I don't usually comment on videos, but I have to. I have a 1 year old lab who is perfect in the house, but a pain outside. We felt like we could not walk him due to how embarrassing the pulling would be on a walk. I tried the directional changes and the engagement/attention was like a completely different dog. My girlfriend walked the dog in the evening and came back crying because of how well he walked. That was a 15 minute session with him. Thank you so much, we will move on to heel now
@@raniaally8338 thought i'd give an update - one day something just clicked in my lab. He now walks perfect compared to where we was and I think it's knowing his cues and what causes him to pull. We use a halti and his recall has improved with rewarding. He has some bad days but they're still golden days to where he was before. It'll come!
Omg! I have the sweetest golden doodle, 9 months. The worst puller ever! I just did this... By the time we walked around the block she barely needed a leash!!! My neighbors probably think we're crazy with all the back and forth, but it's so worth it! Thank you so much!!!!!! And now she is passed out! Lol
Tried this with my 1 year old Huskita who drags me around on walks. 20 minutes later he was walking beside me and giving me a little engagement which is better than normal. With time and perseverance I can see him learning to walk nicely. Thank you so much!!
Just mind that every person who takes you dog for a walk should do the same! I followed Fenrir's advices but saw little progress with my dog. Took me some time to figure out my wife/ kids don't do that and just let our dog to pull. Now i had to train my family ;D
Brandon mcmillan is the most gentle, thorough and effective dog i've ever encountered. My friend and i love the dog show and never miss it. So many times we've shed a tear of happiness just seeing a dog's life changed forever when proper training is applied and they go on to live their lives the way they should. I have brandon's book th-cam.com/users/postUgkxK8-VQWpYThx4IC6MiIvb6VS1ebTzzdxq in two formats. Not only the paperback version but also the kindle version to refer to when i don't have the paperback along with me. I have used his methods with my cavalier kc spaniel and turned a non-disciplined furbaby into a companion who has traveled thousands of miles with us across the country. He is a near perfect dog thanks to brandon's methods. I don't get one cent of kickback for recommending brandon but i do it because i love dogs. They deserve to be given a chance. Brandon's mission in life - to rescue dogs and place them in a forever, happy home - is very dear to my heart. I recommend his methods to anyone who has a dog - young or old. I've seen him take even old dogs and teach them. Brandon was an animal trainer before his current mission. His parents were animal trainers. His methods are the best i've ever found. Your furbaby will thank you for spending the money on this book. Don't hesitate - it is worth every cent.
I really like the fact that u didn't rely on treats in this training, and that u put the emphasis on leadership and relationship. I'm looking forward to trying this with my dog!
I find it cringe that people use food bribery so much. This is straight from the dog whisperer mentality. This video was really good, random video suggested to me by youtube
I did find the high pitch responses funny. They arent necessary but its all preference and as long as you get the tonality right, that is the main thing. Really not saying its a bad thing at all, his tonality is perfect which is the important thing, just saying you can achieve the same results with variations in tone, without such variation in pitch. Thought it was cute tbh 😅 a big burly, beardy man going into falsetto 😂😊👍🏻
You don't need anything specific as long as the response you give is something the dog wants or likes. Attention and guidance can be just as good as treats, but that depends entirely on the dog. What often creates the chaos is if the dog doesn't understand what causes a reaction, or perhaps doesn't even know that there are any possible effects of its behavior. I think that might have been the case with this particular dog. For example if you try to bribe the dog with treats indiscriminately, you can accidentally reward the difficult behavior so it gets worse. As an owner you just have to change your mindset. You don't want him to stop pulling. You want him to follow you and look to you for direction, so that's the behavior you want to reinforce. In almost every case this positive reinforcement works a lot better than punishing bad behavior. The dog will focus its mind on whatever you pay attention to, whether good or bad. Focus on the good thing = happy dog. Funny thing is it's exactly the same with people, and particularly children. Just be structured about it and your family and friends will lose all their annoying behaviors and they won't even know it:)
random question i notice in a lot of these videos it’s about engagement, how is my dog supposed to use the bathroom if they are just looking at me the whole time?
Yep. Yep it can be 😂 we keep taking our neighbours lab, she’s a fantastic dog, great recall, amazing toy drive but oh my gosh does she pull when she gets over excited
Your stress is felt by the dog, increases their anxiety, and reduces your role as leader. Find a safe place to train the basics, then step out to the busy world. Know, like people, no dog is perfect nor always on cue.
9 year old pittie...always pulled on the leash. I watched so many vids on stopping it, and this is the first method that worked. She seems MUCH happier on walks now, too!
Brilliant! One of the first training videos I've watched on TH-cam that brought such incredible respect, affection, and understanding for the dog, nurturing the dog's desire for relationship. No pain, no discipline, no dominance. Just direction, praise, affection, and connection. I am dog-sitting a 7-month, 75-lb, untrained and headstrong Lab. I'm a 5'5", 68 yo woman, so struggling with his strength and complete lack of engagement. 10 minutes and I was already getting a loose lead heal and eye contact for portions of time. Thank you!
This gives me hope. I have an 8 month old 70lb. German shepherd and he pulls badly. He has pulled me off my feet before. I'm 5'4" 55 year old. Thanks for letting me know there is hope.
@@shanaherndon2777 Wishing you and your baby so much success. Creating connection and relationship in this simple process truly works miracles. I've used it now with many large dogs in my pet-sitting business...so rewarding and effective.
This is literally my dog: 3 years, golden, puller, runner, and more. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH. I was in tears yesterday and feel hopeful today. Cannot afford training and this is an appreciated gift.
Go to Pet Smart buy a “ no pull” harness. The are scientifically proven ,,the leash attaches to the harness in the front chest area of the dog. Works like a charm , my dog was a MAJOR puller not with this type harness. Such a simple fix for a major problem..
You are amazing! I trained my border collie to stop pulling on her leash in 10 minutes. I used your phrase "let's go" and walked her on her leashe up and down a country path about fifteen times and now she is trained. We live in the countryside and so she was only put on a leash to go to the vet's office. There she was an embarrassment, hauling on the leash and making gagging noises as she strained against her collar. Now the phrase "let's go" means that she walks at my side or a little in front with or without the leash. She also changes direction the second she sees me do so, especially if I say "let's go" to her as well. I wish I'd seen your video two years ago. She learned so quickly that it feels like a magic trick. Thank you.
Thats great, however be careful with this human centered leadership. It is indeed great and important however i warn a bit to no overdo it. Had a border collie who was so well trained that even without leash he wouldnt leave my side except to herd a group neither did he really play or engage with other dogs or simply let himself go because he was so "well" trained to always ask the human for guidance which i find for a pet dog unnecessary constricting. Like with all behavior training balance is key
I just adopted my exes puppy two weeks ago, I’ve been practising “look at me” but with moderate success, but I can’t take him anywhere because he pulls like a wild beast. I swear to God I opened up this video on our walk and I started going back-and-forth and by the end of the walk the leash was loose and he was following beside me. It’s impressive how quickly that showed results! Dude Count me in as a new subscriber. Fantastic work!
did you get a slip lead? that will do 90% of the work for you. night and day. whatever it costs (I paid $50 for the only one in my local pet store), it's WORTH IT!
@@pineyridge7465 OMG me too! I was brought up strictly to use the harness, ended up switching to a simple lead and it's like any dog thereafter wasn't the same doggy as before.🤗
Iv started this with my dog Two half hour sessions he walks like a gentleman I enjoyed the dog walk for the first time today. Thank you so much for taking the time to film this Legend 👍🏻🙏
I have always been very sceptical of people who say "I can sort a dog out in no time", so to see someone who knows and understands his craft doing exactly that is a complete revelation. The addition of a clear and straightforward explanation of what is going on makes for an excellent video - makes we wish we had a dog !
It’s more a “if you know you know” type deal. I’ve had to “correct” many friends and family members dogs from walking issues like this to dominance issues ect. I openly laugh at people in public who can’t control their dogs while my large one is calming walking 1 step behind me.
I wasn't expecting the rude and condescending tone in half the replies under this comment. "We" as in the original poster and their partner or family (don't be daft) and not having a dog is not an indication of anything negative at all.... Actually, in my opinion, it's an indication that they are smart and responsible. Having a pet is a huge deal and responsibility. People get them thinking it's a cute toy or some shit and they end up neglected or rehoming them. Irresponsible as shit. Not everyone's life is conducive to having a pet...... that is IF they intend on being a decent pet owner...... quit being idiots 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I have a puller. 5 months old and my sweet Violet goldendoodle behaves exactly as this dog initially did. I’m excited about the probability of a nice calm walk.❤
My husky is a terrible puller and I've just watched this today, I've implemented what you've said and honestly tonight's walk was the best one we've had yet. Thank you so much for this advice, it absolutely works. I can't thank you enough, we will definitely keep working on this.
I've spent 5 years with my dog trying to herd everyone and pulling on her lead and me trying every gimicky "game training" plan I could pay for. 20 minutes following this and my Collie is walking like a different dog. Thank you so much for this video.
