Who's Walking Who? How Do I Stop My Dog From Pulling?

dog

Being a dog trainer, i get asked regularly "How can i stop my dog pulling?"

When dogs pull constantly on leash it takes the enjoyment out of the walk for the owner, leaving the owner dreading the next outing. There are many ways, as well as tools to calm this habit.

Each dog may differ in what works for them but i always use the training method of loose leash walking and the Start/ stop/ change direction (SSC) with whichever tool i have decided to use.

When you first venture out the door your dog should be calm. You cannot expect any dog to walk nicely if they leave the home full of high energy excitement. Many people feel the need to tell there dog " Walkies!!!" "We going out!!..yay! Let's Go!!!!" ....And then at full speed, bouncy and excited you leave the house and he drags you to the nearest interesting scent.

The Calm way.....

You are getting ready for your walk, he notices and starts to get excited. You sit down and ignore him, he calms and settles. You continue to ready yourself, possibly needing to sit down calmly a few more times before you even consider picking up the leash.

He is now calm but attentive. You calmly walk to the leash. If he starts to get excited you go back to your seat. You do this every time he gets excited. If you have picked up the leash or attached it to him and the excitement shows, pop it back. Try again when he is calm.

As you repeat this method your dog will become far more attentive to you therefore more willing to follow your commands. Dogs follow strong leaders. With this method you will be building your leadership skills and giving your dog security from your direction.

You now have a calm dog, on leash, sitting or standing still and probably looking up at you. Well done, this is a great accomplishment.

There is no need to praise him, in fact this really doesn't help matters. If you praise at this point you will see his excitement climb, even a little will put you a step back.

His reward is the walk.

But you're not quite there.....

If you have been struggling with highly out of control walks then this next step is essential.

I mentioned earlier Start/stop/change direction (SSC). This next step is simply that but within the home.

To do this you have a loose leash but reasonably short so that he can only leave your side by maximum of two feet. Do not keep the leash taught, this will tell him to pull,that you are excited so he will be too.

As you walk forward he will automatically pull, so you stop,pause momentarily, then change direction. You repeat this until he is seeking your direction rather than deciding for himself. When he is looking to you and keeping by your side it is time to head to the door.

If you then get pulled to the door repeat the SSC. He must go to the door by your side or behind you but as you go through the door he must be behind you. You can repeat SSC at any point if required.

Your faithful friend is now lovingly gazing up at you whilst you stand by the door.. You are nearly there, give yourself a pat on the back you've earned it.

Time to open the door....

His automatic reaction will lure him in front of you, What you need him to do is stay behind you before you step out of the door, then he follows. Each time he pulls in front, calmly close the door being very careful not to catch his head with the door. Repeat this step until his reaction is to be still when the door is opened.

Wow... A different dog...No... A Great Leader, You are doing fab!

You now have the door open. He is calmly standing by your side sniffing the air.

Time to walk out....

If he, at your first movement leaps out with a bounce then you simply take him back in until he is calm and try again.

When he has calmly left the house you will be using the SSC method each time he pulls in front of you. He is allowed to sniff but not by pulling you to get to the scent.

You've done it!!!!

He now be walking beautifully by your side to the envy of other dog walker's.

Enjoy your walk!

Use the same steps as you did from the beginning each and every time you venture out. You will find after very few walks that your dog is requiring less corrections, soon to be none.

Through all of this you must remain calm and assertive. If at any stage you feel anxious or impatient, stop and correct your own energy before continuing. If you continue with the wrong energy he will see this and what you are trying to accomplish will be impossible.

I have used this method on many dog's, all with the perfect outcome. This also is a great way to calm a reactive dog. That's my next topic!

Last but not least... Pet hate... Harnesses!

A harness is for work. They fit in the most comfortable and strongest parts of the dog's body.... So they pull!

The harness manufacturer's are now clicking on to this and anti pull designs are becoming more available.

One that i would recommend is Ancol Happy At Heel Harness.

The happy at heel harness works by turning the dog towards the owner when they pull. You still need to use the SSC training but this is a great training aid.