How do I train my dog to stay calm when being walked?

Question

I am trying to get my 2 year old dog in the habit of being walked every day. All she wants to do is pull and pull, and I end up being dragged behind her! I dont know how to control her and I don't want to be the one being walked every day.

Answer 1

lot of good suggestions here but the the missing ingredients i would add is that start exercising control and establish your leader position at home and don't turn the walk into this big exciting event for your dog. the first thing that must be done is calming your dog down and gaining alpha position and leadership in your home before the walk begins. your dog will already be excited once she sees a leash in hand and knows the outside world awaits. most importantly, own the threshold of the door, don't ever let her go near the door unless she is invited there. invite her to her leash (meaning she comes to you and the leash with your permission), don't just grab her and put it on. in that manner she associates her leash with not only something positive but a reward for being calm. once you put her leash on, calm her down. make her sit or even lie down if you must but she must remain calm and under your direction. once she's calmed down and submissive to your direction, invite her to the door and she'll associate the invitation to the door as a reward for being calm and submissive. then start your walk and follow the tactics that best fit you (leash corrections and not walking, pinch collar, gentlle leader, etc). she'll probably put up a fight and fuss for a few minutes because she's used to getting her way and leading you around on the walks but this is where you can't let her get her way. just stay with the leash and correct her as necessary and once she starts to give up the fight, walk with her at a brisk pace, keeping her next to or behind you. if she starts to walk in front of you administer a quick, firm but gentle, tug to the side, pull the leash up and back and continue walking. walk at a brisk pace or run with her for about the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the duration of your walk and don't let her track (put her nose to the floor), stalk (look in other directions to go after things), act vigilant or mark anywhere during that time. the point being she's following you and doing only what you tell her. if you notice the best behaved dogs on walks, or even during dog shows, look back or look to their walkers/handlers for direction and never let up until they are invited to stop and smell the roses. at two years old, dogs are in the last part of the adolescent stage and will test boundaries of what they can get away with and try establish their position in the family (their "pack"). this is the time where you'll be tested the most and most often. don't give up on her, be consistent and only give her treats, food or affection after your walks. most importantly, don't get mad at her or frustrated with her when she is testing your last nerve on the walks. just stay collected, assert your dominance and correct her. she wants to please you and she'll eventually get it. lastly, with whatever leash you use, regular, pinch, prong, gentle leader, etc. keep in mind she'll only be comfortable with that leash as long as she likes it, or else your walks will be long and difficult and she will let you know she's not happy. that means corrections should be quick, firm but gentle and not painful. after a correction, once she's offering you the correct behavior, i.e. following you or staying next to you, reinforce that behavior by loosening the leash. don't keep constant tension on the leash or she'll just pull against it and make it uncomfortable. do keep the leash short for the first half of the walk and keep her next to you at all times. good luck with your pup!

Answer 2

There are two good ways of going about this. One is to use something called a "gentle leader." It looks like a muzzle because it fits over the dog's nose, but the dog has complete ability to open and close it's mouth. The logic is that when the dog pulls, his head will be pulled to one side so he will not be able to walk straight.

Another is to use a plastic "pinch collar" called the Triple Crown. Put on the collar only to walk the dog. Make a loop with the leash and put the end around your thumb. When she pulls drop the loop, pivot and walk quickly in the opposite direction, letting the leash snap against your leg. This will deliver a quick pinch to the back of the dog's neck that simulates the bite a dominant wolf would give to a submissive wolf. It will safely teach your dog that you are the dominant one (it doesn't hurt the dog at all) and hopefully she will follow you.

Also, give the dog treats for walking nicely and for every time she looks up at you while walking. This teaches her to follow your lead instead of doing her own thing.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aL2b8

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 4

I've received a couple different suggestions about this.

I've been told to stop and say "no" every time my dog pulls, then refuse to walk again until he lets up. This didn't seem to work for me as it would take an hour just to make it around the block.

I've also been told to slide the leash underneath his belly and out back behind his legs so that when we walk and he tries to pull, he is pulled down instead of back. This seems to get his attention much more, and we're starting to make progress with this method.

Good luck to you.

Answer 5

A Gentle Leader will really help you - then you can avoid leash-popping, harsh corrections, etc. They come with a DVD so that you can fit it correctly and learn how to use it. Has been great for my new pup, as I can control her head - when she used to go for chicken bones on the street and other things that would have hurt her, I just gently guided her head away.

Answer 6

Train in all situations. Take your dog to the dog park, etc, when he's hungry, and you're armed with treats. To regular command work and training there.

Answer 7

Heh heh... I would start out the walk both of us running from excitement. Then we both get tired and calm down. Oh, the retractable leash is good - it allows you to catch up when she stops to sniff. The worst you can do is stop walking her daily. Daily walks along the same route gets old after a while, and the pulling should get better after a year or so :-)

Answer 8

You need to show her that you are the one walking her. As soon as you get outside the door and she is ready to go and starts pulling, stop completely and hold onto the leash and wait there, untill she calms down.. do this anytime she starts pulling and soon she'll understand who's boss. Good luck

Answer 9

I stop when she is pulling, she calms, and as soon as i start going again, shes pulling again.
She refuses ANY treats I have to offer her because she is too distracted by everything else.
Any dog harness weve gotten, she slips right out of it,
no matter how tight we may put it.

Answer 10

my dog used to pull on a leash, finally i took her on a walk and when she tugged, i stoped pulled back on the leash and said no. after a few times of doing it she stoped pulling and started walking by my side.

maybe it will help.