This is so refreshing to read! I have a 4 year old lagotto who is driven by his nose and pulls so much. I was starting to think it was too late to change his behaviour. I’m going to buy a slip lead today and start retraining him. 🤞🏻
If you have a moment, would you mind sharing what aspect of game-training didn't work for you? I'm a "trainer-in- training" myself and just curious as I'm finding it pretty cool and effective so far with the dogs I'm working with. Any renowned trainers or methods you found ineffective? Would love any input (IF you get a chance. TIA!) 😊
Oh I felt this. We did a couple of turns and she plopped herself on the floor defiantly, while I was “let’s go”-ing around her. I have yet to find something (anything!) that works on Sammies.
@@nessa7979 how old is yours? I’m really hoping that mine is still in her teen phase - but I can also see it in her eyes that we’ll be doing this for the next 14 years or so 🥲
@@nessa7979 young puppies are a little more stubborn because they don’t learn quite as fast or get the concept, but if you stay persistent and don’t forget the reward part you’ll be alright
I have two 4 month old golden retriever puppies. They are awful pullers and have become incredibly naughty in the last two weeks. Taking them for a walk this morning almost broke me after 2 weeks of ignoring commands, having to pick up dog poo from almost every room in the house every day, a constant cycle of carpet cleaning, a constant need to tell them off for one thing or another. Iove them, they are goofy and fun, incredibly clever and loving and great company, but I really wasn't enjoying being a dog owner at all. I took each puppy out on their own and did this and the difference is incredible. It's not just their behaviour either, I realised that I was so busy struggling with the behaviour that I had lost sight of them as puppies that I love and enjoy being with. The engagement has helped the relationship no end. Thank you, from a happy puppy owner
Trained my newly adopted deaf pitbull to heel using this method after watching this video but instead of voice inflection, I changed it to the ASL sign for “clapping”. Love your method.
This is one of the best examples of teaching a dog to walk on the lead. So informative and clear! I love that you explained why this type of dog just needs direction (and fun!), and that providing leadership gives them the chance to relax. Dog behaviourists seem very split down the middle these days: some don't take the time to build engagement with a dog and overly correct; others think correcting a dog and showing leadership is out-of-date. It was fab to see a balanced approach and the end results speak for themselves. Nothing better than a pack walk with calm, happy dogs! Definitely one of the best channels for dog training and rehab.
@dane Whether or not dogs are like wolf or exhibit true pack behaviour does not invalidate leadership. Leadership is still there, in families (which after all what a wolf pack is). Dogs do exhibit dominance and submission, and do respond to leadership. Just becuase something may not happen for the exact biological reason claimed a. doesn't mean that form conditioning does not work, b. doesn't validate the alternatives by virtue of that.
@dane It is helpful to get rid of the term apha since it has a very strict definition in biology which does not apply to dogs or wolves (which are family groups with dominant parents). The claim that dogs don't see humans as the same as them while may to true to a degree, doesn't mean they don't see a relationship to their owner and look to them for leadership, leadership is not simply a life coach for the dog but a role for the dog, who do respond to cooperative. This relationship can be either functional or not, and they are fully domesticated animals unlike cats. This cooperative leadership goes back to our shared evolution with dogs, to the point at which they protected our livestock from predators. As they becuase dependent on us, the cannot go back. Cats on he other can are wild with in 2-3 generations. Your are alluding to an a ethical point that applies to humans, but dogs don't have awareness of this ethical point and even apply their behaviours to us (without guidance), Nevertheless we do so becuase this is our duty of care to them. However some concern to care can actually not be ethical, if a well intentioned approach doesn't provide the dog with security. All territorial animal need to feel secure and if their owner is not providing them that or a role in that, they will act out or develop neurotic behaviours (that aren't usually seen is healthily animals in the wild).
It's understandable that dogs chose to ignore us.. engagement is key, however the basics of energy is forgotten/overlooked. "Behavioural correction" not necessary, especially when you understand the natural behaviours of Canines. Wear him out before even attempting anything. Consistency is key.. create good habits and your dog will respond well.
I cannot thank you enough for this. It literally took me 20 minutes for my dog to do the same thing. So far, I trained 2 of our adult dogs and one of our puppies. I mimicked your "good boy" "thank you" and the dogs love it!
I have a 9months golden retriever, and he pulled like crazy. I watched this video and tried the method on him for 30mins, and it works like magic! I will continue to train and build the engagement. Thank you for sharing this!
I respect this no-bribery approach very much. I'd imagine that in a situation where your dog encounters for example wild game it won't resist it's hunting instinct just because offer some treats. When the dog searches your attention and approval instead, he will listen to your commands. Great video!
@@cloudsunicorns194 True. And they missed that this (obviously very good) trainer *said* he uses food- he’s just not using it at this point. I work exactly the same way, using food to reward when it’s the best time and place for it, and skipping it when it’s not. I don’t fuss about food/no food. It *is* a good thing (to all of us, including dogs), so it *can* be a reward. Anything a dog likes and wants more of is a reward, and food is definitely on that list. Those are the facts. It’s about understanding the *difference* between a bribe and a reward, and *how* to use it as the latter. People who call food a “bribe” just don’t know that difference, so they use it as a bribe, which doesn’t work, because they’re right- bribes don’t work to reinforce and change behavior like rewards do, and unfortunately, their “all food is a bribe” misconception is reinforced. Like all good dog training, it’s not the dog, it’s what the person at the other end of the leash understands- change that, change the dog. To that end, I’ll ask the “food is a bribe” people to ponder a few questions: Is your paycheck a bribe? Do you earn it with your behavior? Do you enjoy getting it? Did it add relevancy to the work you did to get it? If you stopped getting it, would you still show up for work? 😉👋
6:15 "I'm in charge of this walk." This, I feel, is one of the absolutely most important concepts that many dog owners don't understand. In order to have a well behaved, safe, and happy dog, the owner *needs* to be able to assert and provide guidance and instruction, and demonstrate consistently that they are the person in the relationship who gets to decide what is happening. The very simple notion of, "yes, I know you want to go that way right now, but that isn't what we're doing," is something dogs will pick up on very quickly when given the appropriate indicators to pay attention to it, and, as you've demonstrated here, this can be done without any cruelty or punishment, but rather simply by intentional communication.
My boyfriend and I adopted a five year old Australian shepherd mix who has had no training whatsoever. I would stop walking her after five minutes because of the excessive pulling almost knocking me over. I watched this video and decided to give it a shot. For the first time in three months since we’ve had her, she is more interested in us than anything else and we even tried off leash in the backyard which was even better than on the leash. Thank you so much for making these videos!
Watched this vid and bought a slip lead. First walk was today and the misery that was walking my nans dog was instantly gone. They were talking about getting rid of the little bugger as they cant walk him anymore. Thanks to this I think we might be able to train him, and keep him around.
One of our dogs has always struggled with socialization and walking. We attributed it to his background (abandoned huskie rescue) and just tried to live with it after seeing a behavior therapist and trying anxiety medication (recommended by therapist and approved by vet). After yet another embarrassing incident on a walk Monday i spent an hour watching some of Wills videos and wanted to start over with training from step one. It's Wednesday today, and I just got back from the 3rd in a row loose leash walk, as in he's at my side for 20 minutes straight walking near perfect. . Things are going amazing. My best guess is every training technique we used before was food reward/driven, but Will said to focus on engagement - and it's working so much better. I'm so happy and thankful I found this. *EDIT* I just wanted to clarify some things: I spent maybe 10-15 minutes the first day doing a 'tune up' and he's been loose leash walking since then. He had never loose leash walked in his life before this except in the backyard with constant food rewards and basically zero distractions. Socializing is still a challenge but it's also improved dramatically. It used to be the moment we see another animal constant howling and extreme pulling (constant pull on walk even without distractions prior remember). Now we can see another dog and head straight at it and around 25' is when we lose engagement...BUT we're able to redirect away and get back to moving and engaging shortly. We're taking socialization slower, but for the first time in a decade I have hope/believe that he can become a well adjusted dog and enjoy the outdoors with me even more. I'm just sitting here still in awe over the whole thing. A weight has been lifted off my (and his) shoulders. I am eternally grateful.
I'm such a psychology nut and seeing the way you built off his reactions and responses and encouraged them to make him better behaved is so incredible.
if you want to learn more about how stuff really works, dive into human phychology first. "dog phycology" has been ruined as a scientific topic cos most of it isnt scientific, been taken over by people who think the 4 quadrants are equal and somehow 'balanced' or that pet dogs are pack animals ^ like the comment above
I can now happily walk all 3 of my dogs at once, and my arm doesn't feel like it's going to fall off. Now I'm gonna look through your videos to find one about reacting to other dogs while on a walk. More than words can express, thank you. 🎉
You have to be the best, kindest, most gentle and effective trainer I have ever come across on TH-cam. Trust me I've watched so many but you are the REAL DEAL. Good on you mate! Love you!!!
All I’ve seen are videos that only use treats, my puppy ignores them and he’s tiny I can’t always crouch down to engage him with treats, he’s more engaged without them. This is amazing I can’t wait to try it.
all animals can be made friends without food bribes. Even those pesky cats :P > it is amazing how far you can get with a cat if you know how to approach them without giving a single treat. Cats love warmth and cuddles - just wanna feel safe :)
Yeah my problem was that my dog learned if she pulled and then relented she would get a great. Essentially she trained me, not the other way around and it was really hard to break that.
