My Dog Pulls Like a Freight Train

Woot woot! Was that you whizzing by powered by a four-legged locomotive? If so, check out a few dog training secret tips to stop leash pulling plus they’re pretty easy!

Why Dogs Pull on Leash

Dogs pull because they want to move forward. It’s that simple. There is nothing dominant about leash pulling. They learned if they move forward, you’ll likely follow. I know, mind blowing, huh? 🙂

Stroking the Leash

This was pretty new to me so I gave it a try and was amazed at the results! TTouch was designed to work with animals by using touch and body awareness, which builds confidence and promotes self control (self soothing in stressful situations). The stroking the leash technique removes leash tension, which is extremely beneficial for all dogs. Stroking the leash perfectly describes the process. You’re rhythmically pulling the leash towards you using light pressure. Not only does this work for strong pulling dogs, it also is hugely beneficial for scared or shut down dogs who become frozen during scary situations.

Stroking the Lead – TTouch Tips

Take a peek at this video demonstrating how to stroke the lead of a distracted dog.

Teaching Collar Pressure

Sharing my home with larger dogs through the years, my go-to tip for teaching polite leash manners is teaching collar pressure. This technique works extremely well for teaching dogs to follow pressure instead of pulling against it (opposition reflex). Opposition reflex is an instinctual reaction to pressure. If I push against you, you’ll push back and you don’t want to fall over. It’s a natural and life saving response, but sometimes opposition reflex is interpreted as stubbornness or resistance, which is furthest from the truth.

It’s difficult to work against opposition reflex so let’s work with it! Instead of continuing to pull against your dog, apply a bit of pressure and wait for your dog to release his pressure, then click/treat! When applying pressure, lightly pull your dog’s collar towards you. Applied pressure is enough to engage opposition reflex, but not enough to move the dog. Always click and treat when your dog releases the pressure.

Dog Training Tip: Teaching Collar Pressure

During this video, I demonstrate how to apply collar pressure for a large and small dog with and without distractions.

Say goodbye to your freight train and hello to polite leash manners! Have you tried teaching collar pressure or stroking the lead yet?