Keeping a pet is not complete until you have free time with it. If you keep a dog, you must know how essential a walk is at least once a day. However, leading a dog can be hard, especially if you are not well-versed as it might pull forward, making you uneasy. It is important to understand why your dog is pulling on the lead because if it constantly does that, it can turn a leisurely walk into some boring walk.
Understand that for your dog; the outside environment comes with a lot of pleasures such as sitting new things and all those smells that your dog would love to explore by pulling the lead to get at them, which is a good sign because it’s a show of an excited and a curious dog.
However, when this pulling hurts your dog and would even hurt you and spoil your moments with your dog, then you will need to use some of these tips below to stop your dog from pulling the lead.
Gauge Energy Levels and Keep Lessons Short
Gauging energy levels is very important before heading out with your dog. If your dog is jumpy with a high level of excitement, that will mean that your dog is full of energy; Engage your dog with a few tiring games such as the backyard fetch to use up a bit of their energy to avoid the frustration of your dog pulling on the lead all through your walk.
The famous short lessons can be incorporated. Keep your lessons short and sweet, especially when your dog is a puppy; a ten-minute training will do with many positivity and treaties as earlier advised since it will also motivate your dog. Reducing the pace makes the training sweet with high retention and welcoming attention.
Command your Dog
Heel command This is normally a command for your dog when you are training them to stop pulling the lead, the command is efficient on puppies, but we cannot render it useless if your dog is past the puppyhood stage. When your dog tries to run off the first time, it’s on the lead; say, heel, clearly and calmly to get your dog’s attention, and once your dog has turned to look at you and the lead has gone slack. It is at this point that you are advised to reward your dog with a treat. You are to do the heel command repeatedly until your goal is achieved perfectly.
Another crucial and reliable tip is the stop command. Most people will tend not to rely on this because it will draw people’s attention even in the park, but it only takes a little time, and your dog will learn. The stop command works closely relative to the first command, which is the heel command. When your dog pulls on the lead, say ‘stop’ loudly but calmly, then stand still until your dog stops pulling and the lead goes slack. Doing this repeatedly will yield positive at just a command to stop your dog from pulling the lead.
Stop and turn is also another reliable tip when training your dog to stop pulling the lead. Here you are advised to stop calmly as we did during the previous command; once your dog has stopped, you’ll need to change direction or take a turn immediately. Your dog will do this once you repeat the command on several occasions until your dog is used to the command. As we had mentioned earlier, remember to reward your dog each time it stops, turns, and follows you.
Choose Suitable Leash
Choosing the best type of lead also helps during your effort to train your dog to stop pulling on the lead. The right option depends on factors such as age, training, and the health of the dog. Fixed leads in length will teach your dog about their limits and keeps the safety of your dog, whereas extendable leads, which I have to warn; they are not favourable for puppies, give a lead-trained dog the sense of freedom the might have yearned for and yet still gives you the control option if need be.
Using the right equipment is also a tip that eases your training with your dog. To ease the pressure on the neck that may harm your dog, I will advise using a harness that goes around your dog’s chest instead of a collar. That is why it is good to learn that some acts will frighten your dog, such as yanking back in retaliation.