All Posts Fix Leash Pulling for Good

We all want our dog to walk calmly next to us, whether it is down a quiet back country road or on a busy city street. Our dog becomes excited with the new scents, sights and sounds. We get upset that our dog would rather be a dog than our companion at that moment. As pet parents we need to teach our dogs that giving us their attention can be more rewarding than those enticing scents and sounds. There are many ways to teach our pups to calmly walk on a slack leash and to ignore the distractions around them. Loose leash walking is not something that is mastered overnight and it does take time to be perfected. Loose Leash Walking is a relationship-strengthening exercise and never a show of who is boss. Most pet owners actually teach their pets to pull on leash. If your dog decides to pull towards something and reaches it, they just get rewarded for pulling. The next time your dog will likely pull even harder to get to that smell, dog or person. If your training is not consistent by everyone who walks your dog then the problem will never be resolved.

What you'll need: Lots of extra tasty treats Loaded Reward Marker No Reward Marker Release Cue Four to six foot leash attached to your dog's collar or harness.

The seven ways to teach Loose Leash Walking:

1. Capturing- catching the dog in the moment by marking and rewarding
2. Patterning- repetitive pattern to associate rewards with LLW.
3. “Touch”- Using the basic obedience cue to keep our dog actively engaged in walking on a loose leash. It is also a great way to keep your dog's attention while you move past distractions.
4. Be a Tree- when the leash is taught, you stop. When the leash is slack, you walk.
5. Pull=Turn Around- anytime our dog pulls, give your no reward marker and calmly turn around and walk the opposite direction.
6. Smell of treats- if you have smelly treats in your hand or pocket, every time your dog is close to you or passes by, just the smell of treats can entice your dog to keep close.
7. Reset- introducing “heel” when the dog advances too far ahead. If at any time your dog gets more than a couple of feet ahead of you, call their name and lure them into a 'loose' heel position. It does not have to be a perfect heel with eye contact; we just want our dog to be next to us walking at a similar pace.

How to begin Pick a side that you want your dog to walk on. It does not have to be on your left, it can be whichever side you are comfortable with. Your “assurance” hand is the hand opposite of the side your dog is on and will hold the loop end of the leash.You can take in some of the slack from your dog’s leash with your assurance hand. Your treat bag should be on the same side as your dog. Always reward your dog with the same hand of the side they are on so they do not cross over you to get their reward. This hand is your treat hand and “guide” hand. If your dog tries to cut in front of you or behind you, you may straighten out your guide hand to shorten the leash and guide them to stay on one side.

Say your Loose Leash Walking cue- “Let's Go”, “Stay Close” or “With Me” and take a step. If your dog steps with you, immediately click and give your dog a treat. Make sure you give their treat close to your side from the same side hand that your dog is on. Always hand feed your dog rewards when teaching loose leash walking, do not toss them on the ground. Again, take another step. If your dog steps with you again, click and treat. Try taking a few more steps. Any time you find your pup in the perfect loose leash walking position, click and treat.

If at any time should your dog put tension on the leash and begin to pull, immediately say your ‘No Reward Marker’ and come to a slow stop. Be cautious to keep your assurance hand in the same place so you do not pull your dog. You may hold onto your belt or pocket to make sure your hand does not move. Extend your guide hand down the leash to help control your dog, being cautious to not pull them.Remember, it is your dog’s decision to pull or change direction. Once stopped, make sure to re-balance yourself. If your dog turns around to look at you, click and treat! Then begin to lure your dog back into the loose leash walking position. If your dog continues to pull, call their name one time. If still, your dog doesn’t respond you may use prompts like kissy noises or patting your leg. If your dog still does not respond you can take one steady step in the opposite direction. This will cause your dog to overcorrect themselves, giving you a chance to click and treat slack in the leash.If your dog does not respond to that and continues to pull, calmly turn around and walk in the opposite direction. As soon as your dog turns to catch up with you, click and treat.

If your dog is trying to pull towards a smell, you can use that visit itself as the reward. Click and treat while you walk past the bush or tree. Once you pass it while maintaining a slack leash you can turn, click and let them investigate whatever it is they want to access.

Continue this routine with short walks throughout the day. You can practice in your home and yard or in an empty parking lot in the beginning to keep distractions to a minimum. Pay close attention to your leash at all times. Most owners have a habit of letting their dog pull that is so ingrained; they don't even realize there is tension on the leash. From now on it is your dog's responsibility to keep the leash slack. If they pull, nothing happens, but if the leash is relaxed your dog can move towards the new dog, person, fire hydrant or whatever else they want to investigate.

With much practice and lots of consistency, this will become a habit for your dog and you won’t have to reward with click and treats more than every once in a while.

Training Tips: Begin training with a shorter leash so it is easier to control and so your dog will learn to understand pulling gets them nowhere but being close to you is extremely rewarding.

In the beginning of your walk you may start spinning in circles before you even make it to the end of the block. This is completely normal! Make sure to be patient and consistent in what you reward. Eye contact, even when passing distractions at a distance is something you should try to capture.

Always keep your assurance hand in the same spot. You can tie the leash around your waist or keep your hand in your pocket if you have a habit of pulling back on the leash or wrapping your hand. If we expect our dog not to pull, we cannot pull them.

Always reward from the hand on the same side as your dog. If you cross over your body when rewarding, your dog will cut in front of you on your walk in anticipation of the treat.

If your dog becomes too distracted try practicing in a less distracting environment, use a higher rate of reinforcement, or a higher quality of reward. Remember, we are competing with a very stressful environment. Our pets deserve ‘hazard pay’ when first working around moderate to high distractions.

Consider using a Gentle Leader, martingale collar, front clip harness, or a no-pull harness when training. Prong and choke collars can cause negative associations if not used properly. They can also desensitize your dog to pressure around their neck, causing them to pull more frequently without feeling it. Never use retractable leads or bungee leashes! They will actually teach your dog to pull while on leash.

With consistency from everyone who walks your dog, leisurely strolls can be accomplished! If your training is not consistent then the problem will never be resolved.