How to Stop Your Dog Pulling on the Leash: A Calm Step-by-Step Routine

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A dog that pulls on the leash turns every walk into a contest. The owner's arm aches, the dog strains and coughs against its collar, and a stroll to the park becomes the part of the day nobody looks forward to. One couple summed up what changed once they'd sorted it out: "No more tug of war all the way to the park; No more straining at the lead; No more tripping over her as she spins like a top whilst barking at every passing car." (John & Jackie Robson, Redcar, UK)

The routine below is built on the teaching of Dan Stevens, a professional dog trainer and the author of Secrets to Dog Training. It starts before you leave the house, because that's where a lot of pulling begins.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Why dogs pull on the leash

Pulling works for the dog. Every time a tight leash gets it to the next lamp post or the next interesting smell a little sooner, the pulling has paid off, so it happens again. Many owners respond by pulling back, and that tends to make things worse, because a dog that feels pressure backwards on its neck often leans forward even harder.

Dan also looks at the walk from the dog's side. A dog that charges through the door first, sets the pace and chooses the direction has every reason to think it's leading the walk. Antonio Gull, whose dog Bello barked at and tried to scare other male dogs, found this out from the book: "I was completely unaware that I had to go through doorways first; instead, I always let him go first."

So the fix has two parts. You take the reward out of pulling, and you calmly take back the job of leading.

Two rules before you start

Don't yank the leash

Dan is firm on this one. A sharp jerk makes many dogs pull harder, and it turns the leash into something to fight against. Ben Richmond noticed the difference once he changed his own habits: "I try to talk a softer tone and don't yank on the leash as hard anymore and get better results."

Only give a command you can follow through on

This is one of Dan's key tips. If you give a command and can't make it happen straight away, your dog learns that the word can be ignored. On a walk, that means you don't keep saying "heel" while your dog drags you along. Say it when you're ready to stop and wait for it, or don't say it at all.

The routine, step by step

Step 1: Calm comes before the leash

If your dog spins, barks and jumps when the leash comes out, wait. Ask for a Sit and clip the leash on only when it's sitting. If it jumps up again, hang the leash back up, stand quietly for a minute and try again. Your dog learns that calm behavior is what starts the walk.

Step 2: You go through the door first

Ask your dog to sit and wait at the door. Open it, step through yourself, then invite your dog to follow. If it pushes past, bring it back inside and start again. Dan teaches this as part of being the pack leader, and it sets the tone for the whole walk.

Step 3: Start somewhere quiet

Practice in a hallway, a garden or a quiet road before you take on a busy park. A dog that's still learning will find it much easier to pay attention to you when there's less to look at.

Step 4: When the leash goes tight, stop

The moment your dog pulls the leash tight, stand still. Don't pull back and don't say anything. Wait until the leash goes slack, either because your dog turns to look at you or takes a step back towards you, then praise it and walk on. From now on, pulling stops the walk and a loose leash starts it again, and that's a rule your dog can understand.

Step 5: Reward the spot beside you

Dan's approach is built on rewarding the behavior you want. When your dog walks at your side with a loose leash, tell it so in a warm voice, and give a small treat now and then.

Step 6: Use your body and voice

Dan points out that your posture, eye contact and body language really matter to dogs. Walk tall and relaxed, keep your voice calm and steady, and move with purpose. Jahn Hargrave's dog Max is "seventy-five pounds of pure energy and exuberance!" and was a real challenge on a leash. Here's how Jahn describes their walks after following the book: "He stops when I command him to and resumes when told. He slows down when I do and picks up the pace when I begin to run."

Step 7: Keep sessions short and the same for everyone

Short practice every day works better than one long session once a week. Make sure everyone who walks your dog follows the same rules, because a dog that's allowed to pull with one person will keep trying it with everyone else. As one owner put it: "Dogs are so trainable but can get confused if you try too many different methods out on them." (Dee & Nickey, USA)

What about harnesses and head collars?

The right equipment can make a strong dog easier to manage while it learns, and some owners in the product's reviews used a head collar alongside the book. Equipment on its own doesn't teach your dog where you want it to walk, though. It's there to keep walks safe and comfortable while the routine above does the teaching.

When pulling is more than pulling

Some dogs pull because they're desperate to reach another dog or a person, and then lunge or bark when they get close. Antonio Gull described that moment with Bello: "On one such occasion, I almost lost hold of the leash, and he seemed to be close to attacking a male poodle. That's when I decided to look for help."

If your dog lunges at people or dogs, or has ever bitten anyone, work with a qualified professional in person as well as using any book or video.

Dan's full leash method

The routine above is a solid start, and the complete method goes further. Dan says his technique stops leash pulling in ten minutes or less. In Secrets to Dog Training (affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you) he teaches Heel in three stages, comes back to it in the Dog Whispering section, and has separate sections on fear of the leash and off-leash problems. The package's 30-minute video shows how to stop pulling on the leash on screen, so you can see the timing for yourself.

The book also covers over 25 other behavior problems, from jumping on visitors to barking and house training, and comes with unlimited consultations with Dan and the Secrets to Dog Training team in the members' forum. Over 220,000 dog owners have used it. It costs $39.95, paid once, and has a 60-day money-back guarantee.

See Dan's leash method and everything else in Secrets to Dog Training (affiliate link)