If you are having difficulties when walking your dog there are a few techniques you can try. You need to choose one that is comfortable to use. If one person

does not stick to the rules it will not work. You need to be patient with the technique because the more consistent you are the quicker the dog will get it.

A flat collar is not suitable for dogs that pull as it gives no correction to the dog and you only end up jerking the dog’s neck making the normal fun walking time, an uncomfortable non fun time. Whichever collar you use ensure that the dog is calm before putting it on. A dog that jumps up all excited and gets the lead clipped on will only be excited on the walk. There are various collars, harnesses and haltis available to choose from, some of which are listed below.

Harnesses – there are two main types – non pull harness and a regular harness. Harnesses are good for dogs suffering from kennel cough or Yorkshire Terrier type breeds who are prone to Tracheal Collapse as there is no pressure around the throat.

Regular harnesses attach around the dogs body giving you control of the body. When the dog pulls he is just restrained by the harness.

This dog is wearing a regular harness

A non pull harness is slightly different in that there are two cords that thread through the top of the harness when the dog pulls. These cords tighten slightly and when the dog stops pulling the cords will loosen. This shows the dog that when he pulls the harness becomes tighter but when he doesn’t it is loose.

This dog is wearing a non pull harness.

Halti - These will give you control of the

head; where the head goes the body will follow. If the dog is not used to wearing one of these, then slow introductions will be needed. Placing it on the dog while he eats and putting it on when playing or giving

treats will result in him associating it with good things.

Gradually introduce putting a lead on the dog. Most dogs resist at first as they do not like anything over the muzzle area. It is important to stress that these are not muzzles and will not prevent your dog from biting.

Canny Collar – A normal flat collar is fastened round the dog’s neck and the loop fastens around the nose, the two sides meeting behind the ears and the lead also clipping there.

Gentle leader – loops over the nose and clips behind the ears, with the lead fastening to the ring underneath / to the side of the dog.

Does your dog pull?

Halti – loops over the nose and clips behind the ears with the lead fastening on the ring underneath the dog’s mouth.

Half Choke / Full chokes

A roll collar – doesn’t damage the fur and allows for correction if put on the right way.

Half choke chain – allows for correction without being too harsh and can be used on young pups to adults as the chain will vary in size with the collar.

Full choke chain – should only be used if you know how to use them correctly as they can cause serious damage to a dog’s throat and even cause strangulation.

All of the equipment above will fit any sized dog. Ensure that it does fit correctly though as if it is too tight or too loose it will not work properly and may cause irritation to the dog and therefore the dog will not enjoy the walk.

You can start training your dog to walk to heel at a young age. If you find the dog is pulling you can try a few techniques below remembering though that you need to try one of them for a while before moving on if it is not working.

1. When your dog is pulling simply turn around and walk the other way. Don’t say anything, just turn and walk. When he is walking properly praise the dog and turn and walk the other way back on track. If he decides to start pulling you turn the other way quite rapidly without saying anything.

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3. When the dog is pulling simply stand still. Wait until the dog is calm and then proceed with the walk even if you only get a few feet ahead and he is pulling, stop and wait. You don’t need to say anything to the dog when you do this. If you find that when you stop still he is looking about or trying to pull to sniff somewhere, tell him to sit and wait until he is settled and not looking about etc., and then carry on with the walk.

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You may find that you are walking on the same spot for a while, but if this takes the length of time you have allocated for your walk then that’s all the dog gets.

You cannot do this with the halti type head collars as this will be too harsh and may harm to the dog if you are turning around abruptly.

2. Hold a treat in your left hand and the lead in your right. Hold the treat naturally by your left side and allow the dog to sniff it if he walks properly without pulling then give a little bit of the treat. Do this a few times then remove the treat from your hand and if he remains in the right position then reward with treat again. If he starts to pull get his focus back again with the treat. This may be a little harder with smaller dogs so try dropping the treat by the dog when he is walking correctly. Eventually you can faze out the treats.

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