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If there’s one thing I envy at the park, it’s seeing dogs that walk perfectly alongside their owners. Another dog coming? Doesn’t phase them at all. A trio of excited kids approaching? The dog doesn’t seem to notice.
My dog and I were the complete opposite. I was the lady who desperately tried to calm my dog on walks. I held her with all my might whenever someone passed, and it was me who held on tight even when there was nothing ‘exciting’ around because pulling had become her usual way of walking.
But a few years ago, I finally found some tips that helped. After reading and looking at everything I could find on the subject, I found a few methods that worked. In this article, we’ll look at why the dog pulls on the leash, methods to stop pulling, and why consistency is key. This is how I stopped my dog from pulling on the leash.
Why dogs pull on a leash
Before we dive into the methods that will stop your dog from pulling on the leash, let’s take a quick look at why dogs pull to begin with. As with many other behaviors, understanding why dogs pull on the leash to begin with and how we may inadvertently encourage it can make it easier to manage the behavior.
Dogs pull on the leash because it’s normal canine behavior. Is it desirable? No, but it’s natural for them. Pulling gets them where they want to go, and it gets them at their own pace.
Your dog doesn’t pull on the leash because he’s trying to be dominant, he does because it works. In other words, if you’re behind your dog on walks and he pulls, you’re teaching him to pull even more. This pull is rewarded because it helps them move forward and get where they want to go.
If your dog has always pulled on a leash, this will be a tough habit to break. Because they are used to pushing forward while pulling, the behavior itself has been encouraged, and a dog’s natural reflex is to oppose restraint. But if you’re consistent, you can break this habit, and over time, you can end all that pulling by showing your dog that walking beside you is much more rewarding.
Not all methods will work perfectly for every dog.
If there’s one thing you need before you start any type of training, it’s that not all methods will work for all dogs. I’ve tried many methods of loose leash walking, and always felt like a failure when one didn’t work. So if you’ve read about loose leash pulling in the past but haven’t seen results, you’re not alone.
A big part of dog training is finding what motivates your dog and building on that. For Laika, I stuck with methods that provided good incentives for my dog — ones that included lots of yummy treats and toys as motivation.
Have you ever heard of the to be a tip of a tree? It goes like this – when your dog starts pulling on a walk, you stop and stand still. The theory is that your dog will learn that pulling means you’ll interrupt the walk, so he won’t pull anymore.
Do you know what happened when I tried this with my excitable dog who was already used to pulling on a leash? She pulled even harder to get where she wanted to go and was frustrated when I didn’t move. If you are patient enough, you may be able to succeed with this method, but it didn’t work very well for my dog. I tried for months, and I was stuck on the side of the road stopping every 3 feet to stand still for a few minutes hoping my dog would choose to settle down. But that didn’t happen. At best she would stay at the end of the leash, looking ahead, and sometimes she would stop for a moment, but as soon as we started moving again, she would start pulling again.
Being a tree didn’t work for my Laika – partly because of her excitability, partly because she was already used to pulling to get where she wanted to go. When it comes to stopping your dog from pulling on the leash, you’re going to have to find a method that motivates your dog.
Now, that’s not to say that being a tree doesn’t work well for some dogs; I have seen it work. It just didn’t work well for my dog and may not be the best method if you have a dog that has been pulling for a long time.
When it comes to training your dog to walk well on a leash, keep one thing in mind: Not all methods work perfectly for all dogs. Don’t be discouraged if just one method doesn’t work with your dog. Part of dog training is figuring out what motivates your dog and building on that.
1. Choose a walking method and stick to it
The first tip for teaching your dog not to pull on the leash is to choose a walking method and be consistent. You need to teach your dog what behavior is acceptable on a walk, so figuring out how you want your dog to walk and being consistent with that goal is the fastest way to get there.
Do you want your dog to walk on your right side, your left side, or a few steps behind you? Choose your preference and stay consistent. If you want your dog to stay on your right side at all times, make sure everyone who walks him sticks to that plan. Sticking to one method will help teach your dog exactly what is expected of him on a walk and will make training smoother.
2. Start in an unexciting area
When it comes to teaching your dog to walk well on a leash, one thing you want to avoid is putting him in check. So when trying to teach your dog to stay calm and walk well, it’s important to use a non-exciting training ground. Pick a quiet time of day and practice walking down the street, take a walk in the evening around dinnertime when most people are indoors, or go to a park during off-peak hours.
If you take your dog to a crowded park before he has good leash manners (and good impulse control), chances are he’s way too excited and stimulated to pay attention and learn. anything. They’ll be far too distracted by all those exciting sounds, smells and sights – and of course the squirrels. Don’t set your dog up to fail like this. Start by teaching your dog to walk well in a quiet place and go from there.
3. The cheater method: using a front clip harness
My favorite method when it comes to teaching your dog not to pull on the leash is what I call the cheater method – using a front clip harness. The best part is that front clip harnesses are easy to use; the hardest part is figuring out how the hell to put them on the first two times.
I have no regrets buying a clip-on harness before years ago, in fact it’s one of the tools I wish I had from the very beginning. I have never seen a single piece of equipment have such an immediate impact on the steps. Using a front clip harness is one of my favorite riding tips for this reason; it’s a nice and simple way to help “reset” your dog’s letting ways if you haven’t used one.
Using different gear works especially well on dogs that are already used to pulling with a traditional collar/leash combo. From the moment you start using your new harness, keep praising your dog for walking well. Your dog will begin to associate the harness with walking on a loose leash.
This is the same method used by many police K9s. They wear different collars depending on the tasks assigned to them. A simple change in their collar puts them in a different state of mind, and they know exactly what is expected of them.
Before using this harness, I was using a traditional leash and collar, and Laika had already gotten used to pulling. She would start pulling immediately as soon as we walked out the door, but once I switched to the front clip harness that changed. She wasn’t used to that harness or a leash that clipped to the front – so I took advantage of that time and started teaching her some great walking manners while she adjusted to the new equipment. She didn’t take long to understand and since then our walks have been much more pleasant.
4. Use treats to encourage your dog to follow you
Whatever method you use to stop your dog from pulling on the leash, the most important thing to remember is that you need to keep your dog motivated. To encourage them to walk well, you need to show them that good things happen when they do, and the easiest way to do that is with tasty treats. Giving your dog something positive for a certain behavior will encourage him to repeat that behavior, and loose leash walking is no exception.
So when you start teaching your dog to walk on a leash, don’t forget to use treats (or toys if your dog is more playful) to encourage him to follow you. This will show them that walking nicely without pulling on the leash means good things are happening, and over time they will begin to repeat this behavior on their own.
Resources and Recommended Reading
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