Stop Leash Pulling

I’ve covered leash walking on different occasions, but I think this lesson will be more fitting to most everyone. In this lesson I take leash walking away from obedience and put the focus on just walking with your dog. In other words, this is just a walk. There’s no obedience, no focused heel, just a stroll.

It’s important for people to very aware of the difference. When I walk my dogs, they are not on perfect heel, I don’t expect it and I don’t want it. Putting too much structure on the “walk” will do you no good in the relationship with your dog. It will also do you no good to let your dog sniff everywhere and drag you around.

Keywords for this lesson: leash walking, loose leash walking, stop leash pulling, walk, basics, puppy training, first things

The basics for teaching your dog to walk properly on a leash:

1. Allow your dog to sniff and relieve him / herself first thing.
2. Take control of your walk. Walk with a purpose. If you want to walk to bond / exercise, limit your dog’s sniffing and marking.
3. Your dog doesn’t need to meet other people or dogs on a walk. It’s your walk, not a social exercise.
4. If the leash is tight, the dog will pull, LOOSE LEASH is the way to a happy walk.
5. Your dog should look for you, not feel you on the leash.
6. Always start leash training with a long line so corrections can happen at the end of the leash, not next to you.
7. Being next to you should be happy, not nagging! Don’t correct the dog next to you, or else he’ll find somewhere else to be.
8. If your dog is distracted by scents, try to teach him leash walking in the absence of these distractions. Intact males will have more of a likelihood to sniff.
9. Make the walk a bonding experience. Don’t nag your dog.
10. Wear comfortable shoes, stay off your phone, pay attention to your dog and enjoy the walk.