How to stop dog from pulling on leash

Owning two Rottweilers that weigh over 85 pounds each I was at my wits end on teaching them how to walk nicely along my side. While they were great 85% of the time on the walk, there were instances such as seeing other yappy dogs in their yards that literally sent me flying.

After falling and ending up with a bloody hand, I decided I had to take serious steps in teaching my dogs to always stay by my side as I developed a zero tolerance policy on pulling. I started of course by walking one by one instead of together. Two dogs together tend to overtake pack drive, and may work as a team in trying to deal with barking dogs. As a matter of fact, my male would start to pull and shortly after, my female would follow and there I went flying for what felt like a hundred feet.

Tips on getting your dog to walk nicely:

-Your state of mind and posture will help establish leadership. Try to walk with your back up straight and with a self confident manner that suggests that you are a confident leader. Do not get anxious and stay calm. Take a deep breath and walk with confidence. Your dog will feel the powerful energy.

-Develop a zero policy for pulling. Keep a careful eye on your dog. Every time he sends cues of wanting to pull, turn around and walk the opposite way.You can even turn in his path as you turn around. Praise for those few seconds upon turning when the leash is slack.

-Another method is to stop walking. Anything from getting your dog from getting forward. Every time your dog goes forward upon pulling, he learns that pulling is rewarding and will want to continue to do so. So stop until he will turn around and check what is going on.

-Block his way.Try to get in your dog's way every time you notice he is about to walk in front of you. Stay in front of him blocking him from passing you.Walking next to a fenced area may work wonders. Your dog may get the message.

-Every time your dog get ahead of you, surprise him by going in the opposite direction. Your dog will not get where he wants to while he will learn to pay attention to you because of your unpredictability.

-Reward every time the leash is slack. Try to keep the leash slack as much as you can. If you keep the leash always tense your dog will learn it is OK for it to be that way and will become insensitive to feeling the leash tense.

While the above tips may take some time and patience there are some short cuts for severe cases. There are a few special aids helpful especially for owners of large breed dogs that tend to pull a lot and may be dangerous when not under control. Three special collars are made to the rescue:

-Halti or gentle leaders

They may resemble a horse's halter and control the head of the dog allowing more control. Some dogs may not tolerate them well at first they eventually accept it after a bit.

-The Sense-bile Harness

This is an amazing product that does not restraint, choke or cause any other unpleasant side effects. The leash clips to the the front of a dog's chest providing a unique method that teaches dogs to respond to pressure.

-Prong collars

These may seem cruel but actually they are more gentle than a choke collar. They slightly pinch the dog's neck just as a dog's mother takes their pups from their scruff to correct them. It may be used for a week until the dogs learns better leash manners and then put aside for eventual relapses.

Of course, obedience training may work wonders on helping dog owners manage their dogs properly. Getting your dog's attention is vital when dealing with a pulling dog. The secret is getting your dog's attention before it goes from 0 to 100 at the point of not caring about your efforts to regain control.

It may work to make your self become more interesting than the cause of the pulling. If your dog tends to pull when near other dogs or people try to bring along very valuable treats such as hot-dogs or grilled chicken. Catch your dog's attention by showing the treat and allow your dog to walk besides you as you show the treat. Release the treat once your dog is attentive and under control. Repeat until it becomes a routine and pulling may feel like a thing of the past for your dog.

Eventually, your dog will learn to walk by your side without pulling. The secret is getting the dog to clearly understand your requests and praise lavishly every time your dog walks with a slack leash. Leash training will not happen over night but with time, patience and effort leash training may be a success.