PULLING ON THE LEAD – WHEN DISTRACTIONS ARE PRESENT
 

The problem you are having is that your dog pulls only when he sees something that he wants to get to such as smells, other dogs, people, etc. To solve this problem you must follow the following steps when you walk your dog.

· Before taking your dog out for a walk, put some food treats and one or two favorite toys in your pocket. These must be concealed and not shown to your dog before the walk starts.

· If your dog exerts any pressure on the lead, STAND STILL. Use the lead to insist that your dog returns to a position alongside you. After a period of at least ten seconds, praise well with your voice before walking forward once again.

· If your dog is trying to pull you towards something or someone then repeat the above procedure but this time return to the point where the dog started pulling and stand still. As you get closer to the attraction your dog's desire to pull will get stronger. You must insist that each time he pulls, he returns to the original position before you try the approach once more. You can, at your discretion allow your dog to meet up with the attraction only when he has walked correctly.

· When you are walking along and your dog is not pulling, suddenly stop and produce one of the rewards that you are carrying with you. Vary the type of reward, the frequency and the amount given for the correct walking behavior.

Remember that once your dog had learned the correct walking behavior, you must teach him to generalize. The more unpredictable you are in where you walk him, and the type, frequency and amount of rewards that he gets, the more consistent that behavior will become.

If you find this program helpful, please make a donation to the Pasadena Humane Society. You can donate online or mail a check made out to PHS to:

BEST Training
Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA
361 S. Raymond Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105