Here's the way we walk now. My only lead is a 20' cotton line (as sold here). I keep that coiled up in my hand so she has some amount of space (5 or 6 feet). We walk along and any time she makes eye contact I mark with a "Yes!" and reward with a treat from my belt pouch. Here's the possible outcomes:

• She happily comes to my side and takes the treat (which I position just behind my left knee)
  
• She comes and gets the treat and then bounces back to the end of the line I've given her
  
• She stops and looks at me and won't come back to get the treat
  

Sometimes, when she pulls I stop and say her name and wait for eye contact. Here's the possible outcomes:

• She turns and looks at me, I mark, reward and she comes for the treat
  
• She stops, sits, and ignores me for what feels like a very, very long time -- a couple to several minutes. Eventually she looks at me, I mark, reward, and we move on.
  

Sometimes I do let her pull. This is usually when we've been out for a while and we're both anxious to get back home. She definitely pulls more on the way home. Sometimes I let her pull when I get frustrated by how little progress we make. Sometimes it's literally taking one step and she's pulling. I stop and wait for eye contact, mark, reward, and she's immediately pulling again.

One thing that might help....I forget how old Suzzie is (sorry!), but when Neb was learning 'au pied' and when I was working with him on loose-lead walking - I treated (or used the tug, as the case may be) constantly. It was eye contact, mark, treat, eye contact, mark, treat..... Basically, there was no chance for Neb to wander off or break what we were doing, or, in your case, no chance for Suzzie to wander off and pull b/c it's all cycling around.

When he was more consistent (or in your case, not bounding away), I started to lower frequency.

Just a thought, might help. Not sure what your frequecy is right now for the eye contact, mark, reward.

The other thing, is there a gap between your mark and the reward (how quick are you at reaching into the treat pouch)?

 Quote: Doug Alcorn

Sometimes I do let her pull. This is usually when we've been out for a while and we're both anxious to get back home. She definitely pulls more on the way home. Sometimes I let her pull when I get frustrated by how little progress we make. Sometimes it's literally taking one step and she's pulling.

Which is why she pulls... vicious cycle...

Is there any chance that you could get her tired out a bit before you take her for a walk? Any place near you to let her run around (with long line attached, of course )?

Doug, I think you will need to make this decision based on how you can exercise her, and the amount of time you can devote to her. With another dog, a wife and 4(?)kids, you have a lot on your plate...

The prong will eliminate the pulling; will it solve the problem...no. Will it make your life easier...yes.

Try walking in a circle - this will force her to walk "in" to you rather than away from you. Try marking when she is close to you.

You can keep some treats in your left hand so she can get a scent and keep your hand by your left leg.

Just a thought.

 Quote: peter marek

Try walking in a circle - this will force her to walk "in" to you rather than away from you. Try marking when she is close to you.

I did this with Luc and it works really well. Totally forgot about that. I used it to 'neaten' Luc's heel but I can see it helping with the loose-lead walks as well.

We walked about 1/4 mile to a school ball field that's near the house. Did a lot of walking in a circle (with her on the outside) and making random direction changes opposite her pulling. It didn't take long to tire her out. I was walking kind of quickly and she was doing a lot of running to catch up. When ever she was within a couple of feet of my left side I'd mark and reward. My left-handed reward isn't great, but I lean towards marking while my hand is in the treat pouch. I sometimes worry that I'm favoring the hand too much. Also, I have to almost or pretty much come to a stop to get the treat into her mouth. I think that's mainly due to her height difference. I have to stoop to reach her mouth. For a first session of "crazy walk", I think it went pretty well.

I still have two problems. First, at several points she thought she was supposed to chase me and would run up and nip at my pants. I don't know what to do about this. I just stopped and then told her "no". Sometimes that would help and sometimes not. I'm pretty sure she doesn't really know what "no" means.

Second, when we were done it was time to walk home. This brought on more pulling. I was out of time and couldn't keep up with the patience and turning, etc. I needed to get home and back to work.

Anyway, I'll keep working at it.