Leash Training Your Dog

Leash training your dog, is effectively achieved by teaching him one simple fact -

Pulling will get him nowhere.

Instead, walking properly next to you, is the quickest way to get to his destination.

To do this, it is important NOT to reward your dog for pulling.

Do not let your dog drag you along and do not pet or give him any affection while he is pulling. Teach him to walk on a loose leash first, before attempting to get him to walk close to you in a heel position.

Here are some leash training techniques:

Red-Light, Green-Light

A simple way to leash train your dog and teach him not to pull is to stop walking when the leash is taut, and start moving again when the leash is loose. You do not even need to say anything to your dog; he will quickly figure out the rules of the game.

Initially, you will need to stop very frequently, so be ready for really short walks. You must be patient and absolutely consistent with the stopping, or your dog will learn that if he pulls enough times, you will give in and let him go where he wants.

180 Degree Turn

Depending on the age and temperament of your dog, frequent hard stops may cause him to get frustrated. Too much pent-up frustration can make a dog act out in other ways, for example, he may resort to leash biting.

If you are leash training an easily frustrated or easily excitable dog, it may be better to use the 180 turn technique.

As soon as your dog starts to pull, quickly turn around and start walking in the opposite direction. This allows your dog to release his pent-up energy because he is still doing something physical - walking. At the same time he learns that when he pulls, he just gets farther away from his desired destination.

If your dog walks properly on a loose leash for a few seconds, you can mark him for his good behavior (Good), turn back, and resume your walk. If your dog starts pulling again, it is fine to walk back and forth on the same stretch of ground until he learns not to pull.

Hand Targeting

Start by training your dog to target your hand at home.

Put some dog treats in your hand, and make sure your dog knows that it is there. Put your hand close to his muzzle and say Nose. As soon as your dog touches your hand with his nose, mark him (Yes) and treat him. Repeat until he knows the command.

Then move a few steps away, put your hand out in the same gesture, and say Nose. Mark (Yes) and treat when your dog moves towards you and touches your hand. Keep repeating this inside the house, then try the exercise in your backyard.

Once you are comfortable in your backyard, you can use this technique outside while leash training your dog.

If your dog pulls, non-mark him (Uh-oh), get him to do a Sit, re-target him on your hand, and continue the leash training session.

In this way, your dog learns that pulling is inappropriate, and walking close to you will get him yummy treats. You can treat less often and slowly phase out the treats altogether once your dog learns to walk calmly by your side.

Collar Correction/ Leash Correction/ Leash Jerk

The most common, aversive technique for leash training a dog is to perform collar corrections (also called leash corrections or leash jerks).

A collar correction must be a quick jerk of the leash. There is only tension for an extremely short amount of time (a quarter-second or less), and then the leash should be loose again. Most people tend to do tugs rather than jerks, which will do little in leash training the dog.

Tugs may actually exacerbate the situation, because it places continuous tension on the leash. This tension may cause the dog to get tense and frustrated.

You must also be properly positioned for the collar correction so that the force is always to the side rather than directly back. Jerking to the back, may encourage the dog to lunge forward to oppose the force, thus causing him to pull even more.

To work well in leash training, collar corrections must be executed with the proper force, proper timing, and proper redirection. This is necessary so that the dog learns that pulling is wrong, without becoming afraid of his surroundings or distrustful of his owner.

If not properly implemented, a collar correction may backfire and cause additional behavioral problems including dog aggression.

Only use collar corrections as a last resort for leash training. Only use collar corrections under the direction of an experienced professional trainer.

Collar and Leash

While leash training your dog, it is best to use a flat, thick (1 inch), buckle collar. The thicker collar will distribute the force when your dog is pulling so he is less likely to choke himself. Unlike plastic snap-on collars, buckle collars are strong, and the clasp will not break due to heavy pulling.

Also use a regular 6 foot leash. I like the leather leash best because it is easy on my hands, and it has very little give when my dog pulls. Cotton leashes tend to stretch when a dog pulls, and as such, gives you less control over the dog. Nylon leashes are a good alternative to leather but they are a bit more abrasive on the hands.

Do not use a flexi-leash until you are extremely confident that your dog will walk close to you and will not bolt at the sight of cats, squirrels, dogs, or other environmental triggers. The flexi-leash gives your dog a lot of freedom to roam, but provides you with very little control over him.

Flexi-leashes should only be used as a reward for a leash-trained veteran who is not reactive to the environment and is very responsive to voice commands.

The flexi-leash can be a useful first-step, for teaching your dog how to walk off-leash. Only do this after your dog has mastered how to walk on-leash using a regular 6 foot lead.

Harness

If you have a smaller dog that pulls a lot, and is constantly choking himself on the collar, it may be best to use a harness; especially for long walks.

Gentle Leader has a no-pull harness where the leash is attached to the front (chest area) rather than back of the dog. This harness gives you slightly better control of your dog compared to a step-in harness. However, the Gentle Leader harness is more difficult to put on a dog compared to a regular step-in harness.

The Ruffwear harness is more secure and will prevent your dog from escaping out of the harness. Ruffwear also provides good support for your dog during long walks. For this reason, I use the Ruffwear harness for my 3 legged dog.

Most dogs will object to the harness initially. Make the process of putting the harness on, a positive experience that is paired with food and praise. Always follow it up with an enjoyable dog walk. Remember to remove the harness at the end of the walk.

A harness may not be as appropriate for a larger dog that pulls because it allows him to pull even harder, and may make it difficult for you to control him. For larger dogs, consider using a head halti.

Head Halti

The head halti is an effective tool to stop dogs from pulling, especially larger dogs.

It allows you to control your dog's head, with very little force, in the same way that horses are controlled. When your dog pulls, his head is automatically directed back to you. By controlling his head, you can stop him from pulling, obsessing over squirrels and cats, as well as lunging after other dogs.

The problem with the head halti is that it does not really help with leash training your dog.

Once you take it off, your dog will likely start pulling again. I use the head halti when I take in-training dogs for long walks in the park. In this way I have good control over them and don't have to worry about them pulling, or taking off to chase after squirrels.

However, it is important to keep up with your regular, halti-free, leash training sessions during shorter neighborhood walks.

Prong Collar and Choke Chain

Prong collars and choke chains are used to implement stronger leash corrections.

Only use a prong collar as a last resort and under proper supervision by a professional trainer. Choke chains should NOT be used as they may cause injury to your dog even when fitted properly.

The study below highlights the danger of using choke chains.

Study of Prong Collars in Germany

• 100 dogs were in the study. 50 used choke and 50 used prong.
• The dogs were studied for their entire lives. As dogs died, autopsies were performed.
• Of the 50 which had chokes, 48 had injuries to the neck, trachea, or back. 2 of those were determined to be genetic. The other 46 were caused by trauma.
• Of the 50 which had prongs, 2 had injuries in the neck area, 1 was determined to be genetic. 1 was caused by trauma.

(Information about study taken from an Anne Marie Silverton Seminar)

Shock Collar

Shock collars should only be used for off-leash, distance work.

Shock collars are most often used to train working dogs that must herd livestock from a distance. They can easily be misused, and are unnecessary for house dogs.

Do not use the shock collar unless you have good prior experience in training dogs, and only use it under the direction of a professional trainer.

Novice trainers should never consider using a shock collar on their dogs.