Keep trying to train your dog not to pull on its leash
Our dog pulls when on leash. We have been mostly consistent in not allowing her to pull. Sometimes it just is not possible to stand and wait for her to slack the leash before we start moving. Can you please tell us how to get past this issue?
Loose leash walking is probably one of the most difficult skills that families face. One main reason is that people are mostly consistent. Mostly consistent creates more pulling, not less.
Dogs continue pulling because it works some of the time. Getting to where they want to go becomes like a slot machine win. Try, try again and eventually it will pay out, even if just a little bit. That success causes the dog to keep trying in the future. Dogs are slow to quit pulling because they have a long history where persistence is a successful strategy.
Often families do make an effort to be consistent, only to break. Unfortunately, this teaches the dog to be even more persistent. The dog continues to lunge into the leash despite many unsuccessful attempts.
If a dog has a well-established history of pulling on lead, start by firmly committing to 100 per cent consistency. This is achievable if families dedicate one unique and sacred collar or harness to leash training.
For example, purchase a wide collar. Place it on the dog’s neck so it is wearing two collars when doing homework. The dog will feel that this is different. Over time, it will learn to walk politely when wearing this second collar. A harness can also work well.
When consistency cannot be achieved, do not use the sacred walking collar. This way, families can achieve complete consistency when using the training collar and they can have the flexibility to work around daily challenges.
Start teaching in the home. Skills are built in quiet locations where the dog can focus. Reward the dog generously with small, special treats for walking by your side. Initially, this may only be one step. Increase expectations as the dog shows that it is capable of doing more.
Incorporate distractions inside before moving outside. Practise walking past toys, delicious food, exciting sounds and even people slapping their legs tempting the dog to visit. If a dog cannot ignore planned distractions in the home, it will struggle transitioning into the real world. Finally, once the dog understands the skills, take it outside into the real world. Start small. Review past training and rebuild the dog’s skill in this new context. If the dog pulls occasionally, wait for it to come back to you and then try again. If it is pulling frequently, go back and review previous steps. We adopted a dog from the shelter that is overweight and in need of training. How can we train our dog without treats so that we can also address her weight issues?
The problem with the word “treat” is that we often equate the word with the unhealthy. Treats are assumed to be high calorie and nutritionally poor. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Many trainers, especially those who train frequently, use semi-moist dog food as their treats.
This food comes in rolls that can be diced into small cubes. Ideally choose a brand that stays firm at room temperature. Dogs view these as treats. They are nutritionally balanced meals.
On days when training takes place, reduce the dog’s dry kibble by the amount of semimoist food used. Each day, the dog should get the appropriate amount of food, not an excess of food due to training.