10 exercises to stop your dog from pulling on the leash

Daily walks are an integral part of the dog lovers' regimen. For some it’s a pleasant time with their pet, for others it’s hell with jerking, wheezing and choking. The owners of ill-mannered dogs get angry, scold their pets, lash out at them and try to return home quickly. Such walking does not bring pleasure to either man or animal. How to wean your dog from pulling on the leash while walking and make going outside enjoyable is described in the article.

Why is pulling dangerous?

Walking with a constantly vomiting pet is unpleasant in itself. But when the dog pulls hard on the leash, it also threatens injury for the pet and the owner. So:

• if the pet pulls the ammunition, the person may suffer dislocations of the shoulder, hand, or elbow;
• a tight collar compresses the throat, makes breathing difficult, leading to coughing, wheezing, and suffocation.

Over time, the animal gets used to walking only with a leash that is cracking from tension. He doesn't like it as much as the owner does. But the pet doesn’t see a way out and continues to “pull the strap.”

Reasons for disobedience

It is immediately necessary to make a reservation that not every behavior when a dog pulls on the leash can be regarded as sharply negative. Sometimes this is due to the instincts of the animal, as well as the specific “working” qualities that the pet has. Let's look at these reasons in more detail:

1. Fear. A pet can drag its owner along if it is very frightened by something. For example, an explosion of firecrackers or a loud honking car passing nearby. Most often, this factor affects particularly impressionable shaggy friends.
2. Aggression. If a dog has an excitable temperament, it may attempt to attack other animals or strangers. In this case, the owner must always put a muzzle on it.
3. Rare and short-term walking. A dog that is not walked often tends to make the most of the time allotted to it. That is, sniff all the poles and mark each tree. The animal understands that it will soon be taken home, so it can break the leash, trying to have time to mark its territory.
4. Features of the “specialty”. Working and hunting dogs, as well as sled dogs, are trained from early childhood to pick up the scent and show the way. It's stupid to blame them for trying to do their job.
5. Hormones. A usually calm animal can pull its owner along if it is time for mating. Males can smell a female from afar during heat. An excellent solution to this problem would be to sterilize your pet or take medications that can reduce sexual desire.

All of the above factors have something in common. In each of them, you can notice that the dog has a goal - to avoid a traumatic situation, throw out aggression, mark territory, find a female, or perform a service. These goals are caused either by the dog's nature or by skills learned from the time he was a puppy. Therefore, this behavior does not necessarily need correction (except for aggressiveness). But there are other factors, more alarming, that must be corrected. Here they are:

1. Demonstration of “protest” to the owner. The dog may well “punish” its owner in this way. This, to put it in the terminology of animal psychologists, is hidden aggression. That is, in fact, the pet recognizes that its leader is stronger, but does not give up trying to change the situation. In addition, a walk creates ideal conditions for such behavior, since at home the dog is surrounded by the smell of the owner and his “rules.” And the street is an element, freedom. If such activity is not stopped in time, the owner will probably one day lose his authority in the eyes of the dog.
2. Feeling like a leader. This is how animal psychology experts explain attempts to pull on a leash in puppies. The young pet is just getting used to the subordinate role, so when walking it can tear the leash, receiving satisfaction from the fact that the owner obeys him.
3. Open disrespect. It manifests itself especially often if the pet is not walked by the owner himself, but by a family member or a person specially hired for this purpose. The dog follows a clear hierarchy in its pack and it is unpleasant for it when the reins of control pass into the hands of someone it considers unworthy for this.

These reasons definitely need to be corrected, or over time the animal will become completely uncontrollable. Let's move on to the question of how to teach a dog not to pull on a leash and what methods of influence exist for this.

Ammunition

It is possible to wean an adult dog from pulling its owner on the opposite end of the leash. All you need is the right strategy, patience and a couple of weeks. But first of all - suitable ammunition.

