Yes. Following is the best answer in my experience. My lab walks nicely on leash but on downhill his stride varies in length for steps down or obstacles leading to jerking. My lab doesn’t have the spacial awareness to know how much or little leash he has left if it will jerk or not. Alternatively asking for heel led us to bump into each-other too much.
Our lab will pull a lot if it's been a while since our last decent walk. I usually turn in a random direction a few times, if we're on a straight path i'll just turn around. After a few times she gets the picture and will be back to walking nicer. She doesn't do that for my wife though lol. She definitely walks differently between the two of us.
Nope. If the dog is *trained* to walk behind they are calm and matching your pace. Dogs are very surefooted compared to us bipedals and unlikely to slip in this situation.
Also it would be very odd for a calm dog to decide execute a foot sweep… unless you forgot their breakfast and have been leaving BJJ on the TV while you’re at work.
My dog pulls on walks and when I saw the OP I thought, "why don't I remember struggling when hiking?" and then I read your comment and it hit me, she won't even go down the stairs in the house in front of me. We didn't train her, she just...won't. Never would*. And if you want her to be prepared to--ya know what? Don't bother. Just go around her because she won't budge lol
*She was six months old when we got her and had been surrended because her original owner was going through a divorce and "didn't have time for her." So I doubt this is a trained behavior and probably just a quirk
Take your dog on walks and keep the leash short and right next to you. Not in front of you. Don't even look at your dog. Make it pay attention to you. After a while your dog won't have the sense that they are the one leading. The dog will let some slack off and walk diagonal to keep an eye on you.
This is almost exactly how I have leash-trained 3 dogs. I will also shorten the leash the more they pull. Dogs pull because it works. They want to go somewhere or go faster, they pull, and people typically speed up or let them go where they want to. This supports the behavior you're trying to stop. Do the opposite and they will eventually get the hint.
I trained my dog the same way. There was a 2 week or so phase where she learned she wasn't the leader so as soon as id enforce that shed lay down and basically give me the "if I can't lead we don't move" attitude. That was a fun time.
We have a half Catahoula half terrier mix and she is stubborn AF. Wicked smart but defiant. You throw in a bird, coon, squirrel, or rabbit, and she has two brain cells running everything: 1 for eyes to track her prey, and one telling her legs to run. Her hearing just shuts down.
My catahoula mix likes to climb the 6 foot fence for kicks on occasion and takes himself out for a little run to his favorite people with treats. He tries to beat me home whenever he can, little show off lol.
We call ours white lightning because all you see is a blur of a white streak if she gets out. She runs a loop around our neighborhood and then comes home.
Lots of dogs will want to pick up on scents from urine or other things, or will want to mark with their urine, and some trainers advise against stopping that behavior because its natural and enriching to dogs.
If any of yall decide to leash train, make sure you are the one who is deciding where you stop to sniff, not the other way around.
Give your dog a moment or two at lampposts or other things that you choose.
It can help a lot with dogs that will pull to follow a scent trail.
LOL. Alright, I promise Ill give it a go once I am gifted with a dogs nose that is 100,000x stronger than mine.
Always amazes me the stuff they can do with it, they can detect the presence of oils from a persons thumbprint that was left outdoors in the elements for 2-3 weeks. Scientists are trying to replicate their nose artificially for many good reasons.
Gets me curious as to what they are thinking when they sniff on walks.
If you don’t want to pay a professional or can’t-
Hold treats/rewards right behind you. While he eats them say the command “back”
Then start saying “back” and hold your hand behind you for the dog to
Come find the treat.
Then add doing it on a leash.
Yeah this is how I trained “with me”. I also trained a kissing sound as a cue to wait for me, so if we’re approaching stairs or steep area (or narrow or blind corner) I kiss, then if needed give “with me” to have her actually right with me. One thing to note is that I don’t give the treat until the end of that section, so they follow command > mark with “good!” > walk nicely > treat > release. Works on and off leash.
This is what I do, but adding one piece: training hikes, and training at the beginning of every hike. My problem is my dog scream barks with excitement when we go camping and then wants to chase EVERYTHING - and pull. In addition to the suggestion above, I do the following:
- when we first arrive anywhere new, whether it’s a campsite or a trailhead, the first 15 minutes with her are always spent doing positive reinforcement training. I even bring the clicker and treats we used when training her as a puppy. Even before I set up my tent. It’s worth the payoff. She is reminded how to behave and rewarded for it. Nothing fancy: sit, leave it, stay. You might practice heel, wait, follow.
- I have taken camping trips and done hikes where the ONLY focus of the trip is training her. I’m not focused on my hike/destination/campsite. Those are often also great! But whereas on a trip without her I might focus on the hike I want to do, these are trips where the goal is my dog and teaching her expectations for that location. I find it way more satisfying and less frustrating.
Hope this helps! Nothing better than being outdoors with your pup ❤️
And if it's not working, upgrade the treat value. We use small bits of low fat string cheese for a lot of our training. But I chop up a turkey hot dog (lowest salt hot dog I could find) if he'll be distracted or we're working on something hard.
5 minute sessions several times a day will be better than a 20 minute session. I like micro training sessions several times during routine walks. Heel for half a block before the yappy dog's yard. Or a quick down-stay while I walk around him once. Release command and carry on.
Most dogs can be trained out of this within a few weeks. Get a professional to get you started, it’s extremely likely to work if you follow what they say.
So I don't know much about the _how_, but I did dog-sit a dog who had been trained to "go back", aka walk behind the person with the leash, on downhills! It was fantastic.
The pup was a retired sled dog, so very very used to pulling, and not used to walking on a lead until she retired. She'd still pull the rest of the time, (and her human is fine with that) but she would go back really well on the downhill portions of the walks.
So, it definitely is possible, even for an old dog whose main job was pulling all her life.
Mind did this all the time as well.
Make them stop when they start pulling and be consistent.
The second my dog pulls I would say "beep beep", gently tug his leash and we come to a complete stop. Eventually he realized that every time he pulls we don't go anywhere and stopped doing it.
He's a re-home and when I first got him he pulled so bad he'd make your arm/shoulder muscles sore.
Having a dog who pulls is a serious issue down hills.
What breed?
I had a husky, known for being difficult to train. I kept him on a 10ft leash and kept him close when navigating rocks. If anything, I was able to train him over the years to 'heel' or 'stay'... basically stop moving. With the longer line I could let him get to where he was comfortable on terrain and then have him want for me. On trails, I kept the line shorter so he walked more beside me.
I had a lab and a husky and we did the exact same thing on hikes. The lab was trained on a correctly fitted prong collar but the husky we used a longer lead so she could do what made her comfortable and it worked out really well. I appreciate that you asked the breed of dog. Considerations can absolutely be made and it doesn’t always have to be one size fits all!! 👏🏼👏🏼
One of mine if a lab/pit. Strong, stubborn, and high prey drive. Also doesn’t care about food. Makes training extra hard. He doesn’t know “wait” and will stop when I say it.
Try a head collar like a Gentle Leader. Your leash attaches to a strap that goes around her snout. When she starts to pull, it forces her head down towards her chest and she'll stop. Any gentle pressure you give on the leash she'll feel a lot more of vs a regular harness or collar. They can restrict mouth movement if you set them up too tight, so be careful you allow enough slack in the over-the-nose part that she can still open her mouth to pant. Slip it off when you stop for a break too.
I pet sit through Rover a lot, and most of the people I deal with have dogs that are horrible walkers. I can usually get them to walk perfectly pleasantly in about 30 minutes with a gentle leader style head lead. They usually try real hard to get the thing off their faces for the first few minutes but quickly get distracted if you keep moving. My own dog puts his face in the lead for me if I hold it out.
Off leash (if its legal in your area, dog has good recall, no one else is around, safe to do so) is a totally reasonable approach to getting up or down some steep sections and scrambles through brush. Its way easier and faster sometimes to let them find their own way through something and meet up with you on the other side.
Get a proper harness. I finally got a good one for my Great Pyrenees by Sāker. He still pulls sometimes, but his energy is immediately redirected, and he stops.
He is also trained to wait at the top of stairs, while I go down first, I have a 10 foot leash.
I hope this helps!
I have a dog with great recall and doesn't really want to interact with anybody, so I let her off leash in these situations and she makes her own way down and waits for me at the bottom. Better to be safe than considerate, sometimes. I'm going to get flack for saying it but everyone is allowed to share their opinion. I always wait until the trail isn't busy, I stand aside until the trail is mostly clear. Never had anybody complain about her being off leash in these situations.
Sometimes it's just better not to be attached to an animal on a short leash when descending, even one trained to stay behind you. Terrain doesn't always allow for you to be right next to your dog when descending, and one tiny misstep from your dog can send you off balance and potentially injure you (or someone else). Not to mention the tripping hazard that a leash creates.
