Why Do Dogs Really Pull on the Leash?

Loose leash walking...

How it is possible?

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Who currently has a weak or sore shoulder from their dog pulling them and yanking them down the street?

Me, me, me, I hear you cry(...

So many people have to endure their walk with their dog rather than enjoy it.

So why not train your dog to walk by your side without pulling once and then enjoy every walk without any hassle...

Does it make sense?

And the great thing is its not complicated...

It can take a little time to master it but not always.

Sometimes it can be a 5 minute turnaround as expert dog trainer,
Doggy Dan, demonstrates in his video

But let me first talk you through some of the really key mistakes that people are making when walking their dog.

Now as I mentioned earlier there are many tricks to walking your dog on the leash correctly so that they walk beside you.

And if you have a determined dog, (and they come in both big and small size) you may well need to know all of them before you can master the walk.

But generally speaking, the tips I am about to give you now will really help…

So lets get cracking and get into the training.

The most important thing to remember is to keep your dog calm.

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So how do we calm them down?

Let me explain…

1. Just imagine you're about to leave the house... You bring out the leash and BANG!

Your sleeping beauty becomes a rocket... She jump up, wag the tail, race around you with one wish that you put the leash on her.

Now if you just make their wish come true and put the leash on them they get even more excited...

The reason is simple.

You are reinforce their excited behavior with a reward — the lead.

So this behavior gets more and more extreme.

They just become more excited...

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The same thing happens as your dog drags you towards the front
door, barging their way through first and then pulls you down the garden path.

All this is getting your dog more and more excited.

They will be at bursting point when you get onto the path.

How can you beat that?

So... next time you take your dog for a walk — take your time.

Pick up the leash and then wait for your dog to calm down.

That’s right...

Just carry on doing what you were doing and ignore your dog’s antics.

And if they don’t calm down... put the leash away or put it on a table.

This may take a little while, several attempts or quite a long period, but your dog will eventually calm.

When they are calm you can try again and repeat until they are totally relaxed as you attach the leash.

You may repeat this process all the way until you are on the path ready to start your walk.

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Either you may wait with your dog on the leash until they are calm before move any further or take the leash off and delay the walk for a few minutes.

It seems like you get nowhere fast... but better to take some time and fix it now cause the issue will not “self correct”.

Or you're going to be dragged around the streets for the years to come.

Now step two is a simple exercise that involves you turning around
when your dog pulls ahead.

2. Change direction

Before you start your walk look at which way your dog is trying to head. If they want to go right, then you turn left. Take a step to the left and repeat this until they are actually taking notice of what you are doing.

On a bigger scale you could just change direction and go the other
way when your dog starts to pull ahead.

Make sure you do this early, don’t wait till your dog is miles out in front.

By doing this exercise your dog ends up behind you every time.

Again it can take a little time but your dog will get it...

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3. Chose an appropriate device

Take a look at some of the different types of devices available to assist
you in getting your dog to heel.

In the video below you can see Doggy Dan using a special harness where the attachment is under the dogs chin.

This is quite  different to a traditional harness where the attachment is on the back and the dogs end up pulling like a cart horse)...

4. Remember the pack leader leads…
On the walk the pack leader leads from the front.

So if you are not the pack leader in your dogs eyes they will really
 fight for that spot at the front.

It's as simple as that.

You can’t cheat a dog, especially the strong minded determined ones.

Learning to become the pack leader is topic all on it's own, and is the basis of Doggy Dan's world-famous training method.

He's developed 5 Golden Rules, which when followed daily, help you become the pack leader in a calm and gentle way.

5. Lots of extra tips

As I mentioned earlier there are heaps of other tips and tricks such as
knowing how and when to give the leash a little pull without going over the top.

Understanding when and where to let your dog have some
freedom and go sniff and pee pee... after all that’s the point of going for a dog walk isn’t it?

If you would like to master the walk today then look no further than
Doggy Dan’s website with over 250 videos. 

There are currently 7 excellent videos on how to walk your dog correctly showing you how to deal with every issue and question you may have.

And there's even a 30 minute audio inside the site - so you can listen while you walk!

For now you just may start with free 4 part video series from Dan.

Everybody wants to enjoy their dog and that includes walking them, so don’t put up with it any longer!

And remember your dog will also be glad when the pulling stops and
they can walk calmly by your side...

All the best&Love your dog,
Alex