Each dog owner treats his pet differently. Some forgive them for minor oversights, while others keep them in strictness and exemplary obedience. But both those and others may have a question - how to wean a dog pulling a leash for a walk. After all, it causes discomfort to both the owner and the dog, because of which the time, which should be perceived as a pleasure by both, turns into a dull routine.
Is this normal?
Many dog breeders (especially inexperienced ones) perceive a constantly lengthened leash as something mundane and even funny. They tell their friends what a cheerful pet they have, constantly in a hurry somewhere, crawls, does not obey.
But there is nothing funny about this. This behavior is a sign of poor parenting. Most likely, serious mistakes were made during training, which led to such a situation. In addition, this is a challenge from the dog to the owner. And in a healthy union that has existed for thousands of years, a person should always take the position of not just the owner or patron, but practically a god, who does not need a dog to cross.
And such a pull is harmless when a person is clearly stronger than a dog. What if you decide to entrust your child with a walk? He simply can not even cope with the average dog, not to mention the large ones. Therefore, this issue should definitely be dealt with more seriously.
Why does the dog pull the leash
The answer to this question lies on the surface. And it is definitely worth knowing to understand how to wean a dog from pulling a leash for a walk.
The dog all the time wants to run forward, without looking back at the owner, who, in her opinion, is too slow. In addition, there is a cold war in wolf packs all the time for the opportunity to take a higher place in the hierarchy. The same thing happens in the families where the dog appeared. Your pet is not bad or too ambitious - this is its nature. At the head should be the strongest and most decisive, otherwise the flock will perish.
Therefore, the dog subconsciously tests you for strength. And any concessions will lead to the fact that he will check more and more. Retreating time after time, you completely lose control of the dog - it simply ceases to obey. And to interrupt the retreat after a few precedents will be much more difficult - the dog does not understand why you used to follow her lead, and then suddenly stopped.
So, if the dog pulls the leash strongly, how to wean it from this habit should be recognized as soon as possible.
Excessive owner softness
Very often the reason for this check is the gentleness of the owner. The tough owner, accustomed to dominate, the dog is always distinguished by obedience. But a person who loves a dog too much often makes concessions, over time a whole bunch of problems appears.
In addition, guilty feelings often aggravate the situation: "The poor dog is sitting at home all day, let him run and play." Of course, the argument is good. But this is not an excuse for the dog’s improper behavior on the street.
As mentioned above, it is better to immediately interrupt a series of tests for strength than to constantly make concessions that can lead to the most unpleasant consequences.
Now that you’ve figured out the main causes of the problems, you can tell how to wean a dog from pulling a leash - the methods are quite simple, but they are very effective.
Do not pull the leash unnecessarily
A fairly common way to punish a dog for a walk is to tug on a leash. This is generally the wrong tactic - there is always the risk of a failure to jerk the trachea of the pet. Yes, the risk is very, very small. But after all, if you pull it 5-10 times per walk for many years, it definitely will not lead to anything good.
In addition, there is a minus to this punishment in a particular case.
The fact is that pulling a leash is quite difficult to pull, especially if the dog is large. As a result, the owner must first loosen the leash a bit before being able to pull it. From this, a dog can intuitively draw two conclusions. On the one hand, if you constantly pull, then at least temporarily, but the leash will give in and you can take a step forward. On the other hand, before there is an unpleasant jerk, the leash will weaken. Therefore, if you constantly pull, then there will be no jerk. As a result, the dog will pull the leash with a vengeance.
Therefore, try to resort to jerking with a leash only in the most extreme cases, for example, if the dog rushed to the roadway or rushed at the person.
Refuse roulettes
This is another reason why puppies have an unpleasant habit since childhood, forcing owners to look for a way to wean a dog by pulling a leash for a walk. Reviews on roulettes force inexperienced breeders to prefer this particular option, rather than the classic leash. Yes, and some experienced dog lovers with both hands vote for such a replacement. Indeed, it is very convenient - roulette takes up much less space, is easily adjustable - you can give your pet more or less freedom, and a long leash will not drag along puddles and dirt.
However, it is precisely roulettes that often cause dogs to pull the leash strongly while walking. After all, they get used to it from childhood - you can get more freedom only if you pull the owner harder. Sometimes it works (the owner presses the latch button), and sometimes not. But in any case, if you do not pull the leash, then there will definitely not be any positive result.
