How to Stop a Dog From Pulling Away While on a Leash

Taking your dog for a walk is one of the biggest pleasures of dog ownership. It also provides an excellent opportunity to exercise and train your dog. It is normal for dogs to want to rush off and explore all of the smells and sights of the outside world, but constant pulling is not acceptable and can discourage you from taking your dog on walks. You can correct this unwanted behavior by helping the dog learn that pulling on the leash results in negative consequences.

Things You'll Need

  • Extendable leash
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Teach the dog your command. When you want to influence your dog's behavior, the easiest way to do this is with a verbal command. Before you go for your next walk, spend some time building an association in your dog's brain between your chosen command and the consequences of obeying. A common word to instruct a dog to stop pulling on the leash is "heel." It's good because it has one syllable and doesn't sound like other common commands. During a play session, wait until the dog is distracted from you and issue the command. If the dog doesn't respond, wait a few seconds before repeating. As soon as the dog responds by looking at you or by approaching you, issue a reward. The reward can be food, a toy or touch. Pick whichever reward your dog responds to best. This teaches the dog that the action of looking at you in response to the command has positive results.

    • 2
      Figure out what treat your dog prefers.

      Put a short leash on the dog. Begin with a short leash so that you have more control over your dog's movement. Walk in a loop around the garden or house. Once you finish a loop, change direction. If the dog pulls, stop walking and issue your command. Only reward the dog if he approaches. If he looks but doesn't approach, coax him to you. You're teaching the dog that pulling has a negative consequence, but being close has a positive consequence.

    • 3

      Increase the amount of time you stop the walk for. Whenever the dog pulls, stand and wait until the dog is at your side before continuing. As you increase the amount of time, the dog will learn that the action of pulling results in an interruption to the walk. The walk is a positive element of the dog's current experience and by stopping, you are showing the dog the you can remove that positivity.

    • 4
      Some dogs will prefer a toy to a biscuit.

      Extend the length of the leash. Once the dog begins to learn the command, you can give her more freedom. Repeat the command each time she pulls, but only issue the reward when she approaches.

    • 5

      Reinforce good behavior. During your walk, take every opportunity to reinforce good leash walking with a reward. This way you're not just correcting bad behavior, but encouraging good behavior. Wait until your dog walks alongside you, issue the command and then issue the reward. The dog won't know that you're responding to his action, he'll simply make the association between the command, his current action and the positive outcome. The order in which the association is reinforced doesn't matter at this stage.