What you will need

The following will help you wean your dog from holding the ammunition in tension:

1. Collar. Selected according to the size of the fidget. For small breeds, a width of 2-3 cm is suitable, for medium and large breeds - 4-5 cm, for giant dogs and dogs with long thin necks (greyhounds, pointers, hounds) - 5-12 cm.
2. Canvas leash. The optimal length is 3-5 cm. Short models are used for teaching the “Near” command, long models are used for special training.
3. Halter. Similar to a loose bridle for horses. It wraps around the muzzle and, if the animal pulls on the equipment, limits movement as much as possible.

For puppies and dogs with insufficient training, this is enough. For adult, dominant, aggressive dogs, a choke collar or snatch chain is used.

The equipment is worn under the ears (higher than a regular collar). When pulled, the accessory tightens around the throat, suffocating the pet.

What's useless

There are also several other walking aids. But they are not suitable if you need to wean your pet from pulling ammunition. Among them:

• tape measure - does not allow the leash to drag on the ground, but constantly keeps it in tension, which develops in pets the bad habit of tearing and pulling;
• ringovka - a variant of the noose, used exclusively at exhibitions;
• leash-handle - a short device with a loop for the hand and a carabiner attached to the collar, used to practice the “Near” command;
• parfos or strict collar: on its inner side there are metal spikes that dig into the dog’s neck if he pulls the owner, it is considered a rigid accessory that affects the physical and psychological health of the animal;
• an electric shock collar (ESC) is another type of hard equipment that shocks the dog if it does something wrong, and is used only by professionals in exceptional cases;
• A harness is a convenient accessory for walking, but is only suitable for trained and calm dogs.

Education and training

All dogs have different personalities and temperaments. Therefore, training is selected individually, based on what influences the four-legged friend (treats, emotions or toys). Below in the article are examples of training for puppies and adult dogs. But the owner should not encourage inappropriate behavior.

Regularly following simple rules will help improve the situation so that the dog does not pull on the leash.

First exercise: as soon as the pet pulls on the leash, stop and wait until he comes up. As practice shows, the method is not effective in all cases. There are dogs that can stand in one place for a long time, waiting for their owner.

Second exercise: when pulling on the leash, sharply command “come to me” and turn around, changing the direction of the path. The dog must react. Using this option, you can also practice other commands, for example, “left”, “right”, “back” and others.

It happens that four-legged friends do not respond to the call. In this case, it is necessary to let go of the leash if the owner is sure that the dog will not run away, or choose a long one. The owner walks in the other direction until the student pays attention and catches up with him.

If there is no reaction to leaving, you should hide behind a tree, corner of the house or other secluded place. When the dog notices the owner's absence, it will panic. The main thing is not to leave her unattended.

The exercise should not be used too often on adult animals. It is not entirely true to the pet, but it is still capable of teaching it to stay close to its owner. For puppies, such a situation will become stressful, so they are trained using a different method.

Puppy training

Problems in the behavior of babies can lead to health complications in an adult dog. Training should begin upon reaching 3-4 months of age, when the puppy begins to go outside. For fruitful work, the owner must follow the rules:

• before starting training, give the baby time to familiarize himself with the territory, external stimuli, play with the baby so that he is calmer;
• training should be carried out daily, initially they should take no more than 5 minutes, gradually increase the time to half an hour;
• For each correctly performed exercise, verbally praise the baby, handing over a treat once for three approvals.

Home workouts will also be beneficial. A technique developed by a famous US dog handler is suitable for children.

The owner fastens the dog and makes him sit next to him. He chooses his favorite toy and begins to tease the puppy, then throws it slightly forward or to the side. Together they go after the object. If the puppy tries to run and pulls on the leash, the owner returns to the starting point with the baby and shows his disapproval with emotions (frustration, shaking his head, sighs) that he will have to start over. This should continue until the owner and dog reach the object together.

If a treat is used instead of a toy to attract attention, it should be placed in a food bowl. Otherwise, the pet will think that it can be picked up from the floor or ground.

