If you’ve ever had a dog that has pulled during walks (and let’s face it, that’s probably most of us), then you know full well just how unpleasant the outings can be.
I have been dragged down hills by dogs, tripped over dogs, and have hurt my back at sudden lunges.
After working with my trainer, Ruben of Kindred Dog PDX, I learned a ton of super helpful loose leash walking tips that have changed the way I think about dog walks. After several weeks of dedicated work, Sitka is great on leash and I know how to manage him in various situations.
Teaching a dog to walk nicely on a leash requires patience and committment. It is a monotonous process that involves redefining what it means to walk with your dog. As tedious as the process is, it is temporary and the end result will make you swell with pride.
What is Loose Leash Walking?
Loose leash walking means that your dog is walking by your side and not pulling on the leash at any time during your walk. So many owners expect dogs to just know how to walk on leash out of the box, but unfortunately, that is not the case.
There are so many stimuli luring them in all sorts of directions like, dogs, noises, people, smells, marking opportunities, etc. Teaching loose leash walking not only makes walks more enjoyable, but also serves as a platform for building and eliminating many other essential skills and behaviors, such as:
- Leash reactivity
- Tantrums
- Constant marking
- Fears
- Trail Etiquette
Characteristics of loose leash walking include:
- No leash tension
- The leash is in a “J” shape
- Your dog is walking by your side
- Your dog doesn’t sniff or mark constantly, except on command
- Your dog ignores other stimulus like dogs, noises, and people
How long does it take to leash train a dog?
This all depends on how dedicated and how consistent you are with the training. I’ve been working with Sitka for about two months and we can go on normal walks for the most part.
We’re still working on leash reactivity to other dogs and loud vehicles, as well as distractions by other furry creatures like cats and bunnies, but the majority of our walks are pretty perfect.
This came after thrice daily 20-min walks, spaced out throughout the day. In between walks, Sitka was either in his kennel or in “place” on his cot.
Trust me when I tell you that these walks were plenty to tire him out for the day. We didn’t run. We didn’t hike. We didn’t play with other dogs. We did these three very mentally challenging walks daily and he was pooped.
Focusing on ignoring other distractions and following the handler’s lead is very mentally draining. Think about when you drive in bad weather versus a sunny day. By the time you reach your destination, you are socked.
Loose Leash Walking Tools
For a successful outing, you’ll want to bring along a few essential tools on every walk. You won’t always look super fashionable, but you’ll have the best trained dog on the trail.
Treat Pouch
This is where you will store the goods. I prefer those with waist belt because I don’t always have a waist band to which I can attach them. I haven’t yet found my perfect treat pouch, but any of the following are good enough:
- Hurtta Bounty Bag – I like that I can stick my entire hand in the pouch and easily reach treats. It also fits a few other accessories like poop bag and keys. The downside is that it doesn’t close fully and the rim at the top sometimes cuts my cuticles.
- Ruffwear Treat Trader – This bag is quite a bit smaller than I prefer, but my hand fits in just fine and the materials are high quality. I like the magnetic closure that seals fully shut when not in use. There is not much room for anything besides treats.
Treats
Mix a handful of high value treats and other not-quite-as-exciting-but-still-enjoyable-treats in with your dog’s food. This will keep them anticipating the arrival of the extra fun treat and will also give you the opportunity to reward your dog big when they do something that makes you extra proud.
Rather than feed your dog their meals in their bowl, feed them throughout the day during your training sessions. This will make them more eager to please.
If you feed raw, you can get a Goo Toob and fill it with their meals. Just squeeze out a small amount as a treat.
Collars
I personally use a prong and e-collar (and will be publishing more content on that soon) to train Sitka. I find these tools allow me to better communicate with him, opposed to a traditional flat collar or relying on treats alone.
These are the brands I use, as recommended by my trainer:
Herm Sprenger – Get them directly from your trainer or from Herm Sprenger. Amazon has been known to sell phonies and I would not recommend the risk.
