A dog that hasn’t been taught to walk on a leash, can take all the fun out of owning a dog. The good news is that even an old dog can be taught to walk on a leash without pulling.
In this article, you’ll learn how to stop a dog from pulling on the leash. Once you and your dog have mastered this you should read my article on how to walk a dog on a loose leash!
I know that you probably want to get straight into learning how to stop a dog pulling on the leash, but it is important first to understand why dogs pull on the leash. Only then can you fully appreciate why this simple training method works.
The Online Dog Trainer Leash Pulling Course
If you’re grappling with the challenge of your dog pulling on their leash, The Online Dog Trainer’s leash pulling course, led by the esteemed Doggy Dan, offers a comprehensive solution.
This course is meticulously designed to address the root causes of leash pulling, employing positive reinforcement techniques that foster mutual respect and understanding between you and your furry friend.
Doggy Dan’s expertise shines through in every lesson, providing you with the tools and knowledge to transform your walks into enjoyable, stress-free experiences.
Whether you’re dealing with a stubborn puller or just starting out with a new puppy, this course promises to equip you with effective strategies to ensure a harmonious walk for both you and your dog.
Watch a short introductory video about the Online Dog Trainer Leash Pulling Course.
What Well-behaved Dogs You Have
I don’t know about you, but I like receiving compliments – it makes me feel good. I’m still on a buzz from a compliment I received this morning while I was on my morning walk.
But to be fair, it wasn’t me that received the compliment; instead, it was the dogs that accompanied me on my walk today – mine and my neighbor’s dog.
What was the compliment; “what well-behaved dogs you have, how did you train them not to pull on the leash?“
There was a brief conversation about how her dog is forever pulling on the leash, and how it would be so lovely to take her dog for a walk and not feel like one arm is getting longer.
Even while we were talking her dog almost pulled her off balance, whereas my boys: one sat, one lay down at my feet, quite happy to wait until I was ready to move on.
So if you have a dog that likes to take you for a walk, rather than you walking them, this article is for you.
If you would prefer to watch a video, click here and select I Want My Dog to Walk Nicely and Calmly on the Leash.
A Dog That Pulls on the Leash is More Than a Pain in the Arm
I felt sorry for the lady I mentioned earlier because a dog that is always pulling its owner around is uncomfortable; it’s miserable and a completely unnecessary problem to have.
And it worries me somewhat that it is such a common problem. I’d say over half the people I see walking their dogs are being walked/pulled by their dogs.
Who is in Control Here Guys?
If this sounds like you and you’d like to turn things around so that the next time you take your dog out for a walk it doesn’t feel like your arm is being torn from its socket, keep reading.
Contrary to popular belief, leash pulling is not just a problem confined to medium and large dogs. Small dogs pull the leash as well – it’s just that you are not as likely to get dragged along the ground by a small dog :).
Being pulled in every direction by your dog when out walking sure takes away the fun and pleasure and can often lead to owners not wanting to walk their dogs.
For some dog owners, it’s not an issue; they see the pulling as a workout. But I ask you to consider this: what if it’s not you walking the dog?
What if?
What if it’s a child, your child, or someone less experienced in walking dogs on a leash that needs to walk your dog?
Things can and do turn nasty very quickly. A dog that has not been trained to walk correctly on a leash is an unnecessary and preventable risk to themselves, you, and others.
Take the following photo, for example. Now, it’s unlikely that a young girl would get close to walking this dog if it hadn’t been well trained.
However, imagine the injury and hurt to the young girl if this German Shepherd decided to go in another direction.
The Dangers of a Dog Pulling on the Leash
The dangers of a dog pulling on the leash are many. From minor strains to arm, neck and shoulder muscles and ligament problems, to grazes, bruises, and broken bones.
There are even more serious dangers, and damage when a large dog lunges towards a busy road. You have two choices when this happens:
- a) let go or
- b) hold on and hope you gain control.
With the first option, the dog has the potential to get hit by traffic, which might not end well. Or cause an accident as vehicles take corrective action to avoid the dog.
And with the second option, if you don’t let go of the dog you risk at best a minor injury and embarrassment.
