Walk This Way: Ending Leash Pulling Woes

How do I stop my dog from pulling on the leash?

by Vivian Zottola, MSc

As a therapist specializing in human-dog relationships, I work on improving dog (and people) behaviors which relies on feelings.

I receive calls from people seeking advice to help tackle their dog's challenging behaviors, including the question, "How do I stop my dog from pulling on the leash?"

When asked this question I am immediately reminded of the course I took with Dr. Susan Friedman many years ago. The first principle learned in applied behavior analysis with non human animals (and humans) is:

"We cannot stop an individual’s unwanted behavior because whatever they're doing is working for them. We can, however, teach them an alternative behavior by changing the environment."

And lucky for us we play a big part in their environment. They rely on us to help them with everything including going out for a walk.

When it comes to enhancing our outdoor walks with our pet dog companions, examining the equipment we use and our actions while walking our dog can help us figure out solutions to minimize frustration.

And so, my first recommendation is to reframe our mindset from “how to stop a particular behavior” to, “how to change” instead.  Teaching our dogs to walk politely doesn’t happen overnight, by wishing it or magic. It requires some work. Not much work but some work including learning minimal practical skills, some “soft skills”, and using the right management equipment. This combination will keep our dog physically and psychologically protected and motivated to want to walk with us.

Something to keep in mind: While keeping our dogs close on leash is especially important in the city as a matter of safety, it also feels good to us. But what about how our dogs feel restricted by leash? Can we help our dogs improve their feelings about being on leash and walking with us? Yes, especially if our dogs learn we have their back. By implementing just a few minor changes we can make it happen.

Why Dogs Pull

Our dog friends have a learning history whether we raised them from eight weeks of age or rescued them from a shelter. They may have learned from us that pulling on a leash moves us along in the direction they want to go. In contrast, some dogs pull because they may be overly enthusiastic, frustrated, fearful, anxious, or stressed.

Some are so stressed looking for the “scary monster” around every corner and, tail tucked flat against their tummy that they can’t see straight let alone follow your instructions. For these reasons and more, wearing equipment like an unrestricted harness that allows us to manage them without causing further physical or emotional harm is a must.

Learning Soft Skills

Long-lasting solutions to reduce frustration for dogs and owners rely on understanding the underlying feelings behind challenging behaviors. Managing in the moment is critical and the best way to stay ahead of our dogs behaviors is to understand them through observation.

• Are they moving away or advancing toward something?
• What “triggers” their action?
• Considering the “function of the behavior” or rather , understanding what purpose the behavior of pulling serves the dog at that moment helps us to resolve, modify, and often improve behaviors quickly. 

A basic understanding of low-level stress response signals helps us to advocate for our dogs while they are on our walks and beyond.  It also allows us to plan our future behavior training and practical reward based skills.

Depending on the degree of fear or anxious behaviors, which often manifest into barking, lunging, and growling, if not remedied, seek out help from a veterinarian or other qualified pet professional specializing in dog behavior. For a closer look at dog stress response signals download a free illustration at  www.VivianZottola.com.

Differences in sensory perception

So, observing their actions and how they behave helps us put pieces of the puzzle together. Humans can’t interpret all of what a dog perceives in the environment. Dogs have far superior hearing, smelling, and visual abilities particularly with movement in the evenings. They can also locate warm blooded animals (including humans) hiding using thermal heat infrared sensors with their nose. Dogs pick up all kinds of information we can’t. A dog's perception is all-encompassing. They have evolved to operate from a different mindset.

Most often dogs pull because smelling is how they learn about the world. They are wired to seek, find and smell interesting information to them. Dogs love to seek and find on walks and this has been shown to improve their mood. Similar to finding and buying that bargain product at a favorite department store before anyone else. You know that feeling of excitement!

The thrill of the chase

From an evolutionary biological perspective, canines have evolved to chase, grab and kill prey. However, we have genetically modified our dogs over hundreds of years to reduce the need to hunt their own food. The domesticated dog has learned we provide their basic needs including a safe home and prepared meals reducing the motivation to fend for themselves. Nonetheless, that urge to chase is still in there! Dogs love to chase and the act of chasing is here to stay in dogs. They get a thrill from running after anything that moves,  including balls, leaves, squirrels and other critters, just for fun.

The younger the dog, the more likely we will see this behavior; however, seniors love chasing too. When we encourage our dogs to chase other animals because we think it’s funny, we strengthen the behavior, making it difficult for them to process information or anything else you may be asking them to do especially to walk on a leash politely.

Tip: Encourage your dog to chase a ball or disc (Frisbee) in a controlled or fenced-in area instead of an animal. Reach out to an advanced reward based dog trainer, a certified canine behavior consultant or certified applied animal behaviorist if you need assistance with reducing the chasing behavior. For resources, see AVSAB.org https://avsab.org/resources/position-statements/; www.CCPDT.org and www.IAABC.org

Rewarding our dog for walking with us

Dogs pull because we follow. Again, it is that simple and we do it early in our relationship. Walking on a leash is something that’s learned. To reduce the behavior, stop walking when your dog pulls. The second that leash tightens up, stop. Follow up by “luring” our dog to walk with us. Luring is the act of holding motivating a dog in this case to follow.
 