E-Collar Technologies ME-300 Micro Educator – Again, I recommend purchasing directly from the source, not from Amazon.
I do not recommend nor advise the use of an e-collar or prong collar without the guidance of a professional trainer.
If you do not wish to use a prong and e-collar at this point, use what you are comfortable with, however I do not recommend the use of:
Harnesses – I do not find that they allow effective communication between handler and dog. They are also designed for pulling, (yes, even the “no pull” harnesses) and this is the exact behavior we are trying to combat.
Gentle Leader/Face Harness – We used one with Sora and while it does prevent pulling, it doesn’t actually teach your dog how to walk nicely on a leash. She hated it and would hide when we got it out.
Retractable Leash – Very few dog owners know how to properly use a retractable leash. They can be dangerous, do not enable management of your dog, and confuse your dog due to the different lengths.
Clicker
Clickers can work really well to mark behaviors. Just like using the word “yes,” they give your dog a signal that they did what you want. They’re cheap and you can get them at any pet store.
Biothane Leash
I love biothane leashes. They are lightweight, waterproof, mudproof, they don’t cause abrasions or burns, they are easy to grab. Every time I have to use a back up leash for training walks, I am reminded of how much better a biothane leash is. I love them so much, I put together an entire post dedicated to my favorite ones.
Loose Leash Walking Tips from My Professional Trainer
Loose leash walking was one of those skills that I was never really able to master with my dogs. After working with my trainer, I learned about the importance of taking very slow baby steps to get to where we wanted.
It’s excruciating at times because you want nothing more than to go for a hike or a run or a walk with a friend and you just have to say no because your dog isn’t there yet.
With practice and by incorporating these tips, you will get there. The more you work together, the faster the progress will happen.
Go on Structured Walks
Structured walks changed everything for Sitka and me. These walks serve a purpose more than just to get some exercise. They require a lot of thinking on the dog’s part and full attention from the handler. I guarantee your dog will be tired after this mentally exhausting exercise.
How does a structured walk differ from a regular dog walk? In a lot of ways, I quickly learned.
During a structured walk, your dog’s job is to walk, plain and simple. No sniffing, no greetings, no potty.
Allow your dog a few minutes to go potty at the start of the walk and if they don’t go then, then it’s back to structured walking. No marking. No sniffing. No stopping to look at other dogs or distractions. No greeting people or other dogs. You are simply walking.
You’re not walking and chatting with a friend.
You’re not talking on the phone.
You’re not listening to a podcast.
You are walking your dog. Period.
The point of a structured dog walk is to provide leadership for your dog and teach them to follow you. While the walk may seem restrictive, dogs love structure and thrive with boundaries.
Start Indoors
During my month-long training classes, we never once set foot outdoors during a lesson with Sitka. Starting training indoors gives your dog the opportunity to practice walking on a leash with minimal distractions. There are no other people, dogs, noises, cars, or smells to compete for your dog’s attention.
Take note of when your dog becomes excited as you move around the house. Is it when you go toward the front door? The garage? These are the locations you need to practice walking in your home. Teach your dog that just because you open the door, it doesn’t mean that you’re going for a walk or that they are allowed to whine or throw a tantrum.
Until your dog is ready to greet the outdoor world, save the outdoors for potty and structured playtime in the backyard only.
Go by time, not by route
This was hands down the most important lesson I learned from my experience working with my trainer. By shifting the idea of what I considered to be a dog walk, I didn’t allow Sitka the opportunity to pull, react to other dogs or people, or be distracted by noises.
Instead of heading out for our usual morning route, I set a timer for 20 minutes and we would walk out the front door. Our walks were dictated by changing directions if Sitka pulled, walking back and forth in front of distractions, and avoiding other dogs.
In the beginning, we barely made it to the next block. For 20 minutes, we would simply walk back and forth and back and forth on the same street. Other days, we made it to the nearby busy street with lots of distractions and would just walk up and down and back and forth.
