Tuggings

How to stop my dog from tugging on his leash?

My dog is 5 yrs. old and whenever we go on walks, he rips my arm off by him tugging the leash. Is there any quick solution to help me teach him?

Public Comments

1. Go online to Cesar Milan's website and look into their Ilusion collar. Its designed just for such problems. Every time he starts to pull, stop and pull straight up on his leash (firmly but not so hard he has a hard time breathing) and say NO firmly. Your dog should always walk beside you. Not in front of you and not behind you. It may tack quite a bit of time onto your walk but in time it will work.
2. I had the same problem with my shepherd..still have it with my wolf. Here's what the trainer told me: Be the alpha dog. Have a deep, assertive voice. When he pulls, stop walking, yank hard back on the leash, tell him "NO!" very firmly. When he stops pulling, make him sit. Once he calms down, begin walking again. Repeat. It's a grueling process but in the end it's worth it. The only reason my wolf is still pulling is he's still a bit of a pup and we're still working with him. Lucky for us, our shepherd got it right away.
3. Take the leash off.
4. watch "its me or the dog" on animal planet. she deals with this problem all the time! switch from a regular collar to a harness or easy walk harness for starters. this gives you more control over the body. another thing you can do is everytime your dog starts to pull, turn around and walk back home. or stop and don't move until your dog behaves. when he does praise him alot and continue. repeat. eventually he will get the idea that walking nicely= nice long walks!
5. it depends on the size of your dog and his weight , i have a 55 pound pit bull and i use a prong collar. which is great ,now i love walking her . she did take behavior training class wen she was 5 months, shes 13 teen months now why didn't you start training this dog wen it was young? just asking. if you have any pet shops around or pet co, or pet smart they should be able to hook you up with the right collar. ask one of the trainers there they more than happy to help.
6. choke collar? and no its not mean or hurts the dog..if the dog is smart enough it will learn to realize that "hey, maybe if i stop tugging i wont get choked.." lol.
7. I have a 60 pound bull terrier very strong and stubborn. I finally went out and bought a Gentle Leader Pet Smart and Pet co both sell them for around $20. They are Unbelievable! Zeus can walk anywhere with me now with no all the distractions you can throw at him and I keep total control with only 2-3 fingers on the leash. Please do not resort to a choke collar some people swear by them but after working for a vet for years we saw so many back problems in some breeds that were trained on a choker. The gentle leader is humane and more effective it will change your walking him from the first minute you put it on him. Have fun on your walks you finally will get to enjoy them. granmatictac
8. There are different collars and harnesses out there that can be used with great success. Gentle Leader is one, but htere are others. There is one that pulls their nose down, and they will stop pulling. But it isn't the collar that matters, it is the training that does. And it can take some time and patience. When your dog pulls, plant your feet firmly on the ground (depending on the size of your dog) and stop walking. Distract your dog, make him come back to you, use a treat or something he likes. As soon as he releases the "tug", praise him, and then continue walking. If he pulls again, repeat the process. As I said, it could take time and patience, but he will soon learn he gets a treat or can continue on the walk IF he doesn't pull. Once he and you have this down pat, and he stops pulling instead of walking, you should be able to teach him to heal with the same incentive.