Updated on December 16, 2022
When you say “walkies,” does your dog go crazy?
Many dogs consider their daily walk to be the highlight of their day, and they may even try to outrun their owners to the dog park.
When your dog starts pulling on the leash, though, what you had hoped would be a relaxing stroll can turn into a test of strength. This won’t be a problem if you have a small dog, but if you have a Labrador or any large, powerful breed, your dog will easily prevail in a fight.
If you’ve decided you’ve had enough of your dog pulling on walks, or if you just bought a new puppy that you want to train to walk nicely on a loose leash, now is the time to take action.
With the information we’re about to share, walking your dog will no longer be a stressful, time-consuming ordeal, but rather a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
WHY DO DOGS PULL ON THE LEAD?
Most likely, your dog will be pulling on the lead because they are overjoyed to be going for a walk. Consider how you may go stir crazy if you were stuck indoors all day, every day, staring at the same four walls. It is entirely up to you how much time your dog spends outdoors.
That means they’ll be giddy with excitement to get some fresh air and explore the world around them when they finally go for a walk. Dogs use their acute sense of smell to guide them around the world, so it’s no wonder they’ll practically rip your arm off to get a whiff of whatever’s in the next room.
Fixing a dog that pulls too hard on a leash
Fixing a dog that pulls too hard on a leash
Puppies and canines pull because they know it helps. Your dog is getting precisely what they wanted if you’re scolding them for pulling but still letting yourself be dragged along. No matter how hard you scold and pull your dog back, they know they’ll eventually get where they’re going since you’re still on the move.
You have to show your dog that pulling is the slowest route to your destination. If they exert any additional force, it will be some time before they are free to roam the park as they like.
HOW DO I STOP MY DOG FROM PULLING ON THE LEAD?
It will take time to train your dog to stop pulling at your pants as you go down the street. The longer you’ve been pulled, the more difficult it will be to alter your behaviour, but it’s still possible with time, patience, and effort.
In order to make walking the dog enjoyable again, we’ve put up this comprehensive guide on loose lead walking.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO LOOSE LEAD WALKING
FIND YOUR EQUIPMENT
Finding the optimal gear for walking your dog can be challenging, as different people may propose different things, such as a harness, a slip lead, an extension lead, a head collar, or just a regular collar and lead. There is a wide variety of possibilities to consider. The ideal equipment for you and your dog is the equipment that you and your dog find most useful and comfortable.
There are advantages and drawbacks to using any kind of collar, harness, or lead. If your dog has a terrible habit of tugging, a harness may encourage this behaviour, while a collar may cause discomfort and strain on the neck. Clip-on back harnesses can cause your dog to develop an oppositional response against the pressure of the harness, leading to an increase in pulling.
A further example of a tool that can help some dogs while making matters worse for others are extendable leads. In the context of teaching your dog to walk to heel, they can present some significant challenges. However, if your dog is well-trained on a leash, these harnesses are a terrific way to let him off the leash and explore his surroundings when you’re in a place where he’s not allowed to run free.
Overall, you and your dog will determine the best tools to start practising loose lead walking with. Regardless of the gear you use, a dog’s natural tendency is to draw back when they sense any force applied to their lead by their owner.
START WITH A SIT
Training your dog to walk loosely on a leash requires a return to fundamentals. For this first stage, your dog won’t even need a leash or to leave the garden.
In order to satisfy a canine’s natural inquisitiveness, you’ll need to introduce them to their environment gradually and in a place with few distractions, like your home or garden. The best way to get your dog to pay attention to you is to praise it for doing something as simple as sitting or standing at your side. Giving your dog a treat whenever they’re near you, even if it’s only to look up at you, will make you the most exciting thing in their world.
They’re doing fine if they’re standing next to you and staring at you; there’s no need to move around the garden at this time.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
To continue the training in the garden, take your dog for walks off leash and continue to praise and reward him when he is close by and paying attention to you.
