Behind every dog that pulls on the leash there is an owner who lets himself be pulled. If you have a pulling dog, think about how often you’ve allowed him to lean on the leash and drag you in one direction or another while pulling back with equal force or holding on tightly.
Both dogs and owners should learn that the leash is ALWAYS loose.
The leash is their connection to each other and allows them to go out together in public. Whether you’re going for a walk or just standing still, neither you nor your dog should pull on the leash. Your dog’s leash is a training aid and safety equipment. To be an effective training aid, it should never be tight and should be used as little as possible.
TIPS FOR WALKING WITH A LOOSE STRAP
Get ready for success! Make sure your dog has a vigorous exercise session (recovery games are great for this) before starting his training session. Remember, young dogs require a great deal of exercise.
- Prepare your dog for a walk. Put on his leash. If you want him to walk on his left side, hold the strap in his right hand. He leaves your left hand free to reinforce your dog with some treats when he is giving you the behavior you want.
- If your dog gets wild and starts pulling, stop at this point and turn into a statue. Wait as long as it takes for him to calm down. (Patience is very important at this stage of the game). When he comes back to see why you’re not doing anything, reinforce him with a treat for looking at you and do some soulful attention exercises.
- When you get your dog’s attention back, start walking. If he starts running off without you, ask him to pay attention by backing off briskly. When your dog is following you closely, reinforce him with a treat and start moving again.
- Reinforce attention with treats and praise and any attempts you make to keep the leash loose.
- If you charge to the end of the leash, stop and turn into a statue and repeat step 2 above.
- When your dog is attentive again, repeat step 3. Continue this procedure for the remainder of your walk. You don’t move forward when the leash is tight. When the leash is loose, reward your dog by continuing to walk and giving him treats, pats, and praise.
- Patience, patience, patience! Until you and your dog can successfully keep the leash loose as you go, think of your walks as training sessions. Don’t expect to tour the neighborhood on your first try.
Dogs do what works! As soon as they find out that you two are not going anywhere until you relax, they will stop pulling.
Good luck and happy training!