By Sarah Groves Dog Training - puppy training specialist Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot
Taking your dog for a walk should be an enjoyable experience for both yourself and your dog. It is a wonderful opportunity to bond with your pet, get some exercise, and explore the world together!
HOWEVER, many dog owners are challenged on a daily basis by a dog who pulls excessively, making a walk the source of frustration, injury and an activity to dread!
It's particularly frustrating if you have loads of lovely dog walks, such as in my area in the beautiful Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot - we have tonnes of dog friendly beaches, woodlands, and everything in between to explore, so it's such a shame to NOT be able to enjoy these spaces and have relaxing days out!
Before we look into what you can do to stop your dog from pulling on the lead, we must first look at the reasons behind your dogs' excessive pulling.
Why does my dog pull so much?
First of all, walking on a loose lead in a wide variety of environments without pulling is a HUGE ask - it's such an unnatural behaviour for ANY animal to walk next to you on a lead, yet we expect our dogs to learn how to do it with ease!
Your dog will naturally walk at a faster pace than you, meaning that when they learn how to walk on a loose lead, they have to slow themselves down to match your speed. Have you ever walked down the street with an elderly person or very young person, and had to slow your pace down to make sure they catch up? This is what your dog needs to learn to do with you - which can be very frustrating for them because they just want to GO!
Not only that, it's very unnatural for a dog to walk in a straight line. Your dog will be guided by their nose, sniffing all of the delightful scents they pick up on the way - and these scents will be EVERYWHERE - and definitely not in a straight line!
Your dog may have, for a very long time, learned that when they get to the end of the lead, that they get to their destination quicker - whether their destination is the local park down the road, or simply a lovely smell at every lamp post!
And lastly, your dog may not have ever been taught HOW to walk on a loose lead - you might have assumed that your young puppy didn't need training - because puppies tend to not pull at a young age anyway. But as they have grown, they have discovered the wonders of the world and learned that pulling gets them places - so all of a sudden you have this grown-up dog who just doesn't know any different!
Equipment: Is it better to use a collar or a harness?
When it comes to walking your dog, you might be totally bamboozled by the different walking equipment on sale out there these days - many will claim that they are 'anti pull' and will stop your dog from pulling on the lead.
In my experience, if you have a piece of equipment (such as a grot collar, prong collar, choke chain or slip lead) that slows your dog down when walking on the lead, it's usually working because it's causing some sort of pain or discomfort to your dog.
Do you want your dog to walk nicely because they are in pain if they pull, or would you prefer your dog to walk nicely because they are happy to walk with you?
I know what option I would choose!
Not only that, your dog's neck and throat is packed full of sensitive structures, which, if damaged, can be permanent!
For these reasons, I would ALWAYS recommend a harness over a collar or other pieces of equipment.
Will a harness stop your dog from pulling? No. Will a harness cause your dog to pull more? No. Will a harness cause any structural damage to your dog? Definitely not (as long as the harness is properly fitted). However, it might feel like when your dog is wearing a harness they are pulling with more strength - but ultimately it will be the training that teaches them to stop pulling, not the equipment!
So, how do I stop my dog from pulling on the lead?
There's no one single easy answer to this question, because there are a number of different training methods to teach a dog to walk next to you on a lead, and some other factors which can play into your dogs pulling (such as their breed, confidence, excitement levels).
However, here are some steps for you to make a start - this is just one of the many different training methods that I use which has proven to be effective for the majority!
Step 1 - make sure your dog is calm before going out for a walk
Do you have a dog who flys off the wall at the sight of their harness and lead coming out of the cupboard, or gets mega excited at you simply putting your walking coat and shoes on?
If this sounds like your dog, then we need to start here to desensitise your dog and change the meaning of the lead and your walking gear - because if your dog has lost their minds BEFORE even leaving the house, it's highly unlikely they will be in a good mindset to walk on a loose lead from there onwards.
How do you desensitise your dog to the harness and lead?
Simply leave your walking equipment in sight throughout the day, every now and then you will need to pick them up, move them around and put them back down.
The idea behind this is we are starting to change your dogs' association with the harness and lead - so you picking it up, doesn't always necessarily mean that you are going out for an exciting adventure - instead the harness and lead will become a 'non event', and your dog will soon, after a few days, start to calm down.
Step 2 - start teaching your dog that hanging out next to you on a lead is super valuable!
Use your dogs' favourite treats to reward them for standing next to you.
You can do this by using the treats to encourage your dog to follow in your hand until they are right next to you - and as soon as they are standing by your side, give them a treat (at this point, it doesn't matter which way they are facing)
I would, not only give one treat for being next to you, but a 'jackpot' of 3 or 4 treats - one treat after another (not a load of treats at the same time). By doing this, your dog will feel that they are gaining even MORE value from stading right to you.
If your dog moves away, then start again.
Your dog will soon start to stay next to you on a lead for a little longer - reward this duration!
Step 3 - add in movement, reminding your dog that being next to you is the place of value
When using this technique, I always start by placing a treat on the floor just behind your heel - as your dog is eating the treat, you can take a couple of small steps forwards.
Once your dog has finished their treat, they will quickly catch up with you, so it's important at this point to anticipate this and have your next treat ready, so that when they catch up with you, you can place the next treat on the floor just behind your heel again.
Repeat this, until your dog starts to understand that the goodies are happening in the same spot - just behind you as you're moving, and you should start to be able to build a few more steps while they are walking with you, before placing the treat on the floor again.
Top tips when teaching your dog to walk on a lead next to you
Tip 1 - always start teaching your dog at home as a first protocol.
Do not try to start training your dog while you're already on the street and and being dragged down the road - you will get less success by doing that!
Once your dog is getting the idea in the house, you can build this in the garden, slowly building to different places.
If your street is quite highly distracting for your dog, with lots of dogs, people, noises and traffic, then it's worth considering driving your dog to another, less distracting location to continue to build on the training.
Tip 2 - While your dog is re learning what to do on a lead, you will need to change what your 'normal' walks look like, so that they don't go back into old habits.
If you're not teaching your dog what to do on a lead and want to give them exercise, then jump them in the car and drive them to a secure field or a park where you can let them off lead for a run.
Tip 3 - have patience - training and learning takes time, effort and consistency. It will feel like it's taking ages sometimes, but it will be worth putting in the hours in the long run!
Do you need a dog trainer in Swansea, Neath or Port Talbot to help you learn how to train your dog to walk nicely?
Get in touch!
You can call Sarah: 07891222454
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