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Does Your Dog or Puppy Pull on Walks? Start with the Basics. Capture & Teach Attention!

bentleyfielddisc1Dogs and puppies pull during walks because, from their points of view, it works. They get to move forward when they feel the pressure of the collar or harness against their bodies. Every time your dog pulls while walking on lead, he or she is learning to pull. The behavior is being fertilized! It will grow and become strong. Yikes!

There are many methods and tools one might use to teach a dog or puppy to walk nicely on a leash. Many people are content to only “halfway” address the behavior. This is evident by the number of people who use pinch collars, choke collars, Gentle Leader head collars, no-pull harnesses, Weiss Walkie, or any other STOP pulling equipment, forever. Their dogs will not walk nicely unless the threat of discomfort is present via the fitted equipment. The equipment is a condition for “walking nicely” behavior. Without the equipment, the dog pulls. With the equipment, the dog heels by the handler’s side or walks on a loose lead.

What I meant by “halfway” is this: the tools and equipment, just like verbal corrections and jerking the leash, are designed to STOP pulling. That’s okay by me; you can use the equipment forever and your dog will not pull. But, do not confuse that with teaching your dog to walk nicely or to heel. What you have done is convinced your dog to walk nicely by the threat of equipment pressure! My goal is to use the equipment as a temporary aid, while I teach the dog to walk nicely. Then I can use the equipment or not, depending on the environment.

My current favorite tool for controlling an exuberant dog during walks is the Canny Collar.

If you want to discontinue the use of equipment, you have two target goals. One is to STOP the pulling behavior, the other is to START “walking nicely” behavior!

I know what you are thinking, “my dog always pulls on walks; how can I use rewards to increase good behaviors if the dog never ever walks without pulling?”

Glad you asked. Start with the basics. Teach your dog to stand with you on a loose lead, before you teach your dog to walk without pulling.

First you’ll teach your dog to stand near to you, with a loose lead, before you ever start walking. You will teach a command that means, “look towards me, I will pay you!” I call this “Attention on Cue – while standing”.

Next, you will practice “Attention-on-cue” in many different locations, while adding distractions. Then you practice “Attention on Cue – while walking”. Take a step or two with your dog and ask for the look.

Finally you teach your dog “Attention without Cue – while standing”, then “Attention without Cue – while walking”. “Attention without cue” is when your dog checks in or looks at you voluntarily, without any commands or cues from you.

Once your dog has mastered “Attention”, you can start working on loose lead walking or heel. With a bit of time and effort (and the knowledge to teach attention), you can discard your pinch collar, choke collar, Gentle Leader head collar, et cetera!

Visit this page to learn how to teach your dog Attention-on-Cue, While Standing.

Attention-on-Cue, While Walking

After your dog has mastered Attention-on-Cue, While Standing, it’s time to add the distraction of walking.

This skill is a component of “walk-on-loose-lead”. It would be better to play without a leash, in a hall or narrow walkway, until your dog learns the game. Then you can practice in the back yard or on leash in public.

I taught Bentley this behavior on my narrow, front patio walkway. I started the game at the gate, so Bentley had only one direction to walk.


Get some high-value treats. Start at the end of the hall or narrow walkway. Practice “attention-on-cue, while standing”. Perform 2 to 3 trials.

Then somehow get your dog to walk ahead of you as you both start walking. I told Bentley “this way” and started walking forward, but you don’t necessarily need a cue. Just start walking and your dog will probably start walking too.

As soon as your dog is “a dog’s length” ahead, give your attention-on-cue command. Mark the instant your dog turns his or her head towards you.

Walk back to the starting point (end of hall) to deliver the treat. This is called one cycle or trial. The cycle began when you started walking and ended after you delivered the treat.

Repeat, but on the next trial, let your dog get 2 dog lengths ahead before you give the cue.

On the subsequent trials, you’ll increase the distance by one dog length each trial. For example, your dog will be 5 dog lengths ahead before you give the command during cycle 5.

