[Pegasus]

Ok...I know this is NEVER anything I would do EVER except that Snoopy is getting SO bad at walking with me.

Now, my Fiancee (notice not BF anymore!!!) he doesnt give a hard time to...but to me Snoopy is horrible about coming back inside from the park.

I have a harness on him, and have to drag him to come away from the park...where he will ONLY poop on the grass in the park....BUT there are rabbits there.

So today we bought a choke collar, to see if he would not be so hard to get back in....and I am so scarred to use it..he pulls SO hard when he sees other dogs...and I say 'relax'...he stops, then pulls again..it is horrible...he almost drags me then stops, sits, and will NOT MOVE..
THEN...he looks down with his body and looks at me like I am hurting him.....It scares me so much to use this, I dont want him to hurt himself...

I want him to learn to walk right but I dont want to hurt him..

I dont know if I should keep with the choke collar or the halter..he pulls less in the halter but he is so bad at walking.

Im so scarred of using the choke collar on him, and Im sure he will learn (only been one day) but I dont want him to hurt either!!

 

[angelaH]

I wouldnt use a choke collar on a beagle. We got our two to walk nicely by sure perseverance. Using the harness and a long lead. Every time Snoopy or Susi start to pull we pull them back with a loud 'back' command. If that doesnt work, the moment they pull one turns round and walks the other way. One makes a large loop in the long lead and when one turns the other way one has to release the loop, so the dog finds itself a long way behind. The important thing is not to allow the dog to get ahead of you at all.Then they think of you as boss. It is easier to practice this in a quiet place. If it is difficult to find a yard or quiet country path, then I would suggest you go to dog classes. Dont give up, it should work in the end. :heart:

 

[FutureOwner]

Quote:Originally posted by A doghouse:
... the moment they pull one turns round and walks the other way. One makes a large loop in the long lead and when one turns the other way one has to release the loop, so the dog finds itself a long way behind. The important thing is not to allow the dog to get ahead of you at all.

Hmmm...I like that. I'm having the same problem with Kramer. He's like a locomotive on a leash - nose down and full steam ahead. I was contemplating a chock collar too, but I'll try this instead. THANKS!!

Quote:Originally posted by A doghouse:
Then they think of you as boss.

Will this work for my wife too?!? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[RhodaTse]

I use Gentle Leader Head collar on my retriever. He used to lung me so bad, he'd gotten used to this head collar and walks very well now. He still lungs when he sees other dogs otherwise he is fine. For Charlie I'm training him on the head collar, he seems fine, but I'll keep my finger cross. Something knew to him and he's not used to it. It is pretty costly or to me it is, $26+ tax comes with a training CD. It is rather logically, dogs walks and lung hard with their nose first, the collar has a strap over the nose to guide them back in track. It is not tight at all, tightness is controlled by their own force of pulling. If they pull less, it just hangs around their nose. It is very effective on Marlin my retriever, he was over 60lb at the time, and I could still manage with this collar.
It is not a muzzle, it is just a head collar....no choke. :biglaugh:


Charlie mom

 

[Genie]

I used to have a choke collar for Shiloh, but read horror stories of dog's who had hurt themselves, so became scared to use it. But like you, Pegasus, I have a hard time getting Miss Shiloh to walk properly with me. Nobody else has a hard time with her, but when I walk her it's step, step, sniff, sniff, sniff, step, step, sniff, sniff. It takes me forever just to walk around the block. And we can never get any steady walking speed going, which we both could surely use. I have a harness, but it doesn't seem to work so well when she's lagging behind nd you're trying to get her to keep up! Since she doesn't give anybody else a hard time, I know she just has my number!! :eyes:

 

[siera27]

What I do is just come to a complete stop. After awhile he will figure we are not moving and come sit next me.

When we start walking and he starts pulling I just stop again. Eventually he figures out when we are side by side I am not stopping and he can walk.

 

[we3beagles]

Choke, pinch and prong collars can be extremely dangerous in the untrained hands. First dogs can hand themselves on choke collars, and second, if improperly used it can cause unsocialized and agressive behavior. I would use a gentle lead, halti or Newtrix if you are having trouble controlling during a walk. All are designed to turn the head around gently when the dog starts pulling. You do need to get a dog accustomed to these types of devices or they will hate them and scratch and claw at them to get them off.

