How to get your dog to walk
nicely on the lead

Most people would agree that it is much nicer to have a dog that walks well on the lead than one that pulls them everywhere. How long does it take to teach a dog to walk nicely on the lead? This will depend on:

•	How strongly the dog has been allowed to pull in the past.
•	How long the dog has been pulling for.
•	How consistent you are in not allowing the dog to pull.
•	How many distractions there are, when and where you walk.
•	How big the reward is for the dog to keep pulling.

Why do dogs pull on the lead?

A dog normally pulls:

•	To get to somewhere or something
•	To get away from somewhere or something

In order to stop your dog pulling, it is important to realise what reward the dog is getting from pulling. A dog will only pull if there is some benefit or reward to be gained from doing so. If we remove the reward, we can stop the dog pulling.

How to teach your dog not to pull

Remember, every step forward that the dog takes while pulling is being rewarded by taking another step. To stop pulling, remove the reward.

•	The simplest way to teach not to pull, is to now only allow your dog to take a step forward if they are not pulling.
•	As soon as the dog starts to pull, you must immediately stop.
•	Ignore the dog until the lead is slack, then praise the dog and carry on walking.

The aim is to make the dog think that their pulling has made them stop and that when the lead is slack, nice things happen.

•	If your dog is strong and you would be unable to stop immediately, then it may be helpful to walk near something you can hold onto, like a row of fence posts.
•	Don’t forget to be nice to you dog and praise them when they are walking with you. If you are always annoyed and shouting at your dog, you give them another reason to pull, because they don’t want to be with you or is scared of you.

•	If you are having problems getting your dog to concentrate on you during this training you can command them to sit when they are pulling, to focus their attention. Once they have sat and the lead is slack you can continue forwards.
•	It will also help to find out what treats and toys your dog finds most rewarding. You can use these to focus their attention onto yourself. These items can also be used as rewards when your dog is walking nicely and withheld when not.

If your dog has been allowed to pull for a long period of time, either with you, or in a previous home, it will take longer for them to learn. This is because they expect to be able to pull. By being consistent and patient, however, you can teach them new rules.

By following these simple steps you should be able to teach you dog to walk nicely on the lead. Always remember to praise your dog when they perform well and never yank the lead if they pull, as it won’t stop them and may damage their neck.