You’ll either need a squeaky toy or a steady supply of snacks to retain their attention at this point. The longer they can walk behind you without being rewarded, the further along in the training they will be. A command word like “heel,” “walk,” or “lets go” can be introduced here.
Instructions for teaching your dog to walk nicely on a leash
The process of teaching your dog to walk on a leash
Next, you’ll use the same strategy but this time introduce the lead. The lead should hang down in a relaxed ‘J’ form, which is vital to maintain. They will be more likely to pull if the lead is tight. Before moving on to the next level, make sure they are walking gently at your side and are frequently looking up at you.
KEEP THINGS CHILL
After your dog has mastered heeling while walking in the yard, it’s time to take it for a genuine training walk. One of the most important things to keep in mind before venturing outside is getting your dog into a calm mood.
When someone is highly aroused, they are mentally and physically prepared to take on any challenge, making it nearly impossible to focus their attention on you. After a long day, they’ll be far more interested in taking in all the novel surroundings than they are in staring at you.
It helps to achieve this condition of calm by having your dog sit before you put on their lead, but many dogs will get too excited as soon as they see the lead come out. You’ll have to put the lead away, hope they cool down, and try again later. This may require a number of tries, which can be tedious. Obviously, this can be inconvenient if you need to get your dog some exercise before heading out to work, so it’s important to work on your loose lead walking skills whenever possible.
Our canine companions are highly intuitive; thus, your mental state must also be tranquil. They’ll sense your emotional state and try to get on your last nerve just when you have the least amount of patience for it.
It’s great to see our pets happy, which is why many people ask their dogs if they want to go for a walk. Dogs have a high level of intelligence, so they will quickly learn that when they see the lead being taken out, it means it’s time to go for a walk. This is why many pet owners spell out the word “walk” for their animal instead of saying it out loud. But be wary; after some practise, many canine companions figure out the significance of W-A-L-K.
TAKING THEM OUTSIDE
Our time indoors is ended, and it’s time to move the party outside. Use the same strategy here that you did in the garden. When walking your dog, pick a side and stick to it. If your dog is unsure of which side it should be walking on, it may zigzag in front of you, which could be hazardous if you tangle with the lead or trip over it.
You should continue praising them while they are strolling by you at the pace you choose. Timing is crucial; you don’t want to inadvertently reward them for lagging behind or pulling ahead slightly, so you need to give them praise right when they deserve it. You should acquire a little treat pouch, even if it isn’t the most stylish option, so that you can easily control the timing of treat distribution.
STOP AND START
To perfect the art of loose lead walking, your dog must understand that it will only reach its objective if it strolls along beside you without pulling on the leash.
The rule of thumb is to halt if the lead starts to feel tight, and then wait for your dog to catch on that you’ve stopped, at which point you can start walking again. Start walking in the opposite way if your dog doesn’t come back to you. Still, it’s a good idea to continually changing course to maintain their loyalty and attention on you at all times. No matter how short the lead is, there should never be any strain on it if they are pulling excessively.
Dogs naturally want to sniff the ground while they walk because smell is their primary sense and means of perceiving the world. However, they need to learn that there is a time and place for sniffing and a time and place for walking. Your dog is just taking in the world around him or her when it has its nose to the ground, which is a lot like reading the newspaper for us. Your dog should learn that there is a time for walking (the outing itself) and a time for smelling (a place like a park), and that the two activities complement one another.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Each stroll should be viewed as a potential workout. This will significantly increase the duration of your walks, but rest certain that the extra time spent outdoors will be well worth it. Not all dogs will respond as well to training, but that’s no reason to give up.
We can expect our canines to walk at a rate roughly double that of a human being. Although a Dachshund’s short legs might be an exception, in general, canines can be shown to walk considerably faster than humans. This implies that your dog will have to put in a lot of mental effort and determination if he or she is to walk slowly by your side. You should lavish them with praise and rewards for their efforts. Treats are like a paycheck to our pets.
The best way to make your walks interesting is to keep switching up the scenery and the landmarks you pass. You want your dog to finish this training ready to walk reliably at your side in any environment, be it a park, woods, or beach. You want your dog to pay more attention to you than to anything else might be going on around you.