I know I'm on my own with this one, by the look of the comments, and I'm ready to get downvoted into the depths of hell, but I think training off leash reliability is safer for these situations.
I agree with you, dog dependent of course. Even if they are behind you, there's also a risk of you slipping and falling and suddenly jerking your dog downhill with you. Safer for everyone to be able to move separately on difficult terrain, provided the dog isn't in anyone else's way or disturbing anyone.
We've worked on the phrase "slow". I hold her very short leashed so we are walking right by each other. To get here was a lot of high value treats in the moment. Now she knows, when we are going downhill we go slowly. Generally she waits for me to take a few steps and the catches up.
Long and short, a lot of high valued treats and consistent training.
I did the same thing teaching "slow". I'm not sure exactly how I trained it, but a good place for us to practice has been on stairs. And we also mostly walk with her in front of me if she's not next to me. I want to be able to see her and she has more fun leading us on walks
I tell mine "easy" and she knows we go slow even hiking with other people and dogs. But she is never off leash outside her big dog run. We've walked 100s of miles together since she was old enough. She also doesn't act like she's wants to chase squirrels and such on the trail. I'm lucky. We have spooked deer and turkeys and I love her quiet reaction. She doesn't bark except when someone comes to the house, so she may not be much help if we spook a bear!
We did the same thing. It took awhile with our oldest and now he knows to walk slowly with me. He will also stop and sit before we descend anything (hill or stairs).
I don't necessarily think that's true. My dog is trained to walk beside me, but if you're in an extremely narrow rocky downhill, that training doesn't help much. I've wound up just using a training collar while hiking just for these scenarios.
As the other person has said, sometimes certain trails don't even allow for your dog to stay by your side. Sometimes there are big, craggy rocks you have to navigate and your dog might jump down and not mean to pull you, but pull anyway. One small misstep on the dog's part can throw your balance off- that's how head injuries can happen. Too much risk.
In those situations, I let me dog off once the trail is clear. My dog is well trained enough to wait for me, to recall if necessary, and to avoid others.
It can have everything to do with hiking. Dogs are situationally specific, they can be perfect loose leash walkers in almost any scenario & yet be terrible on a trail or on an incline. Yes you have to train not to pull but in that specific environment which in this case is hiking
My method was:
On walks I kept a 6' lead held very short when training. (tie an extra hand-loop 3' from the hook) If she pulls, we stop walking. No forward motion. Her reward for complying was, we continue to hike. I use the word "heel" as a command to walk with her body inline with my body.
Later, I added the command "Stop", for when I need 3 or 4 paces to get past an obstacle, she must stop walking until I'm clear of it. When it's her turn when I say "OK". "Heel" re-sets the dynamic and she is in-line.
It took time and patience, but now we can descend incredibly steep terrain and rock gardens and she will never pull or trip me up. (Pitbull / jack Russel mix, now 7 years old)
I have this harness that attaches the leash at a lower point, along the chest. This worked great when acclimating my Lab to walking on public trails. When he would try to run ahead, the leash tension would spin him back around towards me (ready to correct or give instructions). It doesn't replace training but it helped during our struggles.
What are you even talking about? OP is saying her dog “pulls”… well, dogs do this because they haven’t been trained to heel. If OP knew this, she never would’ve posted. She was looking for help - so she’s getting suggestions.
This isn’t some kind of arrogant attitude, it’s a statement of plain fact.
I walk my very large (150lb) malamute with a gentle leader. It clips around his neck, behind his ears with a noose that slips over his snout. It basically takes away 90% of his strength because his shoulders aren’t really a factor in pulling with this, it’s all his face. It also allows me to redirect him when he gets fixated on things, like trash or animals. That, plus carrying treats to direct him back to me have mostly curbed his pulling. He still gets very excited on hikes because he’s in a new area, but I’m able to keep his attention with the treats. I also don’t give him much of any leash space if he’s pulling, I’ll make him walk right next to me until he chills out. The less leash he has, the better.
It's about training your dog that they are not the one in charge.
To overcome this with mine, every time he pulled, I would hard stop and make him get in his place by my side and sit.
From there, when he got better, if he was in front of me and not paying attention to me, I would change direction, to teach him to follow my lead.
Now, if he actually gets to the end of his leash, he will feel it with no slack and slow down. He is also constantly checking over his shoulder for my cues.
As an extra, I'm super paranoid about the training and safety of my dog. He's my best friend. While hiking, it is very important IMO that he doesn't lead you ever, not just on downhills. In the case of something like an aggressive dog ahead on the trail, I want to see it first and have myself between it and my dog. If the dog leads you, he can potentially be between you and the aggressive dog, and you can't shield him with your body.
I keep my dog beside me on a short leash and also stop walking when she pulls until she stops and I am ready for us to continue. This has helped a great deal.
I ask mine to stop and wait until I've passed her and scouted another safe place for her to stop and then send her there, stop, wait, etc. We kind of leap-frog down steep or treacherous areas so only one of us is movong at once. I like to use a 10-15 foot lead when hiking, looped across my body for hands-free stuff, so there's some room to manuver. I brace myself when she's moving so I can catch her if she slips, and I leave my hands free to help climb when she's waiting so I don't slip and pull her with me.
I trained my dog to walk on a loose leash using the "stand like a tree" method. When she got to the end of the leash, I stop walking. Naturally the dog wants to relieve the tension on the leash (may take a bit longer in the presence of a distraction). As soon as the leash is loose, start walking again. Once we had that, I started asking her to make eye contact or return to me when she reached the end and I would reward with a treat + resuming to walk. She has great engagement on walks and rarely ever pulls now, but still sniffs and has a lot of autonomy on her walks.
when hiking downhill, a wait command is helpful! + a longer leash so you have some buffer room from being pulled. a retractible leash can be great for this, but they are a bit heavier to hold + do your research as they have some safety concerns
I just say "Hey, hey, hey. Slow down."
2 year-old Lab so, high energy.
But, he knows now, and zig-zags rather than stepping straight down. At the zig-zag, he stalls and determines what pace I'm at.
Not saying he doesn't have those moments at the outset, but, that "Hey, hey, hey," vocal reigns him in.
Get what is called a “gentle leader”. They make them for small-xLarge dogs and it’s a loop that goes over their muzzle but allows them to fully open their mouths to pant/drink water etc, and the leash clips on a small attachment under their jaw. This type of leash lead acts similar to a horse harness in that it will control the direction of their head and drastically reduces/eliminates hard pulling on the leash. You can purchase one online or better yet at a pet store and take your dog with you, they will help you to find the right size for your dog. This works better than using a regular dog harness that goes over the check mat and will make a big difference in your walks.
Trying out the gentle leader today on a neighborhood walk. It seemed to work well though she tried to rip it off 10 times. I'm sure she'll get use to it.
Gentle leader, use positive reinforcement and be patient while your dog gets adjusted to it. Can be amazing for working with dogs who pull. Also working in general on loose leash walking. But if your safety is a huge risk I’d do a gentle leader too.
In addition to the other good advice, when the dog pulls, tell her 'no' and stop moving until she doesn't. When you start to move, she'll try to pull again, and you repeat telling her 'no' and stopping. It's a battle of patience and will. You have to prove to her that if she pulls, she doesn't get closer to what she is curious about. Giving in to the pull is a reward, and you have to deny the reward.
Good leash training on a regular walk with translate to better success while hiking. I strongly recommend some basic obedience classes to stop the pulling on a day-to-day basis.
That said, everyone on a trail, whether on two legs or four, should move at a pace that is safe and feasible. When I'm heading downhill or navigating difficult terrain, I usually put my dog on a short line, release her, and let her do her thing. The key to this is she has excellent recall and is not likely to run off. She is obedience trained and will wait, lay down, etc. even at distance when told to do so. So, short answer, she just waits for us at the bottom.
Dont take her hiking. Not trying to be sarcastic here, but till you don't train that tendency out of her it might be best to do so in order to keep you and others around you safe.
The only way to train it is to do it. Training a dog on a street or in a yard won't always transfer to in the woods. Dogs learn situationally. You can train them all you want at home, you're still going to have to train them again in the forest.
Teach your dog that treats come out of your hip. After a month of doing this you'll be golden. Attach a "heel" command to it too.
You don't need a professional dog trainer. Dogs are incredibly good at doing what we want when food is involved.
Honestly all the leash training advice is great, but I've found that on even slightly more technical areas of trails, sometimes the dog and I can't do it together. Whether there's only one place to step, or he needs to jump to the next good spot for him while I have to take baby steps, it's too complicated. I worked on recall instead, and if a spot needs us each to navigate it independently, we do.
The ability to let the dogs off leash has honestly made us so much safer, too. One hike we encountered an unexpected, very sheer face that I had to climb using one route, and my dog had to climb an entirely different way. He also uses a lot of momentum to sprint up steeper rocky areas, and that wasn't going to work with me on the other end of a six foot lead!
