Hi, I'm new to this forum.
We have a 1-1/2 y. o. female German Shepherd. Her mother is from Czechoslovakia & her father is of German show lines. Both parents are schutzhund, trackers & do bite work. I'm not into all of this, but I love my dog! In hindsight, I wonder if we purchased "too much dog." We had a shepherd who got cancer & died before we got Ruby, who we had no trouble training and walking. He was of American lines--maybe that's why.
We have never had a dog who pulls on a leash the way Ruby does. We took her to obedience class when she was about 3 months old and were put behind a blanket because Ruby barked so much--she got very excited about the other dogs. The trainer was negative about the kind of dog Ruby was--concern about leash aggression came up & how could people breed a dog like her for "regular" folks like us. We didn't go back after Ruby's classes were over. Ruby still gets excited around other dogs, but manages to contain herself. I believe if I could just get her out on a consistent basis, she'd get used to everything and be less excitable.
Next, we hired someone to come to our house and take Ruby out for walks and when Ruby was about 11 months old and do training because I have discovered that I don't have the patience with her--she wouldn't stop pulling! We did this for about 2 months & it became too expensive. According to this trainer walking with Ruby requires doing 360 degree turns because she pulls so much. We saw some improvement, but not much and we were lucky if we made it halfway down the block--not much of a walk.
Is it possible to teach her to walk on a leash without pulling? Do I start with a prong collar or to I try something else, first? We have used a harness & choke chain & neither work. Consequentially, I never walk Ruby.
Thank you.
Elle

Hello ma'am,

First let me stop laughing. I find it so funny cause it was just a few years ago, about 8, that i was asking this same question to other people. I went to classes, and everything. I came to realize that EVERYONE is a professional dog trainer to include the mailman, just ask him. I now have 2 VERY HIGH drive dogs that work great for me and no better then to pull. May I HIGHLY suggest you purchase this dvd as well as buying a pinch collar. I really aint a big fan of the choke chain for very many dogs. i mean think about it if somebody started choking you, how would you react. Anyways i hope this helps.

http://leerburg.com/302.htm#outline

What kind of training had this person been doing (besides the turns for pulling)?

How about you? What kind of training?

How long have you had the dog? Never used a prong collar?

Does the dog get some kind of exercise in the yard, maybe, with fetch or something? (You mentioned not being walked.) If not, you're in a pretty bad cycle of frustrated energy with no release that would naturally boil over at being let out of the house at last for a walk.

P.S. I agree with Jason about getting the Basic Ob video. http://leerburg.com/302.htm

I like to teach loose-leash walking similarly to the way I teach a real heel, with markers, but this dog needs to get un-jailed ASAP.

You have mentioned having no patience, and getting this dog daily structured exercise trumps my personal preferences in training.

You will also be pleased and surprised at how much energy can be drained off with frequent upbeat marker sessions.

If any of this is unclear, just post back.

JMHO.

Connie, the trainer taught Ruby to "wait," which she learned. She will sit and wait when we ask her to, but mostly the trainer was working with her to not pull because it was/is such a big issue. Yes, she gets exercise in the yard, but it is not enough for her. We both could use a long, daily walk. We have had Ruby since she was 7 weeks old. I've never used a prong collar--in fact, until I found this forum I was under the impression the prong collar was cruel. (hello! not walking my dog is what's cruel.)

I do no training with Ruby. I am frustrated. I'm aware of the bad cycle, hence my question about which collar to use so we can change this cycle.

I am aware that this is not a good situation we've let happen and am feeling badly, but I'm looking for a solution. Here's some personal info about me: being chastised for mistakes is a button-pusher. Being given positive ideas and information will help me to be a successful dog owner.

Thanks for your replies Connie & Jason.

I will get the basic dog training video.

After dealing with the first trainer who was so negative and then the second trainer who did teach Ruby to "wait" but wasn't able to help me with her walking issue--I gave up. It's time for me to take my head out of the sand.

Still would like to know which collar to use because even though I'll be training her, I'd like to walk her, too.

Thanks so much.

Many people have no idea how bad it is to have their dog filled with frustrated energy with no relief.

Since you do, you can move straight forward with long power walks with a prong. If you would like to learn how to teach "fetch" so the dog could have lots more exercise without the owner necessarily being run ragged, we can help with that too.

Are you familiar with marker training? My own opinion is that using a prong on the walk and starting marker work at the same time are not at all mutually exclusive.

You could have something trained within just a few days and change your life and the dog's life for good. You could round up your tiny food rewards and load your marker by tomorrow. A clicker is great, but you could even choose a verbal marker, cook up a piece of meat and dice it into M&M-size pieces, and start today.

"Negative" is counterproductive. That trainer did you no favors, as you now know.

Marker training is fun. It's fun for both of you. Your dog will consider training the high point of her day.

I'd get the marker video too. In fact, I would view it first, because so much of Basic Ob is influenced by marker work.

http://leerburg.com/219.htm

 Quote: elle hill

Still would like to know which collar to use because even though I'll be training her, I'd like to walk her, too.

Thanks so much.

Sorry.

This You have mentioned having no patience, and getting this dog daily structured exercise trumps my personal preferences in training meant "yes, get a prong."

And yes, I do see that it was ridiculously unclear.

 Quote: Elle Hill

.... being chastised for mistakes is a button-pusher.

Hang in there. This site is the best source of training info you will find (MHO), and Ed makes the best training videos available.

The forum has one trait in general that we try to rein in: the folks who reply will often tend to have much more empathy for the dog than the human.

It's good to remind us. (Me.)