Walking on a leash

[jantem]

I am having trouble walking my Bichon, Saba, on a leash. She just about chokes herslf by constantly pulling when we walk.

Any tips anyone to stop her pulling all the time?

regards,

Jane

[annpre]

Jane
Have you considered obedience classes? A good trainer should be able to help you solve your problem. I have used choke chains on my obedience dogs and they work well but you have to know how to use them correctly. You must never have constant pressure on the chain. A pinch collar works very well, again...if used correctly. A pinch collar looks a little harsh, but it is probably better than a choke chain because it doesn't "choke" the dog. Whichever you use,make sure you learn the right way to use it. The correction with these collars should always be a quick jerk followed by a complete release of pressure on the neck. The dog will quickly learn not to pull, and will learn to respect the leash. Some people might try to tell you that these collars are cruel but I think it's better for the dog to respect the leash and never pull on it.
You can also use treats (very small bits) to get your dog's attention and change direction a lot while training. Walking at a normal pace, get the dog's attention with a treat, suddenly make a turn- while your dog is still looking for the treat and, when the dog follows your turn, give it the treat. If you repeat this often, the dog should start paying attention to where you are going.
I still highly recommend finding an obedience class where the proper methods can be shown to you.
I hope this helps

[helste]

Jane
We took our puppy to a puppy training & they suggested when they start pulling in one direction just take them in a totally different direction. Just keep taking them in a different direction & this should stop the pulling. They usually pull you in the direction they want to go so if you keep changing the direction the pulling will eventually stop. I hope this helps.

[cburke]

I was always told by the vet to use the Harness type , It will help to avoid damage to the windpie or trachea when a dog is trying to pull from you. I know for a fact that my mom's dog was pulling on a regular collar and busted it's Treachea. He blowed up like a big Marshmellow. We had to take him to the vet. He put a needle under the skin to release the air pressure. the dog did Ok, and Mom changed to the Harness.

[karen1]

I have been successful in keeping my Bichon from pulling by using the "Gentle Leader Head Collar". You can search for it on the internet. When we went to puppy school they used one and taught me how to use it. It has really helped with the pulling and does not cause him to choke as he was doing before on the regular collar. You might do some research and see if this would be useful for your Bichon.