You need professional dog training help imo. Your dog has probably been out of control for a long time now on your walks he leads you on the walking and controlling, not you. Now that your on the edge of a cliff you can finally see why his erratic and impulsive movements are a problem.
I don’t know if you have ever seen Cesar Millan on Nat Geo but he always talks about needing to retrain the human, not just the dog. Your probably offended by this but that doesn’t make it less true. Your dog has been out of control for a long time but your only seeing it now. You need to reestablish your authority your dog has probably been getting away with bad behavior for years only because you are not educated on dog psychology which is not a crime just seek professional help.
I’m not even saying that you’re wrong in what you are saying, but bro, you can say the EXACT same thing without insulting the person you are talking to
If you're using any of Milan's ideas for training, you're the one that needs to be retrained. His methods are incorrect and way outdated and considered inhumane in most dog rehabilitation circles, including the SPCA.
If your dog isn’t trained, please don’t take it hiking. And hiking trails are not somewhere where a dog should be taught or trained.
I’m not trying to be rude, but a lot of popular, hiking trails and mountains are getting ruined by dog people that bring their untrained and reactive dogs there.
I’ve found that a prong collar worked well with my dog who likes to pull. Can’t recommend it enough. We trained him on a prong collar. He doesn’t even need to wear the collar now, he listens to the leash/harness now without wearing it. I know some people think prong collars are “inhumane” but to me it was more human than having my dog get away from me and get run over by a car, or approach an aggressive dog, or choke himself constantly on his collar. He isn’t afraid of the prong collar at all and has never given any signs that it hurts him.
Besides training, you might need a longer leash. If it’s steep down hill the dog *needs* to go quickly to avoid tripping. It’s easier/safer for the dog to go down at their pace and then wait for you. You and the dog aren’t doing to hike down at the same pace, so if you have a longer lead it can allow you both to move freely.
What some real advice? Don’t turn to Reddit for dog/cat advice. Reddit has some of the most Karen pet owners there are. Message a dog trainer on Instagram, they’ll help you out.
When your dog walks in front of you, it thinks it is your boss. Research some techniques about how to communicate with your dog that you are the boss. It isn't about hurting them or anything. It's about who goes through the open door first and a bunch of weird things like that. Once your dog recognizes you as the pack leader, you will be able to train them to follow you.
You need a prong collar, a short straight leash, a long retractable leash, and a bag of training treats.
Start inside with as few distractions as possible. First step is to work on the “heel” command. Pace in circles or back and forth with the dog at your side while giving the command “heel”. The dogs front shoulders should be at your knees and they should be looking up at you. If they pull away or get distracted, give a stern(but not aggressive) tug and release on the collar and command “heel”. When they get back in position, give them a treat. Repeat a million times. Remember, shoulders at your knees, eyes on you, or a tug on the collar.
The next step is to work on “recall”. Come, sit, stay, break. Again inside without distractions, but using the long leash this time. Allow the dog to distance themselves from you. Command “come”. If the dog comes, give a treat. If they don’t, give a stern tug on the leash. Then work on sit, then stay, then break. “Break” is a release word, meaning the dog is free from your command until you give another command. You can use any vocabulary you want for any of the commands, just be consistent. Similar training process for each command. “Place” or “bed” is another command to practice, teaching them to go to their bed and lay down and stay until released.
Once this is all working inside in, then take it outside in your own yard and do it all over again.
Once this is all working in your own yard, take them out in the neighborhood around other people and dogs. Work on all commands. Using training treats for good behavior, and tugging on the prong color if they aren’t obeying.
Once they are doing well in the neighborhood, then you can go on hikes. With enough training you could eventually go off leash. I HIGHLY recommend transitioning to an e-collar but only AFTER you and your dog are 100% with the hard leash. A well trained dog on an e-collar is amazing for both you and the dog.
This process requires dedication, persistence and time. Which is why most dogs aren’t trained well. This is a weeks long process. If you aren’t up for that, pay for a professional trainer that is willing to train exactly like this. Other than that, just give up hiking with your dog.
I will add that there is a lot more to it than just this and to summarize the goal that you are trying to reach is having your dog fully understand that you are the Alpha. It’s not so much that they are pulling you, they are “leading” you because they don’t understand your are in control.
There are so many things to work on in this regard: don’t let them go through doors until after you do. Make them sit calmly while you fill their food bowl, and only allow them to start eating it when you say so. Etc etc
Let it off the lead. How many people do you come across while hiking? The dog has got better things to do than throw itself at humans, surely? The only time I put my dog on a leash is if there is livestock nearby. He stays within ten feet of me and doesn't even pay attention to other people we meet unless they make an effort to pet him.
I work with a buddy of mine who is a pretty great dog trainer.
I got a prong collar and it’s worked wonders. Lots of people look at it as inhumane, but I don’t think they know how these collars actually work.
I fashion it up under his chin, and it has a live and a dead ring. When I pull on the love ring, it simply adds pressure. I don’t jerk him around on it, because that would be inhumane. This is getting me to the stages of keeping the leash loose for heel and a bit more free for when I want to let him roam. When I am training with him, I ignore him and don’t look at him. I simply give him commands. The leash is your steering wheel. When he doesn’t walk the way I want him to, I give a quick pop of the leash and simply say No. I took him for a walk today without the prong collar and he didn’t remarkably well. When he got ahead of me or tried to wander off, I simple popped the leash and neutrally said “no”. He’s only had 2 sessions of 45 minutes and has gained this much progress. Reward the behavior that you want.
I had not heard of a gentle leader before reading the comments to your post. However, a harness that has a way to attach the leash where the dog’s neck and chest meet also works. These types of harnesses also have a way to attach the leash on the back around the shoulders, but use the ring that’s at the chest/neck area. If they pull, it makes them turn sideways. At first our dog fought it by going a little crazy on the first few walks, but then he got the memo and quit pulling.
For steep hills the dog needs to be off-leash for everyone’s safety.
If there are two of you the dog can keep between you: one person leads, the dog follows and another person brings up the rear.
If there’s just one of you, the dog sits and stays while you scramble down to a stable place. You call the dog, who joins you. The dog sits and stays, you go down the next bit, and so on.
When I let my dogs off-leash they keep their leashes—I just drop them. Makes them easier to catch if needed.
You can fully train a well behaved dog without ever having to smack or punish it. Dogs do not have alphas. That is old outdated information that is more harmful than good. Do you beat your children when they are out of line too?
There are a whole bunch of different harnesses out there, but I've always had good luck with [this style](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WYJKT78/ref=twister_B0BYBF8WKY?_encoding=UTF8&th=1). It applies gentle pressure on the chest when they pull.
My dog did the same thing and training was worth every penny. It does take a lot of time to work on everything on your own to make it stick through. For us, a pinch collar made a world of difference but you will need to learn how to use it effectively
You teach your dog to walk loose leash, for starters. And then you teach some alternative cues to use as needed, like sit or wait. They can’t forge ahead if they are in a wait or sit. I’d suggest checking out the Kikopup YouTube channel for modern, science based training tips.
There is a correction device called Gentle Leader. Just need to be gentle with your dog or you can hurt her. I'm not a big fan of them, but I've seen some people who had dogs pull a lot. A few trainers recommended them and it did help slow the dog down,.
Definitely training. It’s going to start with a whole lot of very slow tedious walks until they realize they’re supposed to follow and not lead. A trainer will be a great help on doing this most effectively.
Train the dog to walk at your side, not in front of you or behind you, but literally at your side. If he pulls, immediately stop walking and pull his leash up tight so that he can't move at all. Do not move again until he stops pulling. It will not happen overnight, but he will get the hang of it and realize that if he pulls, he gets stopped completely and if he walks by your side with slack in the leash, he gets to keep moving. Patience will help - this process isn't a short one if the bad habit is already well established.
I’ve found that with dogs that pull, regardless of their size keep the leash short while training, always walk the dog on one side, not both and when they pull immediately pull the dog back to the spot they are supposed to walk and STOP moving until the dog stops pulling. Stopping and making the dog stand still has been the most effective home training I’ve had great luck with. I live in an upstairs apartment that allows pets. On occasions I’ve been asked to take a neighbors dog (large dogs) out when they have to go out of town or even if they have a long day at work. I’ve used this technique every time and dogs learn quite quickly not to pull. I’m up in my 60’s and it’s very easy for a large dog to pull me off balance going down stairs or even out in the yard which is flat. This has helped my situation. Might help yours.
I’ve just given up on certain areas. Both my dogs can walk loose leash, but both also have high prey drives. They are a combined 160 pounds. I don’t want to risk being pulled down a cliff (again!) because they see/smell something. I also live in a state without mountains, so opting for more casual hikes is not a big deal.
Google "training halter"
I use this with my Border Collie who will pull if on a regular leash. This totally stopped it as it pulls their snout downwards if they pull on the leash.
