What To Do About Dogs Pulling On The Leash
March 17, 2020
Dogs and puppies love to pull on the leash, excited to explore their outside world, but all that pulling can harm your dog and even yourself.
A dog who pulls on the leash is just excited to explore the great outdoors and find out who’s been by since the last time they went out. So it’s to be expected especially from those scent hounds. But the truth is, if your dog has a nose, he will be driven by it.
Dogs are athletic and agile, much more so than their human counterparts. So pulling on the leash is not necessarily a bad thing; it just means your dog operates at a different speed than you do.
Breaking them of the habit of pulling, however, requires a lot of training and patience. Because you’re working against your dog’s instinct to pull, you’ll need a consistent approach to his or her training. Getting a front-pull, or a no-pull harness while you’re training them will give you a bit of a head start.
Your first day of training may only get you as far as the front door step, because as soon as your dog pulls on the leash, you’re going to stop still. This is to get your dog to stop and hopefully turn around to see why you’ve stopped. As soon as they do that, they should walk towards you and slacken the leash. This is the time to reward them with a treat or a favourite toy and start to walk again. But be patient. Will your puppy or dog clue in right away and stop pulling on the first go round? Not in a million years! It’s going to take hours and hours of practice.
So here are some things you can do to ease the transition from a pulling dog on the leash to an easy-walking companion by your side:
- Before you take your dog for a walk, enjoy some playtime either inside or in the backyard. Try to tire them out a bit and reduce their level of excitement and energy before you venture out.
- Limit your training sessions to 10 minutes each time.
- Be consistent and include training every time you take them out on the leash, even if you’re getting in the car and heading to the dog park.
Once you’ve used the stand-still method, you’re ready for the turn-and-go technique! This time when your dog starts to pull, you’re going to turn, call out a command like, Let’s go!, to get their attention, and start walking in the opposite direction. When they start to follow you and the leash slackens, reward them with a treat or toy, and proceed to walk. Repeat when necessary.
Get everyone who walks your dog on board with this training technique, and don’t give up until you have a well-behaved dog who’s a treat to walk on the leash.
Good luck!