One of the most common problems is that the dog pulls on a walk. But walking with a dog that is obedient and well-behaved is a pleasure. But very often, such walks turn into hard physical labor for dog owners, which brings not pleasure, but irritation. If the dog is large, you can get a physical injury and pain in the arm, shoulder. If the problem is relevant and you want to figure out how to wean your dog off pulling on the leash, we suggest you read this article by our dog trainer.
In the case when the dog pulls the leash, deciding where to go, not paying attention to the owner – it needs to be made to understand that there is no need to rush, the owner himself determines the pace of movement. Let’s make it clear right away – this is not the dog’s problem, it is the inability to use the leash. Let’s figure it out from the very beginning. As soon as a dog appears in your house, you need to get comfortable, high-quality ammunition. You must always remember that the leash is feedback with the dog, you should not get tangled in it, it should not cause discomfort to either you or the animal. Accordingly, you need to approach this issue with all scrupulousness: decide on the size, material, carabiner. The length for walks, as practice shows, should not exceed 1.5 – 2 meters, the carabiner should be reliable, made of steel or brass, because this is an important aspect of the safety of your pet and others. A plastic carabiner can burst or unbend at the most inopportune moment.
What to do to stop a dog from pulling?
When you have bought the necessary equipment, make it a rule not to allow the leash to tighten. As soon as the leash tightens, you need to return it to its slack state with a sharp jerk, tugging, or a series of such actions, if necessary. The dog must understand that leash tension = discomfort. Do not feel sorry for the dog at this moment, because it is much more humane to teach the animal these things once than to fight with it and pull all its life. Ideally, you should not feel the tension of the leash
- So, the first rule is not to allow the leash to tighten.As soon as the dog stops pulling it, slows down – be sure to praise, reward with a treat. Simply put, with the help of food, create a comfort zone near you. If you do everything right, the dog will understand this rule very quickly. There are many different methods, for example, you can stop, change the direction of movement abruptly and, when the dog is level with you, reward with food, praise. The main thing to remember is that we are not teaching the dog the command “heel” at this moment, we are simply reacting with a jerk to the tension.
- Rule number two – create a comfortable environment near you.
Rules for a calm walk with your dog
- Try to remain calm throughout the walk: from the moment you put the leash on at home until you go back inside. Do not put on the walking harness if the dog is restless – spinning, running, jumping near you.
- Do not excite the dog unnecessarily with words: “let’s go for a walk”, “who wants to go for a walk”, etc.
- The owner should be the first to go out and enter the door. If the dog rushes ahead of you, pull the leash away and go out or enter in front of the dog.
- Be relaxed throughout the walk – your gait should be measured, confident, not tense. The dog senses your state and copies it.
- When you go out for a walk – the dog should be next to you at first. Only when you say the command “walk” – allow the dog to move away from you and do its business.
It should be noted that these tips are not a panacea, everything depends on the specific dog, surrounding irritants and many other factors. In order not to make mistakes, we recommend contacting our Kinolog instructors, who will help you understand your situation and individually approach the solution to the issue.