Is your dog SO EXCITED to go for a walk that they walk you?

Lots of dog guardians are experiencing the same thing - especially the lucky ones who’ve decided to adopt a shelter dog who may not have had much leash training.

If you’re tired of your hands hurting, exhausted from your pups constant pulling, and ready to give up on walks all together - there’s help for you!

Understand WHY your dog is pulling.

The first key to determining which leash may be appropriate for you is to identify reasons WHY your dog pulls. 

• Sniffing & Chasing
• Pee & Poop
• Leash too Short
• Greetings
• Fearful or Anxious Dogs

Sniff - The Start to a Predatory Behavior Pattern

One of the primary reasons for dogs to pull is the predatory drive to track a scent or to chase a critter.

Scent tracking and prey chasing is part of many breeds design (including my dog), and something that they love to do!

Rowan is able to air scent and ground scent, which can make for some interesting and challenging walks when we run across fresh game trails that he can smell but I can’t.

Having an adjustable long line while still having him securely fastened to my waist belt allows me to give him the freedom to track a scent trail while keeping him secure, and keeps the local wildlife safe from his “chase brain”...

Does your dog love to sniff? Here is a recommended (and free) scent game workshop by Susan Clothier.

Or if your dog loves the stalk and chase, check out Predation Substitute Training for some great resources!

Poop & Pee - not just "going potty"

Yes, your pup does need to "do their business" on your walks together.

But there is an entire world of scent marking for them to explore, including sniffing, peeing and scratching. 

This message system is an important part of your dog's communication with other dogs.

For example; if your dog is anxious about seeing a specific dog, waiting until that dog has safely passed and then going to their pee spot to have a good sniff. This activity can provide information to your dog without them needing to be anxious or afraid.

Greetings! Friendly or Rude?

Many dogs pull on the leash because they want to greet a person or another dog.

Some guardians are lucky to have friendly dogs, but not all dogs (or all people) appreciate enthusiastic dog greetings.

And the inability of a friendly dog to greet when they want to can lead to leash frustration, leash chewing, and more.

Unfortunately, not all dogs see that bouncy, barking & whining behavior of a frustrated dog as a dog they are safe to interact with, so this frustration can be a “red flag” to reactive or fearful dogs.

Speaking of Fearful or Anxious Dogs

Dogs don’t like to feel trapped by the restriction of the leash. 

Some will act out and become leash reactive when they see other dogs, while others may fight the leash as they try to run to escape something scary.

Giving your pup additional leash length may allow them to feel less restrained by the leash - allowing them to relax more and enjoy their outings. Give it a try on your next walk.

What if I have a “Stubborn” Dog?

You may decide your dog is “stubborn” when they aren’t willing to do what you ask, when you ask it. 

They may not realize that you have to be at work in an hour, so refuse to walk in the direction of home.

Or they have their nose in the bushes and don’t see what you see - that dog they don’t like walking on the next block.

They also have a full world of scent enrichment that we just can't see to comprehend.

They aren’t “stubborn”, they are just looking to fulfill their own needs, and you may just not have fully developed a cooperative working relationship with them yet.

How to Manage your Dogs Pulling

The only ethical way to stop dogs from pulling is TRAINING.

Not punishment, not equipment that causes pain or restricts their movement - those tools don’t change the reasons your dog pulls.

TRAINING

And while we’re working on training, there are things that we can do to help reduce the pulling, and the impact that pulling has on our bodies.

We don’t want to reduce or eliminate walks altogether either - for many dogs that love their walks, this actually can increase their frustration and intensity during a walk and make the situation even more challenging. 

Read More about the Cycle of Frustration

I know that I experience this frequently. Even with years of training my dog will still pull if he’s had too many shortened walks due to bad weather, time constraints, or when I’m just not feeling up to our longer walks. 

It’s almost like his contained energy is all building up and then spilling over during his next walk, and he pulls even more than usual.

He’s also more likely to chase bunnies and squirrels and less likely to listen to his cues because he hasn't been able to practice his natural behaviors for a while.

Positive Reinforcement Training

Looking for information and videos on Loose Leash Walking? I like to follow this Facebook group and explore their collection of free resources: 

Positive Force Free R+ Dog Training Library

My question to you is - is it your walk, or theirs? 

Giving your pup some choice in their walking route can actually be very interesting over time.

Play around with giving them freedom (within reason…) to choose your route, and see what happens!

I find that Rowan likes to do each of our standard routes about once a week, I'm sure to keep his "pee-mail" refreshed, and check his favorite bushes for bunnies

He's also allowed the freedom to choose NOT to walk somewhere, especially not to walk past a house with a reactive dog that makes him anxious.

He’s also much happier to follow me when I’m directing the turns because we’ve turned our walks into a partnership, giving him choice whenever time and temperatures allow.

Try giving your dog some freedom of choice in their walks and see if it results in less pulling?