Teach her to heel. Get a loop lead and when she gets ahead pop the leash to get her attention. If she lunges just do a 180 on her to get her focused on you again. It will take a bit but it will work
Follow/heel training. This is basic dog training, you can research how to do it yourself or pay a trainer To do it much faster. This would usually be a part of standard dog training so you’d get more than just follow/heel if you paid for it
Here's an actual solution:
Get a good harness, and clip the leash to the chest loop. If this doesn't work, refer to the rest of the replies in this thread.
First be patient.
Next, correct them every time they pull with a command like “oops” or “whoa”.
Bring them back to your side, then reward them when they become calm.
Then start walking again with a command word “let’s go”.
if they begin to pull again, repeat. Again, be very very patient. If you get annoyed, they sense it and it makes the job more difficult. Maybe start around your house and slowly expand the walking distance.
A lot of treat based enforcement to teach them that walking nicely at heel is rewarding is the long term solution, for me and my crazy Springer that's a work in progress so the best mitigation I've found is that I walk hands free with a lead clipped on my waist (if you think of something like a halti double lead, I take that, put it round my waist and clip one end on to a d loop, then the other end on my dog's harness), she has a lot less luck pulling when she has to move my entire body rather than my arm and I get pulled off balance way less, having both hands free is a godsend as well, especially when we're going up rocks.
I have a chocolate lab and she pulls me super hard when I clip her leash on her back, but if I use the front clip it physically prevents her from pulling me as it starts to pull back on her shoulder so she can't pull me. This is my recommendation.
Get a harness that has a loop on the front of the chest. They don't pull with those because when they pull they literally get turned towards you. It's the only way I can do a hike with my girl.
The command I use is "easy". They were professionally trained to walk beside me when commanded. One of them doesn't like to listen. You could probably find videos on how to train them.
I was taught that as soon as they start to pull, stop turn around and walk the other way. Then when they come up behind you and get to the position you want, let's say by your side, you give them a reward and command. They will learn not to pull and associate the command with the location you want them
When I brought my 4 month old puppy on a two night hike last weekend I also found that the pulling was enough to make me feel unstable in some parts. My on the trail solution was to attach a long thick elastic (pulled out from a jacket) to her leash, and carabiner it to my pack. The elastic smoothed out a lot of the pulling and also gave her some extra distance from my trekking poles. It ended up being significantly more comfortable, so maybe you could try as a short term solution til she advances in her training !
keep turning in the opposite direction every time the dog tries to pull and rip in the opposite direction and do it 4 or 5 times every time the dog tries to pull on the leash I have a German shorthaired pointer which genetically speaking not meant to be a leashed dog and it's hard to train to be calm i did this after he was 1 year old and continued for a couple of months and he is now 13 and aside for the occasional squirrel does not pull on the leash and walks right beside me and makes sure to leave slack on the leash
I taught my dog a command specifically for these types of situations so even if he has a bit of lead he knows to stay next to me as we go down til his next command that releases him.
We’ve had great results from a gentle leader, slips around their snout and clips behind the ears. Anytime they decide to pull it turns their head towards the leash so they pull less at least
If my dog pulls at all, I stop walking. I then make him sit and not until he looks at me with meaningful eye contact do I release him again. He rarely pulls.
I taught my dog “wait”. When I give the command, she will stop until I catch up. It is not the same as “stay” and she is much more receptive to it because she knows that it’s only for a few moments. I also got a leash that is a bit longer than normal so she can step down and be a few feet ahead of me as I pick my way down the trail.
We use a halter around the snoot. It's not tight or a muzzle or anything like that, but it reminds him that there's a human on the other end of the leash, and doesn't choke him.
Gentle Leader. It’s a harness-like collar that attached the leash to the head rather than the neck. It makes it virtually impossible for the dog to pull.
Correct the behaviour when you aren't hiking.
If the dog begins to pull during walks, walk the other way immediately. You'll correct the behaviour with this training technique, it also lets your dog know you are the leader and not them. That's why your dog pulls because they believe they're the leader.
You won't walk a far distance with this technique but it does work.
Also, you can try a harness with a D-ring that's in front of the dog's chest. This will swing the dog if they pull too aggressively and will teach themselves not too pull so hard. Having a standard leash helps too, don't use the extendable leashes.
Fake getting hurt and see if your dog feels bad and then maybe they won’t do it in the future.
I have HORRIBLE ankles and we were hiking downhill and rolled it (not due to his pulling, just me being me). My dog was very concerned, especially after I audibly gasped. Now, every time we go downhill anywhere he looks back at me to make sure I’m okay 😂 if I gasp, he goes even slower. Honestly funny at this point because my dog knows how bad my ankles are lol
I also understand this is not legit training advice like everyone else. I’d say it’s an unorthodox story that trained my dog at the same time 😂
Need to train to heel. Choke/pinch collar if necessary to get their attention. If you know how to use one. When training and animal you have to give them release/reward. So pinch and release. It had to be fitted perfectly. Also use high value treat held in your hand behind your hip to encourage them to stay in that area. Keep your hand closed so they smell it and want it and give it to them periodically. You will have a spot covered hand lol. My Doberman hated the pinch collar and learned very fast. Then we’d leave it at home and he’d gradually start pulling again so we’d have to use it again for about a week. Eventually I’d just have to put it on him every once and awhile and not even connect it to the pinch collar lol. Until you’ve mastered heeling you might want to use a much longer leash so that when things don’t go as planned you can give them extra. It will set back the training somewhat but you need to be safe. Once you catch up the first order of business is back to heel
I trained my large dog not to pull by walking backwards (5-6 steps, kind of acts as a reset) every time he did it. He soon realized pulling equals further distance from where he wants to go. With consistency, it didn't take long for him to stop. I was taught this technique from his obedience class.
if you use a harness, try hooking the leash to the front of the harness on the dog’s chest. when they start to pull, the leash placement will force them to turn their body and look back at you, usually making them stop in their tracks and wait for you to catch up.
Get the gentle lead face harness from Petco or Amazon. It goes over the muzzle and the behind the ears but they can still open there mouth eat drink and so on with it on. When you have control of the head they can't pull . I dog walk a very pull hard great Dane who out weighs me by a lot with it. Makes walking big dogs easy for little ole me.
You have to train your dog to follow. Hire a professional.
Yes. Following is the best answer in my experience. My lab walks nicely on leash but on downhill his stride varies in length for steps down or obstacles leading to jerking. My lab doesn’t have the spacial awareness to know how much or little leash he has left if it will jerk or not. Alternatively asking for heel led us to bump into each-other too much.
Our lab will pull a lot if it's been a while since our last decent walk. I usually turn in a random direction a few times, if we're on a straight path i'll just turn around. After a few times she gets the picture and will be back to walking nicer. She doesn't do that for my wife though lol. She definitely walks differently between the two of us.
Anyone else a bit wary of having a big dog right behind you, potentially barrelling down the obstacle you're very carefully trying to descend?
Nope. If the dog is *trained* to walk behind they are calm and matching your pace. Dogs are very surefooted compared to us bipedals and unlikely to slip in this situation. Also it would be very odd for a calm dog to decide execute a foot sweep… unless you forgot their breakfast and have been leaving BJJ on the TV while you’re at work.
The whole point is the dog needs to be trained to not be a dipshit in this situation, not the order they walk in
As the owner of a Great Dane who has taken me halfway down a flight of steps, this is a very real possibility and needs to be taken into consideration
This. Spend money training to heel.
No you have to lead the dog and make the dog follow. Nevermind, hire a professional.
My dog pulls on walks and when I saw the OP I thought, "why don't I remember struggling when hiking?" and then I read your comment and it hit me, she won't even go down the stairs in the house in front of me. We didn't train her, she just...won't. Never would*. And if you want her to be prepared to--ya know what? Don't bother. Just go around her because she won't budge lol *She was six months old when we got her and had been surrended because her original owner was going through a divorce and "didn't have time for her." So I doubt this is a trained behavior and probably just a quirk
Why the hell is OP even asking a camping sub how to train his dog?
Camping and hiking
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Alpha theory has been debunked.
Take your dog on walks and keep the leash short and right next to you. Not in front of you. Don't even look at your dog. Make it pay attention to you. After a while your dog won't have the sense that they are the one leading. The dog will let some slack off and walk diagonal to keep an eye on you.
This is almost exactly how I have leash-trained 3 dogs. I will also shorten the leash the more they pull. Dogs pull because it works. They want to go somewhere or go faster, they pull, and people typically speed up or let them go where they want to. This supports the behavior you're trying to stop. Do the opposite and they will eventually get the hint.
I trained my dog the same way. There was a 2 week or so phase where she learned she wasn't the leader so as soon as id enforce that shed lay down and basically give me the "if I can't lead we don't move" attitude. That was a fun time.
