Training Tips:

Before we start...equipment you may need…

• A lead! I prefer to use a four foot or slightly longer lead. This ensures you have enough lead to enable it to be loose when your dog is walking next to you. Chain leads are hard on your hands so consider your own comfort when choosing a lead. Flexi leads have their use for when you want to give your dog a bit of extra freedom; they are not particularly useful though whilst you are training your dog to walk nicely next to you.

• Collar– A soft and secure collar should always be worn by your dog. Check the collar and lead each week for wear and tear!

• Headcollars - Haltis and Gentle Leader headcollars can be useful for ‘persistent pullers’ A puppy however rarely needs one of these. Speak to one of the training team if you are unsure if you need a headcollar. Choke chains are NOT allowed at Pett-Behaviour Training Classes.

• Harnesses– There are a range of harnesses that can be obtained, some are specially designed to stop dogs pulling. I have never yet found a harness that will prevent a dog from pulling. This is probably the reason sled dogs wear harnesses; they actually give the dog more bodyweight to pull with!!!

Puppies!

It is important to be aware of situations where your puppy is ‘learning’ to pull on the lead. This could be for example when you have stopped on a walk to talk to someone and your puppy might be pulling to say hello to another dog near by. In a situation like this it would be more appropriate to ask your puppy for a sit and reward him for doing so than to let him learn how to pull.

Why do our dogs pull?

Let’s think about this for a minute! A dog cannot pull on his own; they can only pull if there is something to pull against. Therefore if we refuse to pull our dogs will not be able to. Dogs will do what they find rewarding, a reward can be anything that the dog wants at any particular time. When you take your dog for a walk the reward he wants is for you to take another step forward, therefore if he pulls and you take another step forward he is getting rewarded and will pull more.

How to teach a dog to walk nicely on a lead:

• Consistency is the key to stop your dog pulling on the lead. The first thing to remember is the walk starts as soon as you decide you are going for a walk. If when you clip the lead on and your dog starts pulling you like a train before you even leave the house you need to stop and stand still or even unclip the lead and go and sit down, ignore him until he has calmed down and then start again. He will soon work out he is going no where if he is pulling you!

• Once he remains calm and you are on your way with the lead loose you need to be watching for when the lead is tight. As soon as the lead is taught you need to stop and stand still. Either bring the dog back next to you or wait till he corrects himself and the lead is loose again. Then you can move on again.

• Do this as many times as is necessary. You are communicating to your dog that pulling forward doesn’t achieve anything as when he does all progress stops!

Be patient!

As you can imagine this takes sometime especially in the beginning as your dog will be trying to work out what you want from him. If however you are consistent and follow this guide you will be rewarded with easier walks and a calmer dog. If on the other hand you only do this on some walks and not all you will be communicating to your dog that he needs to try to pull on each walk to see if “he is allowed to pull today!”

Give your dog the maximum chance of getting it right!

When we teach a dog to sit we first try to do it where there are no distractions and then build up to harder situations. When we are teaching them to walk on a loose lead we seem to expect them to get it right in a difficult setting (like on a walk) straight away! Set up some situations such as walking around chairs in the garden to make it easier for him to understand in the initial stages. When out on a walk be unpredictable, keep changing directions to encourage your dog to keep watching you. There are many reasons why a dog pulls on a lead, please ask one of the training team if you are having difficulties with this aspect of training.

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