Teaching a dog, particularly a large dog, to walk on a leash is one of the first things all dogs need to learn. The sooner you start training your dog to walk on a leash, the better.
Life for you, your family and your dog, is so much easier and less stressful when your dog is under control, on and off the leash.
Understanding Why Dogs Pull on the Leash
It helps to understand WHY dogs, big and small, pull on the leash before you can learn how to stop a dog pulling on the leash.
I used to think that it was the breed of dog that determined whether or not a dog would pull on the leash.
However, once I started to train my first dog to walk on a leash I discovered that the breed had nothing to do with it.
So first we’ll look at the WHY and then we’ll look at the different training methods on how to teach your dog to walk on a leash.
Training a dog to do anything takes patience, perseverance, and persistence.
All too often, dog owners don’t give their dogs enough time to learn new habits. Please don’t make that mistake.
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Chicken or the Egg – Owner or the Dog
Which came first, the chicken or the egg – the problem owner or the problem dog?
From my experience, teaching a dog to not pull on the leash is easier than teaching a dog not to bark or jump up on guests.
However, that is because I had a great mentor who taught me how to teach my dogs. And it is that knowledge and experience that I pass on to you today.
Teaching a dog to walk on the leash is not complicated by any means when you know what you are doing.
The methods I talk about below do not involve the use of choke collars, prong collars, or any anti-pulling collar for that matter.
Okay, are you ready? Let’s get into why dogs pull.
Why Do Dogs Pull on the Leash?
The old saying “It’s a dog’s life” is rarely directed at a dog.
The phrase, It’s a dog’s life, initiated in the 16th century when dogs would guard homes and small communities, were fed scraps, slept outside, and had short lives. So it meant life wasn’t good.
Whereas today dogs are well-fed, groomed, pampered, sleep inside and live longer, so it now means a good life.
I had breakfast in bed and lay around the house all day. It’s a dog’s life!
However, in saying that, while many modern-day dogs may get to laze about the house, it’s sometimes all they do.
Aside from getting feed, a quick pat and belly rub from its owner and a few minutes playing fetch with his/her busy owner. Life can get quite boring.
So going out for a walk is the highlight of their day – or week, for the unlucky ones.
No wonder they get all excited – so much to see and smell and do!
The Universal Law of Cause and Effect
The universal law of cause and effect states that for every effect there is a definite cause, likewise for every cause, there is a definite effect.
So you might be wondering what the Law of Attraction has to do with learning how to stop a dog pulling on the leash.
Well, we humans, are creatures of habit and dogs are masters of observation. Dogs don’t take long to pick up on our habits.
Through observation, your dog learns many of the signs for what you are about to do next.
They can tell by your actions whether your preparations are for going to work or take them for walkies.
Things like the clothes you put on, the type of shoes, whether or not you close up the house and of course the big give away, you reach for the leash.
In our house, we have to be very careful using the word ‘Walk’ as our dog knows it most likely means just that – he’s going on a walk!
By the time you reach down to put on the leash they are all worked up and ready to go, champing at the bit, as some might say.
It’s at this point, the training begins.
Once the leash is on a dog it will not want to waste another minute, s/he is off pulling you along for the ride. This is the most exciting thing that’s going to happen today, let’s go.
And if we are not careful, right from the start, we begin to reinforce wrong behaviors. If we allow them to pull on the leash, even as a young puppy, we are rewarding them for this behavior.
Cause and Effect
The dog pulls, we let them. They get out the gate, with us in quick pursuit. From the dog’s point of view, it worked – they pulled and got what they wanted.
The more we let them get away with this behavior, the more they think it’s okay.
So it is important to understand that by letting your dog pull on the leash, you are rewarding them for this behavior and because they got the reward they wanted by pulling on the leash they will do it again.
Once pulling on the leash has become a habit, it is harder to break this habit.
However, pulling on the leash to get out the gate and down to the dog park is not the end game for your dog. The ultimate reward is that you’ll let them off the leash to run free.
That’s the ultimate reward. The tightness and discomfort around the neck from pulling on the leash is well worth it.
