Walking your dog should be a pleasant bonding experience for you both, rather than stressful or annoying! If your dog’s leash-pulling is making your walks a lot less fun, here’s how to teach your pup to follow you instead of trying to lead.
Begin leading before you even leave the house
Initiate each walk by calmly calling your dog to you, rather than approaching your dog to put the leash on them. This establishes that you are leading the walk, and your dog will be more likely to listen to you when you go outside.
Don’t let your dog rush out the door or lead you down the stairs or to the driveway. A dog should learn to stay beside or slightly behind you so they can see you and follow your lead. It will help your dog feel more comfortable and trust your leadership during the walk.
Keep your dog’s attention
Praise your dog as they follow you, and encourage them to look to you for guidance. An excited, unfocused dog can get distracted and could lunge at a distraction or even pull you into the path of danger. By challenging them to follow, you work their brain and give them a purpose on their walk.
Don’t let your dog mark territory
Your dog stopping you repeatedly is often the most frustrating behaviour on walks. Lead your dog to an area in which to do their business before you begin your actual walk. Don’t allow them to mark territory everywhere you go; keep them focused and moving so they’re not tempted to leave their scent every few feet.
Avoid Confrontations
If your dog is pulling in order to go check out people or other dogs, do not follow or allow them to follow through. If your dog succeeds in inspecting others on your walks they will learn that they make the decisions, and that every dog and person requires their interaction. Instead, go another direction and praise them for keeping their focus and attention on you. You can then be the one to decide with which dogs and people they are allowed to interact.
Be a confident leader
Don’t let your own distractions or tension cause your dog to lose confidence in you. Walk deliberately and calmly. Keep your dog close and don’t allow them to drag you, or put constant tension on the leash.
Retractable leashes can make this last part difficult (and dangerous!) so stick to standard six-foot leashes.
As always, if you need more one-on-one guidance, your local Bark Busters trainer would be more than happy to help!