Pulling when walking on the lead? How to encourage your dog to walk rather than pull.
27.03.2025 Dheep Kalsi
Training your dog to walk ‘nicely’ can be one of the most stressful parts of dog ownership. Many dogs have tendencies to pull forwards because the world is so fun for them, this then means they learn by pulling they can get to go forwards faster. However, lead pulling can cause many different injuries to our dogs as excessive pulling against an opposing force can cause muscle tightness and fatigue. Pulling also causes an imbalance between front and hind loading; this is not ideal when trying to recover from surgeries we often see as Physiotherapists.
So how do you train your dog to not pull on the lead?
To start it is important to choose the correct equipment to use to walk your dog. Sometimes equipment can be advertised as ‘anti-pull’ but can cause pain and discomfort when your dog starts pulling as it places tension on sensitive areas. Examples of this are halti muzzles or rope slip leads. Some harnesses can cause restrictions in the range of motion in your dog’s front legs because of their shape which can cause issues or injuries later on in your dog’s life. It is really important to research the type of equipment to use for your dog to make sure that their walks are as secure and comfortable as possible. Look out in the upcoming weeks for our advice on the different types of walking equipment to use for your dog.
Distractions are really tricky for our dogs so it is always best to start learning new behaviours at home. You need to start by showing your dog that being by your side is fun. To do this use a high value reward such as a toy, cheese or chicken and reward your dog whenever they sit or stand by your side. Start by just standing and rewarding your dog without the lead attached and once they begin to have their focus on you, you can add in movement by walking forward and frequently rewarding your dog when they are by your side.
Once your dog is following you without a lead, you can then attach a lead to your dog’s collar or harness. Go back to standing with your dog and rewarding them with their high value treat or toy when they stand or sit by your side. Again, once they are focused on you and comfortable with this side position, we can add in movement by walking forwards and rewarding them when they are by your side.
It’s really important that we start learning this behaviour indoors so that the foundation of the behaviour can be learnt by our dog before we start to introduce distractions. Once our dog is confident and comfortable following our side in straight lines on lead, we can start to change directions and add in more and more distractions. It is important to monitor how your dog is doing as distractions are added in their walk and if they are struggling, take the training back to a place where they are more comfortable.
If your dog does begin to pull on the lead, stop and wait. Try not to tell your dog off or pull/yank on the lead. If your dog is unsure on what they need to do, then show them with their treat/toy where they should be.
Most importantly: Be patient! Depending on the age of your dog, teaching your dog to walk with a loose lead can take time to do because they have had lots of time to practice pulling on the lead, but remember you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!
If your dog is pulling on the lead and you would like some assistance with this, we will try to help where we can with this within our Physiotherapy sessions. Our advice has been based on training given by Dogs Trust Dog School. We recommend that if your dog is pulling excessively and you need help then please seek a qualified, force – free dog trainer registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council or the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.