How to stop your dog pulling on the lead

Pulling on the lead turns a walk that should be the best part of the day into a chore. The good news is that it is one of the most fixable habits there is, and you do not need a cupboard full of gadgets to sort it.

Why dogs pull

A dog pulls because it works. It wants to get somewhere, it leans into the lead, and it arrives. Every walk where pulling gets the dog closer to what it wants is a training session teaching it to pull harder.

The principle that fixes it

The lead going tight has to stop meaning “we move forward”. When the lead tightens, you stop. When it softens, you walk on. Done consistently, the dog learns that a loose lead is what gets it where it wants to go.

It feels slow for the first few walks. Stick with it and it becomes second nature for both of you.

Where most people go wrong

Consistency. If pulling works half the time, the dog keeps trying, because sometimes it pays off. Everyone who walks the dog has to follow the same rule, or the dog learns it can pull for whoever lets it.

When to get help

Some dogs pull because they are anxious or over-aroused rather than simply keen, and those need a slightly different approach. If you have tried the above and you are getting nowhere, that is exactly the kind of thing a session can sort quickly.