Training: how to teach your dog not to pull on the leash

Walking your dog on a leash should be an enjoyable experience. However, many are faced with a situation where the dog on the street begins to pull hard on the leash and going outside with it no longer seems so rosy.

We should not perceive such behavior as normal or temporary - it can and should be changed.

Why does the dog pull on the leash?

The effect of tension is the desire to go outside and get closer to communicating with their relatives. It is also a sign that we do not know how to lead an animal and communicate with it, explaining to it the rules of behavior.

Common mistakes

1. Do not use prizes. Prizes are a fundamental aspect, key to dog training.
Use treats to reward your dog when he walks without pulling on the leash. This will allow your dog to have a good predisposition to learn the exercise.

2. Let the dog pull: "sometimes you can, sometimes you can't." Discipline is very important. If you are instructing your dog to walk without pulling on the leash (“slowly”), you can't let him pull on the leash when he wants to say hello to another dog or urinate in a certain place. You can let her greet another dog or person or go anywhere as long as she doesn't pull on the leash.

3. Too fast cancellation of rewards. This is a very common mistake, and not only in this exercise. To eliminate treats and replace them with other rewards (playing with other dogs, petting, etc.), you must follow a prize reduction plan. Otherwise, the dog will not understand what is happening, why it used to be, but not now.

4. Pull the leash towards you without stopping. To correct a dog that is pulling on the leash, stop and pull back on the leash. Do not pull on the leash while walking without stopping. In order for your dog to learn the exercise as quickly and easily as possible, you must clearly communicate with him. If you correct her by stopping, she will better understand what you want.

5. Absence of an order. In order for your dog to be able to walk without pulling on the leash, you must teach it this behavior and associate it with a signal. Otherwise, your dog won't know when to walk beside you without pulling on the leash.

Teaching your dog not to pull on the leash

It is extremely important to choose a suitable signal that will draw the dog's attention to the owner. Anything can be such a signal - from a word to a click of the tongue and any other sound. Once the dog reacts by turning its head and looking at its owner, it should be rewarded with a treat. This action must be reinforced by repeated repetition.

Then we do the same in motion. After the pet pulls on the leash, the owner must immediately stop, give the agreed signal and, having received a response, reward the animal with a treat. You can move on only when the leash is slightly sagging, and the dog calmly follows the owner, focusing his main attention on him, and not on the environment. As soon as the skill is firmly fixed, you can proceed to the exercise in crowded and noisy places.

Earlier, the Inc-News information portal told why you need to train a dog.