Dog pulling on the lead to greet other dogs

D
Dianodhr Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone!

I'm back with a few more questions.

Basically, Rico is growing up (he's nearly 11 months old now), but there's one habit of his that hasn't changed at all.

And I'm pretty sure it's my fault!

On the lead, as soon as another dog passes us, he starts pulling like a maniac to go and see them.

So he's dog-reactive, but not in an aggressive way at all; it's purely for contact and play (though that doesn't stop him looking like a right tank).

I think I know where the problem started.

When he was a puppy, I was desperate to socialise him, so I used to let him say hello to other dogs while on the lead.

He didn't weigh as much back then, so I didn't really feel him pulling.

He's super sociable, and I think I've indirectly reinforced this behaviour by letting him go and see other dogs instead of ignoring them.

Even so, we've been working on his lead walking.

He walks well on the lead when there are no distractions.

In town or wherever, I can control him fine on the lead; he focuses on me, no worries at all.

When the other dog is far away (on the opposite pavement, for example), it's also fine. A "no" is enough to get his attention back on me.

But if, for example, the dog is only a couple of metres away, or if they're coming towards us and Rico spots them, it quickly becomes a struggle.

I still have some control, but he pulls and pulls!!

What I do is:

- either I whip out a bit of dry food or a toy before he sees the dog, keep him totally focused on me, and then we walk past at heel, without him even noticing

- or I make him lie down and stay, but that doesn't work every time...

On top of that, he gets about 2 hours of exercise a day:

1 to 1.5 hours off-lead in the woods every morning, always with other dogs; no behaviour issues there, good recall, attentive, etc.

20 mins at midday

40 mins around 6 or 7pm

15 mins before bed

So my question is this:

What should I do? Will he grow out of it? (I've been told this is fairly normal for a Labrador and that they calm down with age)

Do you have any techniques?

I work on obedience with him for about 20 minutes a day; he's pretty cool with that and learns fast.

Thanks, everyone!

Translated from French
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12 answers
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    • A
    Ayman Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there

    I used to have the same problem as you; my dog wouldn't listen and didn't respond to commands.

    Because of that, I decided to look for a way to fix it. I came across this training course that I bought for about £210. At first, I thought it was a scam, but after a few weeks, I noticed a massive difference. A big thanks to the person who put this course together; it really helped me and I’m sure it’ll help others too.

    Here’s the course:

    How to have an obedient dog

    How to train your puppy to be well-adjusted and easy-going while respecting their development

    https://1tpe.net/go.php?dat=YXplcnR5NjgucGF1bGluZWQuMg==&tk=

    Translated from French
    Bayiadventures
    Bayiadventures Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there! I've got a pup the same age, and I made exactly the same mistakes haha! He’s starting to get the hang of it now. To help me out a bit with that and his recall, I actually hired a dog walker who takes him out twice a week, and I’ve seen loads of progress! Something else I do when we're out on the long lead is let him go and say hello to other dogs about one time in five (with the owner's permission, obviously). I started from a distance, of course, and then gradually got closer. I’ll call out to him, "Bayi, no, leave it," and as soon as he looks at me, I make a huge fuss: "Yesss, good boy!" and so on. If it gets a bit much for him, I don't just turn away. Instead, I start jogging along while calling him in a proper silly voice, and as soon as he focuses back on me, he gets loads of praise! At the dog park as well, he tends to think playing with his mates is way more fun than following Mum to go home. So, I just walk off—I’ll even hide after a bit if I have to—and he eventually comes looking for me. Then he gets a big "well done" and a nice walk afterwards (either off-lead or on the long lead depending on the situation) through the park—yeah, the dog run is inside a big park where I live. Alongside that, I’ve been doing some frustration tolerance exercises at home, which have really helped too! It’s to get him to understand that "if you give this up, you might get something even better!" So often, if he gives up a treat, he gets to go for a walk. If he gives up a toy, he gets a proper play session! We’re gradually making it harder as he learns. (There are some great videos on YouTube for that kind of training! ;) )
    Translated from French
    M
    Mikado Icon representing the flag French
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    I’ve also learnt that you shouldn’t punish them, but rather focus on what the dog is doing right: positive reinforcement. A "well done", a treat, or a toy every now and then.

