How Do I Stop My Dog from Pulling on the Leash?
By Chad Singer, Canine Revolution Dog Training
Your dog isn’t pulling to be difficult. Opposition reflex is a natural response every dog has the first time a leash tightens on him, and every walk since has conditioned it deeper.
That’s why reaching for a stronger collar doesn’t work. Ask yourself honestly: is it fair to correct a dog for something he doesn’t control yet?
We run five phases, in order. Engagement. Leash Pressure. Muscle Memory Development. Accountability. Generalization. Most people rush engagement, and that’s where it falls apart. If your dog still pulls toward other dogs after working the whole progression, engagement is almost always the phase to go back and rebuild.
I wrote the entire progression up in The Ultimate Leash Training Manual: why dogs pull, the equipment you actually need, all five phases with illustrations, and the troubleshooting for what usually goes wrong. It works for puppies, adult dogs, rescues, reactive dogs, and multi-dog households. Most people finish it in a day or two.
Work the phases in order and the walk changes. If you’d rather have it handled for you, our board and train program builds leash manners into the foundation from day one.
