Leash training a dog, is effectively achieved by teaching him one simple fact-
Instead, walking properly next to us, is the quickest way to get to his destination.
To teach this lesson, it is important NOT to reward our dog for pulling.
Do not let our dog drag us along, and do not pet or give him any affection while he is pulling. Teach him to walk on a loose leash first, before attempting to walk him close to us in a heel position.
Here are some leash training techniques:
1. Red-Light, Green-Light
A simple way to leash train a dog and teach him not to pull, is to …
- Stop walking when the leash is taut, and
- Start moving again when the leash is loose.
We do not even need to say anything to our dog. Through our actions, he will figure out the rules of the game.
When we stop, some dogs may decide to roam around and smell whatever is available in the environment. To stop this, I usually shorten the leash and bring my dog in next to me. This does a better job at limiting his freedom, which makes this technique more effective.
In addition, I only start moving again after my dog does a Sit next to me. I use a shorter lead in the beginning, then slowly lengthen it if my dog walks nicely, and without pulling. By changing the length of the lead, we can control the amount of freedom our dog has, and further motivate him not to pull.
Initially, we may need to stop very frequently, so be ready for really short walks. However, it is important to be patient and absolutely consistent with the stop rule. Otherwise, our dog will learn that if he pulls enough times, we will give-in and let him go wherever he wants. This encourages him to pull more in the future.
2. 180 Degree Turn
Depending on the age and temperament of our dog, frequent hard stops may cause him to get frustrated. Too much pent-up frustration can make a dog act out in other ways, for example, he may resort to leash biting.
If we are training an easily frustrated or excitable dog, it may be more effective to use the 180-turn technique.
As soon as our dog starts to pull, quickly turn around and start walking in the opposite direction. In this way, the dog can release his pent-up energy, because he is still doing something physical – walking. At the same time, he learns that when he pulls, he just gets farther away from his desired destination.
If our dog walks properly on a loose leash for a few seconds, we can mark him for his good behavior (Good), turn back, and resume our walk. If he starts pulling again, it is fine to walk back and forth on the same stretch of ground until he learns not to pull.
3. Hand Targeting
Start by training the dog to target our hand at home.
First, I put some dog treats in my hand, and make sure my dog knows that it is there. Then, I put my hand close to his muzzle and say Nose. As soon as my dog touches my hand with his nose, I mark him (Yes) and treat him. I repeat this exercise until I am confident that he has learned the command.
Next, I move a few steps away, put my hand out in the same gesture, and say Nose. When he moves toward me and touches my hand, I mark the behavior (Yes) and treat. I keep repeating this inside the house, then continue the exercise in the backyard.
Once we are comfortable doing this in the backyard, we can try using this technique outside.
If the dog pulls, non-mark him (Uh-oh), get him to do a Sit, re-target him on our hand, and continue the leash training session.
In this way, our dog learns that pulling is inappropriate, and walking close to us will get him affection and treats. We can treat less often, and slowly phase out the treats altogether, once our dog learns to walk calmly by our side.
4. Collar Correction/ Leash Correction/ Leash Jerk
The most common aversive technique for leash training a dog, is to perform collar corrections (also called leash corrections or leash jerks).
A collar correction must be a quick jerk of the leash. There is only tension for an extremely short amount of time (a quarter-second or less), and then the leash should be loose again. Most people tend to do tugs rather than jerks, which will do little in training the dog.
Tugs may actually exacerbate the situation, because it places continuous tension on the leash. This tension may cause the dog to get tense and frustrated.
We must also be properly positioned for the collar correction, so that the force is always to the side rather than directly back. Jerking to the back may encourage the dog to lunge forward to oppose the force, thus causing him to pull even more.
To work well in leash training, collar corrections must be executed with the proper force, proper timing, and proper redirection. This is necessary so that the dog learns that pulling is wrong, without becoming afraid of his surroundings, or distrustful of his owner.
If not properly implemented, a collar correction may backfire and cause additional behavioral problems including dog aggression.
Only use collar corrections as a last resort. Only use collar corrections under the direction of an experienced professional trainer.
How to Stop Dog Pulling
Some dogs and some dog breeds will pull more than others. For example, I have two Siberian Huskies, and they both pull more than my Shiba Inu, because Huskies are bred to pull. However, by starting training early and being very consistent, even Huskies can be trained to walk at a measured pace by our side.
In the beginning, I leash train my dog in the backyard, where there are very few distractions. Once my dog is comfortable walking there without pulling, I move on to more quiet areas of the neighborhood. Another alternative is to walk during off-peak hours, where there are fewer people and dogs around.
By carefully choosing our training environments, we can set our dog up for success, and help build his confidence. Once he is comfortable walking in a given area, we can slowly increase the level of distraction.
Before we know it, we will be enjoying a wonderful neighborhood walk with our dog! 😀
Dear friend,
just would like to thank you… your website has been so helpful!!!! Our Shiba Inu is 4 months old and he is our first dog. I will keep posting his developments from time to time.
Congratulations on your Shiba puppy! Big hugs to him.
