Training my dog to stop pulling and to walk at my side, is a collar or a harness best?

As you say, it will take patience. They just get so excited when you take them for a walk, especially when you first mention a walk and as soon as they are out of your yard. It’s just natural for them to want to run and pull. You will find he will settle down after a couple of minutes. If you can find a park to let him off the leash and give him a good run first, he will appreciate that. After he gets that initial excitement out of his system, he will probably walk beside you with little need for a leash. Your dog loves you, and he doesn’t want to get too far away from you. Enjoy your friend.

Prong collar. Also, playing a quick game of fetch should help calm him down a bit.

Edit: Playing fetch teaches them obssessive behaviour? *rolls eyes* I think you need to pick up a book and start reading. I play fetch and tug-o-war with all of my dogs and I have no poblems with them. And a prong or choke collar is needed, some dogs do not respond to harnesses or collars.

Mutt™ – Trolls Are On Crack!
-Very helpful site. I’ll be directing people to it from now on. Thank you!

use a choker. its basically a chained collar. It’s done so that everytime the dog pulls, he’ll feel uncomfortable hence why its called a choker.

dont listen to hoshiko… you only need a prong collar when you have a big un controllable dog. stick with the harness

and the stopping method works best. (in my opinion) just stop, make him sit, and wait until he is calm. do this repeatedly! he will get it.

worked with a lab who had no training at all. i could walk him past chickens and he wouldnt pull.

works well.

good luck, and thank you for taking the time to do this the right way. your a good owner

Andrew

btw.. i think nysenut lives in a fantasy world… DONT LET HIM OFF LEASH YET!

Call your local kennel club. They have obedience classes on a regular basis.

HOSHIKO, there is NO need for a prong collar. And dogs shouldn’t be taught to fetch. That only teaches them obsessive behavior. There is no need for crutches, such as Haltis, or anything else like that. My dogs all walk politely on a plain leather buckle collar.

NYSENUTZ, what world are you living in? The dog won’t even walk properly, why would anyone think of letting this dog loose, at this time?

I personally think that harnesses encourage pulling, since they aren’t putting pressure on the dog’s neck, they are putting pressure on the chest.

Flat collars, you really can’t do much with. I only use them for the dog tags.

I use a Prong Collar. It works wonders.
http://leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm < Great Article.

"Clickers" aren’t really that great of a training tool.

When your dog misbehaves, correct with the Prong. When he obeys, reward him – with praise (petting, verbal). Works for me.

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Andrew – Prong Collars aren’t for "big uncontrollable dogs" only. They can be used on pretty much any dog and they DO work.
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Get yourself a nice little choke collar, a 6 foot leash and a 25 foot leash ( clothes line works well too since its very very light). the 5 basic commands your dog needs to know for his safety and your sanity are toHeel ( to walk by your side without pulling on or off a leash) to Sit, to lay down, to Stay where and how you place him.. and to Come, always. Come and Stay are for his safety on and off leash.

My preference is either a choke chain( used only during training sesions) Or a Martingale collar ( http://www.sylvans.net/martingale-dog-collars/Martingale+Collars.html) It has a limit to how much it will close and "choke". I dont like head collars or body harness’s on dogs that pull. A dogs neck is not designed to take the force applied by a head collar, And the harness is just something to lean into.

The way to use a choker isnt to pull and allow the dog to pull into the collar. but to give a quick firm jerk on the leash with a instant release. It can be repeated as needed. For now, when you walk him, in your mind set a distance he is allowed to get from you. 1-2 feet at most, and Never in front of you. when he is within that area around you the leash should be loose. The moment he is at the limit give him a quick jerk and say "heel". if he is distracted and not watching you.. Turn suddenly and go a different direction Again saying Heel.. Its going to teach him to watch you.. and that he is now attached by his neck to a crazy human, do this any time he is on the leash. and try for 2-3 times a day.
The other vital command he must know and must respond to every time is Come. Enforce that in the house, outside on leash..

for some people clicker training does work. the key to it is to provide the "treat" at the same instant you click and the dog does what you want. Terriers are not highly food driven. They are hunters and respond to movement, sound and smell.. they get distracted easily. A clicker isnt the best for them, though it can be done. I like the Volhard method of dog training. http://www.volhard.com Its worked very well on several Borzoi ( russian wolf hounds – not known for obedience) and allowed me to train my borzoi to CDX in competition. After he was returned to the breeder because he was " un-trainable"

Find a good book,, talk with your vet or local pet store and invest in a 6-8 week training session to give you both the basics and a place to start from at home.

ADD: There is Nothing wrong with prong collars at all. They are not cruel as they would appear to be, and their action isnt that they poke into the neck, But that they "PINCH", infact when I was younger they were always referred to as Pinch Collars. A dog thats been a confirmed puller his whole life may need one no matter what his size.

Using a harness can actually encourage them to pull. They are used for sled dogs.

Have you heard of the Wonder Walker? similar look to a harness but you clip you leash under their neck.

Go to a pet store and even see if they will let you fit one on for a proper fit. This wonder walker is gentle and works great!

Goodness – Lots of opinions to this question. There is a lot of Learning Theory behind using the clicker, which is why it seems useless to people without the understanding. Clicker Training is based on solid science, and not mythology. It works with all species under all conditions…which was actually one of the points of Skinners research.

A harness will get the job done as well as a regular collar, EZ walk harness, or halti/gentle leader. No matter what the equipment, you must get your dog used to it before you use it. No dog will appreciate new equipment being slapped on and used without notice.

Studies show that collars (even regular flat ones) cause trachea damage in 85% of dogs (see Turid Rugaas) that pull against them. The key to training is always reinforcement. Research shows that punishment/aversive training can cause aggression. Any training that causes frustration can create aggression. Collars that punish behavior cause frustration and may lead to aggression.

Reinforcement simply means to "pay your dog" for good behavior. Stopping the dog from pulling and standing like a tree seems like a great idea, but your dog wants to sniff stuff so let him sniff stuff and then ask for a few steps of nice leash walking. Asking a dog to sit, when he wants to pull can also cause frustration – frustration causes aggression.

Treats are not always the main reinforcement for dogs. Sometimes it’s a chew toy, sometimes it’s access to a Kong, sometimes it’s scratches and pets. Reinforcement depends on the place and the dog and if the dog has been taught to play with a tug or kong and train at the same time.

The best food in the world may not work on a dog that loves fetch with a Frisbee. That’s okay, it doesn’t matter. Learning Theory suggest that what is reinforcing is up to the dog. The key to Reinforcement is letting your dog choose – and what works in one scenario, might not work in another.

I would look into targeting. Set 15 targets on the ground 3 feet apart and ask your dog to "target" – with his paw, each one. Have him stop at each target and "click and treat". First do this in your living room, then move to your driveway, then on down your sidewalk. You can use paper plates as targets. It will take some time, but it will be fun to do and your dog will be brilliant!