How Do You Stop a Dog Pulling on the Lead?

Introduce the topic and the challenges dog owners face when walking dogs that pull on the lead.

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Why Do Dogs Pull on the Lead?

Explain the common reasons dogs pull, such as excitement, lack of training, or being distracted by other animals.

Techniques to Stop Lead Pulling

Explain that there are several strategies dog owners can try to stop their furry friend from pulling on their lead.

Training Before the Walk

Tips for teaching calm behaviour before leaving the house, like conditioning your dog to respond calmly to the leash.

Slow, Loose Lead Walking

Instructions on practising loose lead walking, including using rewards and positive reinforcement.

Internal link: Dog Training

Stopping and Starting

Explain that stopping each time your dog pulls and resuming the walk when they release tension in the lead is a great way to teach a dog to not pull.

Best Equipment for Dogs That Pull

Explain that sometimes choosing the right equipment can assist in stopping a dog from pulling.

Stop Pulling Harnesses and Head Collars

Identify special harnesses and collars that are designed to discourage pulling on leads, outlining their benefits and safety considerations.

Dog Leads to Prevent Pulling

Call out heavy-duty leads as a safer option with less chance of breaking or weakening for dogs that pull, along with leads that are elasticised to reduce jolting when they reach the end.

How to Stop a Dog Pulling Towards Other Dogs

Provide step-by-step techniques for preventing dogs from lunging at other dogs, such as redirecting attention and teaching appropriate commands.

Reactivity Training

Explain that incorporating reactivity training can help with lead pulling, making dogs less excited by external stimuli like other dogs that can cause pulling.

Internal link: Dog Reactivity

Tips for Puppy Training and Prevent Dogs from Pulling on the Leash

Outline strategies specific to puppies, focusing on consistency and early training to prevent pulling habits from forming.

Learn More About Stopping Your Dog From Pulling on the Lead with Kip!

Summarise the blog with any key takeaways, and provide a call to action that encourages users to enquire. Advise readers to choose Kip for dog training, mentioning Kip’s expertise in the field and their locations across Australia.

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How Do You Stop a Dog Pulling on the Lead?

You're not alone if your dog pulls on the lead during walks.

Leash pulling is a common issue many dog owners face, but it’s often misunderstood. It’s easy to think your dog is being ‘rude’ or deliberately ignoring you, but the reality is that dogs don’t naturally know how to walk politely on a lead. Good leash manners are a learned skill through Dog Training , not an innate behaviour.

Taking your dog for a walk on a lead should feel like a quality outing (like going on a hike) with a good friend, built on communication, engagement, trust, and patience as you explore the world together, building a stronger bond while also exercising!

While it may seem harmless at first, ignoring leash-pulling behaviour can lead to long-term physical, safety, and behavioural problems, such as:

Increased Risk of Injury: Strain on your body and your dog’s neck or spine.
Stress and Overarousal: Continuous pulling leads to stress for both you and your dog.
Weakened Bond: A dog that is more focused on the world than on you can harm your relationship.
Frustration and Confusion: Dogs struggle to understand what’s expected when the rules are unclear.
Unpredictable Behaviour: Pulling toward distractions increases the risk of accidents.
Unfulfilling Walks: Excessive pulling prevents your dog from enjoying important activities like sniffing.
Lost Confidence: Walking a dog who is constantly pulling is challenging and can reduce our confidence in our ability to handle our dog.

Why Do Dogs Pull on the Lead?

Dogs pull for several reasons. Recognising what your dog is trying to achieve when they pull helps you focus on finding the solutions that best fit your situation:

Excitement
Fear
Overarousal
Reactivity
Instinct
Self-Rewarding
Attention Seeking
Lack of or Inconsistent Training
Insufficient Exercise
Unmet Biological Needs

Also, did you know that our walking pace can be boring for dogs? We walk in straight lines, while dogs prefer to weave and explore. Our pace is slower, and we don’t stop to sniff everything along the way, as they would.

These differences show that we need to put in the effort to teach our dogs why walking on a loose leash is so beneficial.

Techniques to Stop Lead Pulling

While there are several strategies we can use to stop leash-pulling, the first step is changing how we view the leash. Often seen as a tool for restraint and control, the leash can instead be our most valuable means of communication with our dog. This shift in perspective gives us a significant advantage in teaching beautiful leash manners.

Next, consider what you want your dog to do instead of pulling on the leash. If we don’t teach them an alternative behaviour to lead-pulling, we risk falling into an ongoing cycle of merely managing the pulling.

