my dog pulls backwards all the time

Question
QUESTION: Hi Patti,

I have adopted a cockerpoo three years ago. He was about a year back then and now he is 4 years old. He is a sweet boy and very affectionate but has a very short attention span.

The problem is that he pulls backwards all the time when we walk together and if I pull him forward, he resists. I love walking with my dog but because of pulling it has become a chore instead of fun. How can I train him to stop pulling backwards and keep pace with me?

Thanks so much!

ANSWER: Hi Eli,

Every time your dog pulls on leash and you continue the walk, you are rewarding her for pulling and lunging. Every time your dog gets out of control it is essential that you instantly stop the walk, stand still and wait for her to calm down before continuing. It is a tremendous effort in patience at first but it will pay off if you persevere. You may only get to the end of the block or even your driveway on your first outing, but if you give in to your dog's demands, then she will continue to pull. You can speed up the process by asking her to sit- stay for about 5 to 10 seconds every time she begins to pull. Of course this will only work if your dog already has a reliable sit-stay.

It would probably help a great deal if you used a head harness rather than using a neck collar, or shoulder harness. Recommended by the veterinary experts at Tufts University School of Medicine, the head harness is based on the principle that wherever the head goes, the body follows. Like horse's halter, a dog head harness is worn on the cheeks, with one strap encircling the dog's nose and another running behind the back of the head. It is not a muzzle. You hook a leash to a ring to the snout strap under the chin. Brands to look for are Gentle Leader (also known as the Promise collar) and Halti. A head harness is probably different than anything your dog has ever worn, so you have to allow time for your dog to become acquainted with it. Practice inside, in very brief sessions, using tasty tidbits and plenty of praise to distract and calm the dog. In most cases, the dog will acclimate to the head collar and eventually become very comfortable with it. The key is proper acclimation and use of the device. And never jerk this kind of collar.

Here are some directions for training a dog to walk on a leash:
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/commands/loose-leash.pdf
http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/nopulling.html

If you try on your own, and you don't seem to be making progress in the training, consider consulting with a professional dog trainer. A couple of sessions would do a world of good, and help you to learn how to gain control of your dog.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Patti,

Thanks so much for explanation and tips. I think this will really help to train my dog not to pull forward. But I think I must have mis-described the problem.

The major problem I am experiencing is actually that my dog often STOPs abruptly and wants to sniff around while I would like to continue walking. Unlike most dogs, he does not want to move forward. He lags behind and then wants to stop whereever he finds it interesting to sniff.

If I walk a block with my dog, he would want to stop and sniff like 5-10 times. My dog so frequently forces me to stop from the behind. When he wants to sniff, he puts his weight down. I try to pull the leash toward me. But he resists and won't move. Nor does he come to me when I say 'come'. (He knows Sit and Stay but he does not come unless I have treat in my hand and he knows it.)

Every time this happens it is like a small fight between my dog and me. Most of the time I let him sniff and then pull the leash toward me. He would slowly come to me. We resume walking. But he will soon lag behind and then stop me from the behind again to sniff after a couple of minutes.

So, your tip of stop moving when the dog pulls won't really help in this case. Would it? Since my dog wants to stop while I want to continue walking at a normal pace, if I stop, it would reward his behavior of abruptly stopping during the walk so that he can sniff...

What would you recommend in this case?
I know that not many dogs behave like mine. I have many neighbors owning dogs and none of the dogs lags behind or stops their owners during the walk like my dog does. Their dogs pulls forward. Some of my neighbors say head-leash helped. But they are not sure if my dog's problem which is complete reverse to pulling forward can be helped by head-leash too. I am completely baffled about this and the problem is getting worse and worse.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much,
Eli

Does this make sense?
I have many neighbors who have dogs. But their dogs usually want to go faster than their owners.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  

Answer
Hi Eli,

Sorry I didn't catch the meaning of your question.

It's really quite natural for a dog to want to spend time sniffing around, some dogs are more instant about this than others while out on a walk.

One thing you can try is training your dog to pay attention to you and your cues, since you are the leader of the "pack".  Teach the dog that he needs to keep his attention on you instead of the ground.
Work on your "attention training" by starting him in the heel position, use an attention word, such as "READY?" and hold eye contact for about 5 seconds. When he does this successfully, he gets an immediate release, lots of praise, and a really good treat. Continue to build this until you can maintain eye contact for 30 seconds before the release and reward. Then, and only then, can you start moving while holding his attention. The critical part is to increase the amount of time holding the dog's attention in small increments so as to always be successful.

Here is an article with more tips on training your dog to pay attention to you:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=231&A=1015&S=0

Here's a "leadership exercise" that you can try in order to teach your dog to happily ignore distractions:

Work with your dog daily. Walk anywhere, the instant the dog pulls and/or stops to smell, instantly turn and sprint in the other direction, without saying anything and giving a sharp jerk. As soon as the dog turns and is moving towards you, praises profusely and pat or give a treat to the dog. Keep these training sessions is very brisk, happy, lively and fun. Keeping it light hearted and fun helps the dog to respond quickly - it's all one big game to him.
Just remember: you to say nothing, quickly moves in the opposite direction of where your dog wants to be, and praise happily.
This exercise accomplishes two things--it gives your back some of the leadership in the relationship, and the dog learns that the instant he puts his head down you are going to move away silently. It really teaches the dog to watch and happily follow you.

I'd still suggest using the head halter. You have better control of the dog's movement with a head halter, than you do when using a neck collar. If nothing else works, please consider contacting a professional dog trainer. Sometimes, there's just no substitute for professional help and guidance. Expecting to walk with your dog is certainly something that can be learned.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti