My dog pulls on his leash, what can I do?

 My dog pulls on his leash, what can I do?

A dog that pulls on its leash makes going out difficult. And under such conditions, it cannot be entrusted to a child or even to an elderly person for whom physical exertion is an ordeal. Such behaviour is unacceptable and spoils the pleasure of sharing a walk with your pet. We must react immediately to ensure that this bad habit disappears as quickly as possible.

Why does a dog pull on its leash?

Except if it is because he has just seen the neighbor's cat and wants to chase it, if a dog pulls on his leash every time he goes out it is because he is badly trained. When this behavior is well established, it is generally for one of the following reasons:

The dog is chasing a track that has been spotted thanks to its powerful sense of smell,

The dog does not channel his energy: walking increases the level of excitability at its peak, so he will obviously spend his time pulling forward, right or left.

The dog doesn't listen to his master and seems to be just doing what he wants because his breeder has not been able to establish a good relationship between him and his little companion. He is therefore not considered as a referent by his animal.

The master has always been content to "follow" his dog without ever preventing him from pulling on his leash.

The blame lies with the master and not with the dog, because if the dog systematically adopts this unbearable attitude, it is precisely because his master has never prevented him from doing so. Learning to walk on a leash without pulling is part of the B.A.BA of dog training and every dog owner should start by instilling this basic principle in his dog. Of course, one must try to understand the reasons why a dog pulls on its leash to find a solution to quickly change this behavior.

Buying an anti-traction harness to train a dog that pulls on his leash

For the most recalcitrant dogs, because it is a bit late to train them, we can of course use the anti-traction harness. This equipment is particularly well studied. We recommend the padded anti-traction harness, thanks to which the pressure due to traction is distributed over a larger body surface and not only on the neck as with a collar. The ideal is to opt for a harness with four adjustment points so that it adapts perfectly to the animal's morphology, and with two attachment loops, one on the dog's chest and the other on the back. Thanks to this design, this anti-traction equipment is perfect for :

Guaranteeing optimum comfort for the animal,

Educate your dog without hurting him,

Quickly reduce the number of pulls on the leash,

Easily control the direction of the animal by directing its head towards its master as soon as it shoots.

The budget to devote to this type of harness varies according to the models and sizes, the brand and the sign that sells it. Its price is included in a range of 30 to 60 $

Learning to walk on a leash so that the dog no longer pulls on the leash.

Every dog must - from an early age - learn to walk on a leash and without pulling. The best way to achieve this is to apply the following rules:

Start by choosing a walking place that is as quiet as possible. The countryside is ideal. This allows the dog to remain well concentrated and not to be overly stimulated by disturbing elements (crowds, cars, other animals...).

Leave a sufficient length of leash.

During the first educational walks, do not talk to your pet or establish physical contact such as caresses during exercises.

Oppose your dog by systematically taking the opposite direction to his when he pulls his leash forward, from one side or the other, in order to attract his attention to the direction desired by his master. It is also very important, if it does not give any result, to stop as soon as the dog adopts a bad attitude so that he integrates the principle that if he pulls on his leash he will not be able to advance any further. After a few exercises, the animal will finally understand that it is possible to continue the walk only when the leash is relaxed.

Congratulate it with words if it is obedient or encourage it to follow the direction taken by its master either by talking to him or by explicit gestures (tapping its leg, for example).

Include play breaks in the course as soon as the dog shows good will by pulling less (or no longer pulling at all) on the leash.

After a few days, complicate the exercise by randomly changing radical gait changes without warning his animal (walking slowly, walking fast, running, turning 360°...).

Finish each session with a positive exercise that the dog appreciates a lot, such as a ball game for example, which is essential for the animal to release tension. He will come home relaxed and happy.

Of course it is necessary that the master is always very consistent in his attitude, remains calm and educates his little companion in the greatest possible serenity. But it is necessary to opt for zero tolerance as soon as the dog pulls on the leash. Of course, respect for the animal is paramount and it is essential to be patient because it is not in a single educational walk that the dog can integrate all that is expected of him. He must be able to progress at his own pace, step by step, so that his concentration is optimal.

After a few sessions, the dog must be able to follow his master step by step or walk beside him without trying to overtake him. In any case, he must neither pull forward nor sideways and remain very attentive to his handler's orders. It is then time to change sectors to accustom your dog to not pulling on the leash even in a place where there is a lot of stimulation.