Dogs who pull are not bad dogs, they just haven’t been taught how to redirect that energy.

There is always a reason why dogs do every single thing that they do.

Before we can stop the pulling, we need to understand why they pull in the first place:

Because they are in a hurry to get out of the boring house into the exciting park
Because they haven’t been out yet
Because they left the house in an excited fashion
Because they haven’t drained enough energy
Because nobody has told them not to
Because you have inadvertently taught them to
Because their environment is more stimulating than you
Because some breeds are bred to (eg Husky, Newfoundland)

At BE MORE DOG, we address the root cause of a problem, rather than just fixing the ‘bad’ behaviour itself. This is where the psychology comes in. That’s why practising the actual lead walking isn’t until step 8. There are many things to consider before that.

No matter what age or breed your dog is, if you follow these steps I can guarantee you some level of success.

1. Practice in the house/garden first, off lead

There are few distractions in the dog’s own territory, so he’ll be able to focus more on you. Get a handful of treats and engage him by putting a treat under his nose. Don’t give it yet. Walk backwards; if your dog follows, reward. Walk sideways; if your dog follows, reward. Walk forwards; if your dog follows, reward. We just want to get the dog zoned into following you. (Instead of you following him!)

Now refine the game and have him by your side, between you and the garden fence, or a wall in the house (this stops him meandering too far). He’ll follow where the treat is, so hold it near his nose as you walk forward. Keep doling out the treats to your side as you walk.

2. Repeat step 1 with the lead on

This can be a harness, a collar and lead or a slip lead placed high up behind the ears, so it doesn’t cause choking.

In bad cases, I find that the harness enables the dog to pull with its full weight, so sometimes just using new equipment helps the dog change its behaviour. The lead should ALWAYS be slack.

3. Don’t leave the house until the dog is calm

The walk begins inside the house, the minute you pick up the lead. Don’t say ‘Walkies’ or it will elicit excitement. Put the lead on a calm dog. Wait for calm if necessary. Lead the dog to the door and wait again. The lead should be slack.

4. Avoid putting tension on the lead

If you pull back on the lead it will cause your dog to pull more. RELAX.

5. Be calm and assertive

Your energy is everything. Dogs follow calm assertive energy. Not weak energy. Not bossy energy. We are being more dog by ‘speaking’ a language they understand.

6. Open the door but don’t go anywhere

Your dog should be able to stand in front of an open door on a slack lead, without going through it. If he pushes ahead, just give a little tug and release on the lead. No continuous pulling. (It should be like a tap on the shoulder to snap the brain out of its current thinking.)

7. You be the first to move forward, not the dog

Your dog is at your side, and will move when you move. Just like you practised in the garden. So you decide when it is time to move forward. If he is waiting by your side, on a slack lead, then it’s time to go. (If your dog pulls you out of the door, he is already leading the walk, and that’s not what we want.)

8. Walk and reward, walk and reward

To keep your dog focussed on you, keep delivering the treats to your side. Stop every now and again and get eye contact. Reward the eye contact. Walk him between you and a wall/fence/hedge if you can to prevent him from moving to the side. Keep the lead short, but slack. Eventually you can reduce the frequency of the treats.

And always….

Play with your dog.

If you are fun to be around, he will want to follow you. Make sure you provide a stimulating time for him when he is inside the house as well as outside. If he is ignored inside, of course he will always want to bolt out the door where the world is more interesting. Take him out often. Three shorter times a day is better than one long walk, as it stops frustration and boredom building.

It's your job to find ways of draining his energy every day. Mentally and physically. Hide some treats for him to sniff out, play hide and seek, do some agility, teach him a trick. Dogs love to work, and they love to please and succeed. Loose lead walking ticks all these boxes.

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Stop lead pulling in 8 easy steps.

Dogs who pull are not bad dogs, they just haven’t been taught how to redirect that energy.

There is always a reason why dogs do every single thing that they do.

Before we can stop the pulling, we need to understand why they pull in the first place:

Because they are in a hurry to get out of the boring house into the exciting park

Because they haven’t been out yet

Because they left the house in an excited fashion

Because they haven’t drained enough energy

Because nobody has told them not to

Because you have inadvertently taught them to

Because their environment is more stimulating than you

Because some breeds are bred to (eg Husky, Newfoundland)

At BE MORE DOG, we address the root cause of a problem, rather than just fixing the ‘bad’ behaviour itself. This is where the psychology comes in. That’s why practising the actual lead walking isn’t until step 8. There are many things to consider before that.

No matter what age or breed your dog is, if you follow these steps I can guarantee you some level of success.

1. Practice in the house/garden first, off lead

Now refine the game and have him by your side, between you and the garden fence, or a wall in the house (this stops him meandering too far). He’ll follow where the treat is, so hold it near his nose as you walk forward. Keep doling out the treats to your side as you walk.

2. Repeat step 1 with the lead on

This can be a harness, a collar and lead or a slip lead placed high up behind the ears, so it doesn’t cause choking.

In bad cases, I find that the harness enables the dog to pull with its full weight, so sometimes just using new equipment helps the dog change its behaviour. The lead should ALWAYS be slack.

3. Don’t leave the house until the dog is calm

The walk begins inside the house, the minute you pick up the lead. Don’t say ‘Walkies’ or it will elicit excitement. Put the lead on a calm dog. Wait for calm if necessary. Lead the dog to the door and wait again. The lead should be slack.

4. Avoid putting tension on the lead

If you pull back on the lead it will cause your dog to pull more. RELAX.

5. Be calm and assertive

Your energy is everything. Dogs follow calm assertive energy. Not weak energy. Not bossy energy. We are being more dog by ‘speaking’ a language they understand.

6. Open the door but don’t go anywhere

Your dog should be able to stand in front of an open door on a slack lead, without going through it. If he pushes ahead, just give a little tug and release on the lead. No continuous pulling. (It should be like a tap on the shoulder to snap the brain out of its current thinking.)

7. You be the first to move forward, not the dog

8. Walk and reward, walk and reward

And always….

Play with your dog.

It's your job to find ways of draining his energy every day. Mentally and physically. Hide some treats for him to sniff out, play hide and seek, do some agility, teach him a trick. Dogs love to work, and they love to please and succeed. Loose lead walking ticks all these boxes.

Why is my Dog Destructive?