Great video. It would be wonderful to see the dog walking again with his owner and see how you can guide and correct them to continue with the good work you have done.
My dog is 2.5 years old and has always been a puller, but it's gotten way worse since I moved to a new neighborhood with lots of squirrels. After just a few minutes of working on this, my walks him are 1000x less frustrating. I even added another dog to the equation and he still did great. He still needs work and reinforcement, of course, but if I get this much improvement in 20 minutes, I look forward to seeing what 20 days and 20 weeks of discipline might yield! Thank you for this resource.
I’ve watched a lot of different trainers and I feel like this is among the most straightforward and sensible ones, what with how you say that an action shouldn’t be a result of bribery but instead of engagement and relationship. This helps a lot, I plan to practice this way more often. Thank you.
So simple and so, so helpful. My girl is a very distracted walker who pulls JUST enough to be annoying. Practiced for maybe 5 minutes in my backyard midday, and then throughout our long evening walk with several sniff breaks. The joy in our walk increased exponentially. Thank you!!!
I love how you use a light hand to correct, because that's all you need. And he's still engaging and learning. I also love how you speak to him and warn hom before the directional change. So many trainers just jerk the dog off his feet randomly without thinking of how the dog is supposed to anticipate that movement without engaging or being taught. He's being rewarded and encouraged for engaging, changing direction, and make the correct choice! No wonder this works!!!
"Take the weight of the world off the dog's shoulders". We are there to help them to find that love of life they desperately need. We enjoyed the reminder that it's a mutual work not only to be of service to the owner but also to free the dog from stress and alienation. Bravo!
I've been struggling with a big dog for weeks. This worked within seconds, and he immediately responded to the positivity. Thank you so much. I enjoy my walks so much more now. It gets easier every day.
I did this with my dog three days ago and I now live a much more peaceful life outside thanks to Will! I didn't think it would work as quickly or continue working with him as I've tried training routines before, but I was wrong! I've been going on stressful, pulling walks for longer than I'd like to admit, now my dog is completely different and walks are enjoyable! Changed my life and helped him with his reactivity triggers too.
I'm only at 4.29 into the video and I've got to stop and say thank you! I took my puppy to a training class where they pushed food rewards for absolutely everything and it reversed all the training I'd already done with my pup to that point. Lottie was amazing at sit before the training classes but after it took forever because she constantly wanted food. It also made her pester me at meal times which she hadn't done before the training classes. The people the ran the class didn't seem to understand my frustration with good based rewards and it made me feel like the crazy one but you've summed it up perfectly in a matter on minutes. I want my dog to respond to me because of our connection and because I've asked her to do something - not because I've had to bribe her. Thank you again.
We have a year-and-a-half-old labrador retriever and we have tried everything for his pulling. I watched this video and decided to try this out and bought a slip. Within 20 minutes Rollo was the most engaged I have ever seen him. Honestly it was like a breath of fresh air. We did this in the driveway and started to go up the street just a little bit. He was great on the driveway but as soon as there was grass and smells he would get distracted. When he would break attention we would switch our way. Will keep doing this every night with him and build up to a taking a walk with full engagement.
Found your biting video last night . Just in 12 hours it’s worked miracles for my 10 month old GSD rescue. Now I’m going down the rabbit hole of your channel. Subscribed and bingeing. Love your content! You’re like Eddie Hall but with dogs!
Haven’t even finished watching the whole video and I already feel confident about my 8mo old husky. He doesn’t always pull on walks but he pulls hard when he does. And the engagement is definitely not there. Thank you in advance. There’s a million training videos out there but something made me stop on yours. I feel good about this!
Thank you so much! 15 month old Bernese Mountain Dog, pulling like mad… 20 minutes of direction changes and lots of positive encouragement and she started walking by my side. First 5 minutes she was a bit reluctant as in “hang on what’s going on, normally I’m in charge and not him” but then she went with it and for me it was the best walk we had after constantly being stressed and freaked out by her pulling.
I cannot express how helpful this video is! My fiance showed me this after my puppy tripped me this morning. I always thought it was because he was too excited, but this video changed so much in so little time! I was a little apprehensive trying this with a 4.5 month old, but wow. I cannot thank you enough!!!
I've been watching many different train your dog videos but this is the first I was able to do with immediate success. I walk 2 dogs together, a 4 year old scent hound who is strong, and a younger terrier. I have been working on engagement and been able to use these techniques on both at the same time. Its amazing how fast they have changed. Thank you
I have a twelve year old dog who is responding to this training…she’s lost a little discipline as she’s getting older and we go out for long hikes much less often…this works. Thank you!
I LOVE watching/listening to your videos Will!! Aside from your BANK of canine knowledge, your voice and accent make listening so FUN AND EASY!! It’s almost HYPNOTIZING!!☺️ This said, my daughter brought home an Australian Shepard puppy 6 months ago. This dog has to be the most WILD ANIMAL THAT EVER EXISTED. We live in a very modest home and she runs SINGLE-SECOND CIRCLES in it- we describe her as a STREAK OF COLOR instead of as a dog… lol. Attempting to walk “Shiesty” is a CLOWN SHOW. People of all ages, from all areas come out to watch us fail MISERABLY!!🤡 Trying to walk Shiesty is a full body workout. All we are REALLY doing is trying to save ourselves from being DRAGGED… The MOMENT we attach her leash, we are against what seems like 400+lbs of RELENTLESS PULLING. The SECOND the leash clicks, all 4 paws hit the ground running and don’t stop until we remove the leash.🥵 I’ve watched so many of your videos trying to find the necessary guidance we need. So far nothing relates to our specific situation. I’ve possibly overlooked a helpful video or just haven’t listened well enough to the hear the appropriate teaching… Anything you could reference for us would be AMAZING!! Again- we just LOVE YOU and think your work is ONE OF A KIND!!😉
beautiful training! love the 'don't care about this yet! we'll fix that later attitude' gives the dog like all the time in the world to adjust in his speed.
I absolutely LOVE that you don’t bribe but rather build a mutual connection! My dog is very food motivated but I always had an issue with using food in training. I’m my eyes it just reinforces a bad habit. It’s nice to see a training video that doesn’t depend on treats. My golden just turned 1 and he is out of control on the leash to the point where I ended up in the hospital for 2 slipped discs. I was convinced that I am just not used to the breed and their energy level after having a Pyrenees. Now that I see another golden doing the same thing and learning very quickly, I have hope that he will learn with your direction. I was convinced he is ADHD because he doesn’t have “engagement” outside on a leash. In the house he’s the opposite, like Jekyll and Hyde! But as soon as we go outside of the house I lose total control. Thanks for the video. I will start trying your techniques in the morning!
ENGAGEMENT!! That is the key here and you’ve demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing the walk to establish that key connection to a dog giving itself over to a worthy pack leader. Thank you for this excellent demonstration.
Absolutely fantastic..Dog training without fear and pressure. I also had a goldie many years ago, he was lovely in the house,but dragged me around outside. The dog training in Germany was very harsh at these times,so I stopped that and did it by myself the best I could. I wish I had a trainer like you…But Sam and I were best buddies until he passed away at the age og 12. He was so loved by all of us and we miss him so much…He was such a good boy..
I recently adopted a now 1.5 year old male Catahoula Leopard Dog in May 20023 from a rescue shelter. They're known for their stubbornness but hes not that bad. Hes a great dog, happy, smiling and calm as ever! He loves leash walks more than anything and i figured out that its his one on one time with me only regardless the surroundings or if otheer dogs are present. Most of the time hes 70% engaged which makes for a nice walk but some fine tuning is needed. Watching your video one time showed me exactly how to deal with this. After one walk i saw a 15% improvement in his eye contact with me and his ear were more alert for my next command. Due to his previous life at the shelter and a couple of bad fosters, he has some anxiety but im working with him ❤ What i noticed next was a bit surprising, he was so happy to do these commands and its like he felt an accomplishment as well. I appreciate how you did this so easily and quickly.
I needed this video a few years ago! We had a beautiful rescue Labrador dog but was a shocker on the lead and would constantly pull. My wife ended up paying someone to help us but still struggled. Watching this video all makes sense and was probably all we needed to do. 👍Sadly Locky passed away a while ago now but at least we had him for the time we did. Cheers
Please read below! Just got back from a walk, and simply had to comment. We have a spaniel who pulls. She isn’t the biggest so not a huge force but still frustrating and a habit to remove. I was about to contact a local dog trainer / walker for a personal training session however I watched this morning. After doing 6-8 turns in the first few moments of the walk, had an immediate impact. After continuously turning at times during the walk at random occasions, the engagement levels went up ten fold. I would describe the change from a pulling dog, to a dog that wouldn’t stop looking at me as a Miracle. This morning I can say was the best walk with my dog.
I LOVE this training technique! I've been a professional dog trainer for decades now and this is my go to method of getting dogs and humans walking together.. The "dreaded drag" easily and quickly becomes a wonderful walk. It's incredibly rewarding for everyone involved. Thank you for demonstrating this so well. : )
This sort of content is invaluable. We have a Pomeranian/Spitz so he's only around 10KG and when he used to pull on walks despite being a small dog it was still a complete nuisance. I can't imagine having a 100lb+ Mastiff dog that just pulls in the same fashion. Great video.