So each time you let your dog off the leash to run free, you are rewarding him/her for all the behavior immediately before that moment.
The dog learns: Pull hard on the leash, I get to run free!
They get to explore all that the great outdoors has to offer. The wonderful smorgasbord of smells, the aroma of other dogs, dead animals, the list goes.
I’ve Tried to Stop my Dog Pulling on the Leash
Let’s face it, a collar and leash on a dog are not natural – it’s our way of asserting control. Furthermore, dogs learn to tolerate wearing a collar and leash in return for the comforts of domestication.
However, as I mentioned above, the realization that freedom is only a few blocks away will send most dogs into a frenzy.
And a dog will put up with the minor discomfort a collar gives by pulling on it as hard as they can – the more they pull the sooner they reach the destination.
Training a dog to walk on a leash can be a challenge for two reasons;
- you are fighting the natural tendency of your dog to want to run free and explore
- you have not asserted yourself as the pack leader.
So the first step, as with training a dog to do anything, is to establish yourself as the pack leader.
The second step is to change your dogs’ behavior by rewarding the behavior you want, teaching them that there is another way, a better way, to get what they want.
How to Change a Dogs Behavior
We looked at ’cause and effect’ a little earlier, and how dogs learn to anticipate walkies by observing our habits. They also learn by repetition and reward.
Therefore, the best way to teach your dog not to pull on the leash is to reward good behavior and not reward bad behavior – that is pulling on the leash.
Every time you allow your dog to pull on the leash and get away with it, you are teaching your dog that pulling is a permitted behavior.
Are dogs better at math and statistics than we are?
That might seem like a strange question to ask, but I think they might be, and here’s why.
A dog soon learns that if they pull on the leash 100 times and 51% or more of the time they get away with it, then it’s game on.
And who can blame the dog for thinking that, it’s a principle of the Law of Averages
Future events are likely to turn out so that they balance any past deviation from a presumed average.
The principle of the Law of Averages:
Dogs know this instinctively, while we go to school to learn this stuff – go figure!
And they apply the same principle to every behavior until a rule is established.
As pack leader, YOU, need to step up and enforce the rules from the earliest opportunity and NEVER let up.
Every time you allow your dog to pull on the leash, you are rewarding them and letting them know that it’s okay to pull the leash.
Do I need to say it?
The sooner you stop allowing your dog to pull on the leash the sooner you won’t have to.
Think about it for a moment. Your dog soon learns that when the leash is put on s/he’s going for a walk – s/he doesn’t care where; anywhere but home is good. Right! 🙂
They also learn that by pulling as hard as they can, potentially dragging a submissive owner behind them, that they will get their much-anticipated reward.
The freedom of being off-leash, to run free, sniff, smell – leave smells – to explore. Arrrr …
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Something Has to Change
Before you can expect your dog to change and learn not to pull on the leash, YOU need to change and learn to stop rewarding them for doing so, 100 % of the time.
However, you also need to remember to reward your dog for good behavior as well. Reinforcing good behavior is a well-proven method of dog training.
Okay, I know that it’s so much easier said than done, right.
I mentioned earlier that positive reinforcement is an effective training method to teach your dog to walk on the leash?
There are two parts to positive reinforcement:
- rewarding dogs for good behavior
- not rewarding dogs for bad behavior
As humans, we are ever so quick to complain and comment on the negative, but very slow to compliment and comment on positive behaviors in fellow humans.
We are the same with our pets – very quick to yell and scream at bad behaviors, yet rarely go out of our way to reward good behaviors.
It doesn’t need to be a treat, a ‘Good Boy/Girl’ is often all that is needed.
Your dog can tell by your tone of voice that you are pleased. And because dogs inherently want to please the pack leader, they appreciate the reward.
Consistency is the key. And remember your dog intuitively knows the Law of Averages better than you do:
The law of averages is the idea that something is sure to happen at some time, because of the number of times it generally happens or is expected to happen.
Teaching Your Dog Not to Pull on the Leash
Teaching your dog not to pull on the leash is more about teaching your dog what you want instead. And rewarding him/her for doing so.
