Does your dog pull toward other dogs when they’re on leash? It’s a common issue that dog parents face – you’re hoping for a relaxing walk, strolling along nicely, and then your pup spots (or smells) a fellow canine, and all of a sudden they’re pulling you toward them before you even know what’s happening!
Fortunately, however, it’s not as difficult to address leash-pulling as you might think, and all you really need are some of the best dog treats (and perhaps the best dog harness for pulling).
Expert dog trainer Juliana DeWillems, owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior, has offered a piece of advice that we think is certainly worth taking on board.
DeWillems asks us what we’d rather our dog do instead of pulling us toward other dogs to greet them. She suggests teaching our pups to stay close enough to us that their leashes remain loose.
“So, I actually click when she looks at the other dog,” she explains in the video, in which she’s working with a dog, Daisy, on not pulling her leash, “Because that’s going to teach her you can look while staying with me.”
DeWillems continues, “Instead of waiting for her to disengage, I’m just basically capturing the moment that she sees a dog but stays with the leash loose. That’s one way to prevent lunging.” She’s giving Daisy plenty of treats and praise, too, encouraging her to stay close by.
So, when your dog sees another dog, before they even have the chance to pull, use a marker – like a click (clicker training for dogs can be great) or a ‘Yes!’, and then reward them with a treat for looking at the dog calmly rather than pulling or lunging.
“Marking and feeding a treat cues the behavior of turning toward you to take and eat the treat, so what this often develops into is your dog anticipating the mark and reward when they see another dog (or person or bike, etc.) so they proactively turn back to you,” explains DeWillems. “The exciting distraction has turned into a cue to look back at you.”
However, this is best done under conditions where your dog will be able to watch without pulling straight away. In DeWillems’ video, the other dog is across the street, so it’s easier for Daisy to stay with her. It’s a bit more tricky to practice when you’re really close to the other dog. For example, if they’re on the same side of the street as you. “I would not expect this behavior when we are in close proximity to another dog until we have practiced a lot,” she explains.
If leash-pulling is something you’re really struggling with, you might find this article – from a dog parent who’s been there – useful, too: My dog’s leash pulling made walks miserable until I helped her reactivity, here’s how.
