Pulling on the Lead
Dogs are naturally curious animals and they need to sniff everything/everyone; leads will restrict your dogs natural behaviours, however they are a neccesity, if you train your dog correctly and follow these little tips then you and your dog will enjoy walkies so much!
Correct collar:
This is important as your dog will need to feel comfortable and be able to feel as un-restricted as possible whilst walking.
Small dogs: - Normal buckle collar
- Body harness (especially for breeds such as a pug, due to breathing restrictions)
Medium/Large dogs- Normal buckle collar (should be high on the neck and able to fit two fingers underneath)
- Chainslip(choke) collar, (should only be used rarely or under professional dog trainer supervision)
- Halter collar (similar to a harness, less restricting)
Figure it out:
Figure out why your dog is pulling; is it because they love to sniff new objects and dogs,are they just excited or are they trying to escape from the lead.
Once this is established you can then begin to work on the problem.
Sniffing:
A great way to train your dog out of constantly pulling to sniff new objects or dogs on walks is a method called Stop and Start:
When your dog begins to pull at the lead you should immediately stop walking, once the dog has realised you have stopped walking they should turn around, when they do so call them back to you and get them to sit at your feet and reward them.
Another twist to this method is to use the object they wanted to sniff as the reward: once they have come back to you and sat at your feet, you walk them over to the object they wanted to sniff and let them sniff.
The dog will soon become bored of having to keep stopping and starting over a period of a couple of weeks.
Always reward your dog!
Excitement:
Most dogs will become immediately excited when you exclaim 'walkies' or get the lead out, this is just a natural insinct.
However if they still cannot control themselves on the walk and are constantly pulling towards an area or new things then this needs to be trained out of them.
Your energy is very important when trying to train a dog, do not get angry or agitated with the dog as this will reflect upon your dog.
Think positive!
A dog should never be walking ahead of the owner, they should always walk alongside you; keep your dog on a short lead held against your hip, this way they should not be able to pull, as they are walking alongside you, praise and reward them, letting them know this is the behaviour you want them to portray.
When approaching a place or object they become excited about, ask them to sit, this may take a few attempts, when they do so reward them with a small treat and then let them off their lead or walk them over to the wanted object or place, at your command.
Escaping:
This is quite a common problem for dogs, they may try and slip their collar and lead or try to run out of the door once it is opened.
A collar and lead is very restricting for a dog and is not natural to their free thinking natures.
A tip would be to try a harness, they are harder to slip out of and are more comfortable for dogs.
Another tip is to let your dog know it's ok and there is nothing to be scared of; reassure your dog, try taking a favourite toy of theirs to play with whilst out of the house, talk to them whilst you walk and reward them for doing so well.
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