Increase the distance during each trial until your dog will look back towards you when he or he or she is 8-10 feet ahead.

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The distance change from cycle to cycle can be very small or large. In the example, I used one dog length as starting distance and increased the distance by one dog length each cycle. You might start at one foot or even 1″ . . . whatever it takes to get the behavior.

Once your dog will perform without distractions, ask someone to stand in the hall while you practice. Then ask them to move their arms, tap their feet, sing, et cetera, while you practice. The goal is for them to become just a wee bit more exciting from cycle to cycle.

After your dog has mastered the behavior in the hall or narrow walkway with distractions, move to a different area with different distractions.

Even though your dog performs well inside, with minimal distractions, be prepared to repeat the beginning steps of the exercise whenever you add distractions.

Attention – Without Cue

Attention-without-cue is helpful when you are interacting with the dog and you want the dog to ignore other distractions and stay connected to you. This is a prerequisite for loose lead walking.

Here’s how to teach the dog to stay connected to you.

This exercise places the responsibility of ‘staying connected’ on the dog, not the handler.

Place your dog on a 6 foot leash. Stand quietly in one area. Your dog will sniff and explore. Be patient. Say nothing. Wait until the dog looks at you.

MARK the instant the dog turns his head towards you and then deliver a treat. Repeat until the dog is constantly looking at you. When this occurs, move to a different location a few feet away. The dog will be momentarily distracted. Repeat the process in the new location. Do this in 3 different locations each session. Hold 3 sessions each day for optimal results!

Once the dog gets better at volunteering the look, repeat the process with a longer leash. A longer leash gives the dog more choices of things to explore, which is the next grade or level of distraction.

As you practice this behavior, you can add other distractions like people standing or walking, other dogs, et cetera.

Once your dog is voluntarily checking in while you are standing, wait until your dog is not looking and take a step or two. If he or she moves with you or turns towards you, mark the instant he starts to move. This is a great way to begin teaching your dog to walk nicely on a lead.


Happy Training!

Alan J Turner – Companion Animal Behavior Counselor & Trainer, Canine Specialization

Private and Group Dog Training in Memphis TN

Owner: How’s Bentley

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Ruger LCP 380 Pocket Handgun with Safety Off, or Half Trained, Aggressive, Protection Dog?

Armani GSDI view personal protection dogs for suburban families like handguns. Exactly where do you go that demands such a high level of defense? Why do you go there? What do you want your dog to protect, and when?

Imagine a lady’s purse concealing a Ruger LCP 380 automatic pistol. Imagine the purse is filled with cosmetics, billfold, and numerous other goodies that ladies carry in their purses. Imagine the pistol is loaded and the safety is off.  YIKES! That’s an accident waiting to happen.

Over the past year, I’ve noticed a trend in new dog owners. Families are getting German Shepherd Dogs and other protection breeds like the Doberman Pincher or Cane Corso. All of the mentioned breeds can be the perfect family pet, with an educated owner. Problems arise when the amateurs attempt to train the dog to be warriors by increasing aggressive responses.

Some of these people praise and reward the dogs for aggressive behaviors, regardless of the situation. People have the idea that the dogs will protect them, and guard their property.  Bad idea. The owners create a dog that will guard and attack, without discrimination!

Dog breeds that were specifically created for protection, guard duty, and fighting are not the best choice for a novice dog owner. Without guidance and extensive training, these guys are no better than a loaded and cocked handgun banging around in a purse.

The average person does not know how to train a dog to perform basic commands, much less advanced protection behaviors. A guarding dog, in the hands of a family dog owner, a dog that is purposely rewarded for aggressive behaviors, is an accident waiting to happen. The instances where the dog needs to guard are very rare, and the instances when the dog should relax for visiting children and friends is often.

Say, regardless of the dog you own, or want to own, you’ll need a 6 foot, leather training leash to teach Basic Obedience COMMANDS.

