Dogs pulling on the lead is a common stress of dog ownership. Our dogs are just so delighted to be out with us, they can’t contain their happiness! It is the highlight of their day after all. Outside is full of so many different sights, scents, and sounds our pups can easily become overstimulated. How do we bring them back down to earth, and get them to engage with us so we can all enjoy our outside time together?

Table of contents

5 tips to stop your dog from pulling:

(See infographic)

  1. Prepare
  2. Be Calm 
  3. Train
  4. Be consistent
  5. Always end on a positive note
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1) Prepare

Make sure you have all of the equipment you need for a calm, successful, fun walk ready before you call your dog to leave for your walk. 

If you’re scrambling to get equipment whilst your pup is waiting by the door, they will get frustrated and overstimulated before the walk has begun. This is never a good way to start.

So, what do you need; a lead (whichever type you chose), your poop bags, perhaps a doggie water bottle, a towel and importantly some treats and/or a ball or toy for rewarding good behaviour. 

Make sure you’ve put in the time and training to make sure your pup is comfortable walking on the lead before you go out on larger walks and adventures (read on!). 

Different lead types

Wait, what lead do you choose? Do you pick a lead and collar, a harness, or a Halti?

There are SOOO many products on the market that claim to stop your dog from pulling on the lead, which reflects perhaps how common a problem it is. But what are the main design options available to dog owners:

Collar and lead:
  • The simplest, most cost-effective method. All dogs in the UK are required by law to wear a collar and ID tag when outside in public, so what’s easier than clipping on a lead and off you go? Some dogs, especially small dogs, are at risk of damaging their trachea (throat) if they do pull on the lead, choking them, leading to respiratory distress or worse injuries, as collars go directly around the neck. For strong pullers or smaller dogs, a lead and collar may not be the safest way. 
Figure of 8 leads:
  • These leads loop around your pups’ muzzle and behind their ears – when they pull on the lead it tightens around their muzzle and when they’re relaxed, it releases. As the muzzle and lips are sensitive structures, this discourages your pup from pulling as it’s uncomfortable. These are good for larger dogs but smaller dogs or brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds may find the lead slips off their muzzle and so isn’t effective for them. 
Halti leads:
  • This lead design is similar to that used in large animals like horses, the lead wraps around their muzzle, around their ears and terminates in a ring under their chin so if they pull, their head is pulled towards their chest, limiting forward vision and so they automatically slow/ stop. Again these do not put pressure on the neck so are safer than a collar and lead alone, and there are designs suitable for smaller breeds. These are intended for training purposes but shouldn’t be a long-term solution once your pup has mastered walking well on the lead. 
Harnesses:
  • This type of lead is popular with a lot of owners due to the added bonus that it doesn’t put any pressure on the head or neck. They generally wrap around the shoulders and buckle around the chest. These are especially good for small dogs with a risk of tracheal (throat) damage and breathing problems when pulling on the lead. Some larger dogs may pull more in these – think husky pulling a sledge! There are varying designs of these and where the lead clips (to the top, front or side) which claim to reduce pulling. In my experience with my larger dogs, I can forcibly gain better control with these, but they don’t teach my larger dog not to pull and I’ve been unsuccessful with them as a training aid. 

2) Be Calm

Start off how you intend to continue. Initiate walk time calmly, clipping or fastening on the lead/Halti or harness without fuss. And leave the house organised and quietly. If your pup becomes overstimulated, vocal, or bouncy in excitement, just wait calmly until they have relaxed. Don’t be tempted to fuss or overly reassure your pup. Only leave for your walk once your pup engages with you and listens. If your dog isn’t calm in the first instant, their behaviour will escalate when they get out into the world with greater stimulation. 

3) Train

Starting to train your puppy when you first welcome them into your home is invaluable. Puppies have a “learning window” (a peak learning period of time when they’re soaking up their environment without fear or anxiety and learning all they can about being a dog) roughly between the ages of 8-12 weeks of age. Introducing new concepts and training tools such as a lead in this time will make it easier to achieve a harmonious partnership as your pup grows.

