Dogs love to be outside, and the walk is a stimulating and exciting part of their day. How can we make our dog's time outside on the leash safer and more pleasant for everyone?
Leash issues are a huge problem for dog lovers and the reason why so many otherwise healthy dogs are rehomed or surrendered to shelters. Whether it's simple leash-pulling or more significant leash reactivity and leash aggression, keep in mind that these issues are almost always preventable and manageable when using positive training methods.
Why do dogs have issues while on leash?
Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not pull on the leash in order to dominate the world or become pack leader. There is a much simpler explanation!
Dogs love to be outside, and during a walk, their curiosity and interest in the new sights, smells, and sounds makes them eager to push ahead. Humans do not make ideal walking partners since a dog’s natural and comfortable walking pace is much faster than ours. Having to walk calmly by a person’s side when the only thing a dog really wants to do is run and investigate his environment requires a degree of impulse control that can be very difficult for some dogs.
If a dog feels insecure about what they encounter while on leash, this anxiety can provoke reactivity. Leash lunging reactivity and leash aggression are often caused by a dog feeling restrained, frustrated, and uncomfortable in a social situation. Ordinarily, an unleashed dog would be free to put sufficient distance between himself and a fear source. But when that dog is leashed and unable to distance himself, he will do what he needs to do to scare off that fear source.
We can help our dogs learn to walk on a leash in a positive way without pain or discomfort so that a walk becomes enjoyable for everyone.
How to stop your dog from pulling on leash
Teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash can make walking together outdoors more relaxing.
If you are overpowered by your dog’s pulling and can't start the teaching process for fear of being pulled over, there are humane equipment solutions to help modify the pulling while you teach your dog to walk appropriately.
A chest-led harness is a perfect training aid, as it takes the pressure off a dog’s sensitive neck by distributing the pressure more evenly around the body. When the leash is attached to a ring located on the chest strap and your dog pulls, the harness will turn his body around rather than allowing him to go forward. We recommend this kind of harness for anyone who needs extra help, as safety has to come first.
Leash pulling is often successful for the dog because the person inadvertently reinforces the pulling by allowing their dog to get to where he wants to go when he pulls. But you can change this picture by changing the consequence for your dog.
- When your dog pulls, immediately stop and stand completely still until the leash relaxes, either by your dog taking a step back or turning around to give you focus. When the leash is nicely relaxed, proceed on your walk. Repeat this as necessary.
- If you find this technique too slow, you can try the reverse direction method. When your dog pulls, issue a "Let’s Go" cue, turn away from him and walk off in the other direction, without yanking on the leash.
- You can avoid yanking by motivating your dog to follow you with an excited voice to get his attention. When he is following you and the leash is relaxed, turn back and continue on your way. It might take a few turns but your vocal cues and body language will make it clear that pulling will not be reinforced with forward movement, but walking calmly by your side or even slightly in front of you on a loose leash will allow your dog to get to where he wants to go.
- You can also reinforce your dog’s decision to walk close to you by giving him a motivating reward when he is by your side.
- Once your dog is listening to you, you can vary the picture even more by becoming unpredictable yourself. This means your dog has to listen to you at all times because he never knows when you are going to turn or where you are going to go next. Instead of turning away from him when you give the let’s go cue, use another word or phrase and change direction by turning towards him. In time, the let's go cue tells your dog that you are about to turn away from him, and the other cue you choose, lets him know that you are about to turn towards him. Using these cues, you can turn in a circle or do a figure of eight. Any of these variations will get your dog’s attention. Remember to praise him for listening, because the better you make him feel walking close to you, the more he will choose to do so.