If I wanted to train Sitka around other dogs at a park, we’d get in the car and drive there, even if it was just a few blocks away. We never would have made it otherwise.
As my trainer put it, we were still getting a walk in, it just wasn’t based on a specific destination.
Walk in Circles
We spent a lot of our first weeks learning to walk nicely on a leash going in circles or figure 8 motions. This is because any time Sitka would put pressure on the leash, I would turn around. This is the reason that during our first training walks, we barely made it off our street.
I also do these just to change things up and make sure he’s with me. I’ll do a sudden right or left pivot with the goal of keeping him at my heel through the turn. Think of it like a dance.
Over time, you’ll be able to go on normal walks with your dog, but until then, be very diligent about not rewarding pulling by continuing in the direction your dog wishes to go.
This teaches your dog to focus on you and coordinate their movements with ours. The human leads the way, not the dog during these structured walks.
Teach Pressure-Release
Dogs naturally want to move with rather than against pressure, so one way to teach them to move with you is to teach them to move with the pressure. I have been most successful teaching pressure-release using a Herm Sprenger Prong Collar (the only brand any good balanced trainer will recommend), but it is possible with a flat or martingale collar, it just may take longer.
When your dog pulls, stop, and gently pull the leash in the opposition direction, stopping once the leash is taut. You don’t want to actually pull your dog, just add some tension. When they give into the pressure, release, mark with “yes” or a clicker, and reward.
You’ll want to do this every single time they start to pull.
Tip: Don’t pull the leash up, rather aim for a 45° angle at most, or ideally closer to perpendicular to your do. Remember, you’re trying to lead them in the direction you want to go.
Change Paces
Varying your speed during structured walks demonstrates whether or not your dog is truly focused on you. Most of the time, we go about our walk at a normal pace. However, since I want Sitka to run at my side on trails, I pick up the pace to our running speed. When I slow down, I want him slowing at the same rate as I am.
Similarly, we often go on painfully slow walks. I do this because Sitka is a go-go-go dog. Slowing down forces him to really think about our movement and focus on walking together. I also slow down when we walk past “scary” things once I see that he can handle it.
Learn to Read Your Dog
Dogs speak dog and humans speak whatever language they speak. Too often, we teach our dogs to understand our language without even bothering to understand theirs. It’s pretty unfair of us!
Dogs communicate in many different ways, including through body language and sounds and it is your job as their human to learn what different expressions mean. This is how you will learn to diffuse any unwanted behaviors over time.
With Sitka, I look for the following during our walks:
- Staring
- Ears and head perked
- Whining
- Pulling
- Panting
- “Whale” noises
- Huffing
I know what each of these signals means with him and therefore know how to mitigate any unwanted situations or behaviors by changing his state of mind before he reaches threshold the second I see him communicate.
Put a little stress on your dog
If you follow me on Instagram, then you know very well that Monday is Garbage Day and that we go hang out with the garbage trucks every week. Sitka hates the sound of the trucks, so we have been working on desensitization by practicing “place” and recall commands while the trucks are doing their thing.
We also walk along busy roads with loud trucks and cars. We walk back and forth in front of neighbors who are pressure washing their driveways. I make him sit next to the mail truck while the driver is loading the mailbox. We walk past other dogs.
Like with humans, the only way to get over a fear is to face it. The key is working within their threshold. If they flip out, then you’ve gone too far. You have to work with your dog over time. We’ve been hanging out with the garbage truck for months.
By putting some stress on Sitka during our walks, I show him that I will keep him safe from all of those scary things and that he doesn’t need to worry about them.
Here’s a tip: Make a list of all the things that stress your dog. Be very specific. Don’t just write “cars.” Write “motorcycles,” “garbage trucks,” “delivery vans.” Which are the worst offenders? Then go seek those opportunities to practice around those scary things.
