Dogs do what works, and pulling their human to get to where they want to go is clearly a rewarding strategy that works for a lot of dogs.
Pulling feeds into a dog’s natural oppositional reflex – for centuries their natural response to something pulling them (burrs, predators and so on) has been to pull back, immediately.
Next time your dog is pulling, double-check – are you actually pulling your dog toward you because of something you see approaching? Is there a big dog coming toward you? A baby stroller?
Shorten the leash if needed by stepping toward your dog’s collar, and then take a deep calming breath and loosen the leash an inch or two. Loosening up will likely calm your dog and reduce their pulling impulse. You might also want to think about speeding your steps up a bit.
Many dogs naturally walk or trot more quickly than their human, and when they hit the end of the leash that oppositional reflex kicks in again.
While retraining a pulling dog takes time, a simple equipment change can make an immediate difference.
Back clip harnesses enable dog to pull most strongly – that’s why dog sled teams use them.
Worse yet, because dogs have four feet, any pull on the back harness that lifts or unbalances the front feet will makes dogs crouch and try to lunge forward to rebalance on all fours.
A front clip harness can make pulling less rewarding by turning the dog back to you when they pull. Safety is ensured by attaching the harness to your dog’s collar with a double-ended snap available at any hardware store.
This solution is the most humane – other tools can reduce pulling but many restrict the dog’s ability to breathe, and some (like prong collars) cause pain and aggression.
submitted by Helen Prinold of Dog Friendship Inc.
