Pulling causing blue tongue
Yesterday I took him to the park to try out cycling with him on grass. He ran around off leash for a while, to burn off some energy, then I attached him to the bike with his harness. Well!!! He wanted to run FAST!!! I guess the clear space ahead just made something in him click. I got him to sit but as soon as I started to move off (as calmly and as gently as possible) he just pulled like crazy. I had to keep the breaks pulled, as the speed would have been way too much. Within, I would say literally, 5 seconds he was panting really hard and his tounge turned blue  for a few seconds.
This frightened me so much I didn't do it again, I just couldn't get him to walk, or even jog. It was all or nothing. So I just cycled slowly with him offleash and let him run about. He kept trying to round up the bike so this is clearly not a safe option. Do you think I need a better harness? I was using this one perhaps it restricted his breathing? What do you guys who do pulling do? I tried getting him to heal, he knows the command "slow down" but out in the open space he was just ignoring me. Maybe we just need to practice? How can I teach him not to pull so hard? Thanks. |
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| Does he pull really hard like this when you just walk him on a lead? |
| He does pull when walking at first, then even more so when we approach the park as he gets so excited. We have tried turning around and going in the other direction, the pulling increases when we turn back though. There have been times when we never get there. When walking he usually needs yanking back a few times with the heel command, then he settles into the walk after a few minutes. The walk home is usually more relaxed.
We implement all the alpha stuff at home, we always go through doorways before him, eat before him, make him wait until he is released for his treats or food, make sure we are first out the door etc. |
| I had a dog like this years ago. I would suggest using a prong/pinch collar on him for walks until you can tell that he is always walking at a nice pace with you & no pulling whatsoever. It doesn't mean that something shouldn't interest him on a walk but at that point they should stop & stack & take a look....not lunge forward. With this type of collar he will correct himself. Once that is accomplished, graduate to using his regular collar but also put the prong/pinch collar on him, just hook the lead to the regular collar. If he misbehaves, hook the lead back on to the prong/pinch collar. You will find that soon he will be walking as he should be with both collars on. After awhile, no need for the prong/pinch collar anymore. As for biking with him, I don't have any suggestions on that. Maybe getting him to wlk properly & understand your commands when given with the correction collar on will turn the lightbulb on & he will understand to do the same with the bike. Then again, he may have a very stong herding instinct & the bike & a faster pace may kick that into gear. I have never done biking with my dogs. I walk my dogs & I ride my bike but not together.
Chsheepdog, posting form work! |
| I looked at the harness, it looks like it should be OK. I didn't see it on a dog, but it seems like the padded part would be well below his throat - more in the chest area and between his front legs? Does it creep up? or do you have a collar on too that was hooked to a lead?
I would do as ChSheepdogs mentioned - try the prong or pinch collar. I would be hesitant to put a harness on while biking, as he will pull more and there are increased risk of injury to the biker. Harnesses are made to pull in, so I wouldn't use it. The way a harness is made, they allow pulling without pressusre on the throat, so most dogs really learn to enjoy pulling when in a harness.......not what you want! |
| Yes the padded part is on his chest. I'm not about to try the walkydog with his collar, it would probably kill him. Do you know of dogs pulling until their tongue goes blue? It's not normal, is it? |
| He really needs more training before I would use the walky dog. I do use it with a smaller OES and she isn't allowed to pull against it, she must keep pace with me so to speak - although I do have to adjust to her - my rule of thumb (shared I think by Dairy Maid) is to keep her at a sedate trot as it were. I use an anti pulling harness turned around so the loop is on her back - it is very light and the harness is made of thin almost strings.
One thing I have done if I feel she may have too many distractions (we live in a resort community and some weekends are just overloaded with people and dogs) is to put her prong on her on a leash as well as her harness. If you are coordinated enough in your biking this might help - and we started off with very short walking sessions before we built up. ALternatively you could swith him to an xback harness and put him out front of a scooter or bike so he has to pull. |
Hint of Mischief wrote: Yes the padded part is on his chest. I'm not about to try the walkydog with his collar, it would probably kill him. Do you know of dogs pulling until their tongue goes blue? It's not normal, is it?
Actually, I have seen it. (Not with mine - other people's dogs) It doesn't seem to bother them - they just keep pulling if they aren't trained. Naughty Ru. I hope you get it worked out. I actually would be more concerned about the pulling as a bad behavior that you don't want him to continue than the blue tongue. The injury risk to you and Greg is what I worry about. And the fact that it is reinforcing a bad habit (pulling), that you are working so hard to break him of. I would use the pinch - he will learn, and start behaving himself. Then transistion back to the harness if you want. |
| So you have your dog in a harness and she's still able to pull and choke herself?
Ughhh, I am wondering how to get better control with our puppy. |
Hint of Mischief wrote: He does pull when walking at first, then even more so when we approach the park as he gets so excited. We have tried turning around and going in the other direction, the pulling increases when we turn back though. There have been times when we never get there. When walking he usually needs yanking back a few times with the heel command, then he settles into the walk after a few minutes. The walk home is usually more relaxed.
the real goal should not be getting to the park, but getting there with no pulling. If he increases the pulling when you turn around trun arouind - quickly - again and again until he gets it and try walking off sideways etc, not just in the opposite direction - he should always be following your cues. Heeling is a performance cue and probably what you are looking for is a loose leash walk - work toward that ideal and don't confuse him with commands. The park could be too much for him at this time. |
| Another thing to possibly rule out - is that he isn't picking up on any of the bitches being on heat!
This is one of the things that really gets Archie focused on a set path and determined to get somewhere (And ignoring me) Teenage boys huh!  |
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