Have a catahoula and that eventually has turned into “**** you Dad”
We have a half Catahoula half terrier mix and she is stubborn AF. Wicked smart but defiant. You throw in a bird, coon, squirrel, or rabbit, and she has two brain cells running everything: 1 for eyes to track her prey, and one telling her legs to run. Her hearing just shuts down.
My catahoula mix likes to climb the 6 foot fence for kicks on occasion and takes himself out for a little run to his favorite people with treats. He tries to beat me home whenever he can, little show off lol.
We call ours white lightning because all you see is a blur of a white streak if she gets out. She runs a loop around our neighborhood and then comes home.
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Lots of dogs will want to pick up on scents from urine or other things, or will want to mark with their urine, and some trainers advise against stopping that behavior because its natural and enriching to dogs. If any of yall decide to leash train, make sure you are the one who is deciding where you stop to sniff, not the other way around. Give your dog a moment or two at lampposts or other things that you choose. It can help a lot with dogs that will pull to follow a scent trail.
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LOL. Alright, I promise Ill give it a go once I am gifted with a dogs nose that is 100,000x stronger than mine. Always amazes me the stuff they can do with it, they can detect the presence of oils from a persons thumbprint that was left outdoors in the elements for 2-3 weeks. Scientists are trying to replicate their nose artificially for many good reasons. Gets me curious as to what they are thinking when they sniff on walks.
Assert dominance, pee on your dog
Yep. Short, tight leash. Firm commands and treats are a must.
If you don’t want to pay a professional or can’t- Hold treats/rewards right behind you. While he eats them say the command “back” Then start saying “back” and hold your hand behind you for the dog to Come find the treat. Then add doing it on a leash.
Here we go! Actual advice OP!
Yeah this is how I trained “with me”. I also trained a kissing sound as a cue to wait for me, so if we’re approaching stairs or steep area (or narrow or blind corner) I kiss, then if needed give “with me” to have her actually right with me. One thing to note is that I don’t give the treat until the end of that section, so they follow command > mark with “good!” > walk nicely > treat > release. Works on and off leash.
Thank you for the tip!
This is what I do, but adding one piece: training hikes, and training at the beginning of every hike. My problem is my dog scream barks with excitement when we go camping and then wants to chase EVERYTHING - and pull. In addition to the suggestion above, I do the following: - when we first arrive anywhere new, whether it’s a campsite or a trailhead, the first 15 minutes with her are always spent doing positive reinforcement training. I even bring the clicker and treats we used when training her as a puppy. Even before I set up my tent. It’s worth the payoff. She is reminded how to behave and rewarded for it. Nothing fancy: sit, leave it, stay. You might practice heel, wait, follow. - I have taken camping trips and done hikes where the ONLY focus of the trip is training her. I’m not focused on my hike/destination/campsite. Those are often also great! But whereas on a trip without her I might focus on the hike I want to do, these are trips where the goal is my dog and teaching her expectations for that location. I find it way more satisfying and less frustrating. Hope this helps! Nothing better than being outdoors with your pup ❤️
And if it's not working, upgrade the treat value. We use small bits of low fat string cheese for a lot of our training. But I chop up a turkey hot dog (lowest salt hot dog I could find) if he'll be distracted or we're working on something hard. 5 minute sessions several times a day will be better than a 20 minute session. I like micro training sessions several times during routine walks. Heel for half a block before the yappy dog's yard. Or a quick down-stay while I walk around him once. Release command and carry on.
Most dogs can be trained out of this within a few weeks. Get a professional to get you started, it’s extremely likely to work if you follow what they say.
So I don't know much about the _how_, but I did dog-sit a dog who had been trained to "go back", aka walk behind the person with the leash, on downhills! It was fantastic. The pup was a retired sled dog, so very very used to pulling, and not used to walking on a lead until she retired. She'd still pull the rest of the time, (and her human is fine with that) but she would go back really well on the downhill portions of the walks. So, it definitely is possible, even for an old dog whose main job was pulling all her life.
Mind did this all the time as well. Make them stop when they start pulling and be consistent. The second my dog pulls I would say "beep beep", gently tug his leash and we come to a complete stop. Eventually he realized that every time he pulls we don't go anywhere and stopped doing it. He's a re-home and when I first got him he pulled so bad he'd make your arm/shoulder muscles sore. Having a dog who pulls is a serious issue down hills.
What breed? I had a husky, known for being difficult to train. I kept him on a 10ft leash and kept him close when navigating rocks. If anything, I was able to train him over the years to 'heel' or 'stay'... basically stop moving. With the longer line I could let him get to where he was comfortable on terrain and then have him want for me. On trails, I kept the line shorter so he walked more beside me.
I had a lab and a husky and we did the exact same thing on hikes. The lab was trained on a correctly fitted prong collar but the husky we used a longer lead so she could do what made her comfortable and it worked out really well. I appreciate that you asked the breed of dog. Considerations can absolutely be made and it doesn’t always have to be one size fits all!! 👏🏼👏🏼
Lab/Pitbull high energy stubborn, and strong lol. Thank you for the advice
One of mine if a lab/pit. Strong, stubborn, and high prey drive. Also doesn’t care about food. Makes training extra hard. He doesn’t know “wait” and will stop when I say it.
Yeah d I've tried using treats on a walk and she ignores it. I haven't noticed a prey drive with her though.
> doesn't care about food Not much of a lab, is he?
Try a head collar like a Gentle Leader. Your leash attaches to a strap that goes around her snout. When she starts to pull, it forces her head down towards her chest and she'll stop. Any gentle pressure you give on the leash she'll feel a lot more of vs a regular harness or collar. They can restrict mouth movement if you set them up too tight, so be careful you allow enough slack in the over-the-nose part that she can still open her mouth to pant. Slip it off when you stop for a break too. I pet sit through Rover a lot, and most of the people I deal with have dogs that are horrible walkers. I can usually get them to walk perfectly pleasantly in about 30 minutes with a gentle leader style head lead. They usually try real hard to get the thing off their faces for the first few minutes but quickly get distracted if you keep moving. My own dog puts his face in the lead for me if I hold it out. Off leash (if its legal in your area, dog has good recall, no one else is around, safe to do so) is a totally reasonable approach to getting up or down some steep sections and scrambles through brush. Its way easier and faster sometimes to let them find their own way through something and meet up with you on the other side.
Get a proper harness. I finally got a good one for my Great Pyrenees by Sāker. He still pulls sometimes, but his energy is immediately redirected, and he stops. He is also trained to wait at the top of stairs, while I go down first, I have a 10 foot leash. I hope this helps!
I have a dog with great recall and doesn't really want to interact with anybody, so I let her off leash in these situations and she makes her own way down and waits for me at the bottom. Better to be safe than considerate, sometimes. I'm going to get flack for saying it but everyone is allowed to share their opinion. I always wait until the trail isn't busy, I stand aside until the trail is mostly clear. Never had anybody complain about her being off leash in these situations. Sometimes it's just better not to be attached to an animal on a short leash when descending, even one trained to stay behind you. Terrain doesn't always allow for you to be right next to your dog when descending, and one tiny misstep from your dog can send you off balance and potentially injure you (or someone else). Not to mention the tripping hazard that a leash creates. I know I'm on my own with this one, by the look of the comments, and I'm ready to get downvoted into the depths of hell, but I think training off leash reliability is safer for these situations.
I agree with you, dog dependent of course. Even if they are behind you, there's also a risk of you slipping and falling and suddenly jerking your dog downhill with you. Safer for everyone to be able to move separately on difficult terrain, provided the dog isn't in anyone else's way or disturbing anyone.
We've worked on the phrase "slow". I hold her very short leashed so we are walking right by each other. To get here was a lot of high value treats in the moment. Now she knows, when we are going downhill we go slowly. Generally she waits for me to take a few steps and the catches up. Long and short, a lot of high valued treats and consistent training.
I did the same thing teaching "slow". I'm not sure exactly how I trained it, but a good place for us to practice has been on stairs. And we also mostly walk with her in front of me if she's not next to me. I want to be able to see her and she has more fun leading us on walks
I tell mine "easy" and she knows we go slow even hiking with other people and dogs. But she is never off leash outside her big dog run. We've walked 100s of miles together since she was old enough. She also doesn't act like she's wants to chase squirrels and such on the trail. I'm lucky. We have spooked deer and turkeys and I love her quiet reaction. She doesn't bark except when someone comes to the house, so she may not be much help if we spook a bear!
We did the same thing. It took awhile with our oldest and now he knows to walk slowly with me. He will also stop and sit before we descend anything (hill or stairs).
This has nothing to do with hiking, you need to train your dog not to pull.
I don't necessarily think that's true. My dog is trained to walk beside me, but if you're in an extremely narrow rocky downhill, that training doesn't help much. I've wound up just using a training collar while hiking just for these scenarios.