Hello. I’m just back from my walk with my beautiful dog Hamish and I used this technique for the first time. I’m actually rather emotional, not to mention how proud I am of Hamish I rescued him from Bulgaria 3 months ago. He’d never had a home. He’d never had a chance to bond with a human. He was living on the street his entire life before he was rescued. He’s has come a long way where his behaviour is concerned but when outside on the lead he pulled as his sole focus was scavenging for food. I did manage to lesson his pulling but I still felt a bit lost as I just could not get his attention. I pleased to say that it went better than I ever expected!!! I did the directional change first the once we had that down I introduce some training treats to get his full attention and to walk beside me ( this has never happened before) I’m amazed it worked. Also his was bouncing around. This is the first time he has actually enjoyed and had fun. Thank you so very much indeed. You’ve helped to strengthen the bond and the love with my wee man. I will continue with this for a day or so then tackle “ Jumping up” I’m so very proud of him and I think he felt it too!!!
I would just like to share a few things also from my experience. I work in a shelter, i rescue and do some basic leash/obediance training here in Spain. The majority of dogs i work with are whats known as PPP, which roughly translates as dangerous dog breeds, so pitbulls, american bulldogs, rotti's, german shepards etc. Some come to us with hip/back leg/back problems with abuse and genetic difficulties, so i personally try to use just 'wait and no' with the leash work, as making a dog sit can be uncomfortable for some of them, also the terrain can be hot/cold/wet/rough etc etc etc, so i try to look as holistically at them as possible and try include the possibility of sitting being a painful or problematic experience. Ive found the obediance attention does not change from a wait as oppossed to a sit. So i try to lean more towards the wait rather than the sit.... But in all the situations, the joy from the dog is always the reward for me, seeing them go from a pulling dog to an obediant happy dog is just priceless......:)
Thank you so much for this technique!!!! I Have been struggling to leash train my lab/shepard puppy, and the bigger he gets the harder he pulls. Took him out in the driveway and tried this for 20 minutes and we have already made so much progress! Loved his reaction and I feel so confident that we can do this now!
Watched some of this. I own a Siberian Husky and she's a strong puller she's still in her puppy age. It's understandable but such a trouble to walk her. I love how you don't use the choke collars and stress the dog. I cannot wait to try this it seems very trusting to work! Edit - Doing the method first day is going amazing my husky is not pulling as much and calmer around dogs! Thanks :)
Slip lead is similar theory to a ‘Choke Chain’ as it pulls when you need control. It shouldn’t choke them. It’s like a horse rein. Harness means they control you and you can’t mimic loose lead.
Kweli, slip lead sits just up below the ears, redirects the head and does not pull on the throat or wind pipe. Short term use for heal work then do away with it and move to regular lead.
My Golden Retriever here in the US is 100% like the dog you're working with! Same grooming on the tail, same smile, same gentle personality, same pulling me along while trying to walk him. When I first got him he tore some of my back muscles from pulling so hard and me using all my strength to try to hold him back. You sir, are a magician. It's late as I'm writing this but I'll work with my dog as you suggest as soon as I can. Wonderful video, thanks for posting it.
I love how happy you sound when you are saying ' good boy'. Amazing video, and it explains very well how to get your dog engage with you. I will try this today, and tomorrow with my girl as she is pulling so much on the lead. We got slip lead which I will use it too. Thank you ❤
I am so thankful that I’ve found this video. I have struggled so much trying to get my dog (GSD) to not pull. Blood, sweat and tears have been a common theme. Now, after watching your video, I see so clearly where I’ve been going so completely wrong. I feel dreadful that I have been cruel to my girl by expecting so much, BUT now I’m ready to really get to work in such a positive and fun method (for both of us).
You're a magician Will! Your methods are working like an absolute charm on my 15 month old, 90lb German Shep. This one was a life saver. A million thanks Sir!🙏💕
I tried this out and it worked soooooo well. I feel like this will also help with my dog not going for squirrels too because he’s paying more attention to me and not surrounding. So basically this trick will help with other problems too because of the dog learning more engagement.
This is THE BEST video I've ever seen, on this subject. All of these techniques depend on engagement with the trainer. Heeling is a bit complex but this expert is brilliant in clarifying the issues, problems and solutions. Engage with your dog, elicit the dog's engagement and you can succeed as a team. Then amazing things are possible. Well done Mr. Fenrir!
Looking after my brothers dog long term (tldr newborn has allergies to the dog) and she is the goodest of golden retrievers but man does she pull. Don't have a slip lead yet but basically did this with her today. It seemed to have worked too well. She is now following me around the house as if she has a lead on and if she walks in front of me because something is in the way and I've stopped and let her go first, she goes to the side and stops and waits for me before continuing with me. My brother is honestly going to be mind blown when he sees her next.
Thank you so much for this vidéo my dog of 7 months is giving me a hard time while walking it’s been a huge pain for me to walk her everyday and being pulled like a small potato 😂 I’ll give it a try and hopefully I’ll come back with a good result ❤thank you again
You have the very best “good boy” voice ever!
I even went to sit up right.
misca musca good boy hahaha
he sounded like the clown from IT
Facts we all some dogs that need to get the Weight off our shoulders lol 😂
I know I could listen to him talk all day. I love accents!
I don't usually comment on videos, but I have to. I have a 1 year old lab who is perfect in the house, but a pain outside. We felt like we could not walk him due to how embarrassing the pulling would be on a walk. I tried the directional changes and the engagement/attention was like a completely different dog. My girlfriend walked the dog in the evening and came back crying because of how well he walked. That was a 15 minute session with him. Thank you so much, we will move on to heel now
You gave me hope, my one year Labrador Is known for dragging my A** around the neighbourhood 😢 in the house she’s an angel tho 😅
@@raniaally8338 .9o
This sounds like my Adopted 3 YO lab. he is SOOOOO good inside. on a leash outside he can drag a volkswagon. :) cant wait to try this
@@raniaally8338 thought i'd give an update - one day something just clicked in my lab. He now walks perfect compared to where we was and I think it's knowing his cues and what causes him to pull. We use a halti and his recall has improved with rewarding. He has some bad days but they're still golden days to where he was before. It'll come!
Beautiful
It's so pure to see a large, masculine person encouraging their dog with such a high and warm voice 😊
I thought the same thing ❤️ I ABSOLUTELY loved it! And the fact that a TRAINER did it, makes me want to tell everyone else to shhhush up
@@HkFinn83 why is it terrible for dogs? How do you know?
You Americans are weird.
@@HkFinn83 I would like to know why this is terrible for dogs aswell? And where you source of information comes from
@@flippernator its not terrible for dogs there is lots of evidence of the opposite actually. the tone lets dogs know you are expressing approval.
Omg! I have the sweetest golden doodle, 9 months. The worst puller ever! I just did this... By the time we walked around the block she barely needed a leash!!! My neighbors probably think we're crazy with all the back and forth, but it's so worth it! Thank you so much!!!!!! And now she is passed out! Lol
I love that all throughout, even with the corrections he still looks really happy and seems to be a lesson rather than a "disciplining" moment.
Positive encouragement ❤❤
It’s just an interesting new activity for sweet sandy. Lovely way to train a good boi.
Good fair leadership is love. Dogs need leadership in a human dog relationship
Tried this with my 1 year old Huskita who drags me around on walks. 20 minutes later he was walking beside me and giving me a little engagement which is better than normal. With time and perseverance I can see him learning to walk nicely. Thank you so much!!
Just mind that every person who takes you dog for a walk should do the same! I followed Fenrir's advices but saw little progress with my dog. Took me some time to figure out my wife/ kids don't do that and just let our dog to pull. Now i had to train my family ;D
@@demodemo1177 i often tell folks when we talk about poor trained dogs is that its normally the owners that need training not the dogs
How did it work out?
@@ferdelance72 I tried for 10 minutes and see major improvements
@Sherrie Seymour how did you go hows the progress :)
Dude. This got my Aussie border collie walking perfectly in 5 minutes. No joke. The engagement is the key. Thank you
I spent 10 minutes using these techniques to get my dog engaged and the difference is night and day. Appreciate the tips!
Brandon mcmillan is the most gentle, thorough and effective dog i've ever encountered. My friend and i love the dog show and never miss it. So many times we've shed a tear of happiness just seeing a dog's life changed forever when proper training is applied and they go on to live their lives the way they should. I have brandon's book th-cam.com/users/postUgkxK8-VQWpYThx4IC6MiIvb6VS1ebTzzdxq in two formats. Not only the paperback version but also the kindle version to refer to when i don't have the paperback along with me. I have used his methods with my cavalier kc spaniel and turned a non-disciplined furbaby into a companion who has traveled thousands of miles with us across the country. He is a near perfect dog thanks to brandon's methods. I don't get one cent of kickback for recommending brandon but i do it because i love dogs. They deserve to be given a chance. Brandon's mission in life - to rescue dogs and place them in a forever, happy home - is very dear to my heart. I recommend his methods to anyone who has a dog - young or old. I've seen him take even old dogs and teach them. Brandon was an animal trainer before his current mission. His parents were animal trainers. His methods are the best i've ever found. Your furbaby will thank you for spending the money on this book. Don't hesitate - it is worth every cent.
