Enjoy Your Stroll: Tips to Stop Your Dog Pulling the Leash

An afternoon stroll with your dog down the road of the block or in the park can be a stress relieving experience. Well, only if your dog doesn’t create leash issues. If you are a dog owner, then you will surely have bumped into a street poll, tangled with a bench or crashed into a fence while taking a stroll with your dog. Reason? Your overly excited dog who wants to explore all the things in the park. Poor leash walking skills not only question your pet-parenting abilities but can also injure the neck area of the dog. In the worst scenario, your cherished dog might get crashed into something if it breaks the leash. That is the reason that dog-owners facing leash problem always envy people whose dogs gently walk beside them without dragging their owners. But it doesn’t mean that you should stop taking your dog for a stroll or send it to the dog shelter. Don’t worry; leash issue is rectifiable and manageable.rnBesides choosing the right dog harness, here is what you can do to stop your dog from making a leash issue: Proper Training is Essential: How you have trained your dog from the beginning and what kind of habits you have inculcated in your dog define what will be the behavior of your dog at the later stage.rnMost of the dogs are afraid of strangers or encounter with other dogs overwhelm them because they are not familiar with the environment having many people. It might be because you live alone or you didn’t take them out from the starting. So, when they go out in crowded areas, they start jumping or try to run away. To avoid this issue, it is better to make your dog familiar with the crowd and other dogs from the beginning so that they can learn to stay calm around other people and dogs. STOP – It Works: If your dog reaches at the end of the lead, then the best way is to STOP. Instead of getting dragged along your dog, it is better to stop and calm your excited dog. You can lure him to come back with its favorite food, and once it comes back, feed it and praise. If you will continue to let your dog pull until it reaches the desired place, then this habit gets reinforced. Dogs know that they will be allowed to reach their desired destination if they show aggression or excitement. Once this code is fed in their mind, then it becomes difficult to decode it.rnSo instead of reinforcing their poor leash habit, it is better to STOP whenever your dog starts to pull the leash immediately. Praise Their Good Behavior: Whenever your dog calmly walks beside you or shows good leash-walking skills, then praise and reward. It can be verbal praise or pat your dog on the back. And if you want to see quick results, then reward them with a treat.rnThis way, their good habits will be reinforced because they will learn to exhibit good behaviors to get a reward. If you are facing leash issues of your dog, then try to pull these tips, and you will see the difference!