pulling

Question
Hi Ms.Gadola

I have a year old american bulldog which I love.

I have no problem handling her around people when we walk.But when she sees other dogs she pulls trying to get to them. I try to remind calm but its hard too while im trying to control her. what can i do to stop this she weights 95lbs.

Answer
I have an American Bulldog, too, and my favorite harness for him is the New Freedom harness that hooks in front and on the shoulders.  You can find it on this page, toward the bottom:  www.petexpertise.com/barbgadola.  

Along with the power steering that this harness will give you, start to work on training her to do something as an alternative to pulling you toward another dog.  You'll have to start this at enough of a distance that she's not already too excited to respond.  If you can set up a situation like this, mark the moment that she notices the dog with a "yes!" and feed her a high value food tidbit (meat, cheese, or anything she really likes that she can eat quickly, and no bigger than a pea).  Try and get her to turn her head back toward you to get the treat.  Your goal with this exercise is to allow the dog to alert on the other dog, but then redirect attention back to you.  You'll probably have to start pretty far away, but should be able to eventually work closer and closer.  If you get to a point where she's pulling again, turn around and make more distance.

What I described above is a technique created by Leslie McDevitt called "Look at That" from her book "Control Unleashed", which I highly recommend.  You can google and find some video examples of the technique in action on the web.

If your dog is aggressive to other dogs on leash, you might also check out a technique called Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) at www.functionalrewards.com.  It's also good for frustrated greeters - dogs who just want to socialize, but are a bit out of control getting there.

Please let me know if you have questions or need clarification on my recommendations.  Good luck!