If you have a dog that’s constantly pulling on a leash chances are you are not enjoying your walks very much, you get a shoulder workout and, your dog likely controls the walk.
Your dog pulling on a leash is not fun especially when your dog may be bigger, stronger, and can overpower you!
Here we will cover some reasons why your dog is constantly pulling on the leash and simple effective ways you can combat this issue.
Why Is My Dog Constantly Pulling on Leash?
The most common reason your dog is pulling on a leash is because your dog is getting rewarded for pulling. Your dog likely learned that if he pulls in the direction where your dog wants to go, your dog will ultimately be rewarded by getting to where your dog was pulling to.
That is the simplified version of why your dog is constantly pulling but other things that can aid in your dogs pulling are:
On-Leash Greetings
If you are always allowing “on-leash greetings” basically allowing your dog to say “hi” to other dogs or humans on the leash, you will create a bad habit where every time your dog sees another dog or person he will feel the need to “go say hi” This will create the habit and teach your dog constantly pulling on leash.
On-leash interactions aren’t necessary and don’t benefit both you and your dog.
Dog socialization isn’t like humans where we need to directly interact with a person to socialize, instead you want a confident dog that is not overly obessed with people or dogs.
instead of letting your dog say “hi” to socialize them, try indirect socialization where you provide your dog positive experiences around what you want to socilize your dog to.
The benefit?
you expose and socilize your dog while teaching your pup to ignore people and focus on you.
For more information on proper socialization for dogs read our socialization article!
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Never Taught Your Dog To Walk on Leash
Another reason you might struggle with your dog constantly pulling on leash is because you never took the time to teach your dog how to follow you and the leash.
Unless you take the time to teach your dog the right behavior it wouldn’t be fair to be mad at your dog for giving you the wrong behavior.
Remember if you have a puppy or a new dog in general they may likely have no experience or understanding of the proper way to walk on a leash politely.
Teaching your dog how to take direction from not only you but the leash is essential for everyday real-world obedience!
Using a Harness
If you’re using a harness you might notice your dog constantly pulling on leash simply because you are walking him on a harness!
The harness isn’t necessarily bad but it is attached to the strongest part of your dog’s body, giving your dog more power to pull you down the road.
A dog collar that goes around your dog’s neck is more beneficial which trying to give your dog direction and communicate with your dog what you want on the walk
Read more information on Harness vs. dog Collar.
Dogs Naturally Walk Fast
Your dog might be pulling you simply because dogs as a whole naturally walk faster thanks, humans!
When we are teaching dogs to walk on leash we are also teaching them to walk slower at our pace.
That means if you have a high-energy breed playing before the walk will ensure your dog is not pent up with energy
Pack Behavior
You may find your dog constantly pulling on leash when walking in large groups.
When walking in groups dogs have a sense of being in a pack and want to catch up to the group and be in the “mix”
This doesn’t mean that your dog wants to be in “control” or be “alpha” Dogs are wildly different from wolves, this simply means that your dog wants to be where everyone is at.
This also means that your dog probably hasn’t generalized that walking without pulling is the same even if we are in a group or not.
Dogs are poor generalizes meaning that if your dog knows how to walk on a leash in one context like by yourself, that doesn’t mean that your dog understands how to walk on leash if there are multiple people
You as a dog owner have to paint the picture for your dog and help your dog understand that walking politely applies in all environments and scenarios.
How To Stop Your Dog From Pulling On Leash
If you fear that your dog can severely overpower you throughout his walks heres’s simple things you can implement today to make your walk better!
Using the Right Equipment
Using the right equipment can make all the difference IF you know and learn how to properly use them.
First, you have to understand your dog’s level of motivation for pulling. If you have a dog that is extremely motivated to pull towards something the harness is not a good option because it will intensify your dog’s pulling.
Instead, I recommend opting for a collar.
The 3 collars I recommend:
Although like any tool you have to understand the concept behind using the tool and how to teach your dog how to respond to the tool.
Our article here speaks more on prongs and training collars
Essentially the goal is to be able to walk your dog with no tension on the leash**( Golden rule never let your dog walk while there is tension on the leash.) and only apply tension when you want to communicate with your dog and give him direction.
"The Stop & Go" Drill
One easy drill to to stop your dog constantly pulling on leash is the “Stop and Go” essentially what you want to do is when you and your dog are out on a walk. the very moment that your dog starts to pull on the leash you want to stop and bring your dog to the “Heel” position at your side.
The Heel position means your dog should be next to or behind either your left or right leg. The moment your dog begins to pull come to a complete stop and the guide your dig him back around in the heel position and stop until your dog is no longer pulling.
This Simple drill will start to teach your dog that pulling will get him nowhere and not pulling is.
Another Golden rule is to never let your dog get access to what they want while pulling because then your dog learns pulling leads to what he wants.
Instead, begin teaching your dog to wait until you permit him.
It’s not an issue that your dog wants to smell the grass the issue is how your dog goes about it.
It’s all about TEACHING your dog how to get what he wants politely.
Conclusion
Dogs pull due to a variety of reasons, every dog is different but the concepts are generally the same.
Ultimately you’ll find your dog constantly pulling on leash because, in some form or another, your dog is being rewarded for his “pulling efforts” you just don’t realize it yet.
Practicing the drill above will help gain more control over your walk.
The best way to ensure that your dog completely stops pulling is to consult a professional dog trainer and behaviorist.
To awaken your dog’s true potential contact us here or Give us a call!
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