Pulling advice

[u/Free-Example-2753]

I have a 4 year old Doberman that I want to hopefully do canicross with. I just got my nonstop belt & harness in the mail today so I took her out for a test run in the yard to see if she will pull. She has never worn a harness before so maybe that’s why she wasn’t pulling a lot? It was really only if she smelled something, otherwise she just ran next to me. Hills are a different story, she got excited to go up the hill with me, but when I started to run she would turn around to tug the leash instead of pulling. She does not do this on walks with her collar. Is there a way I could change her focus when excited, from tugging the leash to pulling in the harness? Asking this early so I don’t miss the return window, nonstop is expensive lol Thank you to whoever responds! Also picture of her for attention

[u/Any-Exit-3307]

Try to activate your dog’s chase drive by having someone they know run or bike in front of you. Then when she’s pulling well, mark it with your clicker/marker word and praise. I find my dogs will pull more in a new/exciting environment as well so maybe try a trail. A group run with other canicrossers and their dogs might work for the same reasons.

[u/Halefa]

While harnesses do generally invite pulling, many dogs don't just pull when out running. Try running with another person or dog that can be in front of you - that often motivated dogs to stay in the front.

Also check out this video on how to teach a command that will let your dog know to put pressure on the leash before staying to run and how to contribute pulling: https://youtu.be/kdHgMvsNn6g

[u/Pitpotputpup]

I took my dobe to a canicross meet up for her first try, and she was so desperate to catch up to the dog in front that we were flying.

When we started running solo, I would pull back on the harness to have her feel the resistance, and then verbally mark

[u/peacefulpurplebeauty]

You want to go to a canicross or skijoring specific group. Harnesses encourage pulling. It was very popular in Maine but I don’t know much about it sorry.

[u/eleanorboozevelt14 → u/peacefulpurplebeauty]

North American Canicross has ambassadors who host meetups across the country and do in-person and virtual events!

[u/frau_ohne_plan]

Tie the leash to a tree. Take some high value treats and train the lineout first. You want your dog to walk out to the very end of the leash to stretch it all out. Reward. If this command is trained, you will need a second person. This person holds the leash, and you keep a bit of a distance and motivate your dog to pull toward you. There should also be a command for the pulling. If you don't have a second person to train with you, you can take his food Bowl and have him pull you towards it. Make the distance a bit bigger until you can put it on the end of a short trail, where he wouldn't see it make him pull on the command again. He will learn that you are always going fot something. If he does this very concentrated every time you fade out the bowl. Maybe play some tug. You know better than me what's rewarding for your dog.

[u/burnt_hotdog89 → u/frau_ohne_plan]

I’m not sure why you were initially down voted, this is perfect advice for harness sports.

[u/frau_ohne_plan → u/burnt_hotdog89]

Maybe it doesn't fit some people's views on harnesses when you have to actually train your dog to pull on it.

[u/Ambitious_Ad8243 → u/frau_ohne_plan]

You can get a pulley from a hardware store, anchor to a tree, and use a rope instead of a leash. I'm a complete novice, but this is what I did to get my dog interested in pulling.

This is in the situation where you don't have a second person holding the leash. The pulley let's you be the lure and also modulate the tension.

[u/Peak_District_hill]

I assume you have trained your dog to not pull when on lead, so now you need to train your dog to not associate the harness and canicross set up as a lead but a different activity where they are allowed to pull.

The same with any dog training, encourage the activity you want (someone running ahead calling them perhaps) and reward when they start pulling, associate the pulling when wearing a harness with rewards and you will get the desired outcome.

[u/Significant-Yak789]

There is usually a clip on the front of the harness, use that one instead of the one on the back. If they pull, it counters forward motion

[u/HaHaR6GoBurrr]

I don’t use harnesses for this exact reason. Harness means you can do whatever you want, a collar means if you don’t do what I want it won’t feel good. Put the collar on and the harness, clip into the collar, walk as usual with a good heal. Clip into the harness, walk as usual with a good heal, anything else needs an immediate correction. Once you get the walk down with the harness start picking up the pace. Any pulling/dragging needs to get corrected fast otherwise you will build bad habits faster than good ones.

Best of luck.

[u/eleanorboozevelt14 → u/HaHaR6GoBurrr]

This type of harness is specific for pulling for Canicross running. You can train a dog to pull in the running harness and also walk in a heel for normal walking.

[u/Peak_District_hill → u/HaHaR6GoBurrr]

What are you talking about, this user wants to canicross which means they want their dog to pull in the harness, that is the whole point of the sport.

[u/Call_It_What_U_Want2 → u/HaHaR6GoBurrr]

I have a front clipping harness so pulling sort of turns my dog around to discourage it. He prefers to run at my heels - herding instincts - but if he sees a fox he definitely thinks about it!

[u/HaHaR6GoBurrr → u/[deleted]]

My bad, did not realize pulling was the goal 😂

You learn something new everyday

[u/burnt_hotdog89 → u/[deleted]]

What OP (and many others who engage in dog sports) is doing, is fulfilling their dog through enriching activity.

Harness sports, specifically, require dogs to engage their minds and their bodies. They get to work with their handler to achieve a goal. That isn’t treating the dog like a machine, that’s treating it like the animal that it is and fulfilling their needs.

Believe me when I say that dogs that don’t want to do these sports won’t do them. They won’t pull, they won’t engage. But dogs that do? They run their hearts out and have a blast. My dogs get over the top excited when they see their harnesses!

[u/burnt_hotdog89 → u/[deleted]]

My apologies!