Leash Walking – Stop the Pulling

By Gina Micciulla

As most dog owners know, leash walking can be a trying experience for both you and your dog. Why is this? Because most dogs pull on their leash, and they pull because it works… period. Dogs learn that if they put their head down, sniff the ground, move forward and pull the leash, the owner follows obediently behind.

Reasons you need to stop letting the dog PULL you along:
1. The collar puts pressure on the trachea and can damage it over time. (Have you ever seen a dog pulling on a leash, HACKING?)
2. Big dogs can hurt you and themselves if they make a run for it and yank the leash.
3. It allows your dog to practice wrong behaviors and leaves you and your dog frustrated.

Working with specialty collars (like a head halter, a “no-pull” harness or, my favorite, the Sense-ation Harness) is a good place to start but it is NOT a substitute for good training. Head halters work great when first introduced, but because most people are taught to attach the leash directly to the halter or gentle leader, the dogs learn very quickly how to hold their heads, so that the head halters are completely ineffective. (Perhaps you have seen the dog with the head halter on with the side strap digging in their eye.)

So, what CAN you do? First you must realize, any leash training you do will be easier if you have already exercised the dog. With younger dogs (five months to three years), walking is NOT enough in terms of exercise. Your dog needs to run free, have time to sniff, and investigate their environment so they can then concentrate on their training.

Getting Started:
First thing you want to do is get your dog used to the management tool. Have lots of rewards available to reinforce that wearing this device is a great thing. Make sure your dog is calm before putting on the collar or harness. Let your dog wear the tool around the house before you ever attach a leash. When he is comfortable, attach the leash and start walking him around the house. Practice with a variety of distractions all the time, rewarding generously when the dog stays focused on you.

You must do this routinely until your dog is in the habit of walking in a specific position in relation to you even if he's walking by the cat or a favorite toy. Once your dog knows that you want him to walk next to you and he realizes the harness or head halter can stop him, use it outside on a real walk. Find a low distraction location to begin practicing leash manners away from home.

If your dog has not been taught the skills to ignore the environment and remain with you, you will need to stop him, manage him, and move him away from the distraction every single time they pull on the leash. If repeated whenever they are on a leash, your dog will learn that he can only move forward if he stays next to you and keeps you in his peripheral vision.

Success depends entirely upon how much time you spend with your dog both teaching and managing him. If you are committed and consistent, your dog will learn to walk next to you when cued to do so. From time to time reinforcement training will be needed, as he will still attempt to pull if motivated by the environment. After all, dogs are perfect at being dogs!

Gina Micciulla is the trainer and owner of Unleash Yourself, a training and daycare center for humans and dogs located on NE Alberta St. You can contact her at 503-288-4462 or email unleashyourself@comcast.net.