I really like the fact that u didn't rely on treats in this training, and that u put the emphasis on leadership and relationship. I'm looking forward to trying this with my dog!
Me too☺️
I find it cringe that people use food bribery so much. This is straight from the dog whisperer mentality. This video was really good, random video suggested to me by youtube
I did find the high pitch responses funny. They arent necessary but its all preference and as long as you get the tonality right, that is the main thing. Really not saying its a bad thing at all, his tonality is perfect which is the important thing, just saying you can achieve the same results with variations in tone, without such variation in pitch. Thought it was cute tbh 😅 a big burly, beardy man going into falsetto 😂😊👍🏻
@@kodakwhite870 bruh...
You don't need anything specific as long as the response you give is something the dog wants or likes. Attention and guidance can be just as good as treats, but that depends entirely on the dog. What often creates the chaos is if the dog doesn't understand what causes a reaction, or perhaps doesn't even know that there are any possible effects of its behavior. I think that might have been the case with this particular dog. For example if you try to bribe the dog with treats indiscriminately, you can accidentally reward the difficult behavior so it gets worse.
As an owner you just have to change your mindset. You don't want him to stop pulling. You want him to follow you and look to you for direction, so that's the behavior you want to reinforce. In almost every case this positive reinforcement works a lot better than punishing bad behavior. The dog will focus its mind on whatever you pay attention to, whether good or bad. Focus on the good thing = happy dog.
Funny thing is it's exactly the same with people, and particularly children. Just be structured about it and your family and friends will lose all their annoying behaviors and they won't even know it:)
The way this giant man talks to the dog is just what I needed this morning.
This is the only video that has actually helped my 3 year old hyper Australian shepherd. I’ve been crying trying to fix his leash work. Thank you.
random question i notice in a lot of these videos it’s about engagement, how is my dog supposed to use the bathroom if they are just looking at me the whole time?
One of my biggest problems is making that "dog voice" in public but seeing this man do it with no sweat is giving me courage
🤣
Girls love it honestly
Take some shrooms and stop worrying about other people.
@@dystopiaisutopia I think there are many other methods that would be better than taking an hallucinogenic in order to gain confidence lol
Dammit Bobby! Don’t stress the little things in life! Goo boy!
it can be embarrassing and stressful when they don't cooperate during walks.
I’m sure 99% of dog owners agree with that
Yep. Yep it can be 😂 we keep taking our neighbours lab, she’s a fantastic dog, great recall, amazing toy drive but oh my gosh does she pull when she gets over excited
Don't give up! Don't get frustrated! You can do it!
Your stress is felt by the dog, increases their anxiety, and reduces your role as leader. Find a safe place to train the basics, then step out to the busy world. Know, like people, no dog is perfect nor always on cue.
I've literally just had it down the road, came straight back and found this video.
9 year old pittie...always pulled on the leash. I watched so many vids on stopping it, and this is the first method that worked.
She seems MUCH happier on walks now, too!
So good to hear Patrick!
I'm so encouraged! I have to train my 1 yr old staffy pit.
@X DX Stop with that dog version of racism.
@@benghazi4216 it is true for some pit tho
@@manuelmunguia616 True for many many different dog breeds. It's all on the owner.
Brilliant! One of the first training videos I've watched on TH-cam that brought such incredible respect, affection, and understanding for the dog, nurturing the dog's desire for relationship. No pain, no discipline, no dominance. Just direction, praise, affection, and connection. I am dog-sitting a 7-month, 75-lb, untrained and headstrong Lab. I'm a 5'5", 68 yo woman, so struggling with his strength and complete lack of engagement. 10 minutes and I was already getting a loose lead heal and eye contact for portions of time. Thank you!
This gives me hope. I have an 8 month old 70lb. German shepherd and he pulls badly. He has pulled me off my feet before. I'm 5'4" 55 year old. Thanks for letting me know there is hope.
@@shanaherndon2777 Wishing you and your baby so much success. Creating connection and relationship in this simple process truly works miracles. I've used it now with many large dogs in my pet-sitting business...so rewarding and effective.
This is literally my dog: 3 years, golden, puller, runner, and more. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH. I was in tears yesterday and feel hopeful today. Cannot afford training and this is an appreciated gift.
How's your training going?
Hows it going?
How did it go?
How's it going babes
Go to Pet Smart buy a “ no pull” harness. The are scientifically proven ,,the leash attaches to the harness in the front chest area of the dog. Works like a charm , my dog was a MAJOR puller not with this type harness. Such a simple fix for a major problem..
You are amazing! I trained my border collie to stop pulling on her leash in 10 minutes. I used your phrase "let's go" and walked her on her leashe up and down a country path about fifteen times and now she is trained. We live in the countryside and so she was only put on a leash to go to the vet's office. There she was an embarrassment, hauling on the leash and making gagging noises as she strained against her collar. Now the phrase "let's go" means that she walks at my side or a little in front with or without the leash. She also changes direction the second she sees me do so, especially if I say "let's go" to her as well. I wish I'd seen your video two years ago. She learned so quickly that it feels like a magic trick. Thank you.
Thats great, however be careful with this human centered leadership. It is indeed great and important however i warn a bit to no overdo it. Had a border collie who was so well trained that even without leash he wouldnt leave my side except to herd a group neither did he really play or engage with other dogs or simply let himself go because he was so "well" trained to always ask the human for guidance which i find for a pet dog unnecessary constricting. Like with all behavior training balance is key
Border Collies are wonderful, love learning... And, of course, great with live stock, their reason for being ...
I just adopted my exes puppy two weeks ago, I’ve been practising “look at me” but with moderate success, but I can’t take him anywhere because he pulls like a wild beast. I swear to God I opened up this video on our walk and I started going back-and-forth and by the end of the walk the leash was loose and he was following beside me. It’s impressive how quickly that showed results! Dude Count me in as a new subscriber. Fantastic work!
did you get a slip lead? that will do 90% of the work for you. night and day. whatever it costs (I paid $50 for the only one in my local pet store), it's WORTH IT!
@@pineyridge7465 OMG me too! I was brought up strictly to use the harness, ended up switching to a simple lead and it's like any dog thereafter wasn't the same doggy as before.🤗
Got 2x bull terrier’s them take me for a walk,let’s see you get a bully and do this😮😮
@@johncunnington9266 I do not envy you - Good luck with that :)
@@johncunnington9266ong yea bull terriers are so hard 😂😂😂
Iv started this with my dog
Two half hour sessions he walks like a gentleman
I enjoyed the dog walk for the first time today.
Thank you so much for taking the time to film this
Legend 👍🏻🙏
Really nice to see a dog trainer on youtube actually understand dogs. Well done.
Nice to see a dog trainer on TH-cam not working with already trained dogs.
I love how he talks about the dog not having any engagement and he immediately starts gnawing on a tree limb
Engagement with him. Not engagement of fallen forestry..lol
@@adamcerutti7400 Yes he knows, he thinks its funny how right he is...
So funny but he is talking about himself not a stick
no cuz same
@@Cai412x that’s the point
I have always been very sceptical of people who say "I can sort a dog out in no time", so to see someone who knows and understands his craft doing exactly that is a complete revelation. The addition of a clear and straightforward explanation of what is going on makes for an excellent video - makes we wish we had a dog !
We?
You really must watch some useless stuff if you don't even have a dog
It’s more a “if you know you know” type deal. I’ve had to “correct” many friends and family members dogs from walking issues like this to dominance issues ect. I openly laugh at people in public who can’t control their dogs while my large one is calming walking 1 step behind me.
It’s not hard dude
I wasn't expecting the rude and condescending tone in half the replies under this comment. "We" as in the original poster and their partner or family (don't be daft) and not having a dog is not an indication of anything negative at all.... Actually, in my opinion, it's an indication that they are smart and responsible. Having a pet is a huge deal and responsibility. People get them thinking it's a cute toy or some shit and they end up neglected or rehoming them. Irresponsible as shit. Not everyone's life is conducive to having a pet...... that is IF they intend on being a decent pet owner...... quit being idiots 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
I have a puller. 5 months old and my sweet Violet goldendoodle behaves exactly as this dog initially did. I’m excited about the probability of a nice calm walk.❤
My husky is a terrible puller and I've just watched this today, I've implemented what you've said and honestly tonight's walk was the best one we've had yet. Thank you so much for this advice, it absolutely works. I can't thank you enough, we will definitely keep working on this.
This is so good to hear Dawn! We love hearing these stories and we love knowing our videos are helping people train their dogs!
Just like kids and even people in general dogs are happiest given the level of leadership that they need.
husky is a generally pullers since they are sled dogs...
did you use a slip collar or a regular one?
My husky is awful on walks I'm gonna try this tomorrow
I've spent 5 years with my dog trying to herd everyone and pulling on her lead and me trying every gimicky "game training" plan I could pay for. 20 minutes following this and my Collie is walking like a different dog. Thank you so much for this video.
This is so refreshing to read! I have a 4 year old lagotto who is driven by his nose and pulls so much. I was starting to think it was too late to change his behaviour. I’m going to buy a slip lead today and start retraining him. 🤞🏻
If you have a moment, would you mind sharing what aspect of game-training didn't work for you? I'm a "trainer-in- training" myself and just curious as I'm finding it pretty cool and effective so far with the dogs I'm working with. Any renowned trainers or methods you found ineffective? Would love any input (IF you get a chance. TIA!) 😊
Tried this with my Samoyed and he laughed at me and pulled me down the road. Maybe I need to grow my beard out a bit more.
