You can be sure that the pet pulls the leash on the walk with a certain purpose. He wants to protest, to subjugate the owner to his will and desires. The goals and reasons for such behavior may be different:
- The puppy pulls the leash to feel like a leader, he tends to choose his own direction. Such behavior can be allowed only in the process of accustoming to the harness. An adult dog shows disrespect to the owner, trying to impose his own desires.
- Dogs can develop a bad habit because of leash jerks by the owner. The dog becomes accustomed to the owner loosening the leash before tugging and then yanking sharply, eventually developing the instinct that loosening contributes to painful cervical sensations
- If the pet pulls in any direction, no matter where the owner goes, constantly barks and shows anxiety, then the situation should be urgently corrected. It is advisable to see a specialist and deal with the pet’s increased excitability.
- The use of a measuring tape also carries a lot of negativity. It works on the principle of constant, but light, tension. The dog can go in any direction, quickly gets used to it and perceives the tension as a norm.
Is it bad for the dog?
Walking with a leash that is constantly pulled on your dog is not a pleasant experience. You should be aware that with a strong and abrupt pull, there can be extremely negative consequences:
- If the dog’s owner suddenly pulls on the collar, it can cause serious injuries, fractures and dislocations of the shoulder, elbow and wrist;
- Tension on the collar presses the throat, creates breathing difficulties, the dog starts coughing, wheezing, choking, later the dog considers this condition normal, pulls harder, eventually walking causes choking and serious injuries;
- Over time, the animal develops the habit of walking with constant tension, this causes unpleasant emotions, but the dog is unable to find a way out of the situation.
How do I teach my dog to pull on the leash?
If you deal with how to wean your dog from pulling the leash on the walk, you must first buy the appropriate ammunition:
- the collar is fully consistent with the size, for small breeds it is desirable to pick up its width of about 2.5 cm, for massive dogs suit the product more than 4.4 cm in width;
- a 6-cm-long tarpaulin leash, such models will teach you to walk next to the owner;
- halter reminiscent of a horse bridle, able to tightly grip the muzzle and not allow during the tension to move freely.
For young dogs and dogs with insufficient training, ammunition will suffice. For large, aggressive dogs, you should purchase a tug chain or collar collar.
The harness should be worn above the normal collar, under the ears. During the tension, the product begins to choke the dog, tightening on the throat.
There are a few basic rules that will tell you how to teach your dog to pull the leash:
- In the beginning, you need to find a quiet, deserted place for training;
- When the dog stops pulling on the leash, it is required to conduct classes in noisy places with the presence of people and animals;
- Before you start training, you need to give the dog some time to go to the bathroom and play, tired dogs are better at remembering lessons;
- Classes should last about 20 minutes;
- 2 to 3 training sessions per walk;
- exercises should be done daily, systematically.
At first the dog may not understand what is required of him, but as time passes the results will become noticeable. You need to walk properly with your pet so that the leash slackens a little, not straining or dragging it on the ground.
Over time, you will be able to train your dog to walk without a leash.
There are several ways to train your dog not to pull on his own. With the right approach to training, in two weeks the dog will walk calmly next to the owner. Each animal requires an individual approach, so if one method doesn’t work, you should try others:
Changing roles
When the dog starts pulling the leash, you need to switch your attention to the command or whistle, and then change the direction of movement, start walking in different directions, cut off the path chosen by the dog. It will be a surprise for the animal, it will start walking after the owner.
2. Movement on a signal
When the owner is about to change direction, it is necessary to give a signal, for example, to say a command or give a sound accompaniment, give the dog a treat or praise. The animal will quickly get used to responding to the sound and expect a treat.
3. All alone.
If the dog refuses to follow the owner, ignoring him, you should drop the leash and move away to a distance. Leave, you should not look back, without stopping. Almost every dog will go after the owner, they all have a strong attachment to people.
A separate category of dogs will not follow the owner anyway. In this case, we recommend that owners hide behind a corner and quietly follow their pet. It is advisable to wait until the pet will panic and look for the owner, and then come out of hiding. Despite the brutality of the exercise, the dog develops the habit of keeping the owner under supervision at all times. You can apply this method of training only with grown dogs, they understand the words “to me”. Young dogs are inattentive and fearful and can go to any person.
4. In the form of a pole.
When the dog often pulls on the ammunition, it is advisable to stop and wait until the pet approaches himself. But this method may not work. Some pets are stubborn and can wait for hours for the owner to go after him.
5. Penalty system
A system of penalties can be developed for refusal to obey commands and prolonged leash tension:
- you need to take a toy or treat and start teasing the dog;
- sit the dog next to it and throw the food at a distance;
- call out “near” and head towards the toy;
- at tension, return to the previous place;
- If the dog refuses to obey commands, do not give a treat or toy.
6. Aromatic Treats
Clasp a strong smelling treat in your fist, such as cheese or meat products. The hand should be held slightly above the dog’s muzzle, which will quickly come up for the fragrant treat. The use of a favorite amusement is also allowed, it is advisable to place it higher. The basis of the method – the dog will begin to watch the owner’s actions, striving to be closer to him.
It is strictly forbidden
The principle of training lies in the fact that it is strictly forbidden to pull the leash. This method is used by cynologists when working with large breeds, not often.
It is not necessary to limit the movements of the dog by jerking, although it seems convenient to many people. The animal gets used to the constant pain and sagging of the leash, sharp jerks. Eventually, the pet will pull on its own.
It is also worth considering other nuances of training:
- praise as much as possible and do not scold, with reprimands the dog tries to fence himself off from the person, get as far away as possible;
- excitement is not acceptable, it is necessary in time to distract the dog’s attention with a command, a treat or a toy;
- when the pet does everything correctly, you can stop the exercise, if you do not wait for a positive result, the dog will be confident that disobedience will end the training
- It is required to wean off pulling the ammunition in all situations, never allow forbidden actions, otherwise the dog will repeat them in the future.
It often becomes a real problem to eliminate the bad habit. It will take much longer to walk your dog. But this time is sure to pay off and will bring calm walks, good health and safety