Be Consistent
So many pay thousands of dollars for a dog trainer and then wonder why the dog doesn’t act the same way with their handlers at home. A lot of the time, this is because the owners are softer and more lenient with their dogs than the trainer was.
I make mistakes of course, but I try to be consistent as much as possible during our walks. This means I dissuade pulling, lunging, sniffing, and marking every time it happens. I make sure he sits at my heel when we stop every single time and that he stays by my side when we walk or run.
If you don’t maintain consistency, it confuses your dog. They won’t understand what you are looking for, so when you have to correct them, that’s on you, not them.
If You’re Not Willing to Train, Then Don’t Take Your Dog
Stay at home orders during the covid-19 pandemic ended up being one of the best things that could have happened to us in relation to dog training. Since our trails were closed and we were resigned to our neighborhood streets only, the temptation to take him hiking or trail running before he was ready was removed.
We had no choice but to focus on training and we made serious strides in our loose leash walking skills as a result.
I asked my trainer if I could take Sitka to happy hour at a restaurant with friends. He said yes, as long as I am willing to work with him. Sitka and I made a few passes by the patio and I could see he wasn’t ready to enter, so he went back to the car.
I desperately wanted to go for a hike in between lessons, but that meant potentially walking back and forth along the first 100 meters of the trail so as not to regress with our training. I chose not to go.
I ran solo for the first few weeks because I wanted to run and not train my dog. So he stayed at home in his kennel.
If you are not willing or able to focus on your dog 100% during this training period, then don’t bring your dog. It will only cause frustration for the both of you.
What tips do you have for teaching loose leash walking?
How long did it take your dog to learn to walk nicely on leash?
PIN FOR LATER!
THANK YOU for this post!! Exactly what I needed to read today – I rescued an almost 3 year old dog about 5 months ago, and while our walks have definitely improved from where we started, I know that there is so much more I can do, so this is perfect! I’d love to not have Denali lunging at squirrels, pulling to sniff (or try and eat) things, or stopping to sit abruptly and refuse to walk so she can stare at dogs/people haha.
Oh I’m so glad you found this helpful! It’s been so much better walking with Sitka since I learned all of these techniques and I hope they help you and Denali!
Hi Jen,
So many good tips here! My favorite is your advice for going on structured walks with no distractions for the human. I mean, that seems only fair. If I’m expecting my dog to ignore squirrels, then I should ignore my phone, right?
My one exception is when we’re practicing up varying our pace. I use the cues “hurry”, “easy”, and “wait” a lot. They help us navigate crowds safely along with stairs. I’ll say “wait” and my expectation is that Bernie and Lizzie will stop, sit, and wait for me to release them with “okay”. Sometimes when we practice “wait” I’ll pull out my phone to check an email or something quick. My thought process is that if I ever needed to check my phone quickly for an emergency, I want them to know what to do. Reliably. Nobody needs dogs pulling when you’re reading potentially bad or concerning news.
Teaching Bernie to LLW was easier since he was our only dog at the time. When we got Lizzie, I took her on solo training walks, but not enough. I didn’t solidify her LLW skill before taking both pups on walks together. When I saw her struggling, I changed my routine and started taking them on separate walks 4-5 times a week during the nicer weather months in Arizona. Now when it’s summer, I walk them together and Lizzie does much much better. At the beginning of walks, she may trot out front too far, but that’s when I become The Tree and just stop. She turns around and looks at me like, “oh fine, I’ll walk next to you.” LOL! I may need to become The Tree a few times at the beginning of the walk, but then she’s good for the rest of our walk.
Thanks for sharing the tips from your trainer! Stay safe and healthy!
Thanks so much for having a read and sharing your experience! Every time the thought of getting a second dog even crosses my mind, I need to remind myself that the one I currently haven’t isn’t completely trained yet. Having two dogs certainly makes things a little more challenging.
