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Walking without pulling can feel really difficult to achieve at times – most dog owners will know what its like to experience their dog pulling on a lead at one time or another. When our pooches are excited to meet their doggy friends at the local park, or sense they’re going on a special adventure, they can be very eager to get to their destination or be freed from a leash to let off some steam.
However, lead pulling is not enjoyable for anyone involved and if not fixed, it can get worse over time. Luckily there are lots of simple things you can do to quickly establish walking without pulling – and most dogs will respond to training quite quickly, if it is done consistently.
Walking without pulling top tips
Try the following tips to help encourage your dog to walk nicely whilst on the lead:
- Start with proper lead training and use a well-fitted collar or harness. Of course, we’re biased but if you are looking for a good lead, collar or harness then you should check out our collection. We have a handy size guide to help you find the right ones, and all our collars and harnesses are adjustable, so that you can ensure it fits your pooch properly. The right accessories will help achieve walking without pulling.
- Try to teach your dog some basic obedience commands such as “heel” “wait” or “come” at home. General obedience training can reap rewards in other behaviour areas.
- Start by walking in a quiet area where there are fewer distractions… if you pooch can already see all his friends having fun ahead of him, this might encourage them to pull and will likely end in a disappointing training session. Equally, if you have more than one dog, you might want to try having short training walks individually.
- Reward your dog with high quality treats whenever they stay close to you, remain calm and are walking without pulling. The more you reward positive behaviour, the more you will see it happening. Magic!
- Always use positive reinforcement instead of punishment or negative reinforcement… it’s the language our beloved pets understand.
- Try to change directions frequently and use a short lead to keep your dog close to your side for walking without pulling. Our rope leads are 150cm long, to give dogs freedom when appropriate, but they can also be doubled up to make a shorter leash, using the handy loop and clip system. The doubled up shorter lead is perfect for busy city walks and lead training. Our brand new Blue rope leads come in both 150cm and 120cm, to give owners more choice. Changing directions often means your dog will have to keep changing their direction too and this encourages them to follow you instead of pulling ahead.
- Be consistent with your training and patient with your dog… regular, short sessions are key. Just five to ten minutes a day is more than enough for focused training. In no time at all your dog will be walking without pulling.
- Whilst many owners love harnesses – we do too – they can sometimes encourage a dog to use its full bodyweight to pull the lead. If your dog’s pulling is getting particularly strong or difficult to manage, it may actually be better to try a collar, while you help to train them to walk nicely with you. So, do consider if your dog is better suited to a harness or collar for training.
- If your own training isn’t working, you can also seek professional help from a dog trainer or a behaviourist.
We hope these tips help… how did it go? Do you have any additional tips or advice that we can share? Let us know at: [email protected] or over on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
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