This is such a common problem and sometimes quite entertaining, especially if you see a youngster being pulled along by a strong dog. Or even a grown up being pulled for that matter. But you love walking your dog and it’s really not a joke if he won’t listen to your commands. To stop your dog from pulling on the leash you need to know a few tricks.
Why they pull on their leashes is because they actually can walk faster than we can and they just can’t wait up. There basic instinct kicks in to chase when they see other animals or pick up strong scents. It’s natural and we have to just work around it.
To get rid of this bad behavior it would be ideal for you to start training at an early age. If your dog is a few years old then it can be done, but will take a bit more patience, love and perseverance. Do not use a choke collar on your dog as it will hurt his throat and cause a lot of pain and damage.
Do your initial training indoors and in a room where there are no distractions. He does not need a harness at this stage of his training as you will first teach him to follow you. Step one – To get him to follow you, place an object small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. Get your dog’s attention by showing him the object and saying the trigger word “touch”. Let him come up to the object and he must touch it with his nose, but not be in front of you but behind you or next to you. Once he has done that, then walk away some and let him follow you. He must touch the object again with his nose when you say touch. Remember to give him a treat if he touches the object but stays behind you every time.
Do take into consideration that you are teaching your dog a completely new and strange behavior and it will take a while before he gets what you want from him. Persevere and you will be rewarded as well.
Secondly, put his harness around his body and clip on the leash. Take him outside into the garden and repeat the program exactly like you did indoors. Now there are more distractions and he has to only listen to your voice. Teach him to walk next to you or behind you even if he hears sounds and picks up scents. Remember the touching of the object with his nose still plays a big role in his lesson. Even bigger role is your treat and confirmation that you are happy.
Whatever program you choose to stop your dog from pulling on the leash, you have to be consistent, patient and reward for correct behavior.
About the author: Remco van Reenen helps people to train their dog and on his website positieve hondentraining you can read a lot more articles. You can also get lots of accessories to help you with dog training in the section puppycursus