Oh I felt this. We did a couple of turns and she plopped herself on the floor defiantly, while I was “let’s go”-ing around her. I have yet to find something (anything!) that works on Sammies.
@@alexd1576 My mini aussie did the same. He just plopped down and just stared at me
@@nessa7979 how old is yours? I’m really hoping that mine is still in her teen phase - but I can also see it in her eyes that we’ll be doing this for the next 14 years or so 🥲
@@alexd1576 He is 4 months old right now
@@nessa7979 young puppies are a little more stubborn because they don’t learn quite as fast or get the concept, but if you stay persistent and don’t forget the reward part you’ll be alright
I have two 4 month old golden retriever puppies. They are awful pullers and have become incredibly naughty in the last two weeks. Taking them for a walk this morning almost broke me after 2 weeks of ignoring commands, having to pick up dog poo from almost every room in the house every day, a constant cycle of carpet cleaning, a constant need to tell them off for one thing or another. Iove them, they are goofy and fun, incredibly clever and loving and great company, but I really wasn't enjoying being a dog owner at all.
I took each puppy out on their own and did this and the difference is incredible. It's not just their behaviour either, I realised that I was so busy struggling with the behaviour that I had lost sight of them as puppies that I love and enjoy being with. The engagement has helped the relationship no end. Thank you, from a happy puppy owner
Trained my newly adopted deaf pitbull to heel using this method after watching this video but instead of voice inflection, I changed it to the ASL sign for “clapping”. Love your method.
Hey if you would like some extra dog food, you can get 2 free bags of Chippin dog food at Petco, with the mobile app PICKL.
This is one of the best examples of teaching a dog to walk on the lead. So informative and clear! I love that you explained why this type of dog just needs direction (and fun!), and that providing leadership gives them the chance to relax. Dog behaviourists seem very split down the middle these days: some don't take the time to build engagement with a dog and overly correct; others think correcting a dog and showing leadership is out-of-date. It was fab to see a balanced approach and the end results speak for themselves. Nothing better than a pack walk with calm, happy dogs! Definitely one of the best channels for dog training and rehab.
Thanks so much Susan!!
This is my golden exactly, she is 3 and disengaged. Thank you for this incredibly informative video. I intend to begin today with our pup.
@dane Whether or not dogs are like wolf or exhibit true pack behaviour does not invalidate leadership. Leadership is still there, in families (which after all what a wolf pack is). Dogs do exhibit dominance and submission, and do respond to leadership.
Just becuase something may not happen for the exact biological reason claimed a. doesn't mean that form conditioning does not work, b. doesn't validate the alternatives by virtue of that.
@dane It is helpful to get rid of the term apha since it has a very strict definition in biology which does not apply to dogs or wolves (which are family groups with dominant parents).
The claim that dogs don't see humans as the same as them while may to true to a degree, doesn't mean they don't see a relationship to their owner and look to them for leadership, leadership is not simply a life coach for the dog but a role for the dog, who do respond to cooperative. This relationship can be either functional or not, and they are fully domesticated animals unlike cats.
This cooperative leadership goes back to our shared evolution with dogs, to the point at which they protected our livestock from predators. As they becuase dependent on us, the cannot go back. Cats on he other can are wild with in 2-3 generations.
Your are alluding to an a ethical point that applies to humans, but dogs don't have awareness of this ethical point and even apply their behaviours to us (without guidance), Nevertheless we do so becuase this is our duty of care to them.
However some concern to care can actually not be ethical, if a well intentioned approach doesn't provide the dog with security.
All territorial animal need to feel secure and if their owner is not providing them that or a role in that, they will act out or develop neurotic behaviours (that aren't usually seen is healthily animals in the wild).
It's understandable that dogs chose to ignore us.. engagement is key, however the basics of energy is forgotten/overlooked. "Behavioural correction" not necessary, especially when you understand the natural behaviours of Canines. Wear him out before even attempting anything. Consistency is key.. create good habits and your dog will respond well.
I cannot thank you enough for this. It literally took me 20 minutes for my dog to do the same thing. So far, I trained 2 of our adult dogs and one of our puppies. I mimicked your "good boy" "thank you" and the dogs love it!
I have a 9months golden retriever, and he pulled like crazy. I watched this video and tried the method on him for 30mins, and it works like magic! I will continue to train and build the engagement. Thank you for sharing this!
I respect this no-bribery approach very much. I'd imagine that in a situation where your dog encounters for example wild game it won't resist it's hunting instinct just because offer some treats. When the dog searches your attention and approval instead, he will listen to your commands. Great video!
Food isn't a bribe its positive reinforcement.
@@cloudsunicorns194
True.
And they missed that this (obviously very good) trainer *said* he uses food- he’s just not using it at this point.
I work exactly the same way, using food to reward when it’s the best time and place for it, and skipping it when it’s not. I don’t fuss about food/no food. It *is* a good thing (to all of us, including dogs), so it *can* be a reward. Anything a dog likes and wants more of is a reward, and food is definitely on that list. Those are the facts.
It’s about understanding the *difference* between a bribe and a reward, and *how* to use it as the latter. People who call food a “bribe” just don’t know that difference, so they use it as a bribe, which doesn’t work, because they’re right- bribes don’t work to reinforce and change behavior like rewards do, and unfortunately, their “all food is a bribe” misconception is reinforced.
Like all good dog training, it’s not the dog, it’s what the person at the other end of the leash understands- change that, change the dog.
To that end, I’ll ask the “food is a bribe” people to ponder a few questions:
Is your paycheck a bribe?
Do you earn it with your behavior?
Do you enjoy getting it?
Did it add relevancy to the work you did to get it?
If you stopped getting it, would you still show up for work?
😉👋
@@jamesquinn2759 Yes, it does. Some dogs will only do certain things when a treat is involved. So with all due respect, you’re wrong.
@@kennawhitty5884 Yip my Lab only used to drop his ball if a treat was involved
@@boop4904 0
6:15 "I'm in charge of this walk."
This, I feel, is one of the absolutely most important concepts that many dog owners don't understand. In order to have a well behaved, safe, and happy dog, the owner *needs* to be able to assert and provide guidance and instruction, and demonstrate consistently that they are the person in the relationship who gets to decide what is happening. The very simple notion of, "yes, I know you want to go that way right now, but that isn't what we're doing," is something dogs will pick up on very quickly when given the appropriate indicators to pay attention to it, and, as you've demonstrated here, this can be done without any cruelty or punishment, but rather simply by intentional communication.
He's so keen to do it when a human shows him what's expected. Amazing.
My boyfriend and I adopted a five year old Australian shepherd mix who has had no training whatsoever. I would stop walking her after five minutes because of the excessive pulling almost knocking me over. I watched this video and decided to give it a shot. For the first time in three months since we’ve had her, she is more interested in us than anything else and we even tried off leash in the backyard which was even better than on the leash. Thank you so much for making these videos!
Watched this vid and bought a slip lead. First walk was today and the misery that was walking my nans dog was instantly gone. They were talking about getting rid of the little bugger as they cant walk him anymore. Thanks to this I think we might be able to train him, and keep him around.
One of our dogs has always struggled with socialization and walking. We attributed it to his background (abandoned huskie rescue) and just tried to live with it after seeing a behavior therapist and trying anxiety medication (recommended by therapist and approved by vet). After yet another embarrassing incident on a walk Monday i spent an hour watching some of Wills videos and wanted to start over with training from step one.
It's Wednesday today, and I just got back from the 3rd in a row loose leash walk, as in he's at my side for 20 minutes straight walking near perfect. . Things are going amazing. My best guess is every training technique we used before was food reward/driven, but Will said to focus on engagement - and it's working so much better.
I'm so happy and thankful I found this.
*EDIT*
I just wanted to clarify some things:
I spent maybe 10-15 minutes the first day doing a 'tune up' and he's been loose leash walking since then. He had never loose leash walked in his life before this except in the backyard with constant food rewards and basically zero distractions. Socializing is still a challenge but it's also improved dramatically. It used to be the moment we see another animal constant howling and extreme pulling (constant pull on walk even without distractions prior remember). Now we can see another dog and head straight at it and around 25' is when we lose engagement...BUT we're able to redirect away and get back to moving and engaging shortly.
We're taking socialization slower, but for the first time in a decade I have hope/believe that he can become a well adjusted dog and enjoy the outdoors with me even more.
I'm just sitting here still in awe over the whole thing. A weight has been lifted off my (and his) shoulders.
I am eternally grateful.
nice SN 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yes stressful!! My dog is a nut in the streets 🙄🙄😖
I'm such a psychology nut and seeing the way you built off his reactions and responses and encouraged them to make him better behaved is so incredible.
Watch Brad Pattison work ! He is all about pack mentality and dog psychology
if you want to learn more about how stuff really works, dive into human phychology first. "dog phycology" has been ruined as a scientific topic cos most of it isnt scientific, been taken over by people who think the 4 quadrants are equal and somehow 'balanced' or that pet dogs are pack animals ^ like the comment above
I can now happily walk all 3 of my dogs at once, and my arm doesn't feel like it's going to fall off. Now I'm gonna look through your videos to find one about reacting to other dogs while on a walk. More than words can express, thank you. 🎉
Awwww that’s so dope
This is, by far, the best video on pulling. Explained plainly and show effectively.