Retraining an old dog

The process is longer, but there is no need to retreat. The pet must realize and accept that the leader of the pack is his master. It will take at least a month to retrain. The main thing is not to give up and continue training diligently. If they do not bring results and the behavior does not change, you should contact a professional dog handler who can find an approach.

You can correct the behavior of an adult dog using two methods based on practicing the “near” command.

The first is with the use of force. When the pet starts to pull on the leash, the owner stops it with a sharp jerk and gives a command. In most cases, dogs quickly understand what causes this behavior.

The second is to hone the command at home with the help of a toy or treat. After a walk, when the dog is able to concentrate, the owner calls it to him and gives the command “near”. Together they walk in different directions of the room. In this case, the owner’s hand with a tasty morsel or toy is located just above the pet’s muzzle.

Basic principles of training

You can teach your dog to walk calmly if you follow these rules:

• for the first exercises, look for a quiet place away from people and other animals;
• when the pet stops pulling the leash in a secluded place, the classes become more complicated - they are carried out on noisy streets;
• before training, give the fidget 10-20 minutes to go to the toilet and run around - a slightly tired pet learns lessons better;
• Duration of classes – 10-15 minutes;
• Several training sessions are carried out during one walk;
• exercises are repeated every walk: the principle “yesterday we did it, but today we’re lazy, we’ll repeat it tomorrow” will not work - systematicity is needed.

At first, the pet may not understand what is being asked of him. But after 2-4 lessons the first changes will appear.

You need to walk correctly with the dog on a slightly slack leash so that it does not stretch and does not touch the ground. Dog handlers have a saying: “walking a dog on a leash is the same as walking with it holding hands.”

Choosing accessories for a walk

First of all, you need to choose the right collar. It should be wide enough to match the size of the animal. Collars 2-3 cm wide are more suitable for small dogs. If your neck is long and narrow, it is better to take a wider device. For training purposes, collars with a width of 4-5 cm are usually made. They consist of several layers of nylon, which reduces pressure on the neck and distributes it more evenly. Collars wider than 5 cm are purchased for large greyhounds and hounds.

Other accessories:

• A handle leash is a strong and short cord with a loop and a carabiner. Used for walking nearby, such a device is ineffective for re-education.
• A jerk chain is a chain with rings at the ends. A chain folded in half is threaded into one of them. This creates a loop that, when pulled, compresses the neck. This equipment is only suitable for training purposes and not for everyday walks.
• Parfors (strict collar) is a metal device with spikes aimed at the animal’s skin. When trying to make a jerk, the parfors causes pain and discomfort to the dog. Lately, the use of this accessory has been highly frowned upon. You should resort to it only in extreme cases.
• Halter - has the appearance of a free bridle, which overlaps the dog's muzzle with a loop and is attached to the leash with a carabiner. With the help of a halter, you can teach your animal to walk correctly without causing him pain or discomfort.
• ESH (electric shock collar) – used only by professionals and only if the dog’s behavior is dangerous to others.
• A harness is a device consisting of straps covering the chest, to which rings and clasps are attached. There are vest-style harnesses that work well for small dogs. Unlike collars, harnesses do not put pressure on the neck and do not cause discomfort to the animal. Harnesses are not very suitable for correcting the behavior of adult and large dogs. It is very difficult to control jerks in them.

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Weaning methods

There is nothing difficult about how to wean a dog from pulling on a leash on a walk on its own. With the right, systematic approach, after 10-14 days the pet will calmly walk next to the owner, and not drag him into the nearest bushes.

All methods of weaning a dog from breaking the leash are good. However, each requires its own approach - a separate method works with one pet, but does not work on another. It is better to try all types and find the optimal one or use several together.

Changing roles

As soon as the fidget begins to pull the equipment, its attention is attracted by a command, exclamation or whistle. Then you need to change the trajectory of movement: turn left, right, walk in different directions, circles, snake, figure eight, cross the path of the dog. This will confuse the animal and force it to follow its owner.