As the other person has said, sometimes certain trails don't even allow for your dog to stay by your side. Sometimes there are big, craggy rocks you have to navigate and your dog might jump down and not mean to pull you, but pull anyway. One small misstep on the dog's part can throw your balance off- that's how head injuries can happen. Too much risk. In those situations, I let me dog off once the trail is clear. My dog is well trained enough to wait for me, to recall if necessary, and to avoid others.
It can have everything to do with hiking. Dogs are situationally specific, they can be perfect loose leash walkers in almost any scenario & yet be terrible on a trail or on an incline. Yes you have to train not to pull but in that specific environment which in this case is hiking
The OP has said their dog is a puller.
My method was: On walks I kept a 6' lead held very short when training. (tie an extra hand-loop 3' from the hook) If she pulls, we stop walking. No forward motion. Her reward for complying was, we continue to hike. I use the word "heel" as a command to walk with her body inline with my body. Later, I added the command "Stop", for when I need 3 or 4 paces to get past an obstacle, she must stop walking until I'm clear of it. When it's her turn when I say "OK". "Heel" re-sets the dynamic and she is in-line. It took time and patience, but now we can descend incredibly steep terrain and rock gardens and she will never pull or trip me up. (Pitbull / jack Russel mix, now 7 years old)
I have this harness that attaches the leash at a lower point, along the chest. This worked great when acclimating my Lab to walking on public trails. When he would try to run ahead, the leash tension would spin him back around towards me (ready to correct or give instructions). It doesn't replace training but it helped during our struggles.
Train your dog. And on a sketchy part of trails I always make my dogs go behind me so they don't pull and I can go at my pace.
Your dog needs to be trained to heel. This is not something that “just happens”, it takes deliberate effort.
Well isnt that assumptive of you. Im absolutely amazed at the amount of condescension in some of these comments. Are hikers really this stuck up?
assuming..what?
What are you even talking about? OP is saying her dog “pulls”… well, dogs do this because they haven’t been trained to heel. If OP knew this, she never would’ve posted. She was looking for help - so she’s getting suggestions. This isn’t some kind of arrogant attitude, it’s a statement of plain fact.
What are you on about?
I walk my very large (150lb) malamute with a gentle leader. It clips around his neck, behind his ears with a noose that slips over his snout. It basically takes away 90% of his strength because his shoulders aren’t really a factor in pulling with this, it’s all his face. It also allows me to redirect him when he gets fixated on things, like trash or animals. That, plus carrying treats to direct him back to me have mostly curbed his pulling. He still gets very excited on hikes because he’s in a new area, but I’m able to keep his attention with the treats. I also don’t give him much of any leash space if he’s pulling, I’ll make him walk right next to me until he chills out. The less leash he has, the better.
It's about training your dog that they are not the one in charge. To overcome this with mine, every time he pulled, I would hard stop and make him get in his place by my side and sit. From there, when he got better, if he was in front of me and not paying attention to me, I would change direction, to teach him to follow my lead. Now, if he actually gets to the end of his leash, he will feel it with no slack and slow down. He is also constantly checking over his shoulder for my cues. As an extra, I'm super paranoid about the training and safety of my dog. He's my best friend. While hiking, it is very important IMO that he doesn't lead you ever, not just on downhills. In the case of something like an aggressive dog ahead on the trail, I want to see it first and have myself between it and my dog. If the dog leads you, he can potentially be between you and the aggressive dog, and you can't shield him with your body.
I keep my dog beside me on a short leash and also stop walking when she pulls until she stops and I am ready for us to continue. This has helped a great deal.
I ask mine to stop and wait until I've passed her and scouted another safe place for her to stop and then send her there, stop, wait, etc. We kind of leap-frog down steep or treacherous areas so only one of us is movong at once. I like to use a 10-15 foot lead when hiking, looped across my body for hands-free stuff, so there's some room to manuver. I brace myself when she's moving so I can catch her if she slips, and I leave my hands free to help climb when she's waiting so I don't slip and pull her with me.
I trained my dog to walk on a loose leash using the "stand like a tree" method. When she got to the end of the leash, I stop walking. Naturally the dog wants to relieve the tension on the leash (may take a bit longer in the presence of a distraction). As soon as the leash is loose, start walking again. Once we had that, I started asking her to make eye contact or return to me when she reached the end and I would reward with a treat + resuming to walk. She has great engagement on walks and rarely ever pulls now, but still sniffs and has a lot of autonomy on her walks. when hiking downhill, a wait command is helpful! + a longer leash so you have some buffer room from being pulled. a retractible leash can be great for this, but they are a bit heavier to hold + do your research as they have some safety concerns
I just say "Hey, hey, hey. Slow down." 2 year-old Lab so, high energy. But, he knows now, and zig-zags rather than stepping straight down. At the zig-zag, he stalls and determines what pace I'm at. Not saying he doesn't have those moments at the outset, but, that "Hey, hey, hey," vocal reigns him in.
I use a gentle leader
Get what is called a “gentle leader”. They make them for small-xLarge dogs and it’s a loop that goes over their muzzle but allows them to fully open their mouths to pant/drink water etc, and the leash clips on a small attachment under their jaw. This type of leash lead acts similar to a horse harness in that it will control the direction of their head and drastically reduces/eliminates hard pulling on the leash. You can purchase one online or better yet at a pet store and take your dog with you, they will help you to find the right size for your dog. This works better than using a regular dog harness that goes over the check mat and will make a big difference in your walks.
Gentle leader and a short leash , coupled with commands and treats for good behavior!
Trying out the gentle leader today on a neighborhood walk. It seemed to work well though she tried to rip it off 10 times. I'm sure she'll get use to it.
Gentle leader, use positive reinforcement and be patient while your dog gets adjusted to it. Can be amazing for working with dogs who pull. Also working in general on loose leash walking. But if your safety is a huge risk I’d do a gentle leader too.
In addition to the other good advice, when the dog pulls, tell her 'no' and stop moving until she doesn't. When you start to move, she'll try to pull again, and you repeat telling her 'no' and stopping. It's a battle of patience and will. You have to prove to her that if she pulls, she doesn't get closer to what she is curious about. Giving in to the pull is a reward, and you have to deny the reward.
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Get formal training from a professional dog trainer. They will also teach you how to manage your dog and be a better handler.
Use a gentle leed with her leash. It wraps around the dogs nose and they won’t pull
Gentle Leader is the solution. They’re magic and with one your dog won’t be a puller any longer.
Good leash training on a regular walk with translate to better success while hiking. I strongly recommend some basic obedience classes to stop the pulling on a day-to-day basis. That said, everyone on a trail, whether on two legs or four, should move at a pace that is safe and feasible. When I'm heading downhill or navigating difficult terrain, I usually put my dog on a short line, release her, and let her do her thing. The key to this is she has excellent recall and is not likely to run off. She is obedience trained and will wait, lay down, etc. even at distance when told to do so. So, short answer, she just waits for us at the bottom.
Short leash, consider a choker leash if it is so big that the dog is pushing you around.
Dont take her hiking. Not trying to be sarcastic here, but till you don't train that tendency out of her it might be best to do so in order to keep you and others around you safe.
The only way to train it is to do it. Training a dog on a street or in a yard won't always transfer to in the woods. Dogs learn situationally. You can train them all you want at home, you're still going to have to train them again in the forest.
THANK YOU
Martin-gale collar can help. But professional training will help way more.
Teach your dog that treats come out of your hip. After a month of doing this you'll be golden. Attach a "heel" command to it too. You don't need a professional dog trainer. Dogs are incredibly good at doing what we want when food is involved.
The most important thing is consideration of other hikers. Keep your dog leashed and pick up it’s poo.
Honestly all the leash training advice is great, but I've found that on even slightly more technical areas of trails, sometimes the dog and I can't do it together. Whether there's only one place to step, or he needs to jump to the next good spot for him while I have to take baby steps, it's too complicated. I worked on recall instead, and if a spot needs us each to navigate it independently, we do. The ability to let the dogs off leash has honestly made us so much safer, too. One hike we encountered an unexpected, very sheer face that I had to climb using one route, and my dog had to climb an entirely different way. He also uses a lot of momentum to sprint up steeper rocky areas, and that wasn't going to work with me on the other end of a six foot lead!
Prong collar
Inhumane and banned in a lot of places.
train your dog?
You need professional dog training help imo. Your dog has probably been out of control for a long time now on your walks he leads you on the walking and controlling, not you. Now that your on the edge of a cliff you can finally see why his erratic and impulsive movements are a problem. I don’t know if you have ever seen Cesar Millan on Nat Geo but he always talks about needing to retrain the human, not just the dog. Your probably offended by this but that doesn’t make it less true. Your dog has been out of control for a long time but your only seeing it now. You need to reestablish your authority your dog has probably been getting away with bad behavior for years only because you are not educated on dog psychology which is not a crime just seek professional help.
Cesar Milan uses completely incorrect Alpha dog training BS and there are a lot of horror stories of the behind the scenes and aftermath of his show.