Absolutely fantastic! Thank you.
Im waving my tail after hearing your ''Good boy''
You have to be the best, kindest, most gentle and effective trainer I have ever come across on TH-cam. Trust me I've watched so many but you are the REAL DEAL. Good on you mate! Love you!!!
Sandy is precious. I couldn’t help giggle the whole time with the happiness of his tail. He wasn’t at all stressed and such a sweetie!
All I’ve seen are videos that only use treats, my puppy ignores them and he’s tiny I can’t always crouch down to engage him with treats, he’s more engaged without them. This is amazing I can’t wait to try it.
Same! My puppy wants nothing to do with treats or toys. I’m going to try this!
all animals can be made friends without food bribes. Even those pesky cats :P > it is amazing how far you can get with a cat if you know how to approach them without giving a single treat. Cats love warmth and cuddles - just wanna feel safe :)
This! It’s hard to give food rewards to a little dog
Yeah my problem was that my dog learned if she pulled and then relented she would get a great. Essentially she trained me, not the other way around and it was really hard to break that.
How did it go?
Great video. It would be wonderful to see the dog walking again with his owner and see how you can guide and correct them to continue with the good work you have done.
Thanks Rachel, we'll see what we can do!
Yeah, I'd be very interested in seeing that as well!
Exactly what I was thinking... how well is he with his owner.
@Val Danes hey val. I’ve trained rescued damaged German shepherds this way and it does work. This is a good guy
@@threepennypirate8529 FYI Val Danes promotes dogfighting. I've reported him and his awful channel.
Me and my boy kei (dog in picture) can't thank you enough this is exactly what we have been looking for to truly enjoy our walks.
This guy shows the way. Builds trust and communication. Happy dog. Happy pack.
My dog is 2.5 years old and has always been a puller, but it's gotten way worse since I moved to a new neighborhood with lots of squirrels. After just a few minutes of working on this, my walks him are 1000x less frustrating. I even added another dog to the equation and he still did great. He still needs work and reinforcement, of course, but if I get this much improvement in 20 minutes, I look forward to seeing what 20 days and 20 weeks of discipline might yield! Thank you for this resource.
I’ve watched a lot of different trainers and I feel like this is among the most straightforward and sensible ones, what with how you say that an action shouldn’t be a result of bribery but instead of engagement and relationship. This helps a lot, I plan to practice this way more often. Thank you.
So simple and so, so helpful. My girl is a very distracted walker who pulls JUST enough to be annoying. Practiced for maybe 5 minutes in my backyard midday, and then throughout our long evening walk with several sniff breaks. The joy in our walk increased exponentially. Thank you!!!
Oh I thought you said he pulled just to be annoying 🤦🏽♂️😂
I love how you use a light hand to correct, because that's all you need. And he's still engaging and learning. I also love how you speak to him and warn hom before the directional change. So many trainers just jerk the dog off his feet randomly without thinking of how the dog is supposed to anticipate that movement without engaging or being taught. He's being rewarded and encouraged for engaging, changing direction, and make the correct choice! No wonder this works!!!
"Take the weight of the world off the dog's shoulders". We are there to help them to find that love of life they desperately need. We enjoyed the reminder that it's a mutual work not only to be of service to the owner but also to free the dog from stress and alienation. Bravo!
I've been struggling with a big dog for weeks. This worked within seconds, and he immediately responded to the positivity. Thank you so much. I enjoy my walks so much more now. It gets easier every day.
I did this with my dog three days ago and I now live a much more peaceful life outside thanks to Will! I didn't think it would work as quickly or continue working with him as I've tried training routines before, but I was wrong! I've been going on stressful, pulling walks for longer than I'd like to admit, now my dog is completely different and walks are enjoyable! Changed my life and helped him with his reactivity triggers too.
Just did this with our new puppy and he took to it straight away! Wonderful video!
I love how much less stressed the dog was once the human took charge. No controlling required, only an engaging partnership. Thank you!
Uh if
@@claudebarrow1309 he isn’t doing anything, just leadership, so please elaborate your reaction.
This is pure gold! Our 3-year old, male rescue responded immediately to this technique. Thank you for posting!
I'm only at 4.29 into the video and I've got to stop and say thank you!
I took my puppy to a training class where they pushed food rewards for absolutely everything and it reversed all the training I'd already done with my pup to that point. Lottie was amazing at sit before the training classes but after it took forever because she constantly wanted food. It also made her pester me at meal times which she hadn't done before the training classes.
The people the ran the class didn't seem to understand my frustration with good based rewards and it made me feel like the crazy one but you've summed it up perfectly in a matter on minutes. I want my dog to respond to me because of our connection and because I've asked her to do something - not because I've had to bribe her. Thank you again.
Hey Laura, thanks for watching! So glad you've found our video helpful!
Oh heck (not really what I wanted to write) I tried this with our "pulling cavalier" and it worked. Thank you Will
We have a year-and-a-half-old labrador retriever and we have tried everything for his pulling. I watched this video and decided to try this out and bought a slip. Within 20 minutes Rollo was the most engaged I have ever seen him. Honestly it was like a breath of fresh air. We did this in the driveway and started to go up the street just a little bit. He was great on the driveway but as soon as there was grass and smells he would get distracted. When he would break attention we would switch our way. Will keep doing this every night with him and build up to a taking a walk with full engagement.
How is he doing now? I've had a similar experience with my first day
Found your biting video last night . Just in 12 hours it’s worked miracles for my 10 month old GSD rescue. Now I’m going down the rabbit hole of your channel. Subscribed and bingeing. Love your content! You’re like Eddie Hall but with dogs!
Haven’t even finished watching the whole video and I already feel confident about my 8mo old husky. He doesn’t always pull on walks but he pulls hard when he does. And the engagement is definitely not there. Thank you in advance. There’s a million training videos out there but something made me stop on yours. I feel good about this!
I love how he is training Sandy…lovingly and respectfully.
Thank you so much! 15 month old Bernese Mountain Dog, pulling like mad… 20 minutes of direction changes and lots of positive encouragement and she started walking by my side. First 5 minutes she was a bit reluctant as in “hang on what’s going on, normally I’m in charge and not him” but then she went with it and for me it was the best walk we had after constantly being stressed and freaked out by her pulling.
How’s it going now?
@@frumiousgaming I’ve actually bought the video course and she’s doing much better now. Still not entirely perfect but absolutely getting there.
I have 2 Berners. On their own, they walk amazing. Together, it's madness hahaha
This guy is a genius! Worked after only 10 minutes.
He literally said it’s not rocket science
Totally! Jerking the dogs neck really does correct unfavorable behavior.
I cannot express how helpful this video is!
My fiance showed me this after my puppy tripped me this morning.
I always thought it was because he was too excited, but this video changed so much in so little time! I was a little apprehensive trying this with a 4.5 month old, but wow.
I cannot thank you enough!!!
So good to hear!
I've been watching many different train your dog videos but this is the first I was able to do with immediate success. I walk 2 dogs together, a 4 year old scent hound who is strong, and a younger terrier. I have been working on engagement and been able to use these techniques on both at the same time. Its amazing how fast they have changed. Thank you
THIS DUDE DOES MAGIC! He just liek fixed the dog in 20 mins! OML MAGICCCC
I have a twelve year old dog who is responding to this training…she’s lost a little discipline as she’s getting older and we go out for long hikes much less often…this works. Thank you!
Wow your are an amazing trainer! Using the power of communication and not treats! An acknowledgment at the right moment is amazing! 😍💯✅
I LOVE watching/listening to your videos Will!! Aside from your BANK of canine knowledge, your voice and accent make listening so FUN AND EASY!! It’s almost HYPNOTIZING!!☺️
This said, my daughter brought home an Australian Shepard puppy 6 months ago. This dog has to be the most WILD ANIMAL THAT EVER EXISTED. We live in a very modest home and she runs SINGLE-SECOND CIRCLES in it- we describe her as a STREAK OF COLOR instead of as a dog… lol.
Attempting to walk “Shiesty” is a CLOWN SHOW. People of all ages, from all areas come out to watch us fail MISERABLY!!🤡
Trying to walk Shiesty is a full body workout. All we are REALLY doing is trying to save ourselves from being DRAGGED… The MOMENT we attach her leash, we are against what seems like 400+lbs of RELENTLESS PULLING. The SECOND the leash clicks, all 4 paws hit the ground running and don’t stop until we remove the leash.🥵
I’ve watched so many of your videos trying to find the necessary guidance we need. So far nothing relates to our specific situation. I’ve possibly overlooked a helpful video or just haven’t listened well enough to the hear the appropriate teaching… Anything you could reference for us would be AMAZING!!
Again- we just LOVE YOU and think your work is ONE OF A KIND!!😉
I love how your voice goes up an octave when praising sandy 😍❤️❤️
beautiful training! love the 'don't care about this yet! we'll fix that later attitude' gives the dog like all the time in the world to adjust in his speed.