We follow the signal

Variation of the previous exercise. When the owner turns or changes direction, he gives a pre-arranged signal. The easiest way is to click the clicker and after the turn, reward the dog with a treat or praise. This makes it easier to train animals: they quickly get used to the fact that the sound confirms the correctness of the action, and it will be followed by a treat.

We leave one

Another type of the same exercise. Suitable for dogs that do not follow their owner.

If the pet does not react, does not follow the person, throw the leash and go in the opposite direction. You can't stop and look back. Dogs are very attached to people. 90% of pets will run after you.

But some animals still do not follow humans. Then they hide around the nearest corner, from where they discreetly watch the pet. They wait 3-5 minutes while the dog runs around in a panic and looks for its lost owner. The activity is cruel, but it teaches the dog to always watch the owner.

The exercise is used for animals that 100% will not run away and know the command “Come to me.” The technique is not used with puppies, because... they are inattentive. Frightened, they can follow any person.

Let's pretend to be a tree

If the dog pulls very hard on the ammunition, they stop dead in their tracks and wait for the pet to approach. The method does not work for everyone. Some dogs are stubborn and can wait for half an hour for their careless owner to follow them. And if the pet is large, it will easily drag a person along with it, and that person will only have to dangle doomedly on a leash.

Penalty points

The essence of the method is as follows:

• take an irritant (toy, food) and tease the pet with it;
• sit the dog next to the leg, throwing the stimulus a short distance;
• give the command “Nearby”, and then go to the toy or treat;
• if the pet pulls on the leash, they return to the starting point;
• When the pet reaches the maximum penalty points (the number is determined independently), the exercise is completed, and no treat or toy is given.

When returning, they depict universal grief - they groan, gasp, sigh, shake their heads. The dog must understand: the owner wants to get to the toy just like he does.

Food should not be thrown on the ground - it is placed in a bowl. Otherwise, the dog will learn to pick up everything that smells good from the ground.

Follow the treat

A piece of treat is clamped in the hand - cheese, dried meat, store-bought delicacy. The fist is held just above the dog's muzzle. She will certainly follow the tempting delicacy. Instead of a treat, you can use a toy - it is clamped under the arm.

The point of the technique is that the pet learns to walk next to the person, not pull the ammunition and keep an eye on him.

How to stop a dog from pulling on a leash: different methods

To correct the dog’s behavior, experts recommend abandoning the tape measure and replacing it with a regular leash 3-5 m long. Fix it in two positions, when the pet is close or far away for the entire length. The collar chosen is simple, wide and comfortable, without additional functions. A palm should be placed between it and the neck so that the dog can breathe calmly. You can also use a harness with a carabiner fastening at the front or a special muzzle (halter). Both of these ammunition will force the pet to pay attention to the owner when trying to get ahead.

For training, choose places where there are no external stimuli (cats, cars, people, other dogs). The first lessons should not be long and tiring. Gradually, the time is increased, the locations are changed to others, with the presence of distractions.

The route must be new each time so that the dog does not know it and tries to stay near the owner. If she tries to go her own way, the owner stops abruptly and waits for the pet to approach him, or changes direction. You can walk like a snake, a figure eight, or circles around the site.

Education should be based on praise so that the dog does not have the desire to move away from the owner. Restrictions on freedom, prohibitions, and swearing can provoke an animal to escape. This attraction will lead to the dog constantly walking on a tight leash or gnawing on it in order to free himself.

An alternative method of training would be to train your pet to respond to a clicker (a special device that makes clicking sounds). Each completed exercise or command is followed by a click and a treat. Thus, he will develop an associative connection: correct behavior - click - treat.

On the street, you need to stay in front of the animal so that it tries to follow. When the dog reaches the owner, a familiar sound signal and a treat will follow. But you should not encourage him if he has gone ahead.