How to Stop a Dog From Pulling on the Leash

By eHow Pets Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Place a regular snap or buckle collar on your dog. When he is calm and relaxed, attach a 4 to 6 foot leash. Until your dog consistently does not pull or tug, every walk is a training exercise. As a general rule, every time the leash is attached, these steps should be followed.
Step 2:
Hold the leash loosely and begin to walk. If your dog pulls or tugs and tightens the leash, immediately stop where you are. He may continue to pull for a few seconds, but eventually he will turn around to see why you are not moving.
Step 3:
Praise or treat the dog as soon as he allows slack in the leash and turns his attention to you. You will be conditioning both the slack in the leash and his attention on you which is helpful when training the "heel" command. You may also choose to call him back for a "sit". Resume walking after the reward stopping again when he pulls.
Step 4:
Repeat the above process every time your dog pulls on the leash and tightens it. For many dogs it will take quite a few exercises to learn the behavior. Most dogs pull on the leash because they have been inadvertently rewarded for doing so (they get to move along, go for a car ride, get that treat from the neighbor). You are not only teaching a new behavior, but breaking and old one.

Tips & Warnings

Patience is the key to this training exercise. It must be done consistently to reinforce the behavior.
Use a special treat for training as a power reward. Your dog will be more likely to follow commands and learn faster if the reward is something extra special.

More Puppy Pages

How to Teach Dog-Walking Etiquette

Instructions Step 1: Keep your dog on a shorter leash, especially when you first start to teach walking etiquette. This keeps the dog closer to you so you can react faster if becomes excited or starts fighting with another dog. A 4-foot nylon leash give...

How to Teach Your Dog to Walk by Your Side

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Collar Leash Dog treats Step 1: Begin training your dog in a familiar setting. Use your backyard or an area your dog can be comfortable. Dog parks and crowded areas may distract from your training session. Step 2...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Dog training collar Leash Treats (hot dog pieces work well) Step 1: Use up some of your dog's energy. Start in the morning with a long walk or run. She is not going to ever focus on any training technique until she...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Head halter Six foot leash Body halter collar Six to ten foot leash Head Halters Step 1: Choose the correct size head halter for your dog. They typically come in extra small, small, medium, large and either giant or...

Instructions Step 1: Sit your dog at your left side. It might be helpful to first train your dog to respond to the "Sit" command. Step 2: Hold the leash loosely through your left hand with the looped end in your right. Do not hold it tightly or pull up...