Stop pulling on lead with this game
The principle is, anything you reward will happen more often, so:
A: Don't reward unwanted behaviour e.g. continue your walk being pulled in the direction your dog wants to go
B: Do reward what we call in Dog Training a ‘Mutually exclusive behaviour’ e.g. build value for staying by your side and practice loose lead walking consistently
"10 Pecks"
Here’s a quick game you can play outside your house before you head anywhere this week.
Grab one handful of your dogs’ meal allowance.
When it’s all been used up end the session.
Each day 50g of my spaniel Thea’s 300g daily allowance is allocated to training. She’s fed Bella & Duke a quality raw food. I didn’t want to downgrade, so choose rewards with premium ingredients, for example, our pure meat pate.
- Start with no movement. With your dog by your side, say “good” and reward x 5 so they learn that this is the position that pays out.
- Take one step, say “good” and reward.
- Take two steps, say “good” and reward.
- Continue to 10 steps.
If your dog pulls, go back to step 1 and try again!
Throughout the week, continue adding steps but randomise how many you take before a reward e.g. 10 then 15 then 3.
Ultimately the walk becomes the reward
Value for staying by your side can be built on and off lead (or even when riding!)
I hope that helps!
Please share your questions and progress:
We would love to see how you get on with your dog’s loose lea walking training. For tips from me and to share success post your pictures and videos in the Anglian Dog Works Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/angliandogworks
About the author:
Hi 👋 I’m Emma, accredited as a professional dog trainer by the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT). I help owners of energetic dogs achieve the dog-owning life they envisioned by providing robust obedience & agility training for dogs in Balsham and Barton, near Cambridge.
Disclaimer: The content of this article does not include personalised advice and is for information purposes only. If you need individual advice or other enquiries please click here to get in contact or if you're not local to Anglian Dog Works, you can find a trainer in your area by going to the IMDT website: https://www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer
Please note this post contains affiliate links which means if you buy something following a link on this page, we’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting us.