How I Stopped My Dog From Pulling On The Leash

How I Stopped My Dog From Pulling on the Leash

Last updated on June 7, 2025 By Puppy Leaks 44 Comments

If there’s one thing I envy at the park it’s seeing dogs that walk perfectly by their owner’s side. Another dog coming up? Doesn’t phase them at all. A trio of excited kids approaching? The dog doesn’t even seem to notice.

My dog and I used to be the complete opposite. I was the lady trying desperately to keep my dog calm on walks, holding her back with all my power whenever someone walked by.

But a few years back I finally found some loose leashing walking tips that helped. After reading and watching everything I could find on the subject I found some methods that actually worked. In this article we’ll go over why dog’s pull on the leash, methods you can use to stop the leash pulling, and why consistency is key. Here’s how I stopped my dog from pulling on the leash.

Why Dogs Pull on The Leash

Before diving into the methods that will stop your dog from pulling on the leash let’s take a quick look at why dogs pull on the leash to begin with. As with many other behaviors, understanding why dogs pull on the leash, and how we are likely inadvertently encouraging it, will make managing the behavior easier.

Simply put, dogs pull on the leash because it’s normal canine behavior. Is it desirable? No, but it is natural to them. Pulling gets them where they want to go at their own pace.

Your dog doesn’t pull on the leash because they’re trying to be dominant, they do it because it works. In other words, if you’re behind your dog on walks and they’re pulling and you keep going along with it, you’re teaching them to pull even more. That pulling is being rewarded because it keeps them moving forward and getting to where they want to go.

I am not going to sugarcoat this — if your dog has always pulled on leash it’s going to be a hard habit to break. Because they’re used to moving forward while pulling that behavior has been encouraged, and a dog’s natural reflex is to oppose restraint. But if you’re consistent enough you can break that habit, and over time you can put and end to all that pulling by showing your dog that walking by your side is much more rewarding.

Not All Methods Will Work Perfectly For Every Dog

The first thing to keep in mind when teaching your dog to stop pulling on the leash is that not every method will work for every dog (this goes for dog training in general). I’ve tried many methods when it comes to loose leash walking, and I always felt like a failure when one didn’t work. So if you’ve read up on loose leash pulling in the past but didn’t see results, trust me when I say you’re not alone.

Much of dog training is about finding what motivates your dog, and building on that. For Laika I stuck with methods that offered good incentives for my dog — ones that included lots of yummy treats and toys as motivation.

Have you ever heard of the be a tree tip? It goes like this — when your dog begins to pull on a walk you stop and stand still. The theory is that your dog will learn that pulling means you’re gonna pause the walk, therefore he won’t pull anymore.

Do you know what happened when I tried that with my excitable dog that was already used to pulling on leash? She pulled even harder to get where she wanted to go and got frustrated when I wouldn’t move.

If you’re patient enough you might be able to have success with this method, but it didn’t work very well for my dog. I tried for months, and I was stuck on the side of the road, stopping every 3 feet to stand still for a couple of minutes hoping my dog would choose to settle down. But that didn’t happen. At best she’d stay at the end of the leash looking forward, and sometimes she’d stop for a moment but as soon as we started moving again she was right back to pulling.

Being a tree didn’t work for my dog — part of that’s due to her excitability, but most of it was due to the fact that for years she had been rewarded for pulling because she’d still get where she wanted to go.

And keep in mind if you suddenly stop every time your dog pulls they have no clue why. For all the know you might just be doing weird human things and asking them to wait. That’s why using treats (method 4) works so much better; by luring them with a treat you can show them exactly what you want and expect from them, rather than hoping they’ll pick it up on their own.

Now this isn’t to say that be a tree doesn’t work well for some dogs; I’ve seen it work. It just didn’t work well for my dog, and might not be the best method if you have a dog that’s been pulling for a long time.

When it comes to training your dog to walk nicely on the leash keep one thing in mind — not all methods work perfectly for every dog. Don’t get discouraged if one single method doesn’t work with your dog. Part of dog training is figuring out what motivates your dog, and building on that.

