a real puller when I got him. I had to wear gloves or else my leather leash would give me blisters. If the martingale collar isn't enough for her, you might want to try either a choke chain (make sure it's on the right way) or even a prong collar (again, make sure to get it properly fitted). 

Ranger was on a choke chain and eventually we went to a prong. He's not sensitive at all and I'd prefer to use one arm to correct him instead of two. If he started to forge ahead and pull, instead of giving a parallel-to-the-ground jerk backwards, which caused him to lean into his collar and pull harder, I started giving him sideways, parallel to the ground jerks which pulled him slightly off balance. "Jerks" or corrections need to be as soft or as hard to get the desired effect. If your dog will listen to a 1 lb correction, you don't need to use 4 lbs. If you're using 7 lbs to correct her, you need to either try a choke chain/prong and then you can use 1-2 lbs.

Also, a jerk/tug/correction needs to be given with a slack leash. If the leash is already tight/taught you can't give an effective correction. Once the jerk/tug/correction has been applied, leash goes back to slack. In effect a correction lasts about 1 second. Slack-jerk-slack. No towing or strangling. Dogs quickly learn walking NEXT to a person means a slack leash with no pressure. If she's forging ahead and about to reach the end of leash, drop all leash but the loop and give her a two handed pull back to you. Once she's next you, start walking again. Do 180 degree turns and don't wait for her to turn before you start walking in the new direction. 

I recently got Ranger a backpack for hiking. He walks with it filled with 2 1 litre water bottles on our walks around the city and this backpack gives him focus. His head is down and he's ignoring every distraction, including his nemesis - rabbits! Also tires him out more than just a plain walk. I hope this helps. It took Ranger close to 2 months before he'd walk nicely next to me - he's the most stubborn dog and doesnt have a lot of feeling around his neck since he was chained up for the first 9 months of his life. Good luck with your pup!


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

*Teaching loose lead walking*

It is not a matter of what type of product you use but how you are *consistently teaching* your dog to walk with a loose lead. That may mean you don't actually walk very far during your training until your pup understands what you want.
Here is a link for one method you can try that many people have found successful. http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/LLW/


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

As you've tried so m any things and aren't getting success, I would recommend finding a professional to help you. If you aren't getting success, you'll need to break it down into smaller pieces and build up a strong history of reinforcement for the correct responses.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Hank is a 60lb. pullin' machine with a flat collar, he's a dream with a Sporn Mesh Non-pull Harness. Very comfortable for the dog since it's loose fitting until they pull. I've been using one since last fall and just moved him up to the Large size.

http://www.sporn.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=SPUS3

I've also tried a Gentle Leader (spent the whole walk rubbing his face on the ground) & the Ez-Walk Harness (spent the whole walk chewing/biting the leash since it attaches in front), neither worked for us.

I bought mine at PetsMart.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Willow52 said:


> Hank is a 60lb. pullin' machine with a flat collar, he's a dream with a Sporn Mesh Non-pull Harness. Very comfortable for the dog since it's loose fitting until they pull. I've been using one since last fall and just moved him up to the Large size.
> 
> http://www.sporn.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=SPUS3
> 
> ...


Just a hint when using the Easy Walk Harness, many dogs bite and chew at it because they are frustrated that they can't pull any more. If they start doing that, you can hook the leash to the harness and then to the collar. That way they can't reach the harness to chew on it. Normally you only need to do that for a few minutes before they lose interest in trying to chew on it and then you can unhook the leash from the collar and use it only on the harness. 



Adriennelane said:


> Well Dory's reaction to the halti isn't due to our not taking the time to work with her on it. We've done all the things that you're supposed to do to acclimate her to it. She just hates it. Some things work for some dogs, and some don't.


Jasmine was exactly the same way. I did all of the training with it and she still absolutely hated it. We would head out for a walk and she would flop down on the ground and refuse to move as long as she had it on.


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## The_Artful_Dodger (Mar 26, 2009)

Is she very food motivated? I would work on training walking with a loose leash, starting with a couple steps at a time. I use the command "lets go". Give lots of praise and/or a treat. Then you can build up to walking a bit further each time. Also, I would keep her walking next to you, rather than up ahead. You can teach her that she has to stay next to you until you release her to sniff around on the grass/do her business. 

My old dog, a lab, was a puller....but he could heel beautifully if he knew there were treats around. He broke through several haltis/gentle leaders and would get welts on his nose...so we stopped using those with him...he eventually calmed down....but not until he was about 10 or 11 lol...but if I could go back and teach my teenage-self how to teach him to walk nicely I would.


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