Walking a dog that pulls is more akin to a battle, in which you\u2019re not left with fond memories of the time you shared together but aches and sores and endless envy over those well-behaved pups that trot with grace.<\/p>\n
Luckily, you (and your aching arms) will no longer have to battle their poor leash manners alone \u2013 we\u2019re here to help. In this guide, we\u2019ll go over exactly how to effectively leash train a dog and also cover tips and tricks to tackle poor leash behavior.<\/p>\n
Preparation<\/h2>\n
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of leash training, you\u2019ll first need to make sure you\u2019ve invested in the right equipment.<\/p>\n
Choose an Appropriate Leash<\/h3>\n
We recommend a sturdy leash that\u2019s around 4 to 5 ft in length. This particular length is ideal since it\u2019s short enough to give you control over your pup but long enough that they can still explore their surroundings. Another factor to consider is how easy the handle is to grip; make sure to pick a leash you can hold firmly with ease!<\/p>\n
We also can\u2019t stress enough the importance of not using a retractable leash. Retractable leashes can be exceptionally<\/em> dangerous for both owner and dog if faulty or misused, and they actually encourage bad leash walking habits<\/a>. Plus, if your dog does have a habit of pulling, this behavior could cause the retractable leash\u2019s mechanism to break.<\/p>\n Of course, there are plenty of leashes on the market, so identifying the best one for your furry companion can be difficult. For further guidance, check out the best dog leashes in 2022 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n A harness has a whole host of advantages<\/a> that will come in handy when leash training your dog, especially if they have poor leash manners. A harness discourages pulling, gives you greater control, and also reduces the chance of your dog injuring themselves if they do pull or lunge on the leash. It even helps to lessen the strain on your arms and back.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re uncertain what size harness your dog needs, check out this useful video guide<\/a>. If your dog has never worn a harness before, don\u2019t forget to properly introduce<\/a> it to them.<\/p>\n Loose leash training is essentially training your dog to walk near you at a similar pace. To do this, you need to teach them that being by your side is a much more rewarding experience than walking far away from you.<\/p>\n Below, we cover all the training steps in detail. We recommend training your dog in your yard or inside your house at first. Wherever you choose, make sure it\u2019s a secure, quiet area where distractions aren\u2019t about. The more chaotic the area is, the harder it\u2019ll be to gain their undivided attention!<\/p>\n If your companion struggles at any point to ignore the distraction, it\u2019s a telltale sign you\u2019ve upped the difficulty by too much too quickly. So you\u2019ll need to take it down a notch.<\/p>\n Make sure to wait until they\u2019re calm before doing this. If you take the distraction out of the picture while they\u2019re acting up, you\u2019ll only be encouraging poor behavior as you\u2019re teaching them that their reaction is what caused it to go away.<\/p>\n For more tips and tricks on how to get your dog to ignore distractions, check out the American Kennel Club\u2019s (AKC) comprehensive guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you notice your dog looks like<\/a> they\u2019re about to lose focus and wander away from your side, give them a treat before they have a chance to do this. The treat should regain their attention.<\/p>\n Heel training involves teaching your dog to walk directly adjacent to your side (traditionally the left<\/a>). Compared to loose leash walking, heel walking requires them to maintain the exact<\/em> same pace as you and be exceptionally<\/em> close at all times (mere inches away). Heel walking helps your dog to develop self-control, something which will benefit them not just in their daily walks but in all facets of their life.<\/p>\n With that said, heel walking shouldn\u2019t be treated as an alternative to loose leash walking, especially if your dog is not a working dog.<\/p>\n In leash training, your goal is to ensure they stay fairly close to you and don\u2019t pull, yank or lunge when something piques their interest. It isn\u2019t to have them constantly glued to your side, never exploring or sniffing their surroundings. They won\u2019t be able to enjoy themselves, nor exercise properly.<\/p>\n The heel command should mostly be used as a way to regain your dog\u2019s attention while loose leash walking, and as a safety measure; if you walk them through a busy or potentially dangerous place (like a high traffic area), using heel will ensure you have full control.<\/p>\n Below, we\u2019ll cover how to train heel using the lure-and-reward method, which involves luring your dog with treats into the desired behavior. Just like leash training, it\u2019s best to start in a safe, secure place with little to no distractions.<\/p>\n Once your dog is able to walk at heel for several yards, you can begin to introduce distractions. Just like you did with their loose leash training, start with small distractions and gradually work your way up.