The ability to enjoy a positive relationship with your dog includes being able to take the dog for a walk and have it heel. Unfortunately, many dogs have learned to tug on the lead, which is exhausting for you and uncomfortable for the dog, and could be potentially dangerous if the dog is too large and powerful for the situation. However, if you have an older dog who has developed undesirable habits, don’t be discouraged; it is never too late to teach a dog to walk gently on a leash without pulling. Time, patience, and an understanding of what motivates your dog to learn and obey directions are all that are required.

1st of 2 parts: Teaching an Older Dog to Accept a Leash Calmly (Part 1)

1 Select the appropriate type of leash. Use of a training lead might be beneficial for a dog that has to be taught how to walk on the leash. This is a small leash that keeps the dog close by your side while you walk. Because it allows you to divert the dog away from distractions, this type of leash is ideal for rapidly and effectively correcting unwanted behavior.

2 Avoid adopting training strategies that are based on punishment. A shock collar, choke chain, or prong collar are all inappropriate for use in retraining situations. While it may be tempting to use a prong collar or choke chain to discourage tugging, these devices work by causing pain on the dog and training him to equate pain with pulling. Not only is it possible for these devices to do actual physical injury to the dog, but they also work by instilling fear in the dog rather of assisting the dog in learning in a good manner. Furthermore, these collars are typically the sign of an incompetent trainer who does not know how to discipline such conduct in any other way. Don’t allow this to be a name ascribed to you; instead, retrain your dog in a gentle manner utilizing canine psychology to avoid this label.

3 Deal with the feelings of exhilaration that come with having a leash. It’s likely that the dog will be beyond itself with enthusiasm as soon as the leash is presented to him. This is due to the fact that it associates the leash with going for a walk. You want your dog to be calm before you leave so that you have a better chance of success during the retraining process. In order to accomplish this, clip the leash on and off the dog while in the house, but without taking the dog for a walk. Your goal is to dispel the myth that just because a dog is on a leash means it is going on a stroll. For example, when you go home, you can attach the leash to your belt and go about your business as usual in the house. Afterwards, unclip the leash and carry on with your day as you normally would. It is necessary to repeat this procedure every half hour or so until the dog becomes habituated to being on a leash.

Learning to Heel an Older Dog Part 2: Teaching an Older Dog to Heel

Consider why dogs pull on the leash in the first place. Dogs most typically pull because they are happy to get to where they are going, which is usually an exciting place full of intriguing odors, such as a park, where they may run around and play. When dogs receive a reward for doing a certain activity, they are more likely to repeat that behavior. In this situation, the action of pulling on the lead serves as its own reward since the dog perceives that it is getting them closer to where they want to go more rapidly by pulling on the lead.

2 Deal with the rush of adrenaline that comes with walking out the door. Once the dog is calm when the leash is attached, you can attempt to take it outside. This is likely to re-ignite the whole enthusiasm issue, because it appears that the dog is actually going for a stroll this time. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to avoid this. Take the dog out the door, close the door, pause, and then walk back into the house. Continue doing this until both you and the dog are bored, and the dog has lost all interest in pulling on the lead because, more than likely, it will be returning home rather than out for a walk after all.

3
Teach the dog to stop pulling on the leash by using positive reinforcement. This method works best if you plan ahead of time and are willing to accept the possibility that you will not make it all the way to your target destination. Put the dog on a leash and exit the house in a calm manner. As soon as it begins to tug on the leash, come to a complete halt and remain there. Take strong control of the leash, but do not attempt to drag the dog back to you. Alternatively, if your dog requires a lot of activity, try throwing a ball around in the yard to tire it out beforehand so that it can get its exercise. If you allow him to drag you to the park during the retraining phase, you will reverse all of the hard work you have done thus far in the process.

4 Reward and reinforce good conduct. When your dog raises its head to gaze at you, give a hearty “GOOD DOGGY!” and then step forward and continue walking with your companion. Approximately every three or four times this occurs, reward the dog with a goodie.

5 If you are not having success with one way of training, try another one. When the dog begins to tug, come to a complete stop and begin walking in the opposite direction. If the dog then tanks ahead of you and pulls in the opposite direction, come to a complete stop and reverse course. The message you are delivering to the dog is that pulling will not result in it moving any further forward, so there is no purpose in pulling. When you use this strategy, however, when the dog tries to persuade you to move quicker, it results in you stopping, which implies that you are not moving at all! It won’t be long before the dog realizes that you and you alone are in command of the walks. You have complete control over the time, location, and speed. Once the dog has learned this, he will no longer pull on the leash.

6 Take your time when completing this training session. It takes time to change deeply ingrained patterns of behavior. Don’t expect your dog to modify its behavior after just one week of daily training; instead, make an effort to train him every day of the week. After about a month of taking walks like this, hopefully your dog will no longer be taking you for walks! * It may take much longer for your pup to understand the messages you are sending it and to make the changes you desire. This procedure should not be used for extended periods of time, as well. It takes more time and practice than long training sessions to achieve success. On example, do not attempt to go for long hikes when using this strategy. This training will quickly wear on your dog’s body and cause him to become bored.