Great great video, no tension, no aggression. Really nice job. Thanks for the advice 👍
I absolutely LOVE that you don’t bribe but rather build a mutual connection! My dog is very food motivated but I always had an issue with using food in training. I’m my eyes it just reinforces a bad habit. It’s nice to see a training video that doesn’t depend on treats. My golden just turned 1 and he is out of control on the leash to the point where I ended up in the hospital for 2 slipped discs. I was convinced that I am just not used to the breed and their energy level after having a Pyrenees. Now that I see another golden doing the same thing and learning very quickly, I have hope that he will learn with your direction. I was convinced he is ADHD because he doesn’t have “engagement” outside on a leash. In the house he’s the opposite, like Jekyll and Hyde! But as soon as we go outside of the house I lose total control. Thanks for the video. I will start trying your techniques in the morning!
This was by far the best leash walking video I’ve seen. Trying this out with my 4 month old golden! Walks are miserable right now!
ENGAGEMENT!! That is the key here and you’ve demonstrated the effectiveness of utilizing the walk to establish that key connection to a dog giving itself over to a worthy pack leader. Thank you for this excellent demonstration.
The pack leader/ dominance theory's been debunked just fyi ☺️
Absolutely fantastic..Dog training without fear and pressure. I also had a goldie many years ago, he was lovely in the house,but dragged me around outside. The dog training in Germany was very harsh at these times,so I stopped that and did it by myself the best I could. I wish I had a trainer like you…But Sam and I were best buddies until he passed away at the age og 12. He was so loved by all of us and we miss him so much…He was such a good boy..
I recently adopted a now 1.5 year old male Catahoula Leopard Dog in May 20023 from a rescue shelter. They're known for their stubbornness but hes not that bad. Hes a great dog, happy, smiling and calm as ever! He loves leash walks more than anything and i figured out that its his one on one time with me only regardless the surroundings or if otheer dogs are present. Most of the time hes 70% engaged which makes for a nice walk but some fine tuning is needed. Watching your video one time showed me exactly how to deal with this. After one walk i saw a 15% improvement in his eye contact with me and his ear were more alert for my next command. Due to his previous life at the shelter and a couple of bad fosters, he has some anxiety but im working with him ❤ What i noticed next was a bit surprising, he was so happy to do these commands and its like he felt an accomplishment as well. I appreciate how you did this so easily and quickly.
I needed this video a few years ago! We had a beautiful rescue Labrador dog but was a shocker on the lead and would constantly pull. My wife ended up paying someone to help us but still struggled. Watching this video all makes sense and was probably all we needed to do. 👍Sadly Locky passed away a while ago now but at least we had him for the time we did. Cheers
Love the little "thank you" after Sandy engages each time :)
I want him saying "Good boy" as my text message ringtone! Absolutely love it! 😄💖
Please read below!
Just got back from a walk, and simply had to comment.
We have a spaniel who pulls. She isn’t the biggest so not a huge force but still frustrating and a habit to remove.
I was about to contact a local dog trainer / walker for a personal training session however I watched this morning.
After doing 6-8 turns in the first few moments of the walk, had an immediate impact.
After continuously turning at times during the walk at random occasions, the engagement levels went up ten fold.
I would describe the change from a pulling dog, to a dog that wouldn’t stop looking at me as a Miracle.
This morning I can say was the best walk with my dog.
About to go outside and try this with my 2yr old Australian Shepherd now because of this comment 🙏🏽
I LOVE this training technique! I've been a professional dog trainer for decades now and this is my go to method of getting dogs and humans walking together.. The "dreaded drag" easily and quickly becomes a wonderful walk. It's incredibly rewarding for everyone involved. Thank you for demonstrating this so well. : )
This sort of content is invaluable. We have a Pomeranian/Spitz so he's only around 10KG and when he used to pull on walks despite being a small dog it was still a complete nuisance. I can't imagine having a 100lb+ Mastiff dog that just pulls in the same fashion.
Great video.
Thanks Jason, glad you found it helpful!
Hello. I’m just back from my walk with my beautiful dog Hamish and I used this technique for the first time. I’m actually rather emotional, not to mention how proud I am of Hamish
I rescued him from Bulgaria 3 months ago. He’d never had a home. He’d never had a chance to bond with a human. He was living on the street his entire life before he was rescued.
He’s has come a long way where his behaviour is concerned but when outside on the lead he pulled as his sole focus was scavenging for food. I did manage to lesson his pulling but I still felt a bit lost as I just could not get his attention.
I pleased to say that it went better than I ever expected!!! I did the directional change first the once we had that down I introduce some training treats to get his full attention and to walk beside me ( this has never happened before) I’m amazed it worked. Also his was bouncing around. This is the first time he has actually enjoyed and had fun.
Thank you so very much indeed. You’ve helped to strengthen the bond and the love with my wee man. I will continue with this for a day or so then tackle “ Jumping up”
I’m so very proud of him and I think he felt it too!!!
Yes. I came home crying too... 💜
@@lyraray3994 🌈
I would just like to share a few things also from my experience. I work in a shelter, i rescue and do some basic leash/obediance training here in Spain. The majority of dogs i work with are whats known as PPP, which roughly translates as dangerous dog breeds, so pitbulls, american bulldogs, rotti's, german shepards etc. Some come to us with hip/back leg/back problems with abuse and genetic difficulties, so i personally try to use just 'wait and no' with the leash work, as making a dog sit can be uncomfortable for some of them, also the terrain can be hot/cold/wet/rough etc etc etc, so i try to look as holistically at them as possible and try include the possibility of sitting being a painful or problematic experience. Ive found the obediance attention does not change from a wait as oppossed to a sit. So i try to lean more towards the wait rather than the sit.... But in all the situations, the joy from the dog is always the reward for me, seeing them go from a pulling dog to an obediant happy dog is just priceless......:)
Thank you so much for this technique!!!! I Have been struggling to leash train my lab/shepard puppy, and the bigger he gets the harder he pulls. Took him out in the driveway and tried this for 20 minutes and we have already made so much progress! Loved his reaction and I feel so confident that we can do this now!
Watched some of this. I own a Siberian Husky and she's a strong puller she's still in her puppy age. It's understandable but such a trouble to walk her. I love how you don't use the choke collars and stress the dog. I cannot wait to try this it seems very trusting to work!
Edit -
Doing the method first day is going amazing my husky is not pulling as much and calmer around dogs! Thanks :)
Well a slip lead is a choke lease essentially which is what he used
Slip lead is similar theory to a ‘Choke Chain’ as it pulls when you need control. It shouldn’t choke them. It’s like a horse rein. Harness means they control you and you can’t mimic loose lead.
Kweli, slip lead sits just up below the ears, redirects the head and does not pull on the throat or wind pipe. Short term use for heal work then do away with it and move to regular lead.
My Golden Retriever here in the US is 100% like the dog you're working with! Same grooming on the tail, same smile, same gentle personality, same pulling me along while trying to walk him. When I first got him he tore some of my back muscles from pulling so hard and me using all my strength to try to hold him back.
You sir, are a magician. It's late as I'm writing this but I'll work with my dog as you suggest as soon as I can. Wonderful video, thanks for posting it.
I love how happy you sound when you are saying ' good boy'. Amazing video, and it explains very well how to get your dog engage with you. I will try this today, and tomorrow with my girl as she is pulling so much on the lead. We got slip lead which I will use it too. Thank you ❤
Really amazing that u help dogs from shelter as with training them they have more chance of getting a home.
Bravo!!
I am so thankful that I’ve found this video. I have struggled so much trying to get my dog (GSD) to not pull. Blood, sweat and tears have been a common theme. Now, after watching your video, I see so clearly where I’ve been going so completely wrong. I feel dreadful that I have been cruel to my girl by expecting so much, BUT now I’m ready to really get to work in such a positive and fun method (for both of us).
Let us know how you get on with trying our technique Petra!
I'm not really sure who to admire, YOU or The CAMERAMAN holding the camera so straight 😉😆😃
You can get these tools which keeps the camera straight which I’m guessing the camera man is using.
You're a magician Will! Your methods are working like an absolute charm on my 15 month old, 90lb German Shep. This one was a life saver. A million thanks Sir!🙏💕
I tried this out and it worked soooooo well. I feel like this will also help with my dog not going for squirrels too because he’s paying more attention to me and not surrounding. So basically this trick will help with other problems too because of the dog learning more engagement.
This is THE BEST video I've ever seen, on this subject. All of these techniques depend on engagement with the trainer. Heeling is a bit complex but this expert is brilliant in clarifying the issues, problems and solutions. Engage with your dog, elicit the dog's engagement and you can succeed as a team. Then amazing things are possible. Well done Mr. Fenrir!
Looking after my brothers dog long term (tldr newborn has allergies to the dog) and she is the goodest of golden retrievers but man does she pull.
Don't have a slip lead yet but basically did this with her today.
It seemed to have worked too well. She is now following me around the house as if she has a lead on and if she walks in front of me because something is in the way and I've stopped and let her go first, she goes to the side and stops and waits for me before continuing with me.
My brother is honestly going to be mind blown when he sees her next.
Thank you so much for this vidéo my dog of 7 months is giving me a hard time while walking it’s been a huge pain for me to walk her everyday and being pulled like a small potato 😂 I’ll give it a try and hopefully I’ll come back with a good result ❤thank you again