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The Ultimate Guide to Dog Pulling

Posted on March 02 2021

Jessa & Rollo here from the Pet Connect Pack. I’ll never forget the day me and my bestie where going to walk our dogs Rollo & Kahu. We were liberally applying sunblock to protect ourselves for the hectic mid day sun and then Kahu saw a rabbit. He bolted. My best friend went flying down the hill being dragged by the leash for metres. Even though now we cry about how funny it was it could have easily been a disaster.  


How many of us experience their pups pulling them the whole way when going on walks? Unfortunately Rollo Pooch is very much like that and I often end up wearing my flat white while walking us through town. So Rollo and I have been putting in the training so we can give you the best tips, tricks and products for a more comfortable walk. 


Training

Teaching your puppy to walk on a leash earlier on can really help reduce issues in the long run. Having a bag of treats on board and a clicker can help you to reinforce positive behaviour and help teach your go getter that you’re the boss. Giving your dog a big run or off leash exercise before training can help them let off steam and help them to succeed. 


Remember us humans walk far too slowly and your dog will get inadequate exercise from a leash walk alone. Let them understand the difference between a big off leash run around and a leash walk.


Pulling

Walk around a dog park, reserve, back garden or beach but try to pick a spot with less distractions like other dogs or dare I say rabbits. Walk as you normally would and when you dog starts to pull or pulls in a different direction stop walking, stand very still and refuse to budge until your dog comes back to you or the leash is loosened. Use a word such as “heel” or “back” or using a clicker and give your four legged bestie a treat when they do the right thing. You will have to repeat this over and over and day in and day out but diligence is key.


Lunging

If you have a Kahu dog that lunges or that will go after a skateboarder, car or other small animals - the trick is to be proactive. Try and redirect their attention with a treat and hold their attention before they have a chance to lunge and increase the space between your dog and the distraction. And by golly if you’re taking a moment to put some sunblock on make sure you hold their attention for the duration with something absolutely delicious. 


Products to help


The Gentle Leader Head Collar 


The Gentle Leader Head Collar stops lunging, pulling and other unwanted behaviour. The head collar fits securely over your dog's nose with a  nose loop redirecting your dogs head towards you when he pulls forward, preventing pulling and giving you his full attention. his effectively refocuses his attention back to you and off the distraction. 

Unlike a muzzle, the nose loop gently moves your dog's head when he pulls, while still allowing him to pant and bark without putting pressure on the neck.


The Gentle Leader Harness



The Easy Walk Harness makes walking more enjoyable for you and your dog. Much like the Hard collar the front-chest leash attachment helps you steer your dog to the side and redirect his attention toward you. When he pulls it will slowly turn your dog around. The chest strap rests across your dog’s chest instead of putting pressure on the delicate throat, so there’s no choking or gagging. 



EzyDog CheckMate Training Collar



The Checkmate training collar’s foot becomes firmer as the dog pulls or when pressure is applied via the leash. When the dog tries to pull, the tension on the leash pulls the smaller collar loop taut, which makes the large loop smaller and tighter on the neck, thus helping to prevent escape. When the collar is properly fitted, it will be comfortably loose without your dog noticing it much, until the dog begins to pull.


Trixie Check Chains 



Large dogs that are both strong and harder to control often respond well to a check chain. We urge however that the operator needs to consult an expert if you are not sure how to work the collar or had any previous training with a choker chain. While using a check chain is beneficial with stronger dogs, clicker training, treats and patience needs to be used as well as a check chain as they can be uncomfortable when used incorrectly or solely without other means of training. 




A durable little treat bag with drawstring that you can clip on to your belt makes for an awesome walking companion. Treats are often the most overlooked motivational tool you could have in your get up while walking your poochey.

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