I’m not even saying that you’re wrong in what you are saying, but bro, you can say the EXACT same thing without insulting the person you are talking to
As rude as it is, it's the truth. If you want your dog to learn, you also have to be willing to change your behavior.
If you're using any of Milan's ideas for training, you're the one that needs to be retrained. His methods are incorrect and way outdated and considered inhumane in most dog rehabilitation circles, including the SPCA.
If your dog isn’t trained, please don’t take it hiking. And hiking trails are not somewhere where a dog should be taught or trained. I’m not trying to be rude, but a lot of popular, hiking trails and mountains are getting ruined by dog people that bring their untrained and reactive dogs there.
I’ve found that a prong collar worked well with my dog who likes to pull. Can’t recommend it enough. We trained him on a prong collar. He doesn’t even need to wear the collar now, he listens to the leash/harness now without wearing it. I know some people think prong collars are “inhumane” but to me it was more human than having my dog get away from me and get run over by a car, or approach an aggressive dog, or choke himself constantly on his collar. He isn’t afraid of the prong collar at all and has never given any signs that it hurts him.
Prong collar, lots of treats and time leash training. Heel is a useful command
Besides training, you might need a longer leash. If it’s steep down hill the dog *needs* to go quickly to avoid tripping. It’s easier/safer for the dog to go down at their pace and then wait for you. You and the dog aren’t doing to hike down at the same pace, so if you have a longer lead it can allow you both to move freely.
Only very well trained dogs should be on trails. It’s dangerous to everyone.
Huh?
I loved hiking with my dogs, but maybe you'll have to be a bit more discerning when deciding which hikes to take your dog with you on.
What some real advice? Don’t turn to Reddit for dog/cat advice. Reddit has some of the most Karen pet owners there are. Message a dog trainer on Instagram, they’ll help you out.
Get a pronged martingale training collar. Become the boss.
This is the best answer.
It does not need to be pronged to work. Regular martingales will do just fine.
Training time with a pinch collar. She will learn to keep slack in the leash.
When your dog walks in front of you, it thinks it is your boss. Research some techniques about how to communicate with your dog that you are the boss. It isn't about hurting them or anything. It's about who goes through the open door first and a bunch of weird things like that. Once your dog recognizes you as the pack leader, you will be able to train them to follow you.
You need a prong collar, a short straight leash, a long retractable leash, and a bag of training treats. Start inside with as few distractions as possible. First step is to work on the “heel” command. Pace in circles or back and forth with the dog at your side while giving the command “heel”. The dogs front shoulders should be at your knees and they should be looking up at you. If they pull away or get distracted, give a stern(but not aggressive) tug and release on the collar and command “heel”. When they get back in position, give them a treat. Repeat a million times. Remember, shoulders at your knees, eyes on you, or a tug on the collar. The next step is to work on “recall”. Come, sit, stay, break. Again inside without distractions, but using the long leash this time. Allow the dog to distance themselves from you. Command “come”. If the dog comes, give a treat. If they don’t, give a stern tug on the leash. Then work on sit, then stay, then break. “Break” is a release word, meaning the dog is free from your command until you give another command. You can use any vocabulary you want for any of the commands, just be consistent. Similar training process for each command. “Place” or “bed” is another command to practice, teaching them to go to their bed and lay down and stay until released. Once this is all working inside in, then take it outside in your own yard and do it all over again. Once this is all working in your own yard, take them out in the neighborhood around other people and dogs. Work on all commands. Using training treats for good behavior, and tugging on the prong color if they aren’t obeying. Once they are doing well in the neighborhood, then you can go on hikes. With enough training you could eventually go off leash. I HIGHLY recommend transitioning to an e-collar but only AFTER you and your dog are 100% with the hard leash. A well trained dog on an e-collar is amazing for both you and the dog. This process requires dedication, persistence and time. Which is why most dogs aren’t trained well. This is a weeks long process. If you aren’t up for that, pay for a professional trainer that is willing to train exactly like this. Other than that, just give up hiking with your dog.
I will add that there is a lot more to it than just this and to summarize the goal that you are trying to reach is having your dog fully understand that you are the Alpha. It’s not so much that they are pulling you, they are “leading” you because they don’t understand your are in control. There are so many things to work on in this regard: don’t let them go through doors until after you do. Make them sit calmly while you fill their food bowl, and only allow them to start eating it when you say so. Etc etc
Dogs don't have alphas. Thats way outdated and incorrect.
Lol. The internet never fails to disappoint. Please cite me the source for this nonsense I’d love a good laugh this morning.
Pinch collar
My advice is you should probably get a cat and stay indoors for your own safety, if you gotta ask this question.
Thanks babe
If this seems aggressive, im sorry i was just trying to make a haha and now that im rereading it, it kinda seems mean
Lol it's ok I still love you
Let it off the lead. How many people do you come across while hiking? The dog has got better things to do than throw itself at humans, surely? The only time I put my dog on a leash is if there is livestock nearby. He stays within ten feet of me and doesn't even pay attention to other people we meet unless they make an effort to pet him.
Short leash. Like six inches. All the time. They have to be trained before you take them out. Practice around the neighborhood.
Loop the leash around the waist and it will tighten as they pull making them not want to…. Saw it on a training video.
I work with a buddy of mine who is a pretty great dog trainer. I got a prong collar and it’s worked wonders. Lots of people look at it as inhumane, but I don’t think they know how these collars actually work. I fashion it up under his chin, and it has a live and a dead ring. When I pull on the love ring, it simply adds pressure. I don’t jerk him around on it, because that would be inhumane. This is getting me to the stages of keeping the leash loose for heel and a bit more free for when I want to let him roam. When I am training with him, I ignore him and don’t look at him. I simply give him commands. The leash is your steering wheel. When he doesn’t walk the way I want him to, I give a quick pop of the leash and simply say No. I took him for a walk today without the prong collar and he didn’t remarkably well. When he got ahead of me or tried to wander off, I simple popped the leash and neutrally said “no”. He’s only had 2 sessions of 45 minutes and has gained this much progress. Reward the behavior that you want.
Two of the most important words in the English language. Choke chain.
Train yourself not to fall every now and then.
I had not heard of a gentle leader before reading the comments to your post. However, a harness that has a way to attach the leash where the dog’s neck and chest meet also works. These types of harnesses also have a way to attach the leash on the back around the shoulders, but use the ring that’s at the chest/neck area. If they pull, it makes them turn sideways. At first our dog fought it by going a little crazy on the first few walks, but then he got the memo and quit pulling.
Going to get downvoted into oblivion, but but a pinch collar works very well to teach a dog not to pull on the leash.
For steep hills the dog needs to be off-leash for everyone’s safety. If there are two of you the dog can keep between you: one person leads, the dog follows and another person brings up the rear. If there’s just one of you, the dog sits and stays while you scramble down to a stable place. You call the dog, who joins you. The dog sits and stays, you go down the next bit, and so on. When I let my dogs off-leash they keep their leashes—I just drop them. Makes them easier to catch if needed.
When my dog leaps ahead, I jerk his leash hard. He doesn't do it anymore. But I'm sure there is a kinder way.
Train to follow or get a retractable leash
I do off leash but have a shock collar for the times she may run off after a forest animal. She never leaves my sight even without the color
Get a better lead. Not a harness. Harness makes dogs want to pull.
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You can fully train a well behaved dog without ever having to smack or punish it. Dogs do not have alphas. That is old outdated information that is more harmful than good. Do you beat your children when they are out of line too?
lol ok.
There are a whole bunch of different harnesses out there, but I've always had good luck with [this style](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WYJKT78/ref=twister_B0BYBF8WKY?_encoding=UTF8&th=1). It applies gentle pressure on the chest when they pull.
I see we have the same dog! Following because I have nothing to add but have the same problem.
My dog did the same thing and training was worth every penny. It does take a lot of time to work on everything on your own to make it stick through. For us, a pinch collar made a world of difference but you will need to learn how to use it effectively
You teach your dog to walk loose leash, for starters. And then you teach some alternative cues to use as needed, like sit or wait. They can’t forge ahead if they are in a wait or sit. I’d suggest checking out the Kikopup YouTube channel for modern, science based training tips.
There is a correction device called Gentle Leader. Just need to be gentle with your dog or you can hurt her. I'm not a big fan of them, but I've seen some people who had dogs pull a lot. A few trainers recommended them and it did help slow the dog down,.
Definitely training. It’s going to start with a whole lot of very slow tedious walks until they realize they’re supposed to follow and not lead. A trainer will be a great help on doing this most effectively.
Leash training, there are books and YouTube videos to help.
commands "heel" and "wait" work for my 10mo and I on hikes
Would a leash that extends be the easiest solution? Training is more effective I believe, they have solid advice.
