No one wants their fun walk with their beloved pet to turn into a tug-of-war battle, you’ll want to hurry up and go wherever you want. If you’re all too happy to run from tree to tree while your dog sniffs out which of his friends has been there before him, don’t bother reading any further Service Dog Training. However, if you want to take control of the walks and enjoy a nice stroll with your canine family member, here are 5 easy tips on how to stop your dog from pulling on the leash.
- Preparation is key
If you want to stop pulling on the leash, don’t just put the leash on and start… Take 10 to 15 minutes (or more) of “time out” to warm up your dog by walking him around the house on his leash/collar They are more focused on their work than looking forward to the hike once you are in the door after this warm-up period is over. It’s also helpful to have your dog use his leash at random times other than before the walk so he can reduce any strong associations they may have with him always being a precursor to walks. - Structure your walks
Teaching your dog to obey a strong walk command such as Heel or Let’s Go will reduce the overprojection and anxiety associated with pulling on the leash in dogs. By having your dog commit to a clearly defined space next to you, you give your dog a job to do and promote concentration in your direction instead of constantly thinking about the future. Additionally, walking this way simulates how dogs (and many other species of animals) line up with a pack. Instead of the exaggerated, independent anticipation that leads a dog to think many steps ahead of where you are. Which creates the cause of distractions and reactions on walks. - Structure your dog’s home environments
As a professional dog trainer in Costa Rica, most of my clients’ dogs don’t just suffer from leash pulling as an isolated problem. Because I have been in the homes of literally thousands of dog owners with problem puppies, I have had the opportunity to observe how most dogs who engage in unwanted behaviors, such as pulling on the leash, are also very anxious and hypersensitive in their domestic homes. Examples of this are “tracking” their owners’ movements too closely/impulsively (following you everywhere without stopping), being easily stimulated, or being aggressive by having to “ask” for resources such as food, potty time, and attention.
By giving dogs of this nature more structure and training at home when they may be overly reactive to what’s going on around them, it communicates that we can keep track of them and give them things to do while we conduct our own human affairs in their presence. By implementing your dog’s training when he is really living and not as something programmed.
- Socialization
Many dogs have difficulty walking because they are not socialized enough and become overstimulated and overreactive to things they are not familiar with. By getting your dog out into the world to experience as many people, dogs, and different environments as possible with a calm partnership of listening versus reacting, he will learn how to be more neutral with what he may encounter on his walks. - Check your equipment
Unfortunately, some dog training equipment can be counterproductive in teaching your dog to stop pulling on the leash. . Traditional harnesses or even a dog collar that is worn too low on a dog’s neck can trigger a pulling (opposition) reflex which creates the sensation that a dog wants to pull against this pressure and the energy is dispersed too low and widely throughout their bodies. This is how sled dogs work! Some dog training equipment, such as non-slip harnesses and soft leash/head stop devices, work a little better at preventing physical leash pulling, but do not address a dog’s excessive thought projection as the cause of why they have trouble shooting.
In essence, it is putting a band-aid on the problem (most overly positive dog training tends to do this) and a dog never learns to walk organically as his natural instincts dictate. All dogs have this ability!
Instead, a collar that goes behind a dog’s ears (similar to how show dogs are walked and the dog whisperer collar) provides the right kind of pressure to help draw attention inward and rearrange their sensory system to prevent them from projecting too much. Basically, it’s like teaching your dog to meditate instead of having him visualize himself halfway across the neighborhood before the walk begins.
Remember, we are not trying to choke or correct our dogs (the main reason dog owners/trainers avoid using a “training” collar in the first place) our goal is to project our energy or chi by sending slight pressure on them. the pockets behind the ears. Like other dogs would do with their mouths to maintain their structure while flowing together as a pack.
By learning to connect with your dog naturally as a lifestyle and in his training, you will begin to see results and he will learn to stop pulling on the leash from day one. If you need help, you can contact me, I will be happy to help you.