Of course, you can’t expect results to happen immediately; instead, you’ll need dedication, patience, and, most importantly, a lot of treats to cajole your dog into complying with you.
SHOULD I START LOOSE LEAD WALKING WITH MY NEW PUPPY?
Yes! If you can start teaching them before you even take them for their first walk, all the better. As was previously mentioned, it becomes very challenging to alter your dog’s behaviour if it has been pulling on the lead for an extended period of time.
Introduce the lead to your new dog as soon as you get them home. Putting a lead on a puppy can be very frightening for them, and they may react by biting, chewing, or jumping up at the leash. It’s important that they understand the purpose of the lead before you take your new pet for its first stroll.
You can let your puppy play and relax freely throughout the house by attaching a leash to it and then letting it run free. They will begin to learn that lead is safe to handle in this manner. Taking the same first steps as you would with any dog, begin by walking them on a leash around the garden.
Mastering loose lead walking while your puppy is still young will pay huge dividends in the road. An old dog can be taught new tricks, to be sure, but it’s far simpler to do so when they’re still young.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY DOG KEEPINGS STOPPING AND REFUSING TO WALK?
Dogs can be strangely obstinate at times, refusing to go for walks even when prompted.
This could be due to a number of factors, including your dog’s fatigue, soreness, discomfort with their collar, lead, or harness, anxiety, or just their unwillingness to leave the park and go home. You must convince your dog, for whatever reason, that he or she no longer needs to stop and walk.
Loosening your dog’s grip on the leash
Training your dog for a loose-lead stroll
Luring them with sweets won’t work because they’ll likely stop along the way in hopes of receiving additional treats. If you try to force them to go along, they’ll only become more resistant.
Whistle at them or squeak a toy to get their attention; maybe they’ll be so preoccupied with what you’re doing that they’ll forget they didn’t want to move in the first place. It’s also a good idea to go back to your dog’s side and tap them lightly on the back, but not too much, as you don’t want to praise them.
They won’t be anticipating the contact, and it will seem strange to them, so they may stand up and start exploring what’s going on.
LEAD REACTIVITY
Your dog may be completely content while off leash, but as soon as you attach the lead, he or she may become aggressive toward vehicles, humans, or even other dogs. Perhaps your dog is reactive while being walked on a leash. Your dog may experience anxiety or fear if you use a lead because it makes them feel like they are confined.
Having this reaction while on a leash does not indicate that the dog is aggressive in general. It’s possible that they’re reacting this way because they’re afraid of the stimulus, or because they’re frustrated that they can’t get away from it and are losing their cool as a result. It’s also possible that they’re just really frustrated.
Puppyhood is an important period for socialisation, but it can be challenging if your dog was raised to approach and greet every person and dog it encountered. Many people may want to pet and play with your puppy when it’s small and cute, so it can be surprising when you have to pass them by without saying hello. Their response is negative and impolite because of this.
It will take time and effort to help your dog overcome lead reactivity, just like it did when you were training them to walk loosely on a leash. Identify the stimuli that causes the undesirable behaviour, and expose your dog to it at a low enough level that it does not react, rewarding it with high-value treats when it does not react and focuses on you instead.
If, for example, your dog’s reactivity is triggered by the presence of other dogs, you should begin training sessions far away from any other dogs. You know you’re getting too close to the trigger when they ignore you and lunge, bark, or growl. Getting better at this form of training will take a long time, but it will be well worth it in the end.
RECAP
No one enjoys taking a stroll down the street while having their arm pulled practically out of its socket by a passing vehicle.
Training your dog to walk nicely and quietly while on a leash is an art that requires a significant investment of time and effort on your part. It can be difficult to get a dog to walk by your side at first, but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll enjoy the rewards for the rest of your dog’s life.
Beginning your training early will make the procedure much simpler, but if that is not possible, don’t worry; it is never too late to start. The time to begin has come; please take the lead and start walking your dog.