    Something else I do on a walk is ask him to sit; it’s a little exercise to make sure he’s listening and following commands.

    I also encouraged my dog to pick up a stick and I throw it for him, and he’s so happy to go and fetch it.

    And yes, the teenage phase isn't easy, but it’ll get better over time. For her too—all dogs are my mates! Training has been really beneficial for her as well as for myself.

    Translated from French
    M
    Mikado Icon representing the flag French
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    Of course, if he spots another dog he still pulls to try and get over to them, but otherwise, walks are going much better. It's definitely exhausting having a dog that pulls, and if mine sees a cat, it's even worse! He’s a gun dog, so he’s always sniffing around and paying attention to everything on the path. Ever since he was a puppy, he’s had both a harness and a collar. People used to tell me that a collar was better for training and walks because, with a harness, they know they can get away with pulling. But I didn't feel comfortable attaching the lead to his collar because he pulled so much; I didn't want him hurting his neck. However, at the training club, they require the dogs to wear a collar, so since it’s a secure area, I decided to give it a go. Over time, I’ve got into the habit of clipping the lead to his collar on the street too, as the training classes have really built up my confidence. He’s going through his teenage phase now, which means he does the exact opposite of what I ask. He has these little tantrums, as if he's the one calling the shots and he’ll rebel if I stop him from doing something... it’s a tricky stage. I’m standing my ground, though, because I want to show him that I’m the boss, not him.
    Translated from French
    M
    Mikado Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi @Dianodhr, I also have an 11-month-old dog who has been pulling for months. He’s very stubborn! I’ve been going to training classes for two months now and I can really see an improvement because they’re teaching them the "stay" command. He’s learning how to be patient. I go twice a week. My dog has that same habit as yours, @Dianodhr – always wanting to go over to other dogs – and I was at my wits' end because he’s incredibly strong. The difference is that I’m actually quite nervous around aggressive dogs, especially if they aren't on a lead, and I was a bit wary of my dog just wandering over to big dogs. I read online that if the lead is too short it’s not good because the dog feels the tension and ends up pulling even more. So I had an idea: I decided to join two leads together. I still had the lead from my previous dog as well as the one for my 11-month-old pup. Since I’ve started doing this, I give him more length and I’ve noticed he’s pulling much less.
    Translated from French
    Docline
    Docline Icon representing the flag French
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    When play isn’t wanted, you absolutely need to get into the habit of managing the positioning of everyone involved. If you make sure to act as a barrier between yourself and what they’re after (the other dog), they’ll have no choice but to give up...