Teach vocally and with treats or a toy

With clear training instructions you and your pup can learn to enjoy all that is being together and enjoying the outside. In the same way that your dog learnt to sit, stay, and wait, all instructions that keep you both safe in the world; heal, side or walk can be trained in the same way. When your pup knows and understands what is expected of them, it is much easier to reward and repeat the behaviour. 

Teach your pup that being near to you is good. When you first clip the lead on, reward them for being close to you. Wait quietly until they turn to look at you, once they are engaged, praise and treat. Then introduce movement. Praise and treat your pup, allowing them to move forward when the lead is loose. STOP when your pup pulls. When your pup is pulling on the lead, they receive no rewards and no journey progression. This soon teaches them that pulling, literally “gets them nowhere”! 

The key to success is consistency. 

Where to initiate training

Start off training at home in the house, here there are fewer distractions and fewer stimuli to introduce new concepts. Once your pup is happy and calm interacting with the lead, move to the garden. Repeat calmly attaching the lead and taking a few steps. Reward calm behaviour, especially when your pup is nicely by your side with a loose lead. If they are too excitable, wait for them to be calm again and regulated before you move forward. 

Once your pup is happy in the garden, move to a location close to home; or initiate a short lead walk around the block where there may be a few distractions, but it is generally quiet. Take your time introducing your dog to areas with more and more stimuli, people, dogs, and cars, only when they are ready and confidently coping with the level of stimuli you last introduced. Don’t worry if you have to back it up a stage every now and then, this is totally normal. 

Frustration training 

Your pup is going to come across things on the lead that they perceive as a lot more interesting than being with you. This means they have to have good “frustration tolerance”. They need to understand that they can’t always run off and play or get to their destination as quickly as they’d like; sometimes it’s not safe and other times, we humans have other plans or things to do. 

To initiate frustration training, place a toy or their favourite treat on the floor just out of reach; when your dog pulls towards it, wait. When the lead relaxes and becomes loose reward them with the toy or treat immediately. This way your pup learns that pulling slows them down, and loose leads get you to your goal. This will help out on a walk when your dog is super overstimulated. But you need to keep both of you on track walking nicely on the lead. 

4) Be consistent 

Whatever you do, be consistent. If there are multiple family members involved in training, make sure everyone understands the goals, techniques and commands being used to set your pup up for success. It is important you consistently use the techniques so as not to confuse your pup. Intermittent rewards actually implant a behaviour quicker and with a more permanent effect than if your dog is rewarded every time. This is why it can be harmful to sometimes let your dog pull. The reward of pulling and achieving their journey faster or getting to that other pup to have a play, drives your dog to think that it could happen again and so they continue the behaviour. If they never get to achieve their goal of rushing when they pull, they won’t try it. It’s that simple. 

It can obviously be a frustrating process when you initiate lead training. I suggest you don’t intend to actually “go” anywhere at first. Just consider it a training exercise around the house and close to home before building up confidence, length of time on the lead and duration and distance of walks.

5) Always end on a positive note

Don’t be tempted to push it that bit longer with your pup when they’re learning. I know it can be exciting when you can see progress. You might want to just see if you can go that little bit further or move onto the next step that little bit quicker. In the long run, your progress will be slower. Shorter, more frequent training sessions, especially in younger dogs or those learning something completely new, are often much more successful. 

Remember to take breaks when training, stop, enjoy your surroundings, maybe rest, let them sniff around or play some ball. It’s not all about achieving, you’re actually meant to be having a nice time!

Keep at it dog owners, you’re doing great. If you are struggling to get your dog to walk nicely on the lead so you can enjoy safe outside time together, contact your vet’s office who will be able to advise you or connect you with a qualified veterinary behaviourist to work with you to make sure you and your pup are safe and happy together. 

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