Do you plan to stroll in the park with your dog? Are you hesitant to do so because of how it behaves in public?
Although not all dog owners can relate to this problem, a significant percentage of the dog owner population struggle with calming their dogs during outdoor encounters.
What’s the cause of the behavior?
First of all, an owner should know how to manage a dog’s excitement while outside. Some dogs seem restless and overly excited because they are naturally playful, friendly, curious, and naughty. They want to explore everything and every creature they see outside their cages.
They are determined to discover new places, new people, and unique objects, especially when they’ve found an object before and are excited to see it again. This happens to dogs that are usually caged and rarely freed from the indoors. So, how to keep dog from pulling on leash?
Tips on how to stop dog pulling on leash
- Place a small treat or food in front of the dog while walking. Use this to consistently reward it every time it walks by your side and maintain its pace. It also helps when you use a clicker so that the dog can associate the clicker sound with the food it’s about to eat after they perform the desired behavior.
- Dog owners may consider buying durable and dog-friendly leashes to use during the training.
- Stop the dog pulling on leash by letting the dog sit and calm down first. When it already seems relaxed, try to walk again. Repeat this cycle until the dog can familiarize the routine and finally gain composure.
- Shorten the leash to gain more control over your dog. It is also advisable to use a retractable dog leash to keep your dog safe and controllable by easily shortening the leash’s length to keep it away from dangerous objects. With a shortened leash, you can easily gain control every time the tension builds up again.
- Another effective approach is positioning yourself slightly ahead of your dog and pulling it forward so that it will hesitate, back up, and ease up before proceeding.
- At a park, allow the dog to spring forward, and when it finally reaches the leash’s length, turn around and walk in the opposite direction so that the dog is positioned behind you. Repeat this cycle until the dog realizes your dominance and behaves accordingly.
- Sometimes, you don’t have to feel pressured when learning about how to train a dog to walk on a leash without pulling. It is also essential to apply a steady and friendly approach to make sure that the dog gets your point.
- Try to walk with a loose leash, and every time the dog attempts to spring again, turn the dog’s head toward you, step back, and let the dog sit before it starts over again. By doing this repetitively, the dog will understand that keeping the leash loose means it can continue walking while lunging forward results in stopping the walk.
- Some people might see a no pull dog harness as a harsh tool for dog training, but it isn’t. A no pull dog harness is an effective way of letting your dog walk by your side. You can check some of the best kinds of no pull dog harnesses to use for safer and more productive training with your dog.
- To successfully learn about how to stop dog from pulling on leash, you should perform these steps every day and consistently. See here to know why it is particularly important to be consistent with your training pattern. Being inconsistent with your rewards and punishments will confuse your dog, causing it to associate the response with the wrong consequences.
Conclusion
Training dogs can be tough, especially when you’re a first-time dog owner. However, when you maintain a positive attitude during training, this attitude will reflect on your dog’s behavior as well, making it a lot easier for you to be in full control.
You also need to understand that it is completely normal for dogs to be playful and energetic, especially when they are healthy. Thus, as a dog owner, there is no reason to panic about specific behaviors that are mere indicators of good health and enthusiasm.
These tips are only aimed towards making your bond more enjoyable by avoiding harm and making the people around you more comfortable with your dog as well.