# help with straining on the leash



## wingfall (Jul 9, 2015)

Hello there, I sometimes take care of my daughters adorable 2 year old cockatoo, while she is away on business. This otherwise well behaved Molly, is obsessed with playing and running with her ball. No problem except when she knows we may be out to play, she strains at the leash in her hurry to get to the park and practically pulls my back out when I am trying to control her. I have had to resort to driving to get her and myself to the park in one piece. I have also taken her for normal walks in between, so that she doesn't expect it every time, Can anyone tell me what I can do to stop this and calm her down. Many thanks.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Rufus does this too when one of us gets ahead. He ends up on his belly with four appendages rowing like a scrambling crab.  There is a thread somewhere about training them out of this by 2nd. The basic concept I think is to walk one step loose then reward, then two steps reward, three and on and on until you are up over 100 steps. It worked with us to a point but he still goes crab from time to time. Basically he has trained us to always walk together.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Oh yes I think we all know this scenario 
Dot has the attention span of a gnat on a good day. She really wants to be good and walk nicely - but she also really, really, really wants to get where we are going. I just stand still until she remembers I'm on the other end of the lead, at which point she shoots back to the heel position frantically wagging.... some days I do an awful lot of stopping.
However if she has something (preferably her ball, or a fold of the lead) in her mouth she generally calms right down.


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## wingfall (Jul 9, 2015)

*Dog straining on leash*

Many thanks to all the replies a great help please keep them coming.


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## Janey153 (Mar 26, 2015)

Try the black and red Halti harness - I think it's working (more often than not!) on Barney


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## Datun Walnut (Oct 15, 2013)

Pops is generally good at this but if she has a ball in her mouth, it all goes out the window. Most of her brain is short circuited.


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## bearthecockapoo (Mar 17, 2015)

I did the treat for every step, then 5 steps, then 10 steps, etc. I found it worked really well when I had treats, but the second I didn't have treats he didn't care. My major problem with Bear pulling is that he was literally choking himself and he developed a terrible hack and sounded like an old man. I got him a halti which takes the pressure off his neck and puts it on the bridge of his nose if he pulls, so then he chooses not to pull.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

bearthecockapoo said:


> I did the treat for every step, then 5 steps, then 10 steps, etc. I found it worked really well when I had treats, but the second I didn't have treats he didn't care. My major problem with Bear pulling is that he was literally choking himself and he developed a terrible hack and sounded like an old man. I got him a halti which takes the pressure off his neck and puts it on the bridge of his nose if he pulls, so then he chooses not to pull.



Beemer would do the same thing. Lexi to a lesser extent. I got a gentle leader (another brand of head halter leads) and it's a world of difference. The bunnies who have multiplied in droves are now able to pass within a few feet of us and they stand still and watch it go. Even their barking has improved and we can walk past people, joggers, bikers, and other dogs without a problem. I don't make any corrections anymore, self corrects. When I have them on a regular leash they don't pull like before either. 


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## bearthecockapoo (Mar 17, 2015)

Lexi&Beemer said:


> Beemer would do the same thing. Lexi to a lesser extent. I got a gentle leader (another brand of head halter leads) and it's a world of difference. The bunnies who have multiplied in droves are now able to pass within a few feet of us and they stand still and watch it go. Even their barking has improved and we can walk past people, joggers, bikers, and other dogs without a problem. I don't make any corrections anymore, self corrects. When I have them on a regular leash they don't pull like before either.


I also have a gentle leader! It's great, I highly recommend it. We are unfortunately not yet at the stage of being able to walk on a regular collar & leash without pulling, but we are getting there. He doesn't start pulling automatically anymore once it's on, and he even sits and puts his nose out nicely for me so I can put it on.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

You could try using the ball to your advantage? I used to do this with my dog as he is so ball obsessed and he would pull ALOT! I would have ball in hand, visible to Weller and get him interested in it by encouraging him to look at it and praising him for looking at me with the ball etc, as I had the object of his obsession in my hand he was totally focused on that and forgot to pull. Keep moving though as a stop can result in said puller launching a ball recovery mission


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Rufus would bark manically at us if we kept his ball. His rule is "he carries it or we launch it *fast*.


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## Lottierachel (Mar 3, 2013)

Karen I'm going to give your method a go! I tried the treating after 1 or two steps, but where balls are involved, tilly couldn't care less about treats! Tennis ball chasing is FAR more important! Using the ball to our advantage might be the way to go.... X


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