Champions’ Tips: What to Do When Your Dog Pulls on the Leash?
- Background
A walk with a dog is supposed to be a time of connection, calm and shared enjoyment.
But when a dog pulls on the leash – the walk quickly turns into a physical struggle, frustration and sometimes also a safety hazard.
In this article I’ll explain, from professional experience of working with hundreds of dogs and owners,
how to understand why this happens — and how to build a calmer, more orderly and safer walk.
- Explanation
Why do dogs pull on the leash?
Pulling on the leash is a very common behavior, and it doesn’t indicate a “problematic dog”.
In most cases it’s a combination of several factors:
- Environmental excitement
The outside world is full of stimuli: smells, people, dogs, noises and movement.
The dog experiences sensory overload and wants to get quickly to the next stimulus.
- Excess energy
A dog that doesn’t release physical and mental energy — “lets it out” during the walk.
- A lack of communicative clarity
The dog simply doesn’t understand what’s expected of it during the walk:
What’s the pace? Where is its position relative to you? What counts as “correct”?
In most cases the problem doesn’t start with the dog — but with the absence of clear rules and consistent communication.
- Continued
How do you stop leash pulling — the right way
- Adapting the equipment (a critical basis)
A leash, a collar or a harness that are unsuitable can make the problem worse:
Equipment that creates unnecessary pain or pressure → increases resistance and is considered dangerous, such as, for example, a choke collar
Equipment that allows free pulling → reinforces the behavior, such as, for example, a harness.
The goal: comfortable, stable equipment that doesn’t create pain — but also doesn’t “encourage pulling”.
- A basic rule: pulling doesn’t move the dog forward
A dog learns through consequence.
If pulling forward = progress → the pulling gets stronger.
Therefore:
When there’s tension on the leash → you stop
When the leash goes slack → you keep walking
This way the dog learns a simple rule: a slack leash = moving forward
tension = no progress
This is basic behavioral learning, not forceful — but logical to the dog.
- Learning to heel (not control — but coordination)
The goal isn’t “controlling the dog”, but a synchronized walk.
How do you start correctly:
Initial practice in a quiet environment (home / yard / an area without stimuli)
Short, focused practice, without overload
Using a fixed keyword: “Heel”, “Together”, “Close” — one clear and consistent word
Only after there’s a foundation — you gradually move to an environment with more stimuli.
- Precise positive reinforcement
When the dog: walks with a slack leash, keeps the correct position and doesn’t pull
➡️ receives immediate reinforcement:
a small treat, a kind word, a brief touch
This way a clear understanding is built: a calm walk = pays off
- Gradual work with stimuli
You don’t start training next to:
other dogs, cats, strong smells, noise and movement
You start in quiet → build successes → raise the difficulty level gradually.
This is a critical principle in professional training.
- Summary
A professional tip from me as a dog trainer 🐾
Many people try to “solve pulling” with techniques —
but they miss one important thing:
pulling is a symptom, not the problem itself.
It usually reflects:
excess energy
emotional overload
a lack of self-regulation
a lack of clear boundaries
or a lack of communicative understanding
Before correcting a behavior — you need to understand the dog: its emotional state, its level of excitement, and its ability to listen at all in a given environment.
When you work correctly — the walk is built from the inside out, not through leash tugs.
When is it right to turn to a professional dog trainer?
It’s worth considering the guidance of a professional dog trainer when:
there is fear or aggression toward external stimuli
the dog keeps pulling despite consistent practice
there is severe emotional overload during walks
there is a desire to build a calm and stable relationship, not just “controlling the behavior”
A professional trainer knows:
to read body language, to diagnose the source of the behavior, to build a personally tailored plan for the dog and the owners and to combine physical, mental and emotional work — as one system
In summary
Leash pulling is a common problem — but also a solvable one.
With the right equipment, clear communication, consistent practice, and precise positive reinforcement — you can turn the walks into a calm, safe and pleasant experience for both sides.
A proper walk isn’t a power struggle — it’s the result of understanding, coordination and cooperation between human and dog.
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