How can I stop my dog pulling on lead?

As I wrote in my post “How do I stop my dog doing xyz?” back in July, this is a very common question I get. 

And as I wrote … back in July (and many other times!) to have your dog STOP doing one thing, you have to teach him how to START another.

But so many methods of teaching your dog to walk nicely on lead are punishment-based. They don’t involve any teaching at all - just yank, stop, and turn. How can anyone enjoy a walk like that?

This is why people write to me. They’ve tried these daft suggestions - trying to STOP their dog - and have had zero success.

They tend to blame the dog (he’s “stubborn”, “stupid”, and all the rest) and never pause to see that they have to do something themselves to change this unhappy state of affairs!

Let’s Go!

So today I want to give you some of the first chapter of Let’s Go! Enjoy Companionable Walks with your Brilliant Family Dog, Book 3 in the series Essential Skills for your Brilliant Family Dog

“You’re ready for your daily walk. You are full of hope because you know today is going to be the day your dog walks nicely beside you without pulling your arm out of its socket. You are deluded. Yep, it’s going to be just the same as usual.

Lead on = Carthorse mode.

She nearly pulls you over as you step over the threshold. She strains away from you while you try to lock the door. You reach the roadside, and it’s head down, PULL! She’s choking and spluttering, she’s scrab- bling along the pavement. She’s lurching and weaving - this is no fun for either of you!

I know you’ve tried lots of gadgets and methods to try to make things better - things suggested by people in the park, by friends, family members, and even trainers - some against your better judgment. But why aren’t any of them working? You’ve got collars and leads to beat the band - some of them designed to inflict pain or make holes in your dog’s neck. These devices are sold to prevent pulling, but they just seem to encourage her to pull harder. 

I’m guessing that you have been trying to teach your dog not to pull. This is sadly doomed to failure. If there’s one thing dogs don’t under- stand, it’s not doing something.

Dogs are doers. They do things. They can’t not do something. It makes no sense to them. What we have to do is show them something else to do instead of pulling.

Many people - and probably you too - have successfully taught their dog not to jump up for a treat by simply hanging on to the morsel until the dog is sitting. She can’t jump and sit at the same time, so the jumping dies out.

We can use the exact same system for teaching your dog to walk nicely beside you on a loose lead. Like sitting when a treat is on offer, keeping the lead loose becomes the default behaviour for your dog when she’s walking with you. She can’t pull ahead and be by your leg at the same time, so the pulling dies out.

Really, yes! It will work for you too!

I’ve taught this system to hundreds of puppies and dogs, and I’m always amazed at how quickly the dog gets it - once the owner gets it!

You don’t need any funny gadgets or kit - though I do have help for extreme kamikaze pullers - and there is no force, coercion, or intimi- dation involved. You’re not telling your dog, “You’ll do this because I say so.” You’re saying, “You do this because you like doing it!”

You got a dog to be your companion, not to fight with. You wanted to enjoy the great outdoors. You wanted a reason to get out every day to meet people, to visit new places, to get fit, and maybe shift a few pounds.

None of this is going to happen if your walks are a tussle and a misery!”

Go and check this book out - you can read a sample here, or listen to the audiobook here.

But you need to do SOMETHING!

Expecting your dog to change, miraculously, by having the neck pulled off him is never going to work!

Enjoy your walks together, in comfort and harmony.

Yes - even your dog can do this … just try it, as these people did, and see for yourself:

“Lexie is responding to the lead work beautifully - still early days but it's wonderful to walk her without making one arm longer than the other! All I needed was training - once I started doing it right she caught on no problems - thankyou.” LCS and her Cocker-poo

“Dodger is doing really well with his loose lead walking. I am so proud of him, I can't thank you enough for your help and support.” AD and her Staffy

“Lois pulled like a train on the lead, very strong for a little’un - now she has impeccable manners and walks like a dream. Has become the envy of our neighbourhood!” CR and her Mini Schnauzer

“Hi Beverley, I just wanted to tell you that your method of loose lead walking is brilliant! I have struggled for a year and a half with Molly lead walking and finally a method which works!!!!” KS and her Spaniel

It's not the dog, it's you! A simple way to stop leash reactivity

First published on positively.com and reprinted here with permission

Well, the dog started it.

But now you are making it worse (although you really, really don’t mean to).

What am I talking about?

It’s when you’re walking your dog, and your charming, delightful, sweet family dog transforms into a nasty, snarling, barking hooligan.

Just because she spotted another dog.

It’s utterly baffling to you - you feel embarrassed and frustrated. You love your dog and you hate the looks people are giving you, down their noses, clearly thinking your dog is horrible!

I know, because I’ve been there too.

But there is light at the end of this particular tunnel. It may have started recently or it may have been going on (and getting steadily worse) for ages. Either way, breathe a sigh of relief, because we can change things!

Let me explain first why your dog is doing what she’s doing.

