Why do dogs pull on the leash? Dogs pull to get where they are going. Dogs want to engage with the environment, and humans, to a dog, can be slow. Wearing a leash and being tethered to a human is not a “natural” behavior for dogs.
One of the most common reasons dogs pull on their lead is because they've learned that's how they get to move forward. Whenever your dog pulls, taking just one step with them gives a clear signal that pulling works. Teaching your dog to walk with a loose lead takes a great deal of patience and time.
From your dogs' point of view, he has been rewarded for pulling you all the way to the park. Unfortunately pulling on the lead is so rewarding for dogs that it is not something they grow out of. Indeed, the more opportunities they get to pull, the better they become at it!!
The time it takes for your dog to be trained not pull on the leash will vary. However, for most dog parents, working 5-10 minutes a day for 5-7 days will get them results. Remember, start inside. Once your dog is walking calmly next to you inside, start to take them outside.
In addition, you will have to take steps to prevent him from pulling in the first place. If he's a puppy he should be keen to please. This means you could see results in just a week or so. However, if he has years of pulling under his collar, then you may need a couple of months before training proves successful.
When a dog pulls on its leash, it restricts blood flow to its eyes and ears. When blood flow is cut off on a regular basis, it causes swelling, and constant swelling damages your dogs organs and appendages.
If at any time your dog reacts negatively, simply turn around and walk away from the situation until he calms down enough to play again or accept food. If your dog is reacting negatively, you have decreased the distance too quickly. Move the helper dog back to a distance where your dog can relax and repeat the process.
Practice giving them space on walks
Practice walking off the path and asking your dog to “wait” when no one is approaching. This practice will make it easier for your dog to remember what to do when they are feeling anxious. You want to be able to get your dog's attention regardless of what's going on around you.
Turn to Treats to Distract. In the meantime, start decreasing your dog's frustration when he's on leash and spies another dog by removing the tension from your leash. To do that, you're going to teach your dog that when he sees another dog, he'll be rewarded for looking at you.
Pulling Your Dog Is Not the Solution
Pulling and dragging a pup can not only injure their necks and dislocate knees and elbows that are still rubbery (and with growth plates still not closed), but also give them a highly negative, unhappy association with you, the leash, and going on walks.
The pain needs to hurt enough that the dog stops pulling. Some dogs will not stop pulling until the pain is quite severe. Training without pain is a priority when we are building a trusting and healthy relationship with our dogs. Some dogs can be injured by heavy pressure on the collar, especially training collars.
Pulling gets them where they want to go, and it gets them their at their own pace. Your dog doesn't pull on the leash because they're trying to be dominant, they do it because it works. In other words, if you're behind your dog on walks and they're pulling you're teaching them to pull even more.
Place something on the floor that your dog would really like to get to, such as a toy. If your dog pulls on the lead to get towards the toy, stop and call them towards you. Their reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to the toy. This way, the dog learns that pulling just slows things down.
Dogs exhibiting frustration-based reactivity tend to interact well with people and other dogs off-leash, but may bark and lunge at them when on-leash, behind a fence, and/or at windows. Owners often describe these dogs as “desperate” to get to people and other dogs.
Leash aggression, also known as leash reactivity, is an undesirable behavioral problem in dogs that causes aggressive, excitable behavior in leashed dogs, including barking, lunging, growling, snarling, pulling and jumping.
A simple first step to preventing leash aggression is to create distance from the trigger or avoid the trigger BEFORE the dog starts to react. The long-term solution is committing to helping your dog change the way they feel about the triggers. That process takes time and commitment with a good trainer.
Dogs who may normally be friendly with other dogs can sometimes become reactive and aggressive when attached to a leash. This behavioral trait, known as leash aggression or leash reactivity, is most frequently triggered by fear or frustration, although a high prey drive can lead to aggression when leashed as well.
An illness or painful condition can increase dog anxiety. A history of limited social contact, neglect, and confinement may cause both fear based and separation anxiety. This can also occur in dogs that have spent time in a shelter. Some dogs will experience General Anxiety, and some breeds are more prone than others.
Dogs can sense when humans are anxious
Dogs are also great observers - our facial expressions, posture, the way we move, the smells we give off, and our tone of voice, all give our dogs vast quantities of information about how we might be feeling.