# How to get spaniel to walk nicely on the lead.



## TelH (14 March 2011)

Ok, so Alice Springer is 14 months old now. We did a few dog shows last year, just fun ones, nothing serious, to help with her socialisation as much as anything. I would like to do some more with her this year but we are having problems with her pulling like a train on the lead 

I can get her standing nicely and watching me but as soon as I tell her to walk she launches herself like a racehorse coming out of the stalls   When she did training classes the trainer said every time they pull stop and make them watch you then walk again and they should get the idea. But we are stopping like every 2 or 3 strides and the more we stop the more hyper she gets  She is the same every time I practise with her, we seem to have two speeds only, stop and flat out and we need to establish a happy medium somehow.

So I was wondering if there is a better way to train her to walk nicely  When she was in the puppy class at shows they were forgiven quite a lot of bad behaviour (one time the judge placed her first cos she "loves crazy spaniels"   ) But now she is too old for the puppy class I know she will get marked down badly for not walking nicely


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## cellie (14 March 2011)

Ive just finished my first course on puppy training.Our  instructors  dont agree with  pulling lead or stopping.We have  titbit in our left hand   and short lead in right  ask for heel/close  and basically   tease and reward dog for good behaviour  ie walking to heel. I found stopping doesnt work  only confuses the dogs. Training with  rewards  worked on  my  old  dog and new pup .If he pulls when out  for walks when he is going to the beach  I make sure I have  piece of meat  /sausage/cheese  something really tasty to make it worth his  while.You might have to work bit harder as  your dog is older but praise and reward is the only  way  that  I feel works.Tell him he is good  when he walks well too .


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## Paint Me Proud (14 March 2011)

this is by no means a substitute for correct and consistent training but ideal if sudden control is needed while on a walk etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iv7uanUCZY


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## weevil (14 March 2011)

cellie said:



			Ive just finished my first course on puppy training.Our  instructors  dont agree with  pulling lead or stopping.We have  titbit in our left hand   and short lead in right  ask for heel/close  and basically   tease and reward dog for good behaviour  ie walking to heel.
		
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This is what we are doing in my puppy classes. The problem being that my little spaniel x hooligan is brilliant when we are standing still and will sit, lie down etc for treats but as soon as we start moving he is not interested in any treats (even liver or cheese) and just glues his nose to the ground and pulls. He is getting better but it's slow progress...


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## Bop! (14 March 2011)

Getting a Spaniel to walk nicely on a lead...............Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! 

But seriously my only tip is take her for a really, really long, off lead walk before you even attempt to do any lead training.

My springer is nearly two and we are just about getting there - but she still pulls on the way out!


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## kirstyhen (14 March 2011)

In my experience most Spaniels learn to walk at heel off the lead better than they do on it. Including my horribley innattentive, bugger off and wouldn't come back Springer.
Even now he walks better off the lead than on, as soon as he feels restricted it's back to pulling, so I have to walk him on a very slack slip lead.


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## Cinnamontoast (14 March 2011)

I give up with my two. The easy-walk harness is stunning on road walks, gives a '10% reduction' in pulling (according to my OH) in the woods. It has a clip on the chest and simply turns the dog back to you if it pulls. the only thing I've found that has any effect is the canny collar. With persistence, that's fab. I'd rather the dog walked to heel with a simple collar and lead but two together can be tricky. 

I agree with KH: to heel without leads is much easier!


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## soloabe (14 March 2011)

This:
http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2008/10/12/silky-leash/


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## Puppy (14 March 2011)

weevil said:



			This is what we are doing in my puppy classes. The problem being that my little spaniel x hooligan is brilliant when we are standing still and will sit, lie down etc for treats but as soon as we start moving he is not interested in any treats (even liver or cheese) and just glues his nose to the ground and pulls. He is getting better but it's slow progress...
		
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Does that make Popple the hooligan!!


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## weevil (14 March 2011)

Puppy said:



			Does that make Popple the hooligan!! 

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I'm saying nothing....


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## Pipkin (14 March 2011)

My spaniel is abnormal, he`s never once pulled on the lead  didnt really train him either, used to take him out as a pup, give him his toy and he would walk along quite normal. he does sometimes stop mid walk to have his belly tickled though


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## Cinnamontoast (14 March 2011)

Ayla84 said:



			My spaniel is abnormal, he`s never once pulled on the lead  didnt really train him either, used to take him out as a pup, give him his toy and he would walk along quite normal. he does sometimes stop mid walk to have his belly tickled though

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Definitely abnormal! I so wish! I really envy those people I see with angelic dogs on leads. I've worked and worked so hard with these puppies all to no avail.


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## Nickijem (14 March 2011)

My only advice is to have it stuffed then put castors on its feet!!
Either that or learn to walk VERY fast


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## kirstyhen (14 March 2011)

There is a reason why Spaniels are inclined to pull. They are bred to work out in front of you, heeling is the last thing to be trained in a Spaniel not the first like a Lab, so even when they do heel it is rarely bang to heel. The Spaniel tests even allow for them to be slightly in front. 

My Parent's dogs don't pull either, all Spaniels, but then they are off the lead from day one and trained to heel without the lead. So they never have anything to pull on, once you put a lead on them the heel command is firmly in place, the lead has no job but for peace of mind.


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## Slinkyunicorn (14 March 2011)

Haha......wait until said spaniel gets to about 10 or 11


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## Pipkin (14 March 2011)

cinammontoast said:



			Definitely abnormal! I so wish! I really envy those people I see with angelic dogs on leads. I've worked and worked so hard with these puppies all to no avail.
		
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I think being brought up around lurchers he thinks he`s one....bless him trying to catch rabbits


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## Paint Me Proud (14 March 2011)

is that why spaniel owners always have excellent upper body strength!!! 

My family suggest all us spaniel owners join the Cani-Cross competitions - they say we'd win everytime!

(on another note - our spaniel, as a puppy, was asked to leave puppy training classes and asked to come back when she had developed more brain cells, lol!!)


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## CorvusCorax (14 March 2011)

I'd recommend a good training class, collar and lead combo and a really good incentive for the dog to walk on a loose line/at heel


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