Aren’t all dogs meant to be friendly?

Even the mildest dog can have a fear-reaction to something - and Spaniels, Labradors, you-name-its, are just as likely as any other breed to become fearful of dogs or people.

It may be something new, something invading her space, something that is sending out danger signals. It’s how both we and the dog deal with this that will dictate whether this now becomes a new behaviour pattern or whether your dog says “Ah well,” and moves on.

Dogs have an intricate body language of which many of us are blissfully unaware. Just like us, they don’t launch into a strong reaction to something - they start with subtle signals and work their way up if those signals are ignored.

Dogs don’t bite “out of the blue” - it’s just that no-one noticed them politely saying “Excuse me, but I’m not happy about the way you’re staring at me.”

Just as you would shuffle away if a stranger sat close beside you on a bus, a dog will avert his gaze, turn his head away, turn his body away, lick his lips, yawn - amongst other things - to show that he’s anxious and he’s not a threat to the other dog.

If that stranger on the bus persisted in leaning on you, you wouldn’t pull a knife on him! Depending on your personality you may get up and move, you may shout, you may appeal for help from the other passengers. You would gradually escalate your response as you found that your polite signs were not working - only when you feel seriously threatened does your knife come out!

So if another dog is staring at your dog - even worse, coming straight towards her - your dog will be going through her entire repertoire of calming signals in an attempt to persuade the dog that she’s not a threat and the other dog should stop advancing right now. If her messages are not heeded, then she has no option but to bring out the heavy artillery and “shout” at the other dog, putting on an immense display of power and fury and teeth to keep him away.

So when we walk our dog along the road and see another walker and dog coming the other way, we are putting our fearful dog in a difficult position.

If we then do what so many people do, consciously or unconsciously - that is to tighten the lead as soon as you see the dog - you are a) telling your dog that something is about to happen and you are anxious, and b) preventing her from giving any of her calming body signals! It’s hard to look shy and inconspicuous if someone is holding your head up in the air.

Read this post all about Dog Body Language

Keep your distance!

Add to this that dogs have a very strong idea about personal space. As indeed do we - only a dog’s personal space is way bigger than ours! The more frightened she is, the bigger her worry area will become, until a dog appearing in the far distance can be enough to trigger an outburst.

So while we may feel comfortable walking towards another person along a narrow pavement hemmed in by hedges and parked cars, your anxious dog will most definitely not feel comfortable! Heading in a straight line towards a strange dog is both rude and threatening for your dog (and for the other dog, too).

We are unwittingly stirring up a situation by expecting our dogs to conform to our social norms.

So what can I do?

Once you appreciate that your dog is not being nasty or suddenly turning aggressive - rather she is afraid - you can see things from her perspective.

Dogs do what works. And up to now, barking and lunging on the lead has worked, to an extent. Either the other owner thinks “That’s a nasty dog,” and moves away, or you - in your embarrassment and confusion - get outa there yourself.

So quite often, barking and making a to-do have caused the progress towards another dog to stop.

Action Steps

So here’s a plan:

1. Avoid narrow paths, alleyways, and “tunnels” - be they tunnels of fences and parked cars, or tunnels of bracken and hedgerow.

2. Walk in the middle of fields, rather than hugging the hedge.

3. As soon as you see another dog, your first response should be to relax your hands, exhale, and look around for an exit strategy - the exact opposite of what is probably happening now (clutching the lead with a vice-like grip, sharp intake of breath, rising panic, trying to make your dog sit . . .)

4. Calmly and cheerfully ask your dog to turn with you (be fun and exciting, not anxious and stern), and head away: cross the road, go down a turning - in some way get away from the advancing dog.

5. Congratulate your dog (and yourself!) warmly for the calmness you’ve both shown in the face of a big challenge.

6. Let your dog know that she never has to meet another dog again, as you will always move away.

7. Remember that Distance is Your Friend.

With this plan in hand there’ll be no need for you to walk only at The Hour of The Difficult Dog. You’ll no longer be avoiding other dogs - rather you’ll be positively looking out for them so you can practice your new-found skills. 

Yes, I did say that - it’s really true!

And if you don’t believe me, see what Scruffy the Jack Russell Terrier’s owners said:

“Scruffy used to become frantic and scrape at the floor to get towards any dog he saw, even at a great distance. This was embarrassing and stressful. He is now able to look at other dogs and move away with us to continue his walk. This is a massive improvement in just a few weeks. It means that we no longer avoid dogs, but in fact go out looking for them so that we can work on his training.”

And the world will begin to see your lovely, affectionate and clever dog as you see her.

You may think I’m oversimplifying this, but if half the team gets it together then this is a great start and can stop things going further downhill.

Give this plan a try and tell me in the comments below what you have found.

Oh, and If your dog has bitten, you should acclimatise her to love wearing a basket muzzle to ensure that everyone is safe.