Dogs and Puppies Pulling On Lead

• Start off lead in house, there are fewer distractions here so it should be more straight forward, then when this is good progress to the garden. There is no time limit to getting it right. Be patient.
• Look to your dog, you are interacting with him, so when he glances up he is immediately rewarded with your kind and happy face. Walk backwards, have a toy with you, make yourself interesting.
• If he jumps up, stop, no eye contact, no speech, no emotion. When dog calm, continue.
• Short and sweet lessons. If he loses focus, call him back, have another go. It’s not his fault, he may feel stressed and need a break. Finish on a good note.
• Move to on lead in house and garden taking it slow still within boundary. At least 4 times a day building on time gradually as you and he get better. Go at his learning speed.
• When at heel give reward and praise regularly. If he goes in front, stop, rest, then walk in other direction. Reward and praise when back at heel. You may have to walk backwards initially so you keep great eye contact.
• Test your dog out, stop every now and again, if your dog is logged on to you, he will stop also, praise him. If however, he carries on, let him, he will stop when he gets to the end of the lead. You call your dog to you and begin again.
• Testing the stop is as important as walking.
• Try just moving one foot forward and stop. Just because you’ve done A doesn’t mean B is going to happen, this will focus your dog on to you.
• Progress further outside boundary as able Short and sweet get it right, too long you’ll get it wrong.
• Have fun, be fun AND ANIMATED with a quiet dog and cool calm with long vowel sounds for a reactive dog…. get his attention.
• With a bouncy dog, you will have to be quieter but still interesting.
• Do not go the same way every time, do not be predictable.
• Be "Relaxed” at every stage, if you lose your dogs focus, go back to where you had it and begin again.
• Be prepared to call a walk off if you are not getting this feeling after 3 or 4 attempts.
• If you have a dog that runs and doesn’t come back…Do not let off lead until you have complete "Relaxed and focused dog where ever you go on lead. Short or long line.
• When you do let off a short lead, have a long line to make you feel more confident….so is he does not recall immediately you can reel in , do short line work for a couple of minutes, then have another go.
• You can play follow me on the long line, just walk off at 90 degrees and if your dog is logged on he will turn and move in your direction.
• Be inviting and fun when he comes to you.
• Remember a walk does not have to mean a hike..play en route, give time for standing and staring at your surroundings and sniffy time for your dog.
• All the on lead work will be greatly speed-ed up and you will get to your long walks quicker by using our Happy At Heel Harness ™ designed and patented by us. Take a look on our website to find out more. Great for dogs of all sizes who lunge and pull on the lead. Stops forward momentum and guides the dog round to face you, not painful for you or you’re dog and helps with the bond and teaches your dog to walk with you, rather than a restraint. If you dog has struggled to look up at you before, by using this as instructed you’ll be happy to find that he does start to do just that. 

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