Question: I have just rescued a Golden Retriever mix. She is about 7 or 8 months old and is a really sweet dog. The only two problems she has is, when walking she pulls and when she sees another dog, duck, cat, bird, you-name-it, she goes crazy to get to it. She is small in size, but I would like to resolve the problem as soon as possible so it won’t escalate into a bigger problem. If you have any advice that can help me, I would love to hear it. — Dennis and Emmy (my new dog)
Answer: Your dog sounds like she just needs some basic training. You can generally find good, positive reinforcement trainers on www.ccpdt.org. I prefer classes instead of private lessons for most dogs so they can get used to interacting with other dogs and people. While you might need one or two private lessons with a dog trainer if class timing is poor, or if your dog’s behavior is particular unruly, classes are by far the best value and often the best option for your dog.
Remember, don’t stop with just one class. Multiple classes really jumpstart a positive working relationship between you and your dog and continue to inspire you to work with her as she assimilates into your family.
In the meantime, you should find a good, humane control device to decrease the pulling. Head collars are great for controlling pulling. They include the Gentle Leader, Halti, Holt, Comfort trainer and Neutrix collar. The best one for your dog depends on your dog’s tolerance level and the shape of her head.
Don’t worry if she dislikes it at first, most dogs do and most dogs get used to it over time. Use treats to get her used to it and slowly work up to more time with her wearing it. There are also harnesses that prevent pulling, such as the Easy Walk and the Sporn harness. In general, harnesses encourage pulling, so you want to make sure that you have a “no-pull” harness.
Don’t forget to reward the behavior you find desirable by rewarding her when she is not pulling even if there aren’t any stimuli like dogs or cats around. You can find an article on how to teach an adult dog to walk on a leash on the Resources page of my website: www.flvetbehavior.com. Good luck and enjoy your new dog!
Dr. Radosta
Lisa Radosta DVM, Diplomate ACVB
Florida Veterinary Behavior Service
PO Box 210636
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421-0636
561-795-9398
www.flvetbehavior.com
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