The last thing you need during leash walking when planning a peaceful and relaxed walk around the block is a puppy dragging you around and perhaps even causing you to slip and fall.
One of the many reasons we (dog trainers) get called is to help owners manage their dog’s walk on the leash. Training leash walking is a process and takes patience and work, but there are a few tricks you can use to help manage that unruly puppy.
1. Use a training harness or collar
Training collars and harnesses help slow down the movement of your dog without pain. Some of my favorite harnesses are the ones with a front clip such as Freedom Walk® harnesses. I like these harnesses because they have a double clip: one on the front and one on the back, which limits the dog from using the front muscles of the chest to move forward. This harness though, does not limit the dog while they walk. Instead, it is a training harness that will help you control movement without causing any harm.
If your dog is a very strong puller or a very large dog who pulls on the leash, then a good option is a head collar such as a GentleLeader® or a Halti®. The reason why I like these head collars is because the dog has no leverage when walking. The headcollars limit movement by turning the dog’s head to the side if they try to pull ahead. Your dog looks at you whenever he or she tries to move forward. In time, they slow down their pace.
Alone, the training harnesses or collars may not lead to slow walking, and that’s where looking at using the next tips will be useful.
2. Stop when forging ahead; go when staying next to you
In addition to a training collar or harness your dog still needs to understand that if he/she tries to forge ahead, the effort will be curbed by you stopping mid-walk. It takes some work, but with consistency, your dog will understand what is asked of him/her.
Simply put, if your dog is forging ahead, stop and wait until the pulling is over; once your dog stops pulling and focuses on you, the walk restarts.
3. Reward, reward, reward
Always have treats to reward walking next to you, focusing on you, and calm behavior around other dogs/humans. If there are no treats, praise all the above.
4. Address reactivity
Not all dogs walk calmly and stay calm when encountering certain environmental stimuli. Some triggers include other dogs, humans, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and wildlife, just to mention a few of the most common ones.
The importance of addressing reactivity is the difference between being able to walk your dog or not. Even though you can manage the triggers by walking away or avoiding them, they still exist and must be addressed. The best option will be to keep your dog under threshold and avoid the reaction. In the long run, finding out why your dog is reactive will be the best solution. Working with a certified dog trainer/behavior consultant can help identify the trigger and offer solutions and management practices.
