Does your dog pull on the lead?
Imagine going out for a walk and enjoying your dog being on the lead. Putting some time and effort into loose lead training, will stop your dog pulling on the lead, making it a far more enjoyable experience for both of you.
You can teach your dog to walk beside you without pulling, with Loose Lead Training.
What is Loose Lead Walking?
Loose lead walking means there is no tension on the lead, tension creates pressure, which applies to both yourself and your dog, when they pull. Your dog doesn’t know you don’t want it to pull, it’s our job to teach them a comfortable and relaxed way to walk on the lead.
Why does your dog pull on the lead?
Your dog is most likely pulling because it’s excited to be going out for a walk or meeting up for a play with friends. They have learned that pulling gets them exactly where they wanted to be! If they are allowed to pull and practice the behaviour, it is being reinforced.
How to teach Loose Lead Walking
Make sure you have lots of delicious, high value treats, a harness would be more comfortable for your dog, rather than a lead attached to their collar. Your dogs throat and neck are sensitive and a harness will distribute the pressure more evenly across your dogs body.
- Make sure you have a normal clip on lead, no retractable leads.
- If you don’t use a clicker, use a verbal marker word, such as ‘yes’ or ‘Good’.
- Start Loose Lead Training in a low distracting environment.
Steps to Loose Lead Walking
- Make sure your dog has its harness or collar and lead on.
- Take a step forward and use your clicker or marker word when your dog is by your side.
- Give your dog a treat
- Continue to walk and repeat the sequence.
- Once your dog is happily walking by your side in the garden, with few distractions, you can slowly begin to train with mild distractions and repeating the training sequence.
- You must give the dog lots of treats when you start this training, give a high rate of reinforcement (treats). Once they understand where it is comfortable for them to be, you can reduce the amount you feed.
Why we use high value rewards
If your dog has learned that pulling in the lead, still gets them to where they want to be, we need something incredibly enticing to get their attention. You won’t need lots of treats forever, but whilst they are learning, it is critical.
High value treats can include, Cheese, Chicken, Fish treats, or anything your dog finds particularly delicious, break or cut the treats into small pieces.
Loose Lead Training Classes
If you would like help with your Loose Lead Training, find out more on our Puppy Class, on our adolescent class or a 1-2-1 private lesson