Here’s a link to Amazon, who has the best price for a braided, 6 foot, 1/2″ leather leash.

Alan J Turner Memphis TN

How’s Bentley – 21st Century Canine Relationship Specialist

Reactive Dog Workshop


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Review:Dog Training Leash – Leather vs. Flat Nylon

Sparky_TetherThis article has a dual purpose. 1) to point out features of leather and nylon dog training leashes; 2) to provide a direct link for those who want to purchase a leather dog training lead for the best price.

There are many choices among dog equipment and supplies. Some tools are better for some situations. Over the years, I have refined my list of favorite dog training supplies. I used to shop online at pet speciality supply stores, but now I can purchase the items through Amazon.

I’ll say it now. I prefer leather leashes. The benefits are discussed in this article. Generally speaking, leather leashes cost more than nylon leashes. But that is not always the case. It depends on where you buy your leash. If you shop wisely, you can purchase a leather leash for just a bit more than a nylon leash. The leather leash at Amazon, linked in this article is priced to sell! I’ve paid more for nylon leashes!

Nylon leashes have benefits too. If you like color, forget about leather. Another concern for some users is the ability to sterilize the leash. A leather leash is not a good choice for vet clinics, shelters, rescue organizations, etc., because you cannot wash and sterilize the leather leashes. If you are in this situation, choose a nylon leash.

Leashes come in all lengths. There are traffic leads of 2 feet. There are long lines, which are 8 to 100 feet long. In this article, I am discussing training leads of 4-6 feet in length, with clasps that snap onto the dog’s equipment.

Leashes come in different widths too. Wider is not necessarily better. Generally speaking, the wider the leash, the heavier the clasp. Choose a width that fits your hand and your dog. A 1″ wide leash doesn’t fit into small hands very well. Ladies, children and men with smaller hands will like a 3/8″ – 1/2″ wide leash. Compared to a smaller lead, the clasp on a 1″ wide leash will be huge, and too heavy for a 15 lb. dog! If you have a 5 lb. yorkie or other toy breed, a 1/4″ leather or nylon will be fine.

  • I use a 1/4″ leather lead to walk Bentley, my 18 lb. terrier.
  • When I handle a 25-75 lb. dog, I use a 3/8″ or 1/2″ wide leather leash.
  • If the dog is 80 lbs or more, I’ll use a hefty 5/8″ leather leash.

My general training leashes are 5 or 6 feet in length. A shorter leash may be helpful if you have trouble controlling your dog in traffic.

Here’s a link to the best price for a braided, 6 foot, 1/2″ leather leash.

A good training leash has several functions. First, it should function. The snap should be easy to operate and fail proof. I dislike the lobster claw and variations of a spring loaded snap (without a knob). I’ve seen more than one person holding an empty leash in their hands when the clasps failed! I’ve never experienced a failure with a bolt snap type of clasp. A bolt snap has a spring loaded knob you slide down to open the hook.

Next, a leash should be durable. The fewer seams in the leash, the better! Nylon leashes are stitches or stapled. The joints will eventually fail, and the nylon material will deteriorate over time. Leather leashes are stitched, stapled, or braided. The braided leather leashes will last a lifetime (unless you let your dog chew it).

The leash should be easy to hold and grip.
You should never slide the handle end of the leash onto your arm, like a bracelet.
That’s the danger zone!

Nylon leashes are okay for grip, but they compress in your hands. You’ll need a wider nylon leash, because the slick nylon is difficult to grip. You’ll exert more pressure on your hand muscles hanging on to a nylon leash. A leather leash is easier to grip. Leather doesn’t compress and change shapes. Of course, you can always form a knot at just the right spot, in either style leash to get a better grip.

In the picture, Sparky is not wearing a training leash. He’s sporting a home made, 8′ tether!

Happy Training!

Alan J Turner – How’s Bentley – Memphis TN
Reactive Dog Workshops