Many dog owners face common dog behavior problems like jumping, barking, chewing, peeing, or pooping inside the house. In fact, one of the most asked questions on forums is how to stop your dog from pulling his leash?
Today we’re going to dissect leash pulling, why it happens and what you as a dog owner can do about it.
First of all, we’d like you to know that pulling on the leash is a common and serious problem for dog owners. Especially those who have large or powerful dogs. The danger with this behavioral problem is that you can easily be injured when your dog pulls you over or suffer problems with your wrists or shoulders from persistent pulling. However, the good news is that it isn’t impossible to teach your strong dog not to pull, but it does require patience and consistency in order to be effective.
Why do dogs pull on their leash?
Dogs pull for a number of reasons, including excess energy, desire to get to something, fear or anxiety, and habit. If your dog is overly energetic, it will need to be exercised sufficiently before walking training will be possible. If your dog has triggers like other dogs or smells that it wants to get to. Or if it experiences a lot of anxiety in certain environments, you should start training somewhere free of these triggers.
How to stop your dog from pulling his leash?
There are three steps to stopping the pulling. However, even though on paper it seems easy, it will take a lot of patience and work on your side:
- Begin walking with your dog briskly. Slow down and let your dog sniff if she wants to sniff.
2. As soon as your dog puts tension on the leash, stop. Don’t pull back on the leash, but don’t let your dog pull you at all either.
3. If your dog relaxes the tension within a couple of seconds, immediately start walking again. If your dog doesn’t relax the tension within a couple of seconds, walk briskly in another direction, calling your dog to follow you.