Sunday, October 7, 2012

how do you teach a pitbull to walk on a leash?


everytime i put a leash on him, he draws back, bucks like a horse and trys to bite and break the chain. thats ok as long as i dont walk him and quite honestly, I want to walk my pit so how do i break him of this? DO NOT RESPONED IF YOU THINK PITBULLS ARE "KILLERS"

ANSWER


The same way you get any dog to walk on a leash with patience and knowledge.


The first step in leash training is to get your dog used to a collar. Of course he is going to scratch at it. It's new, so put the collar on when the dog is eating and playing under your supervision. Distract him from thinking about the collar. 

Remove the collar only at a time when the pup is NOT trying to get out of it. If you take the collar off when the pup is obsessing over getting it off, you encourage the pup to fight the collar. To the puppy, it seems that fighting the collar worked, and got that nasty collar removed!

Of course the collar needs to fit and should not be of a stiff or uncomfortable design. A lightweight nylon collar with a buckle or snap is a good choice.

The next step is to add a leash. Some dogs can get overwhelmed by an entire leash all at once. If this is the case you can start with a string, shoelace, or something of the sort. Add length as the puppy gets used to it. 

Attach the leash or the short item to the collar when the dog is eating or playing, and let the dog get used to it being there. As with the collar, don't remove it when dog is making a fuss about it. Remove it when the dog has forgotten about it. 

Do not leave a leash on an unattended dog. It can catch on things and trap the dog in dangerous and traumatic situations. Leashes are only safe during supervised times.

Distract your puppy into play or other interaction with you whenever the puppy seems bothered by the leash or starts to chew it. 

Before you pick up the other end of the leash with it attached to the dog, you need to first put in some time getting your puppy to come to you and to move with you. Treats are ideal for this training. Don't be worry your dog won't always need treats to walk on a leash. Leash walking has its own rewards, but a young dog doesn't know that yet. The treats will help get things moving in the right direction.

Now it's time to for the real deal....leash walking.

When a dog freezes up on leash and won't move, obviously you can't get anywhere. So part of the goal is for the dog to relax when wearing a leash. You're off to the right start there, having conditioned your dog to the presence of the leash with no pressure.

A dog pulling on leash can suffer damage to the throat, Ironically, it's not the dog who causes the pulling-on-leash problem. Humans instinctively hold the leash tight. A dog's completely normal and natural response to a tight leash is to pull. If the dog did not pull against the pressure, the dog would be constantly off-balance. 

From the first minute you pick up the leash, keep it loose. Follow the dog at times, and at other times use the skills you have been developing to induce your dog to follow you. Resist the impulse to pull the dog around on leash, or even to guide the dog with the leash. Work hard at remembering to communicate through your voice, body language and various motivators. Keep building those abilities! Keep your attention on your mental communication with the dog, rather than trying to communicate through the leash.

If your dog makes an attempt to pull you, your job is to stand still. The message to the dog is simply that pulling on the leash is useless. As soon as your dog notices that trying to pull you isn't work because you stopped, you need to switch into your attention-getting, he into the follow-me mode, and get that dog moving with you! This is the game, and it really does need to be a game. Make it fun for the dog. It will be fun for you, too, and that's one of the great benefits of living with dogs! 

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