Restraints. Large dogs in a comfortable collar can be a danger to themselves and the dogwalker if they decide to chase a cat or dog across a busy street. Even when they have been taught to walk at heel on a loose lead, the unexpected may happen but if they are wearing one of the following restraints they can be kept under control.
1) The training or choke chain.
To put this on correctly with the dog seated on your left side, hold the loop in your left hand so that the loose end is to your right and goes through the ring to form the upper part of the loop. When you place this over the dog's head and gently tighten it, the loose end should be 3 or 4 inches long. This collar must never be used to choke the dog. Instead, as the dog starts to forge ahead, give a sharp upwards and backwards pull to return the dog to your side while you say "Heel". Immediately slacken the pull on the chain, which should open under its own weight, and praise the dog. If you talk to the dog in a happy voice it will help to keep it in the right position with its attention on you.
An important feature of the chain is that it should immediately loosen round the neck when the leash slackens. With long coated dogs, hair can easily fill up the ring so this cannot happen and the thick hair cushions the chain when it is jerked so it is not very effective. Other restraints are more suitable for such dogs.
2)The Halti, Kumalong or versions of these.
These all work like a horse's halter in that you control the animal's head which has much less strength than the neck and shoulders. Just as the rattle of the chain moving through the ring in a choke collar tells the dog that it is coming to the end of its leash, so the nylon loop round the dog's nose in a Halti begins to tighten when the leash is no longer slack. As the dog continues to pull, its head turns to one side until it is looking back at you. With eye contact it is easier to get the dog's attention and have it obey a command to return to your side. Turning the head also removes from the dog's vision anything, like an approaching dog, which caused it to run ahead. These devices have a third advantage in that, when pulled, the loop round the nose tightens and the chin is tucked in, making it very difficult for the dog to bite.
If possible, have the dog fitted with the device when you buy it as the breed recommendations are not always right for your dog. If you should have purchased one in which the nose loop can ride up behind the dog's eyes, it can be corrected by stitching across the loop an inch or so above the ring to which you attach the lead.
Most pullers are bold dogs and you can put on the Halti and start off on a short walk. With a timid dog, you could put it on before the dog was fed and have the dog wear it for walks for a few days but have the leash attached to the collar. When the dog first wears the Halti it will try to paw it off or rub it against objects or your leg. Talk to the dog in a happy voice but watch it constantly and with a short leash firmly pull the dog's head away from objects it goes to rub against and up from the ground if it starts to paw. With each attempt to rub or paw say "No" as you pull the head away and be sure to let the lead go slack as soon as the dog is beside you again. Whatever you do, never remove the Halti when the dog is trying actively to get out of it or you will reward its struggles, which will only intensify. Rather return home and with praise and distractions get the dog to wear the Halti quietly. Only then remove it.
3) The Lupi.
A few years ago this device came on the market. The leash is attached to a cord which goes round the dog's chest just behind the front legs. Other cords hold the loop in place. As the dog pulls, the loop tightens which by restricting the free movement of the ribs may make breathing feel difficult. The dog slackens its pace and so loosens the loop.
For many years as an emergency measure if I found myself out with a dog that was pulling too hard, I turned its collar so the ring was uppermost. I then pushed the handle of the leash through the ring so that it was coming towards me if the dog was at my left side. The free end of the leash ending in the clip was then taken behind the dog's left and then right front legs and the clip fastened to the ring. If the dog pulled, the leash tightened first on its left side bringing it closer to my leg and with further pulling tightened round the chest. The dog backed up to relieve the pressure. This is something you can try without investing in any new equipment and I have found it very effective.
Training methods to reduce pulling.
If your dog has not been obedience trained, start training it to heel at home where there are few distractions. Have the dog on a leash, sitting at your left side. With the leash in your right hand and fairly short, say "Rover, heel" in a definite voice while taking an exaggerated step with your left foot. Praise when the dog comes with you but jerk the dog back with the word "heel" if it goes ahead. Halt by stopping with your left foot, bringing the right foot up beside the left. Every time you halt, sit the dog and then praise it. When this has been learnt indoors, practice in the yard before going into the street.
In the street have your dog wear one of the restraints and hold the leash so it is short but still slack when the dog is walking beside you. If the dog starts to go ahead, you can use the jerk and repeated heel command as in training. Another trick is to hold the leash snugly to your body and when the dog runs ahead, spin on your right foot and stride off in the opposite direction. This puts the dog behind you instead of in front where it wishes to be and the jerk when you change direction is punishment for running ahead. This usually happens when the leash is too long so shorten it as the dog moves to pass you.
Dogs hate to have anything touching their tails so I take advantage of this when training pulling dogs to walk by my side. I start with the dog seated by my left side and the lead with enough slack that the dog could move forward enough to bring its tail level with my left hand. As the dog's nose moves forward, I say "careful" in a low, growling voice. If the dog goes on moving forward and I feel a pull on the leash, I grab the tail with a slight backward pull and shout "get back". The dog in its surprise stops walking, which puts it in the correct position with a slack lead since I am still moving forward, so the dog is praised. With repetition the dog learns to move back when warned to be careful and grabbing the tail is no longer necessary.
Instead of pulling the dog’s tail, you can put the leash round the dog’s chest as described earlier, and when it starts to move ahead give a pull on the leash together with the “get back” command. The tightness is unpleasant but the leash loosens as soon as the dog is back beside you, thus rewarding the dog for walking in the right position.
| 