The result is quite natural - a grown dog continues to pull a leash or tape measure. She has no idea about the mechanism that gives more or less freedom, does not know about the length of the leash in roulette. But it assimilates very quickly - if you pull harder, sometimes you can get more freedom.
It can be quite difficult to wean her from such a habit. Therefore, it is better not to create a problem by using a leash at least when walking with a puppy in order to instill the right habits in it.
We use the squeaker
A fairly humane method that allows you to do without violence, shouting and jerking with a leash is an ordinary squeaker. They are sold not only in dog shops, but also in children's departments (in the latter case, they are much cheaper). Everyone knows a rubber toy, when pressed, a loud sound is heard. Most dogs adore them, they can nibble for a long time, crush them with their paws and just sit down to extract an unusual squeak.
It’s better to buy a small toy that can easily fit in your pocket - the size of a little more than a matchbox. But it is not worth giving a nibble - the dog can simply swallow it and choke, for entertainment it is better to purchase a larger analogue. But during walks (especially if you are raising a puppy), it must be clamped in the palm of your hand.
Using it is very simple. As soon as the puppy is too carried away and runs forward or to the side (or, on the contrary, has lagged behind, being interested in an interesting sliver or an amazing bug), hold the toy so that it makes a squeak. The pet will immediately forget about any other interesting things and will run to you. You don’t need to give a toy, but stroking, praising or even giving a small treat (traditionally developing positive emotions for obedience) is necessary.
For several weeks of such training, and sometimes even in a matter of days, the dog quickly realizes that the owner is much more interesting than any foreign objects and smells. Therefore, it is better to stay near it, do not go too far. So if you want to learn how to wean a dog by pulling a leash, pay attention to this method, which is the most humane and at the same time very effective.
Teach a puppy to a leash
Of course, as in any other areas of training, it is best to start raising a puppy than subsequently trying to adjust the behavior of an adult dog.
As mentioned above, first of all, one should abandon roulette, which generates in the fragile consciousness of a pet a connection between the amount of freedom and the force of tension. And also get a squeaker toy to work out the right priorities.
Another simple but quite effective technique is the correct location of the leash. Does the dog run in front-left? Then hold the leash in your right hand. And vice versa - with the front-right position, throw the leash into your left hand. At the same time, he should not reach directly to the pet, but pass from behind, in the region of the knees or lower legs. In this case, even if the puppy will twitch very much, he will not be able to cause you problems - there will not be enough strength and weight. But the four-legged baby himself will experience discomfort - he will constantly be pulled with a leash stretched, because the leash will either lengthen (when the owner rearranges his leg), then shorten (when he transfers the force of gravity). He will quickly realize that it is much more convenient to walk when the leash is not pulled. And this is exactly what the owner needs.
Is it possible to fix an adult dog?
Alas, sometimes it becomes necessary to understand how to wean an adult dog to pull a leash. Maybe you have already taken an adult dog or decided to correct the mistakes made during the upbringing. In any case, action must be decisive. Do not forget to use the squeaker - sometimes it works.
But more often it is necessary to use more radical measures - a noose collar and a strict collar. Yes, this is cruel to a dog. But it’s very effective. It is possible that precisely such moderate cruelty would subsequently save the dog’s life by accustoming him to discipline and obedience. A strict collar pierces the skin with special teeth when the dog pulls the leash, and in this situation, the noose compresses the throat.
There is no real danger here - it is more important to deliver a feeling of discomfort than to hurt a dog.
If the training did not help
Alas, sometimes even such harsh measures do not help - the dog (especially the elderly) still pulls the leash, despite months of attempts to wean it from a bad habit. In such a situation, it remains only to reconcile with reality.
Try not to let the child go for a walk with the dog - he may not be able to cope with a strong pet.
Also discard the collar in favor of the harness. Otherwise, due to strong and constant pressure, the pet's throat may be damaged.
Conclusion
Now you know how to wean a dog by pulling a leash. The effective methods listed above will certainly help your pet get rid of this bad habit.
So, your joint walks will become even more enjoyable, will bring maximum pleasure to both you and your pet.