Teach your traveling dog to stop pulling on a leash

Traveling with a dog that’s always pulling on the leash can bring joy to any trip! Teach your dog how to walk before the two of you hit the road together.

Traveling with a dog can be a lot of fun. But no one likes a companion who drags them all the way to creation. Walking your dog while it is pulling a leash is difficult and exhausting, not to mention frustrating for both you and your puppy!

In this post, we will discuss some tips to teach your dog to stop pulling on a leash. With a little patience and practice, you’ll have a dog that’s obedient and happy to go for a walk.

Teach your dog to stop pulling on the leash

Step 1 – Take the steps for Baby

Often, people don’t set their dogs up for success teaching them to walk easily on a leash. They go from never leaving their dog on a leash to walking outside with all kinds of distractions. And they expect the poor dog to notice and know what to do!

Walking on a loose leash requires training, just like any other behavior you want to teach your dog. Starting in a less distracting environment will make it a lot easier to teach him how you want him to behave.

The least distracting environment for you is inside your home. Whether your dog is a small puppy, an independent teenager, or an old dog in need of some new tricks, you can teach him to walk easily by starting inside.

Once you start training your dog to walk easily on their leash, don’t expect what they’ve learned inside to transfer to the outside. You’ll need to build on his skills before he realizes that not pulling the leash is best in any environment.

Step 2 – Use equipment that helps, don’t use equipment that hurts

“GoPetFriendly may earn commissions or sales on certain items through the links below.“

The best tool to help teach your dog to stop pulling on a leash is a chest harness. When your dog is on a leash on the chest, it gives you more control. Add a loop of martingale to wrap tightly around the dog’s body as they pull and it’s even better. Now your device is a teaching assistant – let your dog “squeeze” when he pulls and release pressure when he doesn’t.

For many years, the GoPetFriendly team has used martingale harness from 2 Hounds Design. They made traveling with Buster, Ty and now Myles more enjoyable.

Choose a leash 4 to 6 feet in length and fits comfortably in your hand. Avoid the retractable leash, which stretches every time your dog pulls, reward it more for pulling! If you are starting out with a dog that pulls a lot and pulls hard, you may want to chain with one handle for traffic control for better control without having to wrap the leash around your hand.

Many people think that sliding, choking, pronged, electric necklaces will help the workout go faster. However, these collars rely on pain to prevent dogs from pulling. And the pain needs to hurt or shock the dog enough to stop them pulling. Causing such pain to your pet isn’t who you want to be and can damage the bond you’ve built.

Furthermore, although these types of necklaces can give quick results, it may not last. Over time, the dog gets used to the pressure around the neck and starts pulling back. Then, the pain level needs to be increased for the dog to obey. That’s a path you and your dog should avoid.

Step 3 – The technique of teaching walking with a loose leash

There are two main techniques you can try to teach your dog to stop pulling.

The first is to hold the food in your closed hand and let the dog smell it when you go for a walk. This helps get the dog’s attention and keeps them walking beside you instead of pulling forward. Then, often, open your hand and let him eat one of the treats as a reward for walking by your side.

This technique is especially effective if you plan to continue training your dog and want a strict “heel”.

The second technique is to stop walking when your dog pulls and wait for it to stop pulling. When he notices you’re not moving forward and stops or sits down, gently turn around and start walking in the opposite direction.

You probably won’t get very far at first before your dog lunges forward and starts pulling in the opposite direction. But over time, if you do that enough, he’ll get tired of being in the same common area and learn that if they want to keep walking, they need to proceed more calmly.

Both of these techniques can help teach your dog to stop pulling on the leash. I encourage you to try both and see which is better for you and your dog.

READ MORE Train your dog to travel

Step 4 – Stick to Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is key when training dogs not to pull on a leash. This means rewarding your dog for good behavior instead of punishing him for bad behavior.

Punishing your dog for pulling on a leash will only scare them off and possibly pull more.

On the other hand, rewarding a dog when he calmly walks next to you will make him associate this good behavior with a reward.

The appropriate reward depends on the dog. Treating, petting, playing with toys, or even just giving verbal praise can let your puppy know that you’re pleased with the progress. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something your dog enjoys so they’re more likely to want to repeat the behavior.

Step 5 – Prepare with ‘High Value’ Dishes

Many people think that any form of handling will be appropriate when training their dog. But this is not always the case! Especially when teaching your dog something as difficult as not pulling on a leash.

When it comes Get your dog’s attentionyou need high value rewards for him. This could be his favorite food or a special snack he doesn’t usually get.

When competing with outdoor distractions, cook as much as possible! Treats that your dog can smell from a distance will help him pay attention to you and not be distracted by everything around him.

You may have to experiment with a number of different options to find something your dog really loves. But once you find it, the highest value rewards will be obvious. Some popular high-value treats you can try with your dog are cheese, bacon, dehydrated liver or salmon, chicken, sausage, or his favorite squeaky toy.

Step 6 – Raise the bet

Once your dog gets used to a loose leash around the house, you can slowly distract it. For example, the next step might be to hang out in your backyard. There is a limit to distraction here, but there are still many different sounds and smells that can capture their attention. You may find that as you increase distractions, you also need to increase the value of the dish you’re using.

Next, you may want to take your dog to a deserted park in the morning or evening. Once these outings go well, you can switch to a route where you walk your dog most of the time.

Understand that if your dog gets pulled on a leash while walking, exposing them to that environment can cause a small setback in their training. Be patient, keep your steps short, and remember to reward him more often at first for good behavior! As your dog’s skills increase, you can slowly lengthen the time between treats.

READ MORE America’s Top Cities for Dogs Dog-friendly urban hiking

Step 7 – Always make time for fun

While it’s important to train your dog not to pull, you also don’t want to make your walks all work and play. Your dog is more likely to stay focused if he’s enjoying himself. When you notice him walking beside you without pulling for a few minutes, be sure to let him stop and smell the flowers (and fire hydrants) as a reward.

Epilogue

Training a dog not to pull a leash can be done with time, patience, and lots of high-value gifts. Take positive reinforcement and make sure to keep your dog happy along the way. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to more exciting adventures together.

Information about the Authors: Alec Littlejohn is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and an accredited author by the American Association of Dog Writers.

(Visited 1 time, 1 visit today)