Dog Pulling On The Leash? Don’t Let Him Do That

toddler-and-golden-on-leash-at-beachIs your dog pulling on the leash practically pulling your arms out of their sockets?  I see people walking their dogs, no their dogs are walking them, the dog pulling them all the way.  If you let a dog pull on the leash he will think that is what he is supposed to do and keep doing it.

So how do you stop this behavior?  First of all if your dog is grown, it might take some time. Ingrained habits take longer to unlearn.  If you have more patience than your dog you will eventually be able to train your dog.  The key is to be more stubborn, more determined than your dog.  And know what to do along the way.

If pulling is something you don’t like, then don’t tolerate it even for a second.  If your dog is pulling forward, either stop, or quickly turn a different way and say “this way” to get the dog going in a different direction. As he turns there will be a brief moment of slack in the leash. You can tell your dog “that’s right” as this happens.

Now that you are headed in a different direction and your dog starts pulling again, quickly turn a different direction and say in a calm but affirmative voice “this way” and your dog will follow. Give an affirmative “that’s right” when there is slack.  If you can make this seem like a game for your dog, he will start paying attention to you and begin watching you to see if you are going to change direction.

To improve the conditions for you and your dog, giving him a longer time of good behavior and you more time to see what is coming and correct him before he hits the end of the leash ( which could be micro seconds on a six foot leash) use a long line.  The long line will give you time to call out a change of direction before he gets to the end of the leash.

There is a whole lot more to be gained and more training available with a long line.  Some dog trainers specialize in the use of a long line. Whatever method you use to teach your dog to stop pulling on the leash, make sure that you never let your dog do it in the first place, then he’ll never be reinforced for doing something you find unpleasant.

John Spieser is the master of The Long Line Dog Training Method. Get his free audio where he talks about how he uses the long line with dogs and puppies. This will work with your neck strong dog or puppy if you stay consistent.

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About Lana

To be a good Ambassador for Dogs I am sending this information out to the universe in hopes that if finds people in need of help with their dog and motivates them to be persistent when working with their dog. If you ever had to give up your dog wouldn't it be good to know that your dog is so well behaved that ten people you know would jump at the chance to take your dog to their home. There are no bad dogs, just misunderstandings between humans and canines. Let's learn more about dogs.

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