Why does my dog pull on the leash?
Most of the time your dog will pull on the leash due to sheer excitement! Just think, pulling usually starts even before you leave the house! If the production of your dog’s leash sends them into a whirling dervish, you are already ‘on route’ to being pulled to the park. While this endearing and fun behavior is understandable, most dog owners would like the option of having anyone in the family walk the dog without the risk of being pulled over. In order for your dog to effectively learn how to behave on the leash, they need to be calm so training needs to start before you leave the house.
At Company of Animals we recommend that all dogs are fitted with a dog pulling harness. Recent studies have shown that a dog pulling on a leash when it is attached to their neck can cause irreparable damage to their delicate throat and the effects are similar to that of a tourniquet! Ideally, collars should only be used for ID purposes. Check out our range of Halti Training harnesses, leashes and collars to keep your canine friends safe during a walk.
How to stop your dog pulling on the leash
Here are some top tips but for more details on how to stop your dog pulling on the leash for good, you can also check out our 3 step series below!
Top tips
- Teach your dog to leave the house calmly
- Aim for short successful walks in areas of low distractions
- Forward movement must never continue on a tight leash
- Reward and praise your dog when they are getting it right rather than reacting negatively when your dog is pulling
- Avoid yanking or jerking on the leash, your dog’s neck is sensitive!
- For persistent pullers try using a Halti®No-Pull Harness combined with a Halti Training Leash or a Halti OptiFit Head Collar
Leaving the house
Start to perform your walk routine at least twenty minutes before you actually want to leave. Putting on your coat, walking shoes, gathering walking necessities and locking the door should all be spaced over a period of time, continuing the next step only once your dog is calm.
Next, attach the leash, if your dog becomes excitable simply drop the leash and walk away, ignoring them completely until they are calm. Once calmed down; approach again and pick up the leash, if your dog remains calm then you can proceed towards the door. If at this point the dog becomes excitable and at any stage starts to pull forward, simply drop the leash, walk away and again, ignore him until calmed down. While this may feel harsh, your dog needs to learn that behaving excitably and pulling actually delays the fun rather than inducing it.
Note: You should also remain calm and show little reaction at all times. Try to not say anything to your dog as you practice this exercise. Allowing him or her to work it out for themselves will bring more consistent, long term results!
Next, walk to the usual exit door with your dog on leash; open the door a little, if your dog lunges forward and attempts to push through ahead of you then simply close the door (gently using your leash to ensure no toes or noses are trapped in the closing door!). Repeat this by gradually opening the door a little wider each time until you can fully open the door without your dog attempting to go through.
Note: Repetition and patience is key! Set aside some time for this as it may take quite a few repetitions until he learns that attempting to leave the house ahead of you is a pointless behavior!
Once you can open the door fully with your dog remaining stationary; you should step through the door yourself. If your dog attempts to follow, immediately step back inside and close the door as above. Repeat until your dog remains inside and you can then give them a command such as ‘ok’ or ‘come through’ to give permission to follow. This behavior should be practiced every time your dog leaves the house (even if you are taking them out to the car) and can be repeated at garden gates etc until you are able to completely leave your property with a dog who is under control, listening to you and in thinking mode!
Loose leash walking
The golden rule for teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash is not to punish him for pulling, but to make the act of pulling unsuccessful. A good idea is to practice training in the garden before your walk so that they are naturally a little calmer than they would be in the park.
Note: When you are going to remove your leash and allow your dog some freedom (whether at home or during a walk) the leash must be slack before you remove it. Battling with your dog to unclip their leash while they are pulling desperately to get away just reinforces to him that pulling is successful!
Initially, don’t attempt to go for a long walk; a short, successful walk is what you should aim for. Have your leash long enough that your dog can walk comfortably beside you while it remains slack, too short a leash will mean that the dog feels pressure all the time so it will be difficult for them to differentiate between pulling and non-pulling.
Set off walking at a comfortable but brisk pace; use your dog’s name encouragingly to invite them to come with you. As your dog walks beside you, praise him or her enthusiastically and aim for just a few successful steps initially before you reward. The key to reliable training is to build on success, don’t just keep going until your dog makes a mistake, praise and reward when they are getting it right!
As soon as your dog begins to create any tension in the leash (by starting to pull) you should immediately move backwards while encouraging your dog to come back to your side. Continue to move backwards until the leash is once again slack, at which point you should immediately walk forward again. The idea is to calmly teach that a tight leash actually results in moving in the opposite direction than that your dog wants to go, as soon as the leash becomes slack forward movement recommences! Happy days!
Walking nicely forever
It is extremely important that you keep your arms relaxed and do not tighten the leash yourself. Your dog can do nothing to stop you tightening the leash so they will never understand the consequences of a tight leash if it is actually you that is doing the pulling!
You need to repeat this every time your dog starts to pull so it does require patience! Another good reason to only attempt a short walk initially!
Note: Whenever your dog is walking nicely, keep praising them enthusiastically. If you are going to use a command such as “heel”, say it while your dog is walking beside you not when they are pulling, this way, your dog will associate the “heel” command with walking nicely.
Your dog does not know that pulling on leash is wrong, they simply have not learned that loose leash walking is the only successful way to walk on leash. Getting cross with your dog will not teach them to walk nicely on the leash, but more likely motivate them to get to ‘off leash’ areas more quickly.
You can also invest in one of our Halti Training products to help you and your furry friend to have happy adventures together without anyone getting hurt!