1. Pick One Walking Method and Stick With It

The first tip when it comes to teaching your dog not to pull on the leash is picking one walking method and being consistent. You need to teach your dog what behavior is acceptable on a walk, so figuring out how you want your dog to walk and being consistent with that goal is the quickest way to get there.

Do you want your dog to walk on your right side, left side, or a few steps behind? Pick your preference and stay consistent. If you want your dog to stick to your right side at all times make sure everyone who walks him sticks to that plan. Sticking with one method will help teach your dog exactly what’s expected of them on a walk, and will make training go smoother.

2. Start in a Non Exciting Area

When it comes to teaching your dog how to walk nicely on a leash one thing you want to avoid is setting them up to fail. So when you’re trying to teach your dog to remain calm and walk nicely it’s important to use a non exciting are for you training, not a park filled with 10,000 squirrels to chase after. Pick a quiet time of the day and practice walking down the street, go for an evening stroll during dinner time when most people are indoors, or go to a park during non peak hours.

If you take your dog to a crowded park before they have good leash manners (and proper impulse control) chances are they’re going to be far too excited and stimulated to pay attention and learn anything. They’ll be far too distracted by all those exciting sounds, smells, and sights — and of course squirrels. Don’t set your dog up to fail like that. Start by teaching your dog how to walk nicely in a calm area and build from there.

3. The Cheater Method: Using a Front Clip Harness

My favorite method when it comes to teaching your dog not to pull on the leash is one I call the cheater method — using a front clip harness. The best part of using a front clip harnesses is that they’re easy to use; the hardest part is figuring out how the hell to put them on the first couple of times.

I have zero regrets about getting a front clip harness years ago, in fact it’s one of the tools I wish I’d had from the very beginning. I’ve never seen a single piece of equipment have such an immediate impact on walks. Using a front clip harness is one of my favorite dog walking tips for that very reason; it’s a nice simple way to help “reset” your dog’s leash manners if you haven’t been using one.

Using a different piece of gear works especially well on dogs that are already accustomed to pulling with a traditional collar and/or leash combo. Instead of pulling from the back of their neck, they’re suddenly pulling from the front. From the moment you start using your new harness keep up the praise as your dog walks nicely. Your dog will start to associate the harness with loose leash walking.

It’s the same method used by a lot of police K9s. They have different collars and/or harnesses they wear depending on the tasks they’re being given. A simple switch of their collar puts them into a different mindset, and they know exactly what is expected of them.

Before using that harness I had been using a traditional leash and collar, and Laika had already grown accustomed to pulling. She would start pulling immediately as soon as we got out the door, but once I switched to the front clip harness that changed. She wasn’t used to that harness, or having a leash that clipped in the front — so I took advantage of that period and started teaching her nice walking manners while she adjusted to the new piece of gear. It didn’t take long for her to catch on, and since then our walks have been much more enjoyable.

4. Non Cheater Method: Load Up On Treats

Now if you don’t want to go out and buy a new harness that’s fine, you can still encourage your dog to walk nicely on the leash by offering enough treats.

Whatever method you end up using to keep your dog from pulling on the leash the most important thing to remember is that you have to keep your dog motivated, that’s why treats as so beneficial. To help encourage them to walk nicely you need to show them that good things happen when they do, and the easiest way to accomplish that is by using yummy treats.

To start the process of teaching loose leash manners go to a non busy place for a walk and load up on treats. You can use treats in your hand to guide your dog how you want them to walk in a straight line, then switch it up a bit by giving them a treat as you change directions. Over time your dog will learn to watch where you’re going on the walk and to follow suit.

It sounds simple enough, and technically it is, but it requires a lot of repetition if your dog has been pulling for years. That’s a hard habit to break, but with enough consistency your dog will learn that staying by your side is what is expected of them.

So when you start teaching your dog how to walk on a leash remember to use treats (or toys if your dog is more play motivated) to encourage them to follow you. This will show them that walking nicely without pulling on the leash means good things happen, and in time they’ll start to repeat that behavior on their own.

Resources & Recommended Reading

• Loose Leash Walking Fundamentals
• How to Teach Loose Leash Walking
• Loose Leash Walking: Putting an End to Leash Pulling
• Teach Your Dog to Walk Nicely on a Leash

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