Need help/advice from people who run with their dog.

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  • JayMri
    JayMri Posts: 241 Member
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    My dog pulls and wants to run after everything - deer, squirrels, rabbits, birds etc.... She wears a harness and I have a retractable lease clipped on to the harness, when she is pulling and trying to run off or ahead of me then I wrap the leash under her belly - this is what our humane society told me to do to help to train her from pulling and running off and it seems to be working.

    Wrapping the leash around the back of their torso is a good thing to try.

    What training methods have you done? It will take time (and some times months of time) but the way I train against pulling & running off is as soon as they pull we turn back the other day. A walk may only get your 10 feet from the house and last 20 minutes but it's what has worked for us. Some dogs learn real quick.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Whatever you do, a retractable leash is a terrible idea. The dog doesn't know how long the leash is, and will continue to pull when the get to the end of it. They will never know their boundaries. A regular leash will be fine. We have this harness for our dog: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751027&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

    It works like magic.

    Putting a regular harness on a dog will only increase their desire to pull, because they believe they are doing work. This harness pull them to the side so they understand they are pulling too much.

    We use a retractable leash for the youngest GSD in our yard. He knows exactly how long the leash is. Trust me. LOL

    I don't suggest one either but just had to throw that out.
  • kathystrauss1
    kathystrauss1 Posts: 142 Member
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    Prong collar with the bigger prongs. The smaller ones are actually more pinchy. one of my dogs is super high energy and this works great for her. She doesn't pull and it doesn't freak her out at all. The gentle leader she fought so much I finally gave it up. The no pull harness rubbed her raw on her chest. I was leary about the prong at first but it really is a godsend and she's happy to have it on since she knows we're going for a hike after.
  • Fuamami
    Fuamami Posts: 38 Member
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    Try switching directions every time he starts to pull. This lets him know that he has to follow.

    Also, go out for training and not a run. Start to run and if he pulls stop running and don't start again until the leash is slack. What you are doing is giving him a signal that pulling on the leash means you are stopping and a slack leash means he gets to go forward.

    I agree with the suggestions of a gentle lead or a chest lead but not the prong collar.

    This is great advice, this worked wonderfully with our two lab mix pups, now 1 year old and pretty good about not pulling. There are a couple of YouTube videos that illustrate the technique, they were helpful. The only thing is you have to be very consistent, so don't do it when you are in a hurry or actually trying to get a workout in.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    a prong collar is not the devil.

    If you put on on your arm and pull you can see the "damage" it does- it's not THAT extreme.

    I personally prefer a properly fitted choke collar or even a prong collar to a harness- a harness tends to teach pulling. Teach the dog to heel and then working on running and heeling. I'ts why i use rope halters and catch ropes on my horses rather than those cute nice soft fluffy halters- horse's pull and they learn to pull in them because ti's soft cuddley and never bites. Choke collars aren't for choking- they are for popping. Big difference. Learn the difference and teach the dog to heel.

    If he can walk on a leash- he can be taught to run on a leash. You just need to dedicate time to the dog when you aren't planning on running... so just as you need "walking training sessions" you will need "running" training sessions.

    And as always- consistency is key with training animals.
  • Leah_Alexis
    Leah_Alexis Posts: 139 Member
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    We have a boarder collie mix. She is a extremely smart dog but seems to have a difficult time keeping focused. Previously she would be all over the place when trying to walk/jog with her. It got very hard on the head to go out with her. We ended up purchasing a gentle leader (as some other posters had mentioned) and it has been a life saver. I would recommend in trying one out and seeing if that may solve your issues.
  • tlab827
    tlab827 Posts: 155 Member
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    I would absolutely invest in a Gentle Leader. It is a head collar and a life changer!

    I have a 90lb Shepherd and a 50 lb Lab/Pitt mix and I couldnt walk/run with them without it.
  • StarChanger
    StarChanger Posts: 605 Member
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    I have 4 labs (and had 2 others that have passed away in the last couple of years), the only thing that works for them is a prong collar. We went to a trainer that specialized in using them. We tried gentle leaders, didn't work on any of them. We tried harnesses - same thing but these were worse as the dogs were much less controllable.

    If you consider a prong collar, make sure that you either research how to use it or take your pup to an obedience school that utilizes it. You really need to understand the correct methods.

    That said, I only have one dog that I can run with now...2 have too strong of a prey drive and I live in the country with too many good smells and one has hip dysplasia (at 11 months) so he can't.

    I've had 2 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers....first one was BRILLIANT and the most loyal, teachable dog I've ever owned. I think she trained US more than we trained her, but I always knew she would do EXACTLY what I told her to do, EXACTLY when I told her to do it.

    The second one, not so much. Just a brilliant and loyal, but just HAS to be in front, first out the door, first with the toys, etc, etc, etc. Dominance issues....in a house where MY dominance is pretty much unquestioned by anyone (including hubby, rofl!). She will "submit" when she knows I mean business, but seems to "forget" just a few seconds later....constant battle. Like many others, we have tried EVERYTHING (obedience classes-first dog I've ever had where I "needed" them, professional gun-dog trainer, shock collars, food rewards, toy rewards, whistles, gentle leads, harnesses....EVERYTHING). She still pulls. She still has to be first at everything. She's just OCD and there doesn't seem to be a thing we can do about it. We can take her swimming for HOURS and she's still crazy hyper. Some dogs just seemed to be wired differently....

    Our Boxer & our huge French Mastiff (both known to be "dominant" breeds)....no issues at all. Crazy.
  • dreamer12151
    dreamer12151 Posts: 1,031 Member
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    I am not an expert in any means. However, I have had dogs all my life, have shown in AKC events and done everything from hunt with to pet my dogs. I was on a K9 search & rescue team for years, and there are several different types of leads, halters and collars to use. I have done everything from simple obedience to wooded tracking a missing person with my dogs, both on and off lead. I have attempted to run with my dogs, but it didn't work out, not so much because of my dogs (although the male would want to stop & pee on anything vertical! lol) but because of the other dogs in the neighborhood that are allowed to run free & loose. It got too frustrating for me, so I run with just my phone.

    The key here is to find is collar/halter that is comfortable and works, but basic obedience training is the key. And consistency is also important. Try for little distances first, maybe around the block several times, before the longer ones.

    However - personally, I think the pinch collars - aka "prong collars" - should be outlawed, or at least, require proper training before they can be purchased. I have seen first hand the damage they can do in the hands of people who thought they were doing the right thing, but instead, nearly choked the dogs to death & left major scars in their necks. Put one of those collars on your arm & yank down like you would if your dog was misbehaving & you yanked the lead. Yeah - OUCH! Now keep in mind, you knew that was coming, so you were prepared for it, and didn't do it as strongly as if your dog was "misbehaving" and you yanked down. When we got our Australian Cattle Dog a few years ago, she had a pinch collar on with her cloth collar. When I asked the previous owner about it, she said "oh, that's the way she was trained, it's the only way I can handle her on a leash." I shook my head & explained all this to her as I was taking the pinch collar off in front of her. I told the dog she would never see another pinch collar again & I have never had another issue with her on a lead since. So please PLEASE think long and hard, and think again before you consider putting one of those on your dog. In my opinion, if your dog needs to have 1 of those collars on them, they do not need to be in public.

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