 

[RhodaTse]

Quote:Originally posted by we3beagles:
I would use a gentle lead, halti or Newtrix if you are having trouble controlling during a walk. All are designed to turn the head around gently when the dog starts pulling. You do need to get a dog accustomed to these types of devices or they will hate them and scratch and claw at them to get them off.

I use the Halti on Charlie today, still getting accustom to it. He tried to scratch it several times when he started to pull the leash and it gotten tighter. Otherwise, he is walking fine with the leash even hang loose by my side. He learned by pulling he gets discomfort, pretty soon he'll stop pulling at ease, I hope. :hi:
I use Gentle Leading on Marlin for many years, he is doing fine. He had learned that either the head collar for a walk or no walk.

Charlie mom

 

[cheerio]

It takes 20 minutes to leash train a dog id done correctly. The technic to turn around sharply and start walking the otherway each time your dog passes you is the best one there is. You may have to do it again 3 or 4 times at the biginning of each walk for about a week but then, your dog should know that if he wants to know which way you are going, he has to keep an eye on you, which is only possible if he is beside you.
However, this is best done for Beagles on a harness. In the unexperienced hand, the use of this technic on a collar may not be a good idea on a Beagle due to there tendency to develop cervical problems.

 

[we3beagles]

[/QUOTE]I use the Halti on Charlie today, still getting accustom to it. He tried to scratch it several times when he started to pull the leash and it gotten tighter. Otherwise, he is walking fine with the leash even hang loose by my side. He learned by pulling he gets discomfort, pretty soon he'll stop pulling at ease, I hope. :hi:
I use Gentle Leading on Marlin for many years, he is doing fine. He had learned that either the head collar for a walk or no walk.

Charlie mom [/qb][/QUOTE]It can start off with him scratching and then can become serious enough that he makes himself bleed. Get him used to it first and slowly by putting it on for a few minutes and play with him, then take it off. Put it on in an hour and give him treats, then take it off. Extend the period of time he wears it until he is totally used to it and knows that only good things happen when the halti goes on.

 

[RhodaTse]

Oh dear, I'll be very careful. I do not put the collar on very often, once or twice a week for no more than half an hour walk. The rest of the week I take him run free in the dog park for an whole hour.
He has lots of treats for sure. I find the harness very hard on my arms which I hurt myself lately, and when Charlie pulls and he does...it hurts even more. But I need to walk him still.

Charlie mom

 

[tpetzold]

I use the halti on Oscar and it works great. He used to fight it a little but quickly got over it. It was rubbing his nose but I wrapped the noseband in vet wrap and we didn't have that issue anymore. I figure if I control my 1200lb horse with a similar type of device that the dog shouldn't be too bad. When we first got him we bought a harness and he hated it, then tried the choke chain and he cowered at it, so the halti was our next try and it's awesome /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Pegasus]

THANK you all so much for your advice!!

I used the choke chain again today and took it off while walking in the park where he smells rabbits and sees other dogs b/c he acts like he doenst even feel it, but I DO!!

I feel the tension on the leash choking him, and I just cant do it, I would rather him pull and not get hurt than to pull and hurt himself...and still pull through it.

Thanks again for the advice...

does anyone have any opinion about the halters that attach to the leash at the front of the chest? I heard this was less stress to the back??

Thanks
Manda

 

[RhodaTse]

Oscar mom, what is vet wrap, where can I can it?
You are right, I can manage a 60lb retriever with the head collar, why not a 22lb? I'm still trying, my arms hurt. When they pull it is 10X more than their weight, feels like it!


Charlie mom

 

[tpetzold]

Quote:Originally posted by Charlie mom:
Oscar mom, what is vet wrap, where can I can it?
You are right, I can manage a 60lb retriever with the head collar, why not a 22lb? I'm still trying, my arms hurt. When they pull it is 10X more than their weight, feels like it!


Charlie mom

You can definately ask your vet clinic for it. It's usually about $2-$4 a roll. It's like duct tape for animal owners. It has a million uses but it soft and cushy when wrapped around a noseband.

I usually buy it from either www.smartpakcanine.com (I get Oscar & my horse's supplements through them) or www.doversaddlery.com.