Leash Training Options

[tintin]

Hello,

I have a 5 months old female Caravan Hound(this is an Indian sighthound breed) and i am facing trouble in leash training her.I do not have a backyard or a garden as i live in an appartment and so i have to take her out in the park for her walks.She pulls on the leash and tries to chase anything and everything that moves,be it children,cars etc.I have tried some training tips like stopping when she pulls the leash etc,but this is not working,she is so charged up and excited to go out that she will not listen to anything that i say.However,when at home,she obeys all my commands, sit,down,leave it,stay. Please suggest what to do?

[AugenJ]

Sounds like she's overstimulated by the outside world. Maybe some of our members will have some ideas.

[shalea]

Is the leash walking her only exercise? A five-month-old is still going to be very distractible at the best of times but even more so if she's a bundle of unused energy.

[tintin]

Is the leash walking her only exercise? A five-month-old is still going to be very distractible at the best of times but even more so if she's a bundle of unused energy.

Thanks for reading my query and responding.Yes,leash walking is the only exercise she gets outside.At home we play with her where in she runs all around our house with a ball in her mouth and i chase her.

[mairs]

Is there anywhere that you can take her to let her run in a fenced area? Do you jog or skate? What she's doing is very normal for her age especially, and it would be great if you could find a way to let her burn off her excess energy outdoors in a safe way. Then she'd be much more amenable to the leash.

[judith]

Have you tried the Gentle Leader? It's a special harness which is recommended for sighthounds. My vet at time advised me to get it. If it wasn't for it, I never would have been able to take my first saluki for walks. Apollo almost put my arm out when I got him. After he got used to wearing it, we would walk for miles. Only had problems after 9 years when he developed a large tumor and couldn't wear it. The last two months of his life, as sick as he was, without the Gentle Leader he went back to pulling.
The new baby that I'm fostering with hopes of adopting is a rescue from Kuwait. She is the dog from hell where walking is concerned. She is a sweetie in the house but once outside on the leash forget it. She wants to be in control, tries to jump on anyone walking by to say hello, and loves to try to drag me. I've been practicing using the Gentle Leader on her inside to get her used to it. Have found if I let her run outside and play fetch before a walk, it doesn't tire her out. It just gets her more wound up. Salukis have boundless energy!

[tursiopschic]

I love the gentle leader. It makes a big difference for me in walking Jiminy. The only problem is that it is starting to rub the hair off of his nose (because he'll try to rub it off with his paws whilst walking). I'm going to sew some fleece around the nylon strap that goes over the bridge of his nose to see if that helps.

Salukis have boundless energy!

As a new saluki owner with a 6 mo old, I can relate! Though I love taking dogs on walks, it's more effective to find a safe place for him to run off leash.

[LindsaySF]

If you are using a martingale collar, place it up high on the neck right behind the ears. This gives you more control and dogs pull less.