I have taught Sitka to sit and wait (or lie down, if he feels) when we stop. I say “good” and that means he has to keep doing what he’s doing until I release him, so similar to “wait,” “hurry,” and “easy!” On runs, when he’s off leash or we’re going down hill on leash, I use “whoa” so we don’t avalanche down the hill. lol.
Oh, I like the “whoa” cue. That makes such a great distinction for the circumstances. And I’ve learned that dogs really do understand context. I may try it out on a few hikes we do with big hills. Best of luck as you and Sitka keep bonding and training. Looking forward to reading more of your adventures together:)
It’s pretty amazing how well it works! I learned the trick from Patricia McConnell. I forget which one of her books, I think it was in the Education of Will. She studied how handlers communicate with their animals across a variety of industries and they all use a very similar tactic for going fast and slowing down.
Thanks for mentioning that outings can be unpleasant if you have a dog that pulls its leash on walks. My wife and I are considering looking for a trainer for our canine because we noticed last week that he constantly tried to run after and play other dogs in the park when he wasn’t supposed to. I think it’s wise for us to contemplate hiring a reputable professional that can help us teach our pet to stay and listen to commands as best as possible.
Walking with a dog that pulls is not fun at all! I hope that you and your wife can find someone who is able to help you with your pup.
I need to print this. How do I do that? It is very valuable information. Resonates totally with me, and my experience with my dog. I, too, have worked with trainer, and it has been valuable. But the pragmatics of the way you lay this out and the step wise, clear instructions are wonderful. So, I need a copy of this. How do i get it, or print it?
Hey Sue! I’m so glad you found this article helpful! You should be able to right click on the page and select print.
Thanks for the great leash training.
My dog Gunner was at the trainer for 6 weeks and then we had to pick him up early because of the fires in Estacada.
I’ve been working hard on his heel,sit,stay command right now.
He goes back to the trainer sunday for 6 more weeks of obedience and Retriever training.
I hope they get him in shape.
Bob
That’s a long time to be without your pup! I hope that they help shape him into the dog of your dreams. I hope that you guys are ok from all the fires. It’s been quite terrifying and devastating the past few weeks.
Great article! I have a gentle lead nose thing for my dog, but while it definitely controls her during the walks, I’ve been frustrated because it’s not actually teaching her anything and her anxiety goes through the roof during our walks because of it. I need to figure out a better way to teach her, because I’d love a running partner. I took her on a walk to pick my son up from school and it was a nightmare! She was panting and lunging and got so wound up the entire time! I’d love to have the nice calm dog that can sit and wait for my kids without losing it over all the stimulation and other kids around.
I feel you, Stephani! I’ve definitely been there with my dogs. The Gentle Leader is a good idea in theory, however, like you I found that my dog hated it and that it doesn’t actually teach them anything. If you want a dog that sits calmly while you pick up your kids, I’d definitely look into working with a trainer in your area. It sounds like your dog is probably a great candidate for balanced training, so if that’s something you’re open to, I think you would see great results!
I sure feel sorry for your dog having to wear a painful prong collar and getting shocked when he strays from your rules. Anybody can hang a shingle and call themself a dog trainer. Your trainer uses pinishment to train your dog. Would you use a prong collar or electronic collar on your kid? Dogs work harder, as will kids and adults, with positive reinforcement and reward. Your relationships with the aforementioned will be better too. I would be less likely to trust you if you hurt me. Same for your pooch.
Hey Rosie! No need to feel sorry for my dog. He comes running to me, tail wagging, jumping for joy when I show him his e-collar because he knows it means we’re going for a trail run or hike. The tools I use provide him safety and freedom when we’re on the trail and I feel great about that. To answer your question, no I wouldn’t use a prong or e-collar on a child because they are humans, not dogs, and we speak the same language. I have language tools that allow me to communicate easily with a human child, and while I don’t have children myself, I would certainly set rules and punishments for not following those rules, just as my parents set for me. Dogs speak dog and these tools help me translate what I would like to communicate with them in a super effective manner. I use lots of positive reinforcement and reward, which is part of the balanced training method, and I think you’d be surprised to learn that a lot of techniques overlap. Sitka and I have a great relationship, built on trust, because he knows that I am going to keep him safe, no matter what.
