Training to walk

[Nyas dad]

I want to train Nya to walk with me, but she just pulls the whole way, and i want to say "Thanks" in advance becouse i know everyone has good advice here. I cant wait to start learning alot of things here  .

[blynn03]

There are a couple basic things you can do....when she starts pulling towards something you can either stop dead in your tracks (so she will stop and probably turn back to you to see what's up).  When she stops putting pressure on the leash, you can go forward again.  To her, the reward is getting to keep going towards whatever she is pulling to, so when you make it clear that she only gets to go towards it when she's not pulling, she should get it.

Another option is to turn around and head the complete opposite direction for a few steps, and then turn around and proceed the way you were walking originally.  This again plays into the fact that the dog is rewarded by going towards whatever they were pulling to get. 

With BOTH of these methods, you have to stop/turn around as soon as she starts pulling.  This may mean that you only end up going up halfway up the street during your walk....but you gotta stick with it.  Also, don't worry about the people who see you and think you're crazy....it will be well worth it when you've got a dog that walks well on a leash.  TRUST me, you do do not want to pull this off until she's full grown.  You'd be shocked at how strong a 50 pound adult boxer is.


I'm sure someone will chime in with things I'm forgetting.....

[BoxerWB]

A slightly different method I've started using with Dash (from a Suzanne Clothier seminar I attended):

Give the leash the amount of slack you her to have have (NOT the whole 6', more like 3-4') then stick the hand holding the leash partway into your pocket so I keep it at that length and am not tempted to pull on it.

Get her attention and give your loose-lead walking cue (most people use Let's Go) then start to walk, happy talking to be interesting and get keep attention. If she continues to stay nearby, you can praise her and pop a treat in her mouth every couple of steps so she knows you are very happy with what she's doing (the bonus being she wants to stay in treat-popping range  )

When she hits the end of the leash, stop, and resist the urge to verbally correct her or pull the leash.

When she turns around and actually pays attention to you (turning around to look at someone else doesn't count).. have a BIG party! "There you are, you remembered me, party for YOU!!"  Be silly and shovel in a bunch of treats. Unless she has weight problems (or isn't food motivated.. not common in boxers!), it is far better to be generous w/treats than to be stingy.

Also institute The Rule of "Even Though".. even though a bike just went by, even though she wants to sniff, even though she's excited because it's a new place. Even though these things may distract her and make her more likely to pull, still require her to behave and not pull on leash.

Later, when she's getting the idea of walking on a loose leash, you can also choose a release word to give when you are OK with her taking the full length of the leash and checking things out. You want to put this on cue so you can tell her *when* it's allowed and when it isn't.

[Sophia Sadeyes]

some good tips. The thing is, you prob will look silly and you need to at this point make walking about a training sessions- not just going out for a walk. I need to get better at this myself with Strummer. You may only go a few feet at first but- it's little steps that count. everytime they pull and get to a place pulling, it's reinforcing them to pull. Frustrating I know...

A treat bag (one you wear on your waist or hip) helps dish out treats fast.

Good luck- it can be a slow process but it does pay off!

[Nyas dad]

Thanks for all the info. I will start trying one of these methods as well as her new Gentle Leader i have just bought for her

[Samsons Mom]

i got samson (hes 4mo) a 2-step harness and took him for little walks and gave him treats as we walked and always gave him lots to praise as we were walking, now hes a great walker. maybe start out on some grass or sand before the sidewalk or blacktop.

good luck!

[BoxerWB]

Just a reminder, though you may already know this:

The Gentle Leader does not *train* her the appropriate behavior. It is simply there to manage her behavior until you have her better trained.