Your Dog Pulls Because It Works: A Calmer Way to Walk

Your dog isn't pulling because they're stubborn, or dominant. They're pulling because it works. Every time the lead goes tight and you keep walking, the behaviour gets paid. 🐕

The fix starts before you leave the house. A Y-shaped harness and a fixed lead of around two metres give you something to work with. A retractable lead only extends when the dog pulls, so it quietly rehearses constant tension, which is the exact opposite of what you want.

Then the boring, brilliant bit: a tight lead means the walk stops. No jerking, no telling off, just stillness until the lead softens, then forward again. Walking on is the reward, and dogs work that out faster than you'd think.

Build sniffing in on purpose too. Teach a go sniff cue and use it generously, so the thing they were pulling towards becomes something you give them rather than something they take.

Full guide below: kit that helps, five-minute sessions, and what to do when it all falls apart outside the park gates.