Tip:

• Teaching dogs to walk with us. As you walk with your dog ideally with the dog wearing a 2 Hounds Freedom Harness and Training Leash or Euro leash secured around your waist, place treat in hand. With dog on either side, bring your hand down close to your dogs line of smell - placing your hand close to your dogs’ muzzle/nose, take a few steps forward.
• As you continue to walk forward, gradually bring your treat in hand up to your waist area.
• Continue walking placing your palm laying flat on your torso. Smile as you say good boy or girl. Your dog will follow their gaze up to your smiling face. When your doggo checks in to your face, as you smile say, Yesss followed by then giving them the treat.
• Continue moving forward and each time they check in (make eye contact) repeat yes, then treat.
• Go back to luring only if your dog checks out. Continue to walk with your dog and take breaks allowing your dog to be “free” to smell the ground and investigate.
• Repeating this technique intermittently on walks teaches our dog remaining close to us pays off. Even better, over time you won’t need food anymore as they learn it just “feels good to walk next to us.”

Become a motivating companion!

While we aim for a balance of allowing our dogs to smell, decompress and “read the doggie newspaper with their nose”, we also aim to walk together moving in the same direction. If you or your dog pulls in opposite directions for the whole walk, that’s no fun.

We can work to reduce pulling in opposite directions by motivating our dog to “check-in” with us rather than “check-out”.  Motivating our dog to “check-in” means they will remain closer to us as we walk forward.

Tip:

• A simple way to motivate your dog to check in is to use a sound, whistle or word that motivates them to look in your direction.
• With our dog securely harnessed and leashed, use a word or sound to prompt their attention. I use words other than their name because we use their names far too much. Whatever word, sound or signal/cue you make, be prepared to give them an enthusiastic YESSSSS followed by a food or toy reward when they look and follow.
• As you continue to move forward be enthusiastic and letting them know. A smile and positive encouragement goes a long way with dogs. The more they check in with us, the less they check out. Think of it like walking with a friend and having a conversation.  Keep them motivated to “want” to walk with you.

Use safe and reliable walking equipment

Wearing a leash to manage dogs is not always pleasant to both parties as it restricts freedom of choice; however, it is necessary for safety and, in some states, the law. Using the right walking equipment including a harness is essential when out walking the city streets and meeting known and unknown neighbors.

I’ve been using and recommending the use of harnesses for decades and have mentioned the 2Hounds Freedom Harness because it is a fantastic piece of equipment. A harness in general is best as they provide leverage while walking, freedom of choice for the animal and helps to reduce the risk of physical and emotional harm while maintaining safety.

Mine is not just an opinion or rooted in experience there is evidence supporting the use of a harness instead of a collar when managing dogs on walks. A 2020 published study found that collars are best suited for identification and not for walking as constantly pulling and jerking the lead attached to the collar risks injuring the dog. And it does not take much to cause harm.

When using a leash attached to a collar, it applies pressure on the neck, risking muscular skeleton injuries and in some “smush face dogs” intraocular pressure.

Because of this and the emotional risk of unknowingly encouraging negative associations, I always recommend using a harness. We aim to reduce the risk of pressure on the neck and proactively negotiate with our dogs using positive reinforcement training techniques. The right gear and attitude improves the walking experience together.

When we focus on acknowledging and rewarding our dogs for making the right decisions on a leash, such as checking in with us, and walking with us we gain trust and reduce the risk of our dogs checking out.

Don't just walk your dog, use the time to connect and communicate

Walking our dog on a leash is more than exercise; it's also a chance to connect and communicate with our nonverbal four legged friend. Every walk is a teaching opportunity. A time to practice skills and the art of dog negotiations, something I like to help people with.

We learn to read their body language and nonverbal cues, and in turn, our dog can learn to understand us better, too. Establishing this mutual understanding and cooperation can strengthen our bond with our dog and deepen our relationship.

The next time you take your dog for a walk, remember to equip your dog with a harness and leash to ensure safety from both a physical and emotional standpoint. Walking outdoors is not just about getting some fresh air and exercise- it's also about building a stronger connection with our four-legged family members.

If you or your dog needs help learning to walk on leash, believe your dog is suffering or you feel unsafe and in need of immediate help, contact your veterinarian first. They will evaluate your dog and guide you, if necessary, to the right professional.

Vivian Zottola, MSc is a therapist specializing in human-dog relationships. For more information  see www.VivianZottola.com or @vivianzottoladogbehavior on Instagram.  For videos demonstrating her work, visit her Youtube page!  

Reference:
Carter, Anne, Donal McNally, and Amanda Roshier. "Canine collars: an investigation of collar type and the forces applied to a simulated neck model." Veterinary Record 187, no. 7 (2020): e52-e52.