<\/p>\n Introducing distractions is a whole other playing field, so keep in mind you will likely need to decrease the difficulty to help them succeed. Then resort back to short distances and give them treats consistently until they\u2019re able to focus on you and not the distraction. Then, you can slowly build your way back up.<\/p>\n Since this training method involves feeding your dog a generous number of treats, make sure to break down each treat into individual pieces. That way, you won\u2019t have to use dozens of treats as each one will allow you to reward them several times.<\/p>\n If your dog is consistently breaking their heel, you\u2019re likely pushing them too fast. First, decrease the duration of the heel, then slowly increase it again at their own pace.<\/p>\n While a traditional heel requires your dog to walk on the left, you can teach them to walk on the right if you prefer. Whichever side you choose, just make sure you stick to it.<\/p>\n For both loose leash training and heel training, it\u2019s important to fade out the lure<\/a> once your dog is reliably giving you the desired behavior. Otherwise, they will end up only performing the behavior if a treat is in their sight!<\/p>\n Luckily, fading out the lure isn\u2019t a difficult process; you simply gradually decrease the number of times you reward them for the behavior (intermittent rewarding).<\/p>\n To leash train a dog that has already developed poor leash manners, you\u2019ll need to take some extra measures, depending on the type of problematic behavior they exhibit.<\/p>\n If your dog is pulling on the leash, it\u2019s because they have learned that this behavior gets them to where they want to go quicker. So, to stop them from pulling, you need to teach them that walking at your pace gets them to where they want to go instead.<\/p>\n If your dog pulls, stop walking and stay absolutely still. Do not move an inch until they make their way back to your side. Repeat this process whenever they pull, and they\u2019ll soon catch on.<\/p>\n To help speed up the process, you can also try the \u201cchange direction\u201d technique. If your dog pulls on the leash, say \u201clet\u2019s go\u201d and walk in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n Be aware that you should never <\/em>jerk the leash in an attempt to stop them from pulling. Doing so can be harmful to their physical and mental wellbeing, and it also does not directly tackle the pulling behavior \u2013 it only suppresses it. Suppression never works in the long term and can cause your dog to develop even worse behaviors, like redirected aggression<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lunging and barking are common behaviors exhibited by dogs with leash reactivity.<\/p>\n To stop this type of behavior, you need to redirect your dog\u2019s attention back on you before they have the opportunity to lunge or bark at whatever has caught their eye.<\/p>\n Look out for the telltale signs that your dog is going to react, and interrupt the process by holding a treat in front of them. Then move them away from the thing that has grasped their attention, and ask them to perform easy tricks like \u201csit\u201d and \u201cpaw.\u201d<\/p>\n We also highly recommend desensitizing your dog to the things that are \u201ctriggers\u201d for their reactivity. PetMD has an in-depth guide<\/a> on how to go about this.<\/p>\n If your companion can\u2019t help but see the leash as a tug toy, there are a few things you can try:<\/p>\n Make sure not to tug on the leash while walking them; it will only encourage their chewing and biting since you\u2019ll be reinforcing the idea that the leash is a tug toy!<\/p>\n Keep in mind the training process can take a long time \u2013 sometimes even several months. Every dog makes progress at a different rate, so be patient and don\u2019t get frustrated if your companion takes longer than expected.<\/p>\n Also, be aware that progress isn\u2019t linear. Your dog might walk with perfect etiquette one day, then revert back to their pulling and lunging ways the next; as long as you\u2019re consistent with the leash training, they\u2019ll get there in the end.<\/p>\n While fixing lousy leash etiquette might seem like an impossible task, rest assured it\u2019s entirely possible. By using the training methods above, your dog will soon become a well-mannered leash walker and be the envy of the park.<\/p>\n With that said, if the methods above are proving ineffective, make sure to seek help from a professional for further guidance, such as a positive reinforcement<\/a> based dog trainer or Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWalkies\u201d is a word that brings excitement and delight to any dog. After all, walks are without a doubt the best part of their day \u2013 awesome smells, quality bonding time, new things to explore. What could be better than that? Sadly, if your dog gets a little too excited on the leash and loves […]<\/p>\nPurchase a Harness<\/h3>\n
Loose Leash Training<\/h2>\n
\n
Additional Tips<\/h3>\n
Heel Training<\/h2>\n
![\"dog](\"https:\/\/usserviceanimals.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/dog-at-heel.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Additional Tips<\/h3>\n
Fading the Lure<\/h2>\n
Tackling Poor Leash Manners<\/h2>\n
![\"dog](\"https:\/\/usserviceanimals.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/dog-chewing-on-leash.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPulling<\/h3>\n
Lunging and Barking<\/h3>\n
Chewing and Biting<\/h3>\n
\n
How Long Does It Take to Leash Train a Dog?<\/h2>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n