Loose Leash Walking (LLW) is the ideal alternative; it means your dog walks calmly beside you on a slack lead, engages with you regularly, sees you as a source of fun, and looks to you for guidance in tricky situations.

Teaching LLW is like learning to drive a car. At first, you focus on every small step, i.e. checking mirrors, signalling, accelerating, etc., but with regular practice, these actions become second nature. Similarly, LLW is about building focus, encouraging calmness, and teaching your dog where they should be rather than just focusing on getting from point A to B.

Training starts at home because both you and your dog require a calm space to focus while learning and developing the mechanics of this skill.

The ultimate goal is for your dog to understand that simply being on a leash is the cue for them to show “good manners”, i.e., once the leash is attached, the expectation for manners is set - there is no need for a verbal cue.

Training Before the Walk

We start by setting the expectation of ‘good leash manners’ before we even attach the leash to our dog, let alone before stepping out the front door.

Practice picking up the leash and waiting until your dog is calm before attaching it.
Do not attach the leash if your dog jumps, barks, or displays other overly-excited behaviours.
Stay calm and wait for them to settle down (i.e., arousal levels to reduce) before attaching the leash.

This approach sets the expectation that “we aren’t going anywhere if you carry on like that”.

While it’s understandable that we want to rush to get our dogs outside for fun and exercise, especially if we’ve been at work all day, we need to consider what they are learning in these moments.

Attaching the leash and heading straight out the door while they’re overly excitable reinforces the idea that these behaviours are acceptable. Additionally, their heightened state will only increase as they encounter more distractions like cars, bikes, kids playing, or other dogs.

Slow, Loose Leash Walking

Once you’ve attached the leash to your calm dog, the focus then shifts to reinforcing them to keep the leash loose.

Practice rewarding your dog the moment there is ‘slack’ on the leash.
When they reach the end of the leash, pulling it tight, simply wait for slack to return before rewarding.
At this stage, it doesn't matter which direction your dog steps in to release the tension; they’re learning that a ‘loose leash’ brings them rewards.
Take some small steps to create movement and continue to reward for being on a loose leash and stopping when there is tension.
Do not pull or drag them back to you.

While this dog training process may feel slow, you’re teaching them that keeping the leash loose and staying close to you is in their best interest. You can enhance their on-leash experience by incorporating food games, toy play, or even some affectionate pats; use whatever your dog finds most rewarding.

Dogs often pull to get to what they want, but if you’re already the most valuable thing in their environment, why would they pull towards anything else? Build and maintain your value to give them an undeniable reason to choose you!

Stopping and Starting

The ‘Stop and Go’ method is a simple yet effective way to communicate to your dog what behaviour is expected on the leash. It’s easy for them to understand and apply as long as we remain patient and consistent in what we’re teaching.

By this stage, your dog has learned that rewards come from being on a loose leash, and they understand how to release leash tension when applied.

Now, we incorporate more movement as we shape them to walk on our left-hand side while still maintaining a loose leash:

Start to reward consistently on your left-hand side only. This helps them associate that position with positive reinforcement.
Take small steps, giving them the entire length of the leash to explore within the boundary of a loose lead.
When they inevitably pull and create tension, plant your feet and stop.
The moment they take a step to release the tension, reward them on your left-hand side before taking more steps.
If possible, practice in your hallway or a narrow corridor, as this helps naturally guide your dog to stay close to you and find your left-hand side.

Teaching your dog that simply being on a leash is the cue for them to show “good manners” takes time, patience, and consistent practice, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Best Equipment for Dogs That Pull

While many types of dog-walking equipment are on the market, it’s important to understand that the equipment itself will not resolve leash-pulling, especially with a determined or headstrong dog. Good leash manners are a learned skill, not an innate behaviour. Properly addressing leash-pulling behaviour requires more than a quick fix of simply changing your equipment.

Any equipment that claims to “stop dogs from pulling” might seem great in theory, but in practice, relying solely on the equipment to do the work without proper training often results in a dog who is frustrated from being constantly restrained without understanding why, as well as potentially causing discomfort or injury over time from exerting too much pressure.

