Walking politely on the lead so your dog is not hurting themselves or you
Pulling on the lead can be a painful, obnoxious and irritating behaviour. You can be concerned that your dog will hurt themselves and you.
Why do dogs pull?
A lot of dogs pull because there is a lot of stimulation in the environment. A dog has to learn to egnore things that are happening around them, walk to our (slow pace) and listen to all the sounds.
What to do
If a dog does pull ensure that you are not inadvertently reinforcing this behaviour by trotting along behind them. Simply stop (like a tree) and wait until the lead is slack before walking again, they will eventually learn that pulling does not mean they get to where they want to go faster. Bless their little cottons – they love the park!
Reward them when they are not pulling by carrying on walking.
Give them a treat when they are walking politely. Reward the good things!
What to avoid
Don’t reward your dog immediately for coming back to you when they pull they may learn that pulling and coming back to you means getting a treat.
Using really short leads – this can stop a dog from sniffing – a fundamental part of a walk and important for a dogs wellbeing.
Make sure you’re not rewarding your dog for jumping up. Just mind that hand position.
Keep going – reward yourself after you’ve done training. I'm serious - it can help motivate you and build a habit.
Proofing
Proofing is the pudding! It’s important to proof lead walking to different environments. In the garden and then out and about in the park.
If you would like support in training your dog with loose lead walking why not join one of my classes or reach out for one to one support.