I have a five year old German shepherd, he is a really sweet dog but he has a problem walking on a leash. I have tried all the exercises I could think of, but he still pulls the leash when we are walking. He walks fine when we are indoors but once we are outside, he gets really excited and starts pulling and he’s really strong so it’s hard for me to control him. He also starts barking at any other dog he sees when we are walking and gets really angry and it’s really hard to control him. I need some serious advice. please help me and thanks heaps
With my Shiba Inu I did dog-to-dog desensitization exercises to help him be more calm around other dogs and to raise his reactivity threshold. The key with my Shiba is to start small and only *very slowly* increase the environmental challenge.
For example, in the beginning, I only walked him in very quiet and low stimulus areas in the neighborhood. We walk during off-hours and drive to more quiet areas if necessary. I also did shorter but more frequent walks in the beginning so that the walk is successful and neither of us gets overly frustrated. Then, I very slowly build up from there.
To control larger dogs, some people use a head-halti. However, just like any piece of equipment, it has its pros and cons. It also has to be fitted and used according to instructions, or it may cause harm.
Note however, that dog behavior is very context dependent so each dog and each situation is different. When in doubt, I consult with a good professional trainer.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
I have a 3 year old german shepherd/labrador and he is very well behaved and trained, he does not leave my gate even if its wide open and no one is around and he never tries to go through gaps in my fence, i just got a siberian husky puppy and I’ve read that they love to run out if they get the chance, if my husky grows up alongside my other dog will he start to possess the “obedient” characteristics of my other dog
Both my Huskies have high prey drive. They are good about recall when in an environment with few distractions, but if they see a cat, squirrel, or deer, their instinct will take over and they will be off and away before I can shout stop.
More on Siberian Huskies.
My dog Handsome, who is a English bull terrier, is almost six months old. He is very well behaved and responds well to treat training. He’s an inside dog and is completely house broken and crate trained. I walk him multiple times a day when he has to relieve himself and also once a day for an hour at the park. There’s never many people around or any distractions. For some reasons, unknown to me, he refuses to walk with my husband. Even with me there he will bull up and dig his feet into the ground in efforts not to move. We have tried to encourage him with treats and positive reinforcement . We’ve also tried punishing him for pulling back. What makes it worse is that it’s not constant. It’s just certain day when the mood strikes him. Im willing to try anything!! It breaks my heart that he acts this way.
Who does most of the feeding, training, etc., while at home? How does Handsome act towards your husband while at home? Who does he stay close to while at home? How does he react to other people during walks? Does he react differently to men vs. women? Does your husband have a deep voice? Is your husband very tall? Has your dog always shown this behavior or did it only start recently? Did anything unusual happen during walks with your husband? Do you both use exactly the same type of training?
What type of punishment?
My Husky, Shania, is sometimes afraid of certain men – especially larger men with deep booming voices or laughter. I did desensitization exercises with her, and that has helped. In our case, punishment will only make things worse, because it will only make Shania become more fearful.
I also get my partner to participate in feeding her, grooming her, training her, playing with her, and more, so that they have the opportunity to form a bond and gain each others’ trust. I make sure to set up consistent rules for my dogs, and everyone in the family follows the same type of training and enforces the same rules.
Dog behavior is very context dependent, so the first thing that I do while trying to change my dog’s behavior is try to understand what is causing it. Is it out of fear, over-excitement, or something else? If it is out of fear, what exactly are the fear triggers? Is it a size issue, sound issue (deep vs higher voice), inconsistency issue, trust issue, or something else. Details are usually important, so I look for all the little things (as well as big things) that are different when the undesirable behavior is triggered. I try to drill down as much as possible, and get as specific as possible.
More on how I troubleshoot my dog’s undesirable behaviors.
During my Shiba Inu’s difficult period, we also visited with several professional trainers. It helped to have them observe Sephy, evaluate him, and give us their thoughts on what was triggering his more difficult behaviors.
Hi,
I am hoping to gain some insight /support. I recently rescued a 2 yo female pit bull and she has no formal obiedience /structure training. She is described via her temperment tests as high friendliness and medium excitability. I have been using methodology similar to ceasar millan. We do well with low distraction areas. We have “claimed spaces” etc at the doorways and we go out and go in first. She does down/stays in the house and yard as well as going to her place when told and we utilize “place” when visitors arrived so she’s not in their faces until she’s relaxed and is “released” to visit. She also runs on the treadmill.
Now for the problem… She does have probably a 5/10 leash reactivity mostly and always to dogs passing by. When I am on trails and off leash dogs have “bum rushed her” she is excited and never been aggressive. She will heel and follow with no distraction but when an oncoming dog is approaching no matter how “quick” I am with corrections it just doesn’t go well she will break the heel pull (not drag me or bark) toward the dog and I find myself “wrangling” her to forge ahead. It’s just very discouraging and frustrating. Thoughts?
Wow! She sounds like a really wonderful girl.
In terms of reactivity towards other dogs, desensitization exercises helped with my Shiba Inu (Sephy).
I also manage his environment and set him up for success. To do this, I start small and slowly build up the environmental challenge. In the beginning I may do shorter but more frequent walks, in more quiet areas of my neighborhood (fewer distractions). We drive him to more quiet areas or adjust our walking time as necessary.
In this way, I make sure that Sephy is able to stay calm, and learn from his experiences. If I expose him to too much too quickly, he will go rear-brained, lose control, and lose the ability to listen and learn.
Thanks I will look at that link and keep working on it!!! 🙂
Hi. My 4-year-old dog Rascal has been barking at cars and scaring the neighbors just by growling. I have just started to walk her on a leash, but she is always trying to get into trouble. What do you think I should do?
How long have you had him? What is his daily routine like? What type of training is he used to? How much daily exercise does he get?
My dogs do best when there is structure (a consistent set of rules) and a fixed routine. I make sure to properly teach them what the rules are, and reward them well for doing the right things. I also make sure to exercise them daily according to their energy level.
I have 3yr.old hound mix who has become aggressive lunging at a variety of trucks traveling through our neighborhood. Outside the neighborhood he does not pay any attention to the vehicle. He is normally a low key dog and walks well outside of this issue. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Did anything unusual happen around the time his behavior developed? Did he have any bad experiences with trucks in the neighborhood? Does he also react to cars also or is it only trucks? Is he reacting to the sound or sight of the trucks? Does he react to other things in the neighborhood, e.g. other dogs, barking dogs, shouting kids, bicycles?
Dog behavior is very context dependent, therefore the first step that I take towards changing my dog’s behavior is to try and understand where the behavior is coming from, and exactly what things trigger the behavior.
More on how I change my dog’s behavior.
Hello..all the info provided is great & very helpful. I have an issue with my Husky. His name is Siro and he is about 10 months old. I have such a hard time putting a leash on him each time i take him for a walk. He gets very hyper…he constantly bits my hand and lays on the floor constantly moving. Help!!!
Ledia
Here is more on how I put a collar on my dog. I use a similar process for putting on a leash.
I also practice door manners with my dog before we go out. I only leave the house when he is calm and able to follow commands at the door.
Here is more on how I trained my Husky puppy.
Big hugs to Siro! He sounds like a happy Husky. 😀
So I’m going to come out straight, I “inherited” a husky malamute low content wolf mix, when my step son left to live with friends, she was 4 months old she is now just over a year. A little about her personality, she’s excitable, runs like a flash, can lap our 2 acre property in about a min, she has a mate, a high content wolf, husky male, and they are inseparable!!! Because of the wolf in them they can’t be left unattended to roam free, so when we are not directly with them they are in kennels, but we bring them in the house when we are both home and let them run when were are both outside. They have responded to all training, except Sheeba, my girl won’t leash train, I have tried everything, including number 4 on your list! I’m now being directed towards pinch colars and frankly I don’t like this idea!!! I can’t let her off leash when not on property, she’s very excitable with other dogs and likes to hunt. Do you happen to have any other options?
The head-halti is a possibility, but like anything else, it has its own strengths and weaknesses.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-leash-training-equipment#halti
Another thing that helps a lot with my dogs is to start small, in a very low stimulus area first (e.g. backyard). Once they are good with that, I very slowly increase the environmental challenge. I also do door manners and make sure they are calm before we leave for our walk.
At the start, I do shorter but more frequent walks so that we have lots of successes and neither of us gets too frustrated. 😀
We have just adopted Henry. He’s a 9 year old basset hound/pekingese who was returned to the rescue organization after 8 years with the same family. We’ve had him only a few days and he’s finally starting to show his personality. It’s apparent he’s never been trained to sit, lie down or to walk appropriately on a leash. We’ve gone on several walks and he practically chokes himself as he pulls on the leash. He’s not a big dog and I’m not a weak person, but there have been times I almost feel like I’m leaning backwards to keep Henry from pulling me over. I will try some of the training techniques I’ve learned here, but I’m curious to what your thoughts are on training a senior dog. His inside manners are perfect, it’s just on a leash that he shows no prior training. Thanks!
While training my dog, I always try to start small and go at a pace that my dog is comfortable with. I have a three legged Husky who is pretty energetic, so when I do training with her, I want to make sure that I do not put her in a position where she may inadvertently hurt herself.
With my dog I first start leash training in the backyard, where there are few distractions and things are quiet. I find that smelly, quality treats are a good way to get my dog’s attention and keep her motivated. I imagine they would also work well with scent focused dogs such as Basset Hounds.
Once we are walking really well in the backyard, I teach them door manners. We only go out when my dog is calm, and follows commands at the door.
In the beginning, we only go to very quiet (low stimulus) areas of the neighborhood, and I go for shorter but more frequent walks. In this way, we can be successful, not get overly frustrated, and still have a lot of opportunities for practice.
In general, my strategy is to start small, stay safe, and only slowly increase the environmental challenge when my dog is ready. I always try to stay calm, and make our outings successful, fun, and rewarding.