Dog Training: Pulling on the Leash 101
One of the biggest mile stones in dog training is teaching the dog to walk on the leash properly – without pulling it.
Let’s look at the scenario from the dog’s point of view. Why does he pull on the leash? Well, most likely, because he sees something of interest to him and wants to get there quickly.
Usually, most owners simply give up fighting the dog, and give in to whatever the dog is after. The dog is smart and remembers that it gets what it wants when he pulls on the leash.
Instead of letting him get what he wants when pulling, you could do the exact opposite: Simply stop walking. Just stop and wait.
Stop abruptly the very second your dog puts any tension on the leash. The timing needs to be good here. If he starts pulling, you stop. Very simple.
When you stop your dog will wonder what just happened. Chances are he will turn around and try to get a sense of why he can’t move forward. That is a good moment for you. When he has stopped and is not pulling anymore, you should praise him or give him a treat.
Moreover, it is also a good idea to tell the dog to get in the heel position after this happened.
Yes, stopping every time when there is tension on the leash can be quite frustrating. And every walk -even the short ones- might then seem to take forever. But it will get better after a while. It is all a matter of habit, and you and your dog need to first break the old one (i.e. leash pulling is acceptable).
When you actually start doing this, you might be shocked at how often you need to stop. Yes, it can be frustrating. But consistency is the only way to help your dog figure out that pulling on the leash will not get him anywhere faster. And right now, this is the most important thing for him to learn.
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Tags: dog training
dog training | Dirk Gruenberg | 28 January 2012 |
