Loose Leash Walking Course

Dogs learn through the law of effect: they do what works. Behaviour always serves a function, and we can better understand that function by looking at the ABCs of behaviour.

For many pulling dogs, the pattern looks like this:

• A: Dog is outside in the neighbourhood or park.
• B: Dog pulls and strains at the end of the leash.
• C: Handler moves forward and continues walking.

If pulling gets the dog access to more of the environment, pulling works. To change the behaviour, we need to alter the antecedent and consequence so the dog learns a different way to move forward.

Before beginning the training exercises, make sure you have equipment that supports both safety and learning.

• A Y-front body harness with both a front clip and back clip.
• A sturdy leash between 8 and 10 feet long.
• A pouch to hold food and toy rewards.

For dogs over 100 pounds, or for dogs who have pulled someone over or pulled toward another person or dog, safety should be addressed before continuing with training.

Before tackling any behaviour concern, we use two plans: the Management Plan and the Training Plan. The Management Plan reduces the chance that the unwanted behaviour will occur.

1. Safety

Safety comes first: your safety, your dog’s safety, and the safety of others. If there is a large weight difference between the dog and handler, or if the dog has pulled someone over or pulled toward another dog/person, address that first.

2. Enrichment

Dogs walk better when their physical and mental needs are being met. Since leashed walks may currently be reduced, use other forms of enrichment to support your dog.

• Physical enrichment: flirt pole, tug, fetch, private off-leash parks, safe off-leash opportunities, or play dates.
• Mental enrichment: training, food-dispensing toys, snuffle balls, snuffle mats, stuffed Kongs, licking, chewing, and nose-work style activities.

If the leashed walk is your dog’s only entertainment, they are more likely to pull and strain. More variety usually leads to better walks.

3. Prevention

Prevention means reducing the chances that your dog will pull against the leash in the first place.

• Tire your dog slightly before asking for polite walking with a game like fetch or flirt pole.
• Try a “sniffari” where sniffing and exploration are the goal.
• Use an 8–10 foot leash so your dog has more access to the environment without needing to pull.
• Use the front clip of the harness to naturally reduce pulling impact.
• Practise holding the leash in a safe and effective way. Video placeholder

Marker training uses a specific word or sound to capture the behaviour you like and increase the chance of it happening again.

For this course, the marker word is “yes.” When your dog is in the position you want, mark it with “yes,” then reward.

• Start with food rewards. Add toys later once the marker is fully established.
• You can use a clicker, but a verbal marker is usually simpler.
• Your marker “yes” should sound different from your everyday yes. Use a higher-pitched, upbeat tone.
• Charge your “yes” at home and in your yard so your dog understands that the word predicts food.

Start these exercises in a low-distraction area, such as a yard, front street, or quiet parking lot. Once your dog is successful there, gradually move into the neighbourhood or more distracting areas.

High Rate Reinforcement Loose Leash Walking Video placeholder

• Reward your dog where you want them to be: beside you.
• Begin with a very high rate of reinforcement.
• Gradually increase the number of steps between rewards.
• Keep the reward schedule varied to maintain interest.
• No verbal cue is needed at first. You are simply connecting loose leash walking with good things.
• Collect up your leash for this method; your dog does not need the full length of the lead.

1-2-3 Walking

• This is a pattern game. Dogs are excellent pattern recognizers.
• Start by pairing “3” with a cookie: say “3,” then feed. Repeat several times.
• Then practise “2, 3,” then feed.
• Finally practise “1, 2, 3,” then feed.
• Reward beside your body so your dog learns where to be.
• Use this when you need to walk past something mildly distracting.

Circle Walking Video placeholder

• Keeps the walk moving while changing direction.
• Gently interrupts pulling and refocuses the dog toward you.
• This technique may be easier with the dog on a flat collar.
• Give your dog the full or almost full length of the lead.

Constructional Loose Leash Walking Video placeholder

• Many dogs become frustrated by a hard stop and may not understand why the walk halted.
• Slowing down gives immediate feedback that pulling reduces access to the environment.
• Give the full length of the lead.
• You can also incorporate stopping after slowing down and see what works best for your dog.

Balance Leash Video placeholder

• Most effective when the leash is kept fairly short.
• Meeting the pulling and releasing the tension forward helps your dog rebalance on all four feet.
• Helpful when you need to keep your dog close.
• Provides more control in busy situations.
• No double-ended lead? Clip a carabiner onto your leash handle and attach it to the front of the harness.

Your dog does not need to walk beside you for the entire walk. The walk is for them, too. But it is helpful to have a cue that means, “I need you to walk beside me now.”

Use this cue for situations like crossing the road, passing overflowing garbage cans, or redirecting your dog to a more useful behaviour.

• Get the behaviour before naming it.
• Reward beside you so the dog understands the target position.
• Throwing the reward behind you can help bring your dog back into position beside you.
• Once the behaviour is consistent, add your cue: “walk with me.”

Loose leash walking is not a normal behaviour for most dogs, which means it must be taught.

All of the techniques in this course can be used interchangeably. For example, you can use high rate reinforcement while also slowing down with constructional loose leash walking when your dog begins to pull ahead.

References: Leslie McDevitt Control Unleashed Program; Circle Walking by Denise Fenzi.