How do I get my dog to stop pulling on the leash during walks?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend using a Gentle Leader collar to help control him better. When he stops and you tug on the leash, it will pull his entire head to the side you are pulling making it uncomfortable for him to the point that he should respond to your command. Be persistent with this technique and don't give in to him stopping in the road. Dogs test us and will continue to push boundaries to find out what they can get away with. It is your job to make him understand who is in charge. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend using corrective collars like a pinch collar or gentle leader. These can help stop the pulling behavior. You may also look into the low voltage shock collars. These collars emit a small shock that is similar to being snapped by a rubber band. You can use this to correct the behavior and these collars can all be found online or at your local pet store. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ayli. I recommend trying a harness such as Easy Walk by Gentler Leader. The leash attaches in the front so if the dog pulls the pressure is across her chest. This gives you more control than with a standard collar or harness. You can also try a Gentle Leader halter. This works great, but takes more time for the dog to adjust to using. A choke collar can cause damage to the neck and throat if too much force is used. I hope this information helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In my opinion the harness helps with pulling. I actually have one for my dog. I think the muzzle gentle leader is better. The harness doesn’t prevent my dog from trying to pull with a loose leash. I think it is dog and training dependent on whether you can walk loosely with the leash. It sounds like it might be the trick for Sienna. I wish you the best!

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about the pulling troubles with Zurrick. It can be very frustrating to try to go on nice, long walks with our dogs if they pull a lot. I have the same problem with my dog, especially in new areas, so we have been working with a trainer. We have been using a special type of harness that applies tension from the front of the chest as well as at the shoulders, to give us more control. Walking with a fanny pack with some tiny bits of treats (I usually recommend very tiny pieces of cooked chicken, like literally giving a pinch when the dog does well) so you can easily reward the good behavior. If Zurrick has any food sensitivities, use treats that she tolerates well. I would start by walking in a familiar area, even the back yard. You want to start in a familiar area as she will likely be excited in a new place and want to explore right away. Once you have more control, you can take her to new places, and you will be better prepared to handle her bursts of energy as she acclimates to that area. Pick the side you want her to walk on. Practice your verbal command, "heel", is a good one, so she is learning that you want her to walk beside you. If you pick the left side, she will stand there. You will take the leash and put it behind your waist, and hold it in your right hand. You can give her treats with your left hand when she does well. You may have to start with showing her the treat and making her walk closely to you. Eventually this can turn into her just getting rewarded while walking beside you intermittently. If she pulls, you can give her the command and change directions, applying the light tension and making her follow you. When she does, treat. It is very daunting at first, but the more you do it, the better she will be. You have to just do it over and over. With the harness that we use, you can put two leashed on at once, and it will give you more control initially. As I mentioned above, I am currently working with a trainer who comes every other week to work with my dog, and once a month to work with me and my dog together. In the interim, I practice with him on our own as long as it's going well. If we have a bad day, I'll usually stop and address what happened with the trainer before trying again, so I don't do something wrong. You may need to have a trainer come and work with you if you really cannot get her under control. Walking should be fun, and you shouldn't have to worry about her dragging you all over the place. Here is the link for the harness. I love chewy.com and get a lot of things for my dogs on the site. They have great prices, and I'm happy with the quality of everything so far. https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-easy-walk-dog-harness/dp/48923 Here is a link with some tips for dogs that are stressed when walking on the leash. The late Sophia Yin was an excellent veterinary behaviorist. I feel very comfortable with you using some of her advice to help guide you. https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/proper-walking-technique-turn-an-anxious-dog-into-a-calm-dog-in-just-minute/ Again, a good dog trainer is a always a great idea. You can always call Zurrick's veterinarian and get some recommendations. A good trainer's experience and knowledge is invaluable in helping you have a better relationship with your dog. I had no idea that my high energy hunting dog would like to play with puzzle toys so much and do scent work. It actually exhausts him more than physical exercise. I can literally tire him out by hiding his kibbles around the yard or the garage and then have him look for all of the pieces. If I tried to get this same result from physical exercise it could take hours. Something you could try would be a pickle pocket with her breakfast or dinner before his walk, to help quiet her mind ahead of time. (Also found on chewy). I will mention too that spaying Zurrick may help calm her down too in addition to its other health benefits. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!

Oh Eska - she's doing what she was bred to do: pull! I am a fellow husky owner and can relate :-) I recommend teaching her to wear a "Gentle Leader" collar - these can work wonders with dogs who are leash pullers. The collar comes with a little instructional DVD, and it is definitely worth watching to make sure you have a good fit and train her to use it appropriately, as there is a little bit of technique to it. Here's their website: http://www.petsafe.net/gentleleader If you're interested, it may also be beneficial to harness her desire to pull and help tire her out. Huskies have amazing amounts of energy, and her love of pulling can be used to your advantage in getting her exercise. She can be taught to pull a sled, or a scooter, or a person on rollerblades or skis... if you can get her to work off some of that excessive energy, she may be less inclined to pull you on a leash! Of course, if you are going to encourage her to pull sometimes, you need to make it very clear to her when she is to pull and when she is not. When she is asked to pull, she should be wearing an appropriate sled dog harness such as this one: http://kondosoutdoors.com/shop/dog-harnesses/ And here's a great beginner book for sled dog training basics: https://www.amazon.com/Ski-Spot-Run-Enchanting-Dog-Powered/dp/0974801100 We want it to be clear to her that when she's wearing the sled dog harness, she can pull, and when she's wearing the Gentle Leader, she should not. Hope this helps!

Harnesses actually make pulling a lot EASIER for your dog, which could be making the situation worse. If Abby doesn't like head collars (many dogs don't), Gentle Leader also makes a harness version called the Easy Walker that is great (I use it for my own dog). It doesn't go around the neck so you don't have to worry if they do pull, and the leash attaches to the front of the harness on the chest. When your dog starts to pull, it puts pressure on the chest, and also redirects them back toward you like a gentle leader headcollar does. This can help mitigate pulling and may make your loose leash walking training go a bit easier. Another thing you can try when you resume walking again from a sit and stay position, is to walk backwards a few steps! Many dogs will either be confused at first, and thus stop pulling in their distraction, or think it is a fun game and will come toward you instead of pulling away. Once the leash is slack, you can then walk forward again. You may look silly walking backwards and forwards in the same spot for a bit of time, but it can help with stubborn pullers.