Understanding Dog Behaviour
Walking on a loose lead
Teaching your dog to walk alongside you is an essential part of basic control training. There
is nothing more frustrating or exhausting for an owner than taking their dog out for daily
walks and being dragged all the way. If your dog is constantly pulling on the lead, you have
limited control over him, and unwanted behaviours may well develop as a result.
However, walking on a loose lead can be one of the hardest things to teach your dog. If he
is taken to the park on his walk, he quickly learns to anticipate what will happen when he
gets there. He pulls on the lead to get there quickly, and is inadvertently rewarded by being
given the opportunity to interact with people and other animals. Other rewards such as food,
toys and words will have very little impact as he would rather take another step closer to his
destination.
It is important to start training in a distraction-free area (your garden is a good place to start).
You are trying to teach your dog that there is no benefit to pulling on the lead but great
benefit to walking next to you; it will not get him anywhere faster. Most dogs start to pull as
soon as their lead is on and they leave the front door. It is important that you only go forward
when the lead is loose. It is far better to only get to the end of the drive with your dog not
pulling and to finish the walk with positive results. Before you start lead walking or go to the
park, play a game in the garden to burn off extra energy. Then do some training to get him
into a training frame of mind before starting lead walking.
Teaching your dog to walk on a loose lead
Stage one
• The best way to teach your dog is to show him what you want before he has the
opportunity to make a mistake. To do this, start with treats and a relaxed lead. Show
your dog where you want him to walk – next to you with the treat as a lure.
• Keep walking as long as the lead is loose. As soon as your dog pulls repeat the
above. At first you may only be able to take one to two steps forward.
• When he walks nicely, reward him with a treat. At first he will need lots of rewards
quite quickly after each other so he remains focused and understands what you
want. If at any point he pulls ahead of you, stop walking immediately, wait for him to
calm down and then step back, lure him back to your side and walk on again.
• It is easy to ignore good behaviour so it is important to remember to reward your dog
when he is walking well beside you. This will reinforce the behaviour and increase
the likelihood of it occurring again.
• It is important that your dog does get time to sniff and explore or he may become
frustrated. If he does not yet have a strong recall you can make it clear to him when
he can explore by transferring him onto a harness and long line. He will start to learn
that when on the harness he leads the walk but when on a collar and lead he must
walk nicely to heel.
Stage two
• When your dog is walking on a loose lead in the garden, you can gradually build up
the level of distractions, e.g. drive to a local park when it is quiet, and repeat stage
one. It is important to adapt your walks at this stage as it is too much to expect your
dog to be able to walk to the park on a loose lead.
• Ensure that there is no routine to your walks (such as always walking in the same
direction) as this will encourage your dog to pull more because he has guessed
where you are going. Change directions and speeds. This will encourage him to
watch you more, because he will be unable to predict what you are going to do next.
Stage three
• Once your dog is walking well in the park when it is quiet, repeat the process but
gradually build up the level of distractions. For example, drive to the park when it is
busier.
Stage four
• Continue training but arrange for someone to drive you to the park. Then see if you
can walk your dog home on a loose lead; most dogs pull on the way to the park and
not on the way home.
Stage five
• At this point your dog should be walking well on a loose lead. Repeat stage one but
you will now be walking your dog to the park. This is probably a high level of
distraction for your dog so ensure that you have enough time and patience. Be
prepared to not actually get to the park (give your dog burn-offs in the garden and
provide him with mental stimulation before the walk).
General information
• Never allow young children to walk your dog on their own.
• Asking your dog for commands he knows such as ‘sit’ regularly whilst on a walk will
allow him to regain his focus on you and learn that walking is an activity for both of
you – not just something he does without interacting with you.
Summary
• This training will take time and it will sometimes feel like you have not even left your
front garden. But it is important that your dog no longer receives a reward for pulling.
If you work with your dog but then let him pull again you will only make the problem
worse. Your dog will continue to pull on walks as he believes that sometimes this
tactic works so it is worth a try.
• Not all methods to correct lead pulling suit all dogs. It may be necessary to vary the
way you train your dog, which is why it is advisable to work in conjunction with a
trainer or behaviourist.
• In some circumstances equipment may be necessary (head collars and body
harnesses) to help overall control. Always consult a behaviourist or trainer on how to
use them properly.
• Never yank on your dog’s lead as this can do significant damage to his airways. If
you become frustrated on a walk then head home, play a game and try again when
you have more time.
It is important to recognise that all dogs are individual and respond in different ways and at
different speeds. Some people report instant improvements, for others it may take longer.
Therefore, it is important to be patient and consistent in the way that you respond to the dog
and ensure the whole family interacts with the dog in the same way.