Polite Leash Manners
Training Tip of the Week: Loose-Leash Walking
When walking your dog, you want to have a nice, pleasant, relaxing outing. More often than not, dogs may pull on the leash, creating frustration for their owners and discomfort for themselves.
Did you know? Although it seems obvious to us - stop pulling to relieve the pressure on yourself - dogs typically don’t understand that the uncomfortable feeling on their neck or harness is caused by their own pulling. It’s our job to teach them how to walk properly in a way they can understand.
First off: the leash. I always recommend working with a standard 6ft leash. If your dog is very excitable or tends to pull a lot, a 4ft leash may be beneficial as it gives you more control of the dog.
The material doesn’t matter much, it’s mainly personal preference. Biothane or other waterproof materials are great for hiking in muddy environments or walking on rainy days, but they can be hard to grip and are potentially painful when walking a dog that really likes to pull. Standard nylon, leather, or cotton rope leashes are great for everyday walking. They’re fairly inexpensive, sturdy, and easy to grip.
A standard, flat collar will work fine, just ensure it’s tightened enough so it remains comfortable, but your dog is unable to slip out. If your dog is a flight risk, likes to lunge on leash, or has a history of slipping collars, you might want to use a martingale collar and/or a secure harness. If your dog is strong and you need a bit more control, use a front-clip or double-clip (front and back) harness.
Avoid retractable or bungee leashes – although it makes it easier on you, the walker, it completely eliminates that feeling of pressure for your pup when he reaches the end of the leash, and makes it difficult for him to learn to stop pulling. We’re going to be using that natural pressure to show your dog what we want.
Once you’ve selected your collar/harness and leash accessories, it’s time to walk!
Did you know? A traditional back-clip harness was invented for sledding dogs to encourage pulling. Dogs naturally pull against pressure and will generally pull on a harness, unless taught otherwise.
The most effective, humane way to train leash walking is also one of the most time-consuming and annoying ways – you have to stop whenever you feel pressure on the leash. Whenever your dog pulls. The training only works if you’re consistent with it, so it’s going to be very slow going for a while.
To understand why this works, you have to understand your dog's motivation. Your dog wants to run ahead and explore, which is why he's pulling ahead. Dogs also have a naturally faster gait than us humans, so we have to take the time to teach them to slow down & stick with us.
If you follow your dog whenever he pulls you, he learns that he has to tug at that pressure he feels in order to get anywhere, and essentially teaches himself to pull. If you stop every time there's tension on the leash, your dog eventually learns that he has to stop every time he tries to pull ahead.
Whenever you feel tension on the leash, stop until your pup either looks back at you, or gives in to the pressure of the leash. If your dog is still pulling a lot, try turning around and taking a few steps in the other direction. This helps the dog learn to focus on you more than the environment. (If your dog doesn’t follow right away, give the leash a gentle tug or make a noise to get his attention and entice him to follow.) Repeat until your dog is more focused on you than the environment.
Add in marking (with a “Yes!” marker word or clicker) and rewarding whenever the leash is loose, and reward heavily when the dog walks right next to you instead of venturing ahead to really drive home what you want from him.
Training a consistent loose leash will take time, especially if the dog has had months/years creating the bad habit of pulling on leash. Keep training consistently to achieve a nice loose-leash walk.
Tips: Always carry treats with you on your outings with your dog. Always! Pairing marking & rewarding loose-leash walking with leash pressure training will yield faster results.
