Dog Leash Training
Dog leash training will be difficult to teach your dog beyond their puppy years. Older dogs tend to learn improper walking methods which will need to be reversed. This does not mean it is impossible. With patience and consistent training you will retrain your dog to walk by your side with out the arm strain. There are many leashes available so make sure you purchase one that will work for your dog. Click here for a list of some great dog leashes from Petsmart.com.
Why do dogs like to tug your arm off when you are doing them a favor by taking them for a walk?.
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First its natural for a dog to pull. Many dogs are bred for pulling objects such as sleighs or carts. When the dog is restrained they have the urge to move opposite of the restraint.
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The owner walking the dog often rewards them when they pull. When you hurry after your dog or allow the dog to look and sniff anything that comes across their path you are rewarding those actions. The result is the dog will continue to pull and get their way.
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Poor training during the early stages of the dog's life will often result in a dog that doesn't know any better. They pull because there was little or no training on how to walk properly by their owners side.
How to Prevent Leash Pulling
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Start leash training early while in the puppy stage. Leash training your dog later in life is still possible but will be difficult and take more work to remove the bad habits and reward the good ones. Since you are not reading puppy leash training, the dog must be older.
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Never praise or reward your dog by giving into their pulling and tugging.
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When the dog pulls, stop moving and wait until the dog relaxes the leash. If the dog does not stop, do not pull the leash or yank the dog. Wait until the dog walks towards you then continue.
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Reward your dog for proper walking techniques by praising them and feeding them organic treats. Do not yell, yank the lease or be upset with your dog when they do not walk next to you. It will take some time to remove the old habits.
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Make sure anyone who walks the dog knows the proper techniques and follows them. If other family members or dog walkers change the procedure the dog may revert back to their old way of walking.
Steps for Dog Leash Training
Below is a great way to re-educate your dog on how to properly walk next to you. The basic idea is that dogs tend to base their consequences on the immediate actions that precede them. By using this concept you can not only prevent dogs from bad actions but encourage good ones.
1 - Begin walking your dog leash in hand. Allow enough leash to give them some distance, about 6 feet. As soon as the dog pulls and the leash tightens, stop. Say a cue word for stopping such as stop, halt or freeze. Your dog may continue to pull or even stop and sit. Just wait and try not to allow the dog to move you further.
2 - When the dog comes back towards you and the leash relaxes, praise and reward the dog. If the leash is still relaxed after the praising then begin walking.
3 - As you move forward with your dog and the leash is still relaxed then reward your dog again. Do this if you reach about 5 steps. If the dog pulls before you reach 5 steps or shortly afterwards then stop and announce your cue word. "Stop!, Halt!, Freeze!"
4 - Continue to follow these steps. As your dog keeps a loose leash longer then increase the distance before rewarding. Once your dog is capable of an entire walk with out pulling, reward your dog at the end. |
If you can follow these steps you will prove to your dog 2 things. First they do not get to walk when they pull and second, they get tasty organic treats when they walk calmly by your side. Repeating these steps will reinforce these two lessons. Length of training will vary depending on each dog. If you continue these steps long enough your dog will eventually become perfect walking companions with out the need of a reward.