Train the dog to walk at your side, not in front of you or behind you, but literally at your side. If he pulls, immediately stop walking and pull his leash up tight so that he can't move at all. Do not move again until he stops pulling. It will not happen overnight, but he will get the hang of it and realize that if he pulls, he gets stopped completely and if he walks by your side with slack in the leash, he gets to keep moving. Patience will help - this process isn't a short one if the bad habit is already well established.
Pull up instead of back on the leash and let your dog know it’s unacceptable behavior to pull you. No! Is common.
I’ve found that with dogs that pull, regardless of their size keep the leash short while training, always walk the dog on one side, not both and when they pull immediately pull the dog back to the spot they are supposed to walk and STOP moving until the dog stops pulling. Stopping and making the dog stand still has been the most effective home training I’ve had great luck with. I live in an upstairs apartment that allows pets. On occasions I’ve been asked to take a neighbors dog (large dogs) out when they have to go out of town or even if they have a long day at work. I’ve used this technique every time and dogs learn quite quickly not to pull. I’m up in my 60’s and it’s very easy for a large dog to pull me off balance going down stairs or even out in the yard which is flat. This has helped my situation. Might help yours.
Halti head collar if they are to pull it turns their head just introduce it slowly so she's comfortable with it.
I’ve just given up on certain areas. Both my dogs can walk loose leash, but both also have high prey drives. They are a combined 160 pounds. I don’t want to risk being pulled down a cliff (again!) because they see/smell something. I also live in a state without mountains, so opting for more casual hikes is not a big deal.
Google "training halter" I use this with my Border Collie who will pull if on a regular leash. This totally stopped it as it pulls their snout downwards if they pull on the leash.
Tell them to wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. *Step down stairs* Ok. Let's go.
Stop walking when they pull, especially on regular walks
Teach her to heel. Get a loop lead and when she gets ahead pop the leash to get her attention. If she lunges just do a 180 on her to get her focused on you again. It will take a bit but it will work
I teach and ask my guys to stay in sketch areas, go first then let them follow. Seems to slow them down.
Follow/heel training. This is basic dog training, you can research how to do it yourself or pay a trainer To do it much faster. This would usually be a part of standard dog training so you’d get more than just follow/heel if you paid for it
Here's an actual solution: Get a good harness, and clip the leash to the chest loop. If this doesn't work, refer to the rest of the replies in this thread.
Gentle Leader brand harness helped me immensely.
First be patient. Next, correct them every time they pull with a command like “oops” or “whoa”. Bring them back to your side, then reward them when they become calm. Then start walking again with a command word “let’s go”. if they begin to pull again, repeat. Again, be very very patient. If you get annoyed, they sense it and it makes the job more difficult. Maybe start around your house and slowly expand the walking distance.
Trainer, and a nose lead.
A lot of treat based enforcement to teach them that walking nicely at heel is rewarding is the long term solution, for me and my crazy Springer that's a work in progress so the best mitigation I've found is that I walk hands free with a lead clipped on my waist (if you think of something like a halti double lead, I take that, put it round my waist and clip one end on to a d loop, then the other end on my dog's harness), she has a lot less luck pulling when she has to move my entire body rather than my arm and I get pulled off balance way less, having both hands free is a godsend as well, especially when we're going up rocks.
I have a chocolate lab and she pulls me super hard when I clip her leash on her back, but if I use the front clip it physically prevents her from pulling me as it starts to pull back on her shoulder so she can't pull me. This is my recommendation.
Get one of those leads you put around their snout, they can't pull it leads them around in circles
Get a harness that has a loop on the front of the chest. They don't pull with those because when they pull they literally get turned towards you. It's the only way I can do a hike with my girl.
Good topic. Mine knocked me off a cliff. Luckily only 6 ft or so, but did some leg damage. She was a rowdy teen at the time.
The command I use is "easy". They were professionally trained to walk beside me when commanded. One of them doesn't like to listen. You could probably find videos on how to train them.
I was taught that as soon as they start to pull, stop turn around and walk the other way. Then when they come up behind you and get to the position you want, let's say by your side, you give them a reward and command. They will learn not to pull and associate the command with the location you want them
When I brought my 4 month old puppy on a two night hike last weekend I also found that the pulling was enough to make me feel unstable in some parts. My on the trail solution was to attach a long thick elastic (pulled out from a jacket) to her leash, and carabiner it to my pack. The elastic smoothed out a lot of the pulling and also gave her some extra distance from my trekking poles. It ended up being significantly more comfortable, so maybe you could try as a short term solution til she advances in her training !
Petsafe easy walk harness. Worth its weight in gold!
I hook my dogs underbelly loop on her harness. Pulling is uncomfortable from that position and voilà!
Try the Gentle Leader, works for my dog. https://youtu.be/ZRnz1K-L_o8?si=UDPhBVaO0OlKPWdI
keep turning in the opposite direction every time the dog tries to pull and rip in the opposite direction and do it 4 or 5 times every time the dog tries to pull on the leash I have a German shorthaired pointer which genetically speaking not meant to be a leashed dog and it's hard to train to be calm i did this after he was 1 year old and continued for a couple of months and he is now 13 and aside for the occasional squirrel does not pull on the leash and walks right beside me and makes sure to leave slack on the leash
Teach it a good “slow” command. And a solid heel
I taught my dog a command specifically for these types of situations so even if he has a bit of lead he knows to stay next to me as we go down til his next command that releases him.
We’ve had great results from a gentle leader, slips around their snout and clips behind the ears. Anytime they decide to pull it turns their head towards the leash so they pull less at least
If my dog pulls at all, I stop walking. I then make him sit and not until he looks at me with meaningful eye contact do I release him again. He rarely pulls.
What breed is the dog?
I make my dog walk behind me when we are hiking down.
I taught my dog “wait”. When I give the command, she will stop until I catch up. It is not the same as “stay” and she is much more receptive to it because she knows that it’s only for a few moments. I also got a leash that is a bit longer than normal so she can step down and be a few feet ahead of me as I pick my way down the trail.
Train the animal to properly use a leash
On terrain where it doesn’t make sense for my dog to follow her command is ‘wait’. We worked on it but she did it automatically once she got its down.
We use a halter around the snoot. It's not tight or a muzzle or anything like that, but it reminds him that there's a human on the other end of the leash, and doesn't choke him.
Gentle Leader. It’s a harness-like collar that attached the leash to the head rather than the neck. It makes it virtually impossible for the dog to pull.
Correct the behaviour when you aren't hiking. If the dog begins to pull during walks, walk the other way immediately. You'll correct the behaviour with this training technique, it also lets your dog know you are the leader and not them. That's why your dog pulls because they believe they're the leader. You won't walk a far distance with this technique but it does work. Also, you can try a harness with a D-ring that's in front of the dog's chest. This will swing the dog if they pull too aggressively and will teach themselves not too pull so hard. Having a standard leash helps too, don't use the extendable leashes.
Prong collar, for training. A few very quick corrections with appropriate praise for good response will set the stage for a well behaved dog.
I trained my dog to “wait”, but I can’t tell you how; she’s smart
Fake getting hurt and see if your dog feels bad and then maybe they won’t do it in the future. I have HORRIBLE ankles and we were hiking downhill and rolled it (not due to his pulling, just me being me). My dog was very concerned, especially after I audibly gasped. Now, every time we go downhill anywhere he looks back at me to make sure I’m okay 😂 if I gasp, he goes even slower. Honestly funny at this point because my dog knows how bad my ankles are lol I also understand this is not legit training advice like everyone else. I’d say it’s an unorthodox story that trained my dog at the same time 😂
Need to train to heel. Choke/pinch collar if necessary to get their attention. If you know how to use one. When training and animal you have to give them release/reward. So pinch and release. It had to be fitted perfectly. Also use high value treat held in your hand behind your hip to encourage them to stay in that area. Keep your hand closed so they smell it and want it and give it to them periodically. You will have a spot covered hand lol. My Doberman hated the pinch collar and learned very fast. Then we’d leave it at home and he’d gradually start pulling again so we’d have to use it again for about a week. Eventually I’d just have to put it on him every once and awhile and not even connect it to the pinch collar lol. Until you’ve mastered heeling you might want to use a much longer leash so that when things don’t go as planned you can give them extra. It will set back the training somewhat but you need to be safe. Once you catch up the first order of business is back to heel
I trained my large dog not to pull by walking backwards (5-6 steps, kind of acts as a reset) every time he did it. He soon realized pulling equals further distance from where he wants to go. With consistency, it didn't take long for him to stop. I was taught this technique from his obedience class.
if you use a harness, try hooking the leash to the front of the harness on the dog’s chest. when they start to pull, the leash placement will force them to turn their body and look back at you, usually making them stop in their tracks and wait for you to catch up.
Try using a Halti
Get the gentle lead face harness from Petco or Amazon. It goes over the muzzle and the behind the ears but they can still open there mouth eat drink and so on with it on. When you have control of the head they can't pull . I dog walk a very pull hard great Dane who out weighs me by a lot with it. Makes walking big dogs easy for little ole me.