Adult Labs

Question
I just got a chocolate lab, 2 years old, and not fixed. She was an outdoor dog at her other home and when we got her we decided to bring her in.
She has great hearing when I say things she likes (ex: food, water, treat) but with everything else I almost promise that she is ignorning me, even if it is a simple command to come here while she 2 ft from me. I say it in a polite firm voice but she looks at me like I have lost my mind. Is there something I can change to get her to listen or any tips you can think of? She wont even respond to her name.
Another thing I have noticed is when she is placed on a leash for a walk she drags me and attempts to trip me with her leash. I have tried controlling how much slack of the leash I give her and that doesnt seem to matter. How do I show her I am in control?

Thank you for your time,

Alyson

Answer
The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat.

Easier dogs will give up their pulling with a few good snaps of the leash combined with a stern "Bad dog!". You can work up to forceful corrections with the leash doubled up in both hands and your whole body behind it. But you don't want to use any more force than you need. One gentle technique I like is to just stop when he pulls. He wants to go. If you move forward when the leash is slack, and stop when he pulls, he should quickly figure out the only way to get to go, is not to pull. This is about teaching him not to pull, not getting somewhere. The man that taught it to me said "If in a half hour you haven't made it out to the front walk, fine, you have taught him a lesson. Pulling the dog backwards is a good technique too.

Still, you may want to switch to a head collar. The leading brands are Promise, Haltie, and Gentle Leader. They have a strap going around the dogs nose looking something like a muzzle. They work by pulling the dogs head around. No other way gives you such great control with so little force. The prong collar is now a dangerous relic of value only for its macho looks. Do not consider using one without hands on instruction from somebody with plenty of experience with them.