How To Train A Dog That Pulls On The Leash
Introduction
So, all you want to do is walk down the street with your dog and enjoy each other’s company. But instead, your dog is pulling on the leash and making your walk a miserable experience. Before you know it, the fun has faded from walking your best friend and you’re ready to give up. Don’t give in too soon! With some training tips, you can make walking with your dog a truly enjoyable experience. Here are a few suggestions:
Discover what motivates your dog.
As you begin training, you may discover that your dog is motivated by something other than food. Dogs have different interests and preferences—some are attracted to sounds, others to smells or sights. Is there something that your dog would like more than a treat?
For example: if he pulls on the leash because he wants to chase birds and squirrels, then instead of rewarding him with treats every time he pulls towards those things, try using them as rewards for walking nicely on his leash!
Change direction.
- Change direction. If your dog is still pulling, change direction and walk in the opposite direction. If he continues to pull, go back to step 1. If he doesn’t pull, reward him with a treat!
Stop moving when he pulls.
Stop moving when he pulls.
When your dog begins to pull on the leash, don’t pull back. Instead, stop walking and wait for him to make the correction by relaxing his body or turning around to look at you. If he continues to pull, simply remain still until he makes an adjustment in his behavior and begins walking with you again.
If your pup tries pulling you forward before making a correction, calmly say “no” in an authoritative voice as soon as they begin pulling on the leash instead of giving up and letting them pull ahead of you (this is one way to discourage them from doing this). You can also try changing directions without moving too far away from where they are so that they don’t get more excited about going somewhere else than just walking quickly towards their destination with their owner at a normal speed
Use a command word to stop pulling and reward him when he stops.
The first step to training a dog that pulls on the leash is to teach him a command word that means “stop pulling.” You can choose any word you like, but I find it’s easiest to use a short command like “whoa!” or “wait!” when teaching this behavior.
Once your dog has learned this command, you can use it anywhere: when he begins to pull towards something (or someone) off-leash and wants to go explore; when he starts tugging toward another dog or person who is not yours; or even when he’s just walking down the sidewalk and wants to rush ahead of you.
When you tell him “whoa!” in these situations, be sure and reward him for stopping with treats or his favorite toy so he understands how good it feels when he does what you say. If your dog doesn’t respond well at first, don’t worry—just keep practicing until he gets it right!
Move around on the leash so your dog doesn’t get a chance to pull.
When you walk your dog, don’t stand still. Always move around on the leash so that your dog doesn’t get a chance to pull ahead. If he starts pulling, subtly turn in the other direction and keep walking. If he tries again, try turning back toward him in the opposite direction again until moving forward is easier than pulling backward.
Your goal is always to make sure that your dog isn’t at liberty to pull you where he wants or into a position that puts either of you off balance (such as running into something).
Use a head halter collar or no-pull harness.
One of the best ways to get your dog to stop pulling on the leash is to use a head halter collar or no-pull harness. These products are specially designed for dogs that pull and they will help you gain control over your furry friend as you train him or her to walk beside you instead of in front.
[Head halter collars: A head halter collar is similar to what horses use when they are being trained. It goes around the muzzle of your dog and secures around his neck, which allows you to have more control over him/her than just holding onto his regular leash. The benefit of this type of collar is that it allows for better communication between owner and pet because it gives both parties an equal amount of leverage (since neither one can pull against each other)
A dog that pulls on the leash will make walking with your dog frustrating and uncomfortable. These tips will help you train your dog to walk beside you instead of pulling ahead.
- Teaching your dog to walk on a leash is an important step in their training. A dog that pulls on the leash will make walking with your dog frustrating and uncomfortable. These tips will help you train your dog to walk beside you instead of pulling ahead.
- Training a puppy can be a little bit easier than training an adult dog, but both puppies and adult dogs need training if they are going to be good companions. You should start teaching your puppy how to walk on a leash when they are just around three months old, by taking them outside where there aren’t many distractions so they can get used to being outside without being distracted by things like other animals or people passing by.
- If you want to train an older puppy then it will probably take longer because they may have already learned bad habits such as pulling too hard on their leashes so start working with them as soon as possible after buying them from the store where I got my first puppy who showed up one day with no collar or leash attached so he had no idea how much pressure he needed apply before he could pull someone over sideways due his strength but once he learned what kinds of behaviors were expected from him then everything got better after that initial stage where I kept trying new methods until finally getting what worked for both me and my pup!
Conclusion
With patience and plenty of practice, you can train your dog to walk beside you instead of pulling ahead on the leash.