Question:

We have a four month, 40lb German Shepard. She knows sit, but is wild on the leash. We are trying to train her to heel and were told a choke collar would work. Is she too young to start with this? She just pulls with it on & without it (our first try) and we don’t want to encourage this behavior, but we don’t want to start her too early.

ANSWER:

Nothing is worse then a pup that is wild on a leash – especially as they continue to grow and get stronger!

Okay, Kimm, there is probably a couple of things going on and the first one is actually the bigger problem – she thinks she is top dog in her pack! Being made to do something she does not want to do is probably why she is a wild dog on a leash. GSDs have a natural courage and independence which is one of the reasons why they are so good at police work, Search and Rescue and as Seeing Eye Dogs. But, they also love to please once they understand their place in the pack.

To let her know her place in the pack, start by doing small things like making sure you and your family go through doors ahead of her, up and down stairs, make her work for her treats and food by doing a ‘sit stay’, not letting her on the furniture unless she is allowed, etc. You need to be the boss as does everyone in your household.

The other thing I would do is start is ‘pinning’ her once or twice a day for half an hour each session. No dog likes to be ‘pinned’ – held down against their will. This will be a struggle to start and to actually learn how to do it, stop by your veterinarian office and ask if one of the technicians could demonstrate it for you on your dog. It is strictly a matter of placing your dog on its side and restraining her but there are a ton of tricks and without pictures or video, I would have a heck of a time showing you how to do it properly with the least amount of wrestling on your part.

So you need to pin her at the very minimum until she stops struggling and gives up. This may be longer then a half hour the first few times so be prepared for a wait. I have my students plan it around their favorite TV show because there is not much else you can do while sitting on the floor with most of your body laid over your pooch. She will quickly learn that struggling is futile and will learn to accept that yes, you are the boss. At this point, have everyone in your family take a turn to establish their place in the pecking order.

Last point on pinning is unless your house is on fire or your husband is having a heart attack, you can’t let her up until she gives in and relaxes. If she does escape your grasp, pin her again and again and again.

As for teaching her to walk nicely on a leash, I would try to use more positive reinforcement then negative – I know, easier said then done. First, avoid a choke collar. Dogs that are truly out of control or pull constantly are only going to injure themselves with a choke collar. I do like Martingales however as they are self-limiting so they still produce an effective correction but there is no way the dog can hurt themselves. Modern Martingales are a combination of nylon and chain – the nylon goes around the dog’s neck and the chain part connects the two ends, expanding as the dog walks nicely and tightens marginally if they pull or they need a correction.

Next I would use bribery as your chief motivator – food! Start with just short walks around your backyard so there is little to no distraction. Let her know you have a pocket full of yummy and make her ‘sit’ a few times to show that they only way she is going to get a treat is for doing some work. Put her on your left side and put a treat in your right hand, holding it by your face so she must look at you to see the food. If she starts to jump up or around to face you, say ‘no’ or ‘uh-uh’ and turn away from her so she stays on your left side. Tell her ‘heel’ and step out a few paces, stop and give her the treat for walking beside you. Try it again. And again. Always keep the distance walked short before you bring her back under control. As she gets onto that, start to make the distances a bit longer but be prepared for her to try to jump up or wheel in front of you again and be ready to turn away from her misbehavior, taking her with you 180 degrees if necessary. Every few feet, when she behaves, give her a treat and yes, you will feel like you need six hands to do all of this but it does get easier with practice.
Last, always keep training sessions short and fun. When she does well, tell her! Most of dog training is letting them know what you want them to do and rewarding them when they do it. Also, always leave her wanting more. Working until she gets bored or distracted is no good. It is up to you when you finish, not her and letting her dictate when things happen only puts her back in charge.