How to Stop Leash Pulling

Pulling on the leash. Are there any dog owners who haven’t struggled with this at some point??

Check out these professional tips to make walks more enjoyable for you and your dog!

Step #1. The Proper Equipment

I wish getting good leash manners was as easy as putting on the right piece of equipment. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Equipment doesn’t teach your dog to walk next to you. The right equipment does make things safer and easier, though.

At Koinonia, all dogs are walked on a body harness regardless of their leash manners. Collar pressure is bad for dogs and hurts them just as much as it would hurt us. If the dog has poor leash manners, a front clip harness gives the human better leverage and makes pulling less intense. Check out the Blue-9 Balance, RuffWear Front Range or the Perfect Fit for your dog.

(Available in most stores, the Easy Walk harness is not recommended due to the strap across the chest. This strap compresses the shoulders together which forces your dog to walk unnaturally.)

A fixed length leash of 6-8 feet is sufficient for most dogs. Please toss the Flexi/retractable leash!

Step #2. Treats and Treat Bag

Walks require high-value goodies like chicken, cheese, or scrambled eggs. A trail mix of several different kinds of treats keeps things interesting for your dog. Always take more than you think you’ll need!

A treat bag holds the treats within easy reach while keeping your pockets clean. The Rapid Rewards Pouch by Doggone Good is an industry favorite!

Step #3. Pre-Walk Prep

I believe one of the core issues with leash pulling is a lack of attention to the handler. The dog has his own agenda and sees the human as nothing more than an anchor at the end of the leash preventing him from going to smell that bush!

Fixing leash manners involves fixing attention. We need to get handler and dog moving together as a unit—speeding up and slowing down together. .

Volunteered eye contact is an easy skill that teaches your dog to pay attention to you. Practice inside the house first!

1. Stand with your hands by your sides

2. When your dog looks at your face, say Yes!

3. Reach for a treat

4. Feed the treat to your dog’s mouth or by tossing it on the floor

5. Repeat, 8-10 times

When your dog is proficient inside, practice (on-leash!) on the front porch.

Step #4. During the Walk

When you’re walking, make sure to hold the handle of the leash so the dog can move freely:

1. Any time the leash is loose, say Yes!

2. Stop walking

3. Offer your dog a treat by your knee

4. Resume walking.

If your dog hits the end of the leash and starts to pull:

1. Stop walking and wait for him to turn around

2. When you turns to look at you, Yes!

3. Offer a treat by your knee

4. Resume walking

It’s super irritating to stop every few steps because your dog is pulling! To avoid that, reward your dog so frequently for NOT pulling that he never has a chance to pull. Stopping frequently for a few repetitions of volunteered eye contact helps too.

Here’s Hudson helping demonstrate:

Leash manners can be tricky! If you need extra help to make it happen, contact Koinonia to schedule some in-home training.