Good answer on the difference between working with dogs and children! I totally agree. We use a gentle leader style collar on our dog. She is used to it now and although she doesn’t really like it and I wish we could go with a different collar. Every other kind we have tried, including flat, prong, no pull harness etc. have not worked for me. She has suddenly lunged and pulled me down so many times that I’m afraid to try other collars now. She has no power with the gentle leader style head collar and so cannot pull me over. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated. We have not used an e-collar only because we haven’t found a trainer in our area to teach us the proper way to use it.
I love the information in your LLW article. You have broken it down into small steps and clearly said the walk should not be a destination walk. I like that your goal is a timed walk where you concentrate on behavior not destination. I think we need to go back to that step and stay there for a much longer time. I also like your explanation of how short to hold the leash so the dog can’t get to the end of it before they are reigned in with a change of direction. Excellent article with lots of good tips!
Thanks for the support! I’m curious if you actually taught her leash pressure when you switched to the prong? It takes a few days of training sessions to really get them used to yielding to the pressure, but it makes such a difference! Where are you located? Perhaps I may know of someone in the area whom you can work with.
This sounds great, thanks, but gave you any ideas for a dog with megaoesophagus? Not allowed neck pressure. Head collar or harness allowed. No solid treats. Started trying with squirty cheese….
I don’t, unfortunately! I’ve never actually heard of that condition before, and I’m interested to learn more. I would talk with a trainer to see what your options are.
I cannot believe that anyone who loves their dog, uses a prong or electric shock collar.
I have a rescue Caucasian Shepherd. He coughs each time he drinks because of damage to his oesophagus because a trainer used a prong collar on him. He now behaves fantastically and I have never had to use a prong or electric collar, just building a trust relationship and mutual respect.
Science has shown that positive reinforcement yields long term results.and plainly creates fear – and when the fear factor is removed, old behaviours resurface! While probably and electric collars are.a quick fix and superficially appear more effective, positive reinforcement builds trust and long term behaviour dividends… bit does require more patience and empathy with the dog.
Well, prepare to have your mind blown because I love my dog more than anything AND I use a prong collar and e-collar! Better go buy a lottery ticket!
Thanks for this really detailed description! I just started structured walks with my 9-month old shy dog on the advice of a trainer. I know there are different ways to do structured walks. I’m wondering – how much leash length do you allow? My trainer said to start with one foot, so I have a lot of control over the leash pressure. It feels restrictive, and I’m trying to remember it’s for short term learning and hopefully won’t be a long-term method. Also, when your dog reacts (I am mostly thinking out of fear, say, by staring or hackles up or pulling back to not move forward) how do you handle that? Do you keep your forward motion (which may involve some pulling) or turn around to avoid the object of fear? Thanks so much in advance. I really appreciate the work you put into this post.
I walk my dog in a heel during a structured walk, so a foot is also about what I give. It really depends on what you want. You get to make the rules with your dog. If you don’t care about a perfect heel, then give your dog some length. The goal is really to teach your dog not to pull on leash and to pay attention to you, even with distractions.
When my dog reacts, we do a 180-degree turn. The key is trying to catch your dog before they react, but that’s not always easy, as I’m sure you’re aware!
FYI forcing your dog to practice behaviors in the presence of stressful triggers IS NOT DESENTIZATION, it is HABITUATION. You should stress in your articles that you are not a professional dog trainer but this is your experience with only one individual dog and does not at all reflect the complexities of canine learning. Nonetheless, you did have some good bits of information in there.
Desensitization and habituation sound pretty similar to me. Can you explain what the difference is?