Our dog has been seriously neglected in the W-A-L-K department since LO arrived, mostly bc I can't handle them both very well. Dog is 70 pounds and pulls a lot which makes me nervous with the baby. I can do baby in ergo + dog but would like to figure out the stroller so we can go farther without killing my back.
For the record, he has been to training and can do any trick you want but still pulls. Especially when squirrels are involved.
Any tips??
coconut / 8079 posts
Have you ever tried a Gentle Leader? My dog pulls like crazy but always walks well with the GL. We have the one that slips over his nose. I don't have experience with stroller since I don't have any LOs yet!
pomegranate / 3452 posts
We have this problem too! Sorry that the Ergo hurts your back 
how big is LO?
I spoke to a trainer the other day and she suggested the leash that clips on to the front of the dog's chest (instead of the back, or top of neck) as a way to alleviate the pulling problem.
pear / 1879 posts
@charlotte: we struggle with this too! Our dog (85lb Labrador) is extremely neglected and often has to wait for daddy to come home to take him out. I find that wearing the baby is really the only way to go as I just don't feel safe pushing the stroller and walking the dog. He tends to jerk the leash too much and I am nervous about where the stroller will go.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@jhd: my dog responded well to the gentle leader too. He hated it but didn't pull. But he is only 25 lbs- being pulled by 70 is a lot!!
I was thinking of getting an extendable leash for times when we are in an open area so the dog can explore more without pulling. But I'm not sure if that teaches bad habits.
pomegranate / 3053 posts
I don't have any suggestion in the dog area b/c our dog is 9 lbs, but I do highly recommend the Ergo for longer walks. Or just a carrier that sits on your hips. I've been using mine with my youngest and he's 14-months-old, almost 15-months-old and it's still comfortable to use in the front! He loves it still.
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
We have a harness like @aprk mentioned - its called Easy Walk and it really helps with pulling. No tips other than that though!
@Foodnerd81: Now that our dog is older & better about pulling we use an extendable leash sometimes. Honestly I think its a pain in the butt for regular walks, but its nice to stand on the sidewalk while he runs around in the grass!
grapefruit / 4278 posts
I recommend the gentle leader too. It worked really well for my parent's 80 lb dog.
eggplant / 11408 posts
We like the easy walk, but this is one of my big (future) concerns...all bets are off when it comes to squirrels!!
grape / 99 posts
I have an 80 lb lab I tried the stroller and dig and will never do it again.
What has worked is using a baby carrier. We are using the ergo in the hip position and this has been the only way I can walk the dig alone. I only take the stroller if someone else is coming with me and can lead the dog.
kiwi / 706 posts
@jhd: no! I've always thought about it though, I may give it a shot. If anything it may help the walks when I'm alone with him, if not the stroller. we had another harness that he runs away from when we try to put it on. Lol.
@aprk: 16+ lbs at 3m! I love the ergo in the house but the bouncing of the dog pulling us plus the big baby still working on head control puts me in a weird position I think. Sounds counterintuitive but I'm wondering if it might be better when he is a bit bigger / we are more comfortable with it.
@Meggo5: lab here too! Our stroller weaves from side to side! And when we see a squirrel family - aghhhh. :
Sounds like we should try the easy walk / gentle leader and go from there but that ergo may be the only way after all. I will report back!
pomelo / 5000 posts
Oh my gosh! I was just talking about this last night with my husband while we were walking our dog, or as our dog sees it, going on a squirrel hunt. We talked about things that would have to change with the dog if we're blessed with a baby, and that's one of them--we let her zig zag and stop whenever she wants.
I think the first step is working on not pulling on leash, which is so, so hard, but do-able. There's a ton out there on this topic (search for "loose leash walking"). I think it's important to remember that any kind of collar or harness is intended to be a tool to help you train for loose leash walking, and it's not the magic bullet to fix it. I like this harness: http://wiggleswagswhiskers.com/ It doesn't rub against their arm pits. If you get the Gentle Leader, it's really important for the safety of the dog to get a correct fit and never pull on it.
Good luck and have fun!
pineapple / 12793 posts
We trained our dog by putting peanut butter on a junky wooden spoon. I held the spoon at my side so that she had to walk just behind me to get it. When the time came for her to walk with the stroller I held the leash in one hand and the stroller in the other until she understood that if she pulled or zigzagged she'd get bumped by the stroller. Took two walks for her to have it down. We get complimented regularly on how well she walks next to the stroller.
kiwi / 706 posts
@oliviaoblivia: this could work! peanut butter is our guy's #1 favorite thing in the entire universe. and he is very food oriented...all his other training was clicker + treats based.
we will give it a shot!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@oliviaoblivia: This is great advice. I may have to try it with my guy too. He LOVES peanut butter and is very food motivated.
@charlotte: Do your stroller wheels lock? Would that help with the zig zagging, while you work on the pulling? I haven't tried it yet myself but just a thought.
Now I'm thinking of training the dog to walk next to the stroller before LO is here, but I think neighbors will think I'm totally insane, 8 months pregnant, pushing an empty stroller around the block.
pomelo / 5628 posts
We used a prong collar for walks as suggested by our trainer. She occasionally pulls, but so much less. I felt like she was going to break her wind pipe with a regular collar for walks.
The first couple stroller
Walks were a little difficult, but she has the hang of it now. And I have a crazy dog! I keep both hands on the stroller
For the most part with her leash around my wrist and under one of my hands. We knot the leash which helps me keep it in place.
cherry / 124 posts
First off- Cheers for still making dog walks a priority after baby!
We have two big dogs (200 lbs total) and I love taking them out on walks with the stroller, I really think it reinforces that the baby is part of our pack. Although we spent a lot of time training them to be good walkers long before the baby I still recommend using a pinch collar, high on the neck, to begin the training process. We also find that daily exercise for them is important to keep the mindset of being good walkers. If they have to much energy built up we usually end up having a slower walk to remind them to be mindful of heeling to the stroller.
Best of luck but keep with it!
grapefruit / 4800 posts
Get a sturdy stroller (we have a BOB, but you probably don't have to go that far, umbrella strollers just pull over so much easier) and an easy walker harness.
coconut / 8854 posts
@Mrs Green Grass: @Protectlove: I'm glad I'm not the only one that was going to reccomend the prong/pinch collar! It has done wonders for our dog. He's still not a great walker (although what dog is at 7 months?!) but he's sooo much more managable with his prong collar on.
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