To do this effectively, you need to be clear in your instructions and consistent with your rewards.
Rewards can include treats, head or body pats, belly rubs, or words of encouragement such as Good Boy/Good Girl.
Your dog will repeat behaviors that have received a reward in the past, this is why consistency is essential.
Teaching a dog to walk on a leash involves teaching your dog two things – to walk with a slack leash and to walk to heel.
Teaching a dog not to pull on the leash also means that we are teaching a dog to control the slack on the leash.
‘Walk to heel’ means that your dog is walking directly next to you, not in front or behind you. And your dog is keeping pace with your every step – stopping when you stop and walking when you walk.
Let’s get back to the reason you are here:
UPDATE: This article is already quite long, so watch this video instead: How to Leash Train a Dog in Less than Four Minutes
Click here to ==> learn more about Doggy Dan The Online Dog Trainer and many other simple solutions to some of the most common dog training and/or behavior issues.
You may also want to read this shorter article on how to Train Your Dog to Walk on a Loose Leash
Teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash goes a long way towards teaching them to walk to heel.
It can be so successful that sometimes you won’t need to teach your dog to heel at all. However, we’ll take a look at that just in case.
How to Teach a Dog to Heel
For many dogs, the process of learning to walk loosely on a leash automatically means that they are walking to heel. But not always, and not always perfect.
For many dog owners it’s only ever a dream that they can walk their dog on a loose leash, dog quietly at heel – no pulling, no lunging in a different direction, no sore arms.
And I must say that the sight of a dog at heel always looks much better than the arm stretched dog owner being pulled along behind their dog.
If your dog hasn’t adjusted to walking at heel once you have them walking loosely on a leash then it can take about ten days for them to learn.
Firstly, you need to teach your dog where the heel position is, and the command that indicates that is the position you want them to take – in any situation.
The command most dog owners use is, not surprisingly, ‘Heel.’
Some dogs automatically, and mysteriously, walk to heel once they have learned to walk loosely on a leash. However, there is a big difference between teaching loose leash walking, and teaching walk to heel.
Walking on a loose leash is about learning not to pull. Whereas walking to heel is all about the position of the dog – at your heel.
And in many situations, you will want your dog to walk on the heel without a leash.
Which is a good habit to get into because you, the pack leader, and the dog, always know where the dog should be.
So by default, any time the dog is out walking, they should be at the heel, no matter who is walking them.
And the benefit of a dog that walks to heel is that the leash will always be loose.
For the best method in teaching a dog how to walk on the heel, I suggest you read my article How to Teach A Dog To Heel – With or Without a Leash
How to Train a Dog to Walk on a Leash Beside You
The first thing you need to appreciate is that it’s going to take time. Your challenge is to break your dogs natural and intuitive behavior.
However, if you are consistent, it will take only a couple of weeks – with two ten to fifteen-minute sessions every day.
That said, most dogs will learn within a few days the basic principle of walking to heel on command.
And this is where many dog owners let themselves and their dogs down.
On seeing the early signs that their dog has learned to heel at home and on the leash, they pat themselves on the back with a job well done.
Only to end up angry and frustrated the next time they are out walking and the dog pulls and lunges in all directions.
You need to teach your dog that you expect them to walk on heel all the time. Not just at home or on the leash.
But what do I do in the meantime I hear you thinking?
And it’s a good point.
The answer is, don’t take your dog for walks while you are training them to walk on a loose leash or at the heel.
In other words, only take your dog on walks that involve training it to walk on a leash or walk to heel, until such time your dog does both perfectly.
Which can be a problem for some dog owners. Click here to read my article How to Manage a Dog That Pulls on the Leash
Articles and links mentioned above include:
The Law of Attraction – The universal law of cause and effect
How to establish yourself and pack leader
Teaching a dog not to bark
Teach a dog not to jump up on guests
The principle of the Law of Averages
How to Train Your Dog to Walk on a Loose Leash
How to Teach A Dog To Heel
How to Manage a Dog That Pulls on the Leash
Video: I Want My Dog to Walk Nicely and Calmly on the Leash.