When you first bring home a new dog or puppy, you will face many challenges while trying to train them and get them used to a daily routine. One of those challenges is getting them to stop pulling on the lead, which isn’t easy when they’re so excited to be outside! With all the distractions of loud noises, intriguing smells and other dogs to contend with, you’ll be lucky to have a pooch that is always calm on the lead. To give you a helping hand we’ve put together the best advice for stopping your dog pulling on the lead. The training techniques we’ve picked out mean that you should be able to take walks at your own pace, rather than being pulled here there and everywhere by your excitable dog or puppy!
Invest in a good lead
First things first, you need to have a good strong lead so you can control your dog easily. Whether it’s a regular lead or an extendable one, with a collar or a harness, it needs to be adequate based on the breed and size of your dog. If unsure, try asking for recommendations from dog-owning friends who may have had a good experience with a particular brand. Remember to avoid any leads that are too small or could hurt your dog, such as choke chains.
Stock up on treats
One of the best ways to distract your dog or puppy from pulling, and to keep them by your side, is to always go out with a pocket full of their favourite treats. This won’t work every time, but especially if you’re using treats to train your new puppy, they can come in handy when trying to keep control of them on the lead. Why not try
our range of treats that come in delicious flavours?
Practice ‘Heel’
Once you have a plentiful supply of treats, you can practice different commands including ‘Heel’ when out on a walk, to encourage good behaviour and keep your dog mentally stimulated. Cross the lead over your body towards the side where you want your dog to walk and loosely holding a treat in a loose fist, make sure your dog can smell the treat. As soon as you have their interest, repeat the command ‘heel’ and keep your treat hand closely by your side. After much repetition, your dog should associate the command with sticking close, and subsequently not pulling on the lead.
