Walking on a Leash

[SnowDog]

Both my dogs are formalized to heel, but after about a minute then want to get out ahead and start hunting. This makes going for a casual walk not much fun. I'm worried that if I lean on them too hard and go through the training to get them calm while on leash, I might take away some of their drive. All they want to do is hunt.

Am I over thinking this and worried about nothing? Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers!
SD

[Stilly bay]

your worried too much.

If you can't get over that worry, practice with the leash in non hunting areas and situations until they are where you want.

If anything keeping them restrained when birds around will only make them want the birds more.

[Happy Gilmore]

This website has been a pain lately loading and posting messages.

Won't hurt a thing. I hate dogs that pull and jerk on lead. I don't tolerate it. I'll let them strangle themselves pulling if they want. I don't let them drag me around. It's unstylish, annoying and is just a lack of obedience.

Take a long rope as a lead, hook it to the dog and swing it in front of the dog like a airplane propeller. Heavier horse lead ropes work great. Let the dog pull and get itself wacked in the head a few times. Do it twice a day for two weeks and problem will likely be cured.

[AspenBud]

Personally I don't train my dogs to heel. It's one thing I absolutely hate training and I can always use the leash as a waste hitch to slow them down.

That said, about 3 years ago I tripped on some slash and gave myself a severe high ankle sprain while grouse hunting. I was hurt enough to have to unload my autoloader and use it as a crutch. It was a long hike out and it was made worse with a cracked out Pointer, one that does not know how to heel, trying to pull every which way on the leash.

There are valid reasons to train it.

[Happy Gilmore]

I don't think a half hitch around the waist teaches much. Take it off and they're back to unruly pulling beasts. It is a good way to gain control and do use it when training but, half hitch and lead work are two entirely separate points of training.

Walking on lead is a basic obedience command/function which should be done starting at 6 weeks of age. As pup progresses into more advanced training and is growing into his body, half hitch is useful in many applications. More so for pointers than retrievers although, it does serve some useful training for dogs who are a-holes and didn't get a proper start as a puppy.

[Don Fischer]

Your dog is doing that because it's not trained to heel properly yet. Keep working on heel.

[Dhoey07]

Don't be in a hurry to walk anywhere when leash training. If ya only make it 50 feet than so be it. Let them know that you are walking them. A dog needs to know when it's time to hunt and when it's time to walk 

[SnowDog]

Take a long rope as a lead, hook it to the dog and swing it in front of the dog like a airplane propeller. Heavier horse lead ropes work great. Let the dog pull and get itself wacked in the head a few times. Do it twice a day for two weeks and problem will likely be cured.

This sounds great!!!!! I have a nice stiff check cord that will to the trick

[Happy Gilmore]

Assuming your dog is healing on the left, swing the rope clockwise so you don't hit them in the eyes. Also, basic obedience should be done with a small diameter choke collar you can fit on the dog. Large chains may as well be a flat buckle. They don't cinch down well. Prong collars are not a favorite tool o mine but, some folks like them. Few ever have them fitted to work properly.

[waortah54]

What worked for my dog was a gentle leader. You attach the leash to it and when the dog pulls, it puts pressure on their muzzle. When the dog does not pull as much then you can attach the leash to the gentle leader and also the collar. Then slowly just work just towards putting the leash to the collar alone. It worked wonders on my dog. He was a beast to just walk with a leash and collar but now after doing work with the gentle leader I don't have to work out as hard anymore. Hope this helps.