How to stop your dog from pulling the leash?

Very often a situation arises when you have a puppy, and he does not obey you on a walk as he would like. Or, even as an adult dog, he continues to constantly pull the leash. What to do in such situations? Today you will learn how to wean your pet from this behavior.

A well-mannered pet, in the right relationship with the owner, walks right next to him, and the leash remains free. However, it happens that the leash is so tense that your arm literally rips off you. You have to chase a dog rushing somewhere. The very first reason for this trouble: your dog wants to feel like a leader. So he, as it were, dominates the flock, the role of which is played by the owner, and therefore “leads” it along with him.

This is why teaching the dog the different commands is so important. One of them is the “next to” command.

But the reason for pulling on the leash can be much simpler and without the pet's desire to dominate. The fact is that the usual pace for a person, as you know, is a step, but for a dog - jogging at a trot. She quickly catches smells, if she is looking for something, and, in order not to waste time, but to correctly pursue her trail, she walks at an average speed. But it is she who is completely inconvenient for the owner.

In addition, the situation is slightly different with individual breeds. The dog is trying to move faster, not even because it is naughty or wants to dominate. It's all about her huge supply of energy, which she needs to spend. And this cannot be done in any way if the animal sits in the apartment all the time. Precisely because only after going out into the street, the pet would be glad to completely get rid of the leash and run freely for several kilometers.

There are a variety of situations in which the owner himself unconsciously reinforces the dog's habit of pulling on this very leash. For example, it may happen that your four-footed friend saw a cat or a relative, but for this you severely punish him to walk alongside and pull him to you. But in case you meet your friend, who also has a dog on a leash, you freely approach him.

Thus, in some situations, you yourself approve of this behavior of the dog. And believe me, he will not analyze specific cases when you can pull, when not. Your pet will just remember that sometimes it is very encouraged, and will do it all the time.

That is why, even if your goals coincided with the animal, do not forget to give orders first, and then calmly come up together. That is why it is so important to pay attention to absolutely all such situations and to correct not the behavior of your pet, but your own.

Dog handlers have long been studying the behavior of dogs in various situations. As a result, they came to the conclusion: the more the animal feels resistance, the more it wants to continue to pull. This is a reflex action, and therefore even choking, accompanied by coughing and salivation, will not stop your tailed strong friend - he will insist on his own even more actively.

However, keeping your pet strictly near you is also wrong, because if the leash is not pulled at all, it will be unclear where to go, in which direction to move.... In this case, the dog may completely lose the habit of walking on a leash, since it will cease to constantly feel it. That is why it is so important to choose the right collar.

Not all is lost. It may seem that it is quite difficult to disaccustom a dog to constantly run somewhere on a walk, thereby dragging you along. Indeed, teaching a puppy to behave correctly is not much easier than weaning an adult from pulling you along, dragging you along. However, everything has its own ways, and you can always do something to improve the situation. Here are some effective tips to help you change your pet's habits as quickly as possible.

First of all, it is worth clarifying not the qualities that you need to develop in the dog, but those that will be necessary for you in training the animal. What are these factors?

• Patience to achieve the goal. Of course, there are situations when it is necessary to use rudeness, but in general parenting implies a gentle approach in a non-violent manner.
• Consistency of performance. If you act inconsistently and try to retrain the dog, as was done before and unsuccessfully, it will turn out even worse than it was. That is why be consistent in your actions, and since you teach the dog, you will have to follow your every action with it.
• You need to find motivation in education... While it is common for a puppy and adolescent to complete assignments for praise, problems can arise with older dogs. However, given affection, each pet is strongly motivated to please the owner.
• Do not feed a treat every time you execute a command, use bright emotions and praise.

Teach your “beast” the command “near”. This can be done quite simply, even intuitively. If your pet obeys you, it will try to please you, and over time will understand what exactly needs to be done. If your walking speed increases, calm your zeal and slow your pace in a stern but calm voice. If you see your four-footed friend looking at the leash or adjusting his gait speed on his own, give him a clear and emotional compliment! Obviously, he is trying to please you, and you are already close to achieving the goal.

But what if the dog is very active and you yourself are not very comfortable stopping the dog? It's all right we must give her the freedom to throw out the energy! Therefore, take your eager friend immediately to the park or to any open space in order to play with a ball, a plate or just run around there! After half an hour of such games and jogging, your dog will more or less throw out all the energy and then will no longer run forward so actively.

Does the kid pull on the leash strongly, runs from side to side, actively shows interest, or does he chew on the leash at all? Then a slightly different approach is required. Instincts and reflexes at this age are much higher than education and formed habits. Precisely because, in order to teach the puppy to follow you, you need to do the opposite - run next to him! It's not fast enough to make it difficult for you yet the main thing is to stay on the same level. But even while running, he should be taught to the command "next".

If you have a naughty adult, then changing its habits is more difficult than forming new ones in a puppy. Sometimes a collar can be used as an auxiliary element that would help you with walking and education.

The collar in this case is like a tool. If tactics and fighting spirit lies in upbringing, then the collar is just a tool to achieve the goal. Not everyone needs it, some individuals can cope without it. But more often than not, a collar is really needed, so we choose it correctly.

• Narrow collar (2-3 centimeters). The most common and common option. It is suitable only for those breeds whose neck is not too long, because a thin strip will not just not hold, but may even strangle the dog.

• Wide collars. Here we will talk about models of about 5 centimeters and individual versions up to 12. In the first case, the product is most often nylon and is used mainly in order not to put pressure on the neck. So this option is also not suitable for training. If we talk about those that are more than 10 centimeters, then if you do not have a hound or a greyhound, then this collar is not for you.

• Harness. This device is not at all suitable for training adults who are naughty or not accustomed to commands. If you are not sure if you are able to control the same dash, which is sometimes quite unexpected, then do not buy this type of collar. It is quite soft, not at all suitable for training large breeds, except perhaps for training small dogs or puppies. Sometimes there are situations when everyone else, except for the harness, can easily injure the neck.

• Specific collars.
  • Stranglehold rather cruel in its treatment of the neck, as it tightens every time the dog pulls the leash. This is not only unsuitable for training, but it can also severely damage the neck.
  • Ringing - an even more dangerous variant of the noose, since this whole structure is additionally attached to the ears, and even thinner than the usual noose. One has only to panic, and a dangerous situation can happen.
  • Halter It is used to put it on the face in the form of a loop, it closes at the leash level. This will allow you to control the actions of the dog. Overall a safer and more suitable solution.
  • Strict collar, or otherwise parfors, it is better not to use it at all, unless you have a huge dog that does not want to obey you in any other way. These collars cause a lot of pain, and therefore it is better, if they are used, then only as training.Plus, it is imperative to monitor so that no wounds occur.
  • The same goes for electric collar - this is a very cruel equipment and is used only by professionals, and even then in case the dog threatens itself.

Don't forget about emotional approval and praise. Feed your friend a treat, but not too often. Use suitable collars. The safest of these are a 5cm nylon or halter. Take consistent steps to train the dog, and then your pet will stop pulling the leash and will walk next to you, really, like a good old companion interlocutor.

For information on how to wean a dog from pulling a leash, see the next video.