We would start our walk, and would continue walking until she started getting excited and jumping around. As soon as she started jumping, we would IMMEDIATELY stop walking and stand in one spot and give a quick unexpected tug on the leash that was attached to her choke prong collar while very sternly telling her “NO.” The shock of the tug on the collar and the immediate stop stunned Dixie and she stopped immediately. We would also make her sit. (A good way to make her sit if she was excited was to hold the leash almost vertical so she had no choice but to sit straight down if she didn’t want to feel additional pull from the collar) She would look up at us with her sad eyes since she knew that she disappointed us. (One great thing about Boxers, is that they are very easy to train and love to please people). She was not allowed to walk until she was completely still and calm. After she managed that (it only takes a few seconds) we would start walking again. Every time she would act up, we would immediately stop, tug, say no, and make her sit. It only took a few times because 1) Dixie did not like having to stop her walk, 2) She didn’t like being “yelled” at, and 3) she didn’t like the discomfort of the prong choke collar every time she jumped around.

The hardest part about training a dog for some people is to take on the dominant role. A dog will always try to get away with what they can, and if they know they can get away with something with “mommy” and not “daddy” they will use that to their advantage and will milk it every time. You need to make sure that YOU are the one in control at all times and that YOU are the decision maker. Willis should feel like it is a PRIVILEGE to go on a walk with you and not a RIGHT. He must learn to be on his best behavior at all times if he is to receive the reward of being on a walk.

Also, with that being said, you said that Willis is 5 months old. I feel, that at that age, that Willis might be ready for a prong choke collar. It really does work wonders, and Willis will only pull until he feels uncomfortable. When we trained Dixie on her prong collar, she didn’t like it AT ALL and was REALLY jumping around. She only needed 2 quick tugs on the prong collar to feel what the collar was really capable of, and she NEVER jumped around again. I strongly suggest you get one for Willis. I know the results will be great. Having a prong collar is also a beneficial tool to use if you aren’t a strong person, like most women are. You can walk your dog without the constant fear of having to have your arm ripped out of socket.

I would really like to hear how Willis is doing in the future. Please let me know if you tried any of these tips and how they worked for you. Good luck with Willis. I know he will do a great job since he will want to please you. Keep me updated!

Kimmie, NJ

Alley