    Translated from French
    Leeleebijou
    Leeleebijou Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi Dianodhr, If every time you came across other dogs when your pup was little, you headed straight for them, let him have a good play session, and often let him off the lead just because there was another dog around, then that definitely explains why he pulls now (dog = excitement, play, freedom). Plus, if you enjoyed seeing Rico interacting, he’ll have definitely picked up on that. Basically, it’s made those encounters the absolute highlight of his day. It would have been better to show Rico when he was smaller that there’s a time for other dogs, but that there are also plenty of other things to do on a walk—like sniffing around, chewing on things, finding "treasures"... essentially, turning the "other dogs" spotlight down a bit. So, you need to show him that a walk isn't just about "seeing his mates" but that there are loads of other activities to do instead. For example, if Rico focuses on you when you bring out a toy, it means he likes that activity, so maybe try more playtime with you/one-on-one attention and fewer other dogs. Basically: change the rhythm and what actually happens on your walks. Whether it’s actual aggression or just frustration, I think you need to anticipate it and grab his attention beforehand. "What I do: 1 – I either whip out a bit of kibble or a toy before he spots the dog, get his full attention on me, and then we heel past, simple as that." ==> I think that’s a great idea. You could also try getting him to focus just on your voice beforehand. "Good boy, heel, well done Rico," etc., and only once you’ve cleared the "red zone" do you reward him with a fuss, a toy, or a treat—whatever he prefers. "2 – Or I make him lie down and stay, but that doesn't always work..." For the reasons Flip described (him being hyper-focused on the other dog), I think it’s better to ask him to keep moving. You can reinforce this by picking up the pace and pointing further ahead. Or, you could suddenly find a patch of grass further up the path strangely interesting, by some wonderful "coincidence" ^^. Of course, if you put yourself between Rico and the other dog, you’ve got a much better chance of him focusing back on you. Ultimately, you’ll face different situations—from those where you can keep enough distance so Rico doesn't get "in the zone" (what you’re doing in option 1) to those where you’re caught off guard and a close encounter is unavoidable (where the second option is more appropriate).
    Translated from French
    M
    Mel1 Icon representing the flag French
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    @Dianodhr, as I understand you see dogs every morning, you should use that time to start the training exercises.

    That's what I do with my puppy; in the evening when we meet up with his mates to play, I try to keep him on the lead and keep him more or less calm (we're still in the early stages) and I ask him for a sit before letting him off.

    Out on the street, I alternate—sometimes we go and say hello and sometimes we don't. It's not always easy with a dog who has nothing but play on the brain.

    It might be worth going back to basics for a bit. If he can stay calm from a certain distance, that’s already a good start. You just need to work on closing that gap. Ideally, you’d have some helpers to work with, but that’s not always possible. Without them, it’s a bit trickier and you have to be strategic. Keep an eye out for where people walk their dogs, park yourself a little way off, and gradually reduce the distance.

    If by any chance you’re in my neck of the woods, I’d be happy to help you out, but I doubt that’s the case.

    Translated from French
    Flip-Cockwood
    Flip-cockwood Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi Dianodhr, I think the mistake in your case might actually be down to your own reaction. Basically, from what you've written, it sounds like whenever you see another dog, you're the one drawing attention to it. When you stop and ask him to lie down, you're putting him in a focused position on exactly what you don't want him to go towards. Since your own focus is on the other dog too, it’s asking a lot of him at his young age to manage that level of frustration. I think managing his frustration will happen more gradually and naturally if you help him stop fixating on the dog opposite. In your situation, I probably wouldn't give him the chance to stop and stare at the other dog. You could try repositioning him at your side at that moment, looking into the distance, ignoring the other dog, and walking with a purposeful, brisk pace. He’ll still look at the dog, but you need to stay focused on your own goal. To give you a better idea, imagine you've just been called about a family emergency; it's a safe bet that your dog crossing paths with another on the lead would be the last thing on your mind. In that situation, you wouldn't even pay attention to Rico, you’d just expect him to follow you... You can shorten the lead if needed at first. To begin with, he might pull a bit when passing another dog, but over time, the goal is for him to associate your own behaviour and energy in that moment with the same end result. I'm not sure if I'm explaining it well by saying 'energy of the moment = result', but dogs are great at sensing our energy and they know how to associate it with a specific intention—especially if it's repeated in the same circumstances. The association would then be: an external circumstance > your energy > a result = we don't stop = the desired behaviour.
    Translated from French
    D
    Dianodhr Icon representing the flag French
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    Yes, exactly! Mind you, he’s still been told off by a few dogs that weren't in the mood to play at all. And sometimes I take him for walks off-lead or on the lead with older dogs; once he gets a feel for the dog’s temperament, he adapts, so there are no issues there. But until he knows the dog, well, he just has to go over and see what they're all about... But yeah, he’s still very much into playing and still quite naive, with that "every dog is my mate" attitude (he’s never had a bad experience, luckily!).
    Translated from French

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