We all have visions of a relaxing walk on the sidewalk or in the woods with our dog, however, for some, the reality replaces the vision with pure frustration as your dog drags you down the sidewalk while on a leash. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. First, to fix the problem, we must look at why the dog pulls. A dog could pull on the leash because he has lots of bottled up energy that he needs to use up. Or, a dog pulls on the leash because of something he sees and wants to explore. Or, a dog may pull because it has become a habit and he doesn’t know anything else. The best way to stop your dog from pulling is to start with the dog realizing there is someone at the end of the leash, meaning you. The second, is teach the dog what is expected on the leash with effective  training techniques that teach the dog what it’s like to walk beside you or to calmly walk in front of you. Proper communication, equipment and training techniques can help you and your pet have a better experience on your daily walks. Also, other things to consider, is the  amount and type of exercise your pooch is getting, along with providing  mental challenges to your dog which could help his or her excited energy.

A POSSIBLE TECHNIQUE TO TRY:

First, let your dog relieve himself before your walk. Make it a point, to quickly get your dog to a designated area for this, and then tell your pooch, “go potty”. After this, begin walking your dog in an area with little or no distractions. Once the leash is taut, turn immediately in the opposite direction until your dog is walking with you on a loose leash. Immediately reward with a treat. Then turn the opposite direction again. If the leash becomes taut again, repeat the above exercise.  Once, your dog learns to look at you, as if to ask you, “am I doing it right”, praise the dog for eye contact and walking at your pace. Perform this for a couple of weeks, then increase the challenge with a more distracting area. Don’t move to fast or expect too much at the beginning. Always use lots of praise when your dog performs the way you would like. Saying good boy! Or good girl! With a happy face can go a long way with training your dog.