Equipment alone cannot solve leash-pulling behaviour, but certain tools can help manage the issue more effectively when combined with proper training. Consider these options while keeping in mind that the best equipment ultimately depends on what works for both you and your dog:

Collars: standard flat collar, martingale collar, slip collar
Harnesses: front-attaching harness, back-attaching harness, Y-front harness, harness with front and rear attachments
Head Halters: halter with an under-the-chin attachment, halter with a behind-the-ear attachment
Leashes: standard leash (180cm), double-ended leash, hands-free leash, convertible, multi-use leash.

Safety Considerations for All Types of Dog Walking Equipment:

Choose well-made, durable equipment to withstand wear and tear and avoid injuries like rope burns or chafing
Ensure correct sizing to avoid discomfort or altered gait, and adjust sizing as needed for your dog's comfort as they grow.
Slowly build a positive association when introducing new equipment, giving time to adjust to the feel and function.
Consult a professional trainer for correct usage instructions; this is important for specialised equipment like head halters.

How to Stop a Dog Pulling Towards Other Dogs

Dogs often pull towards other dogs because they’re curious, social, or simply excited. However, pulling can also stem from frustration, fear, or overstimulation. While their intentions may vary, lunging on the lead is, at best, impolite and, at worst, comes across as confrontational and aggressive, like saying, "I'll get you before you get me."

Training starts with setting clear expectations and building a solid foundation of skills at home, as outlined above.

Progressing beyond this foundation involves practising skills in real-world scenarios, incorporating techniques such as redirection, counterconditioning, and working within your dog’s comfort zone.

Teach an Attention Cue such as their name, a hand target, or ‘Watch Me’ so you can interrupt and redirect their attention back to you. You become the most rewarding and reliable focal point, even around other dogs.
Counter-condition their emotional response using ‘Look At That’ training so they learn to associate seeing another dog with looking back at you for their reward.
Work within their Critical Distance from other dogs, i.e. the distance where they notice the other dog but are not yet pulling or lunging. Being too close means they are over their threshold and unable to think clearly.
Limit or avoid on-leash greetings with unknown dogs. Being on a leash restricts their natural movement, making it harder to create or maintain personal space. If one dog feels trapped and cannot retreat, they may escalate to snapping or lunging as a way to make space.
Reinforce their calm behaviour using high-value treats, gameplay, pats, or verbal praise - whatever they respond to best - so they learn that calmness results in reward.
Remain calm, confident, and consistent because dogs often match their owner’s energy. Dogs also thrive with clear and consistent guidance.

Reactivity Training

Reactivity Training is about changing a dog’s emotional response toward a specific ‘trigger’. While fear is a common underlying cause, reactivity is a complex issue that cannot always be resolved with basic techniques.

This type of training involves:

Desensitisation: Gradually exposing the dog to the trigger in a controlled way to reduce their sensitivity over time.
Understanding Leash Dynamics: Recognising how being on a leash can amplify stress or frustration due to restricted movement.
Navigating Natural Responses: Identifying and managing their instinctive reactions (fight, flight, or freeze) when a situation becomes overwhelming.

Incorporating Reactive Training certainly can help your dog remain calm when encountering other dogs on a leash and, at the very least, prevent their leash-pulling behaviour from escalating further.

Tips for Puppy Training and Prevent Dogs from Pulling on the Leash

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. If you have the chance to prevent leash-pulling from becoming a habit, why not take it?

Whether you’re already living with a puppy or one is joining your family soon, you’re in the perfect position to prevent leash-pulling and establish good walking habits from the start.

Building your value and establishing a positive connection with your puppy while on a leash is the first crucial step toward developing those lovely, long-term leash manners.

Start by showing our pups where the fun is: right by our side. Building our worth at the other end of the leash makes it much easier for our pups to CHOOSE to be with us over life’s distractions. It becomes a no-brainer for them.

Remember, the leash is a tool for communication with your puppy, and the tips below align with the techniques discussed earlier in this blog (Techniques to Stop Lead Pulling):

Begin leash training from the moment you get your puppy (8 weeks old).
Introduce the leash and allow them to sniff and explore it.
Practice clipping the leash on and off their collar so they become used to the sound and sensation of having a leash attached.
Leave the leash attached and dragging behind them as they walk so they become neutral to it and familiar with its weight.
Practice attaching the leash only when your puppy is calm - set the expectation for appropriate on-leash behaviour as early as possible!

Build your value with your puppy on a leash using food rewards, toy play, verbal praise and pats - use whatever they enjoy the most to create a ‘happy zone’ around you.

The goal is for your puppy to learn that fun times happen when the leash is on!

Keep these sessions short & sweet, and always end on a high.