Dogs pulling on the lead is one of the most common issues owners face. Firstly you must understand why your dog doesn’t walk on the lead.
If you have never taken the time to teach your dog to walk on the lead then I have already answered your question. Dogs travel at a much quicker pace than humans and when we put a lead on them they reach the end of it quite quickly.
When they reach the end we automatically pull back on the lead which produces a thing called “thigmotaxis” which means we pull one way and the dog pulls the other way. It is like opposition reflex and it will get you nowhere.
There are a few basic things you can do if your dog is an established puller.
There are simple ways to stop your dog pulling on its lead.
Firstly teach your dog a “walk” command. Do this by using food to show him where you want him to be you will need to spend a week or so at this before he understands. Then you can use the stop and go method. Every time the lead gets tight you stop ask your dog back into position and go again.
You will have to repeat this and you will have to be consistent in order for your dog to understand. Practice in your front garden first then move out to the drive so on and so forth.
If you are still having trouble there are some tools you can get to help you. I would advise consulting a professional about each tool before using it. I recommend head halti or front clip harness. That way when the dog pulls they will automatically get turned around with zero force.
I would tend to avoid things like choke chains and slip leads or anything that restricts breathing really as they can be pretty dangerous. If your dog only pulls when he sees people or other dogs you should contact a trainer for some more help under distractions.
Never pull your dog or jerk the lead this can cause bad associations with other people and dogs as your dog will start to think the person or dog made the lead jerk happen to him, this more often than not can make a dog aggressive and is quite an outdated training technique to make the dog fearful of walking ahead.
You must remember that you have to teach your dog everything step by step as they simply do not speak or understand English and we do not speak dog. Always reward what your dog does correct, not punish what he does wrong.
You will find your dog will become more attentive and motivated due to building a relationship through trust and respect.
K9 Academy also offers Dog training, Puppy Classes and Behaviour modification. If you would like to find out more you can visit the website www.K9academy.ie . Visit the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/callK9academy
Or call 0864468313 or Unit 3 Carrygally Business Park, Lismonaghan, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.
