Leash Pulling 101: Understanding Why Dogs Pull and How to Help

Posted on February 6, 2026

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If you've ever felt like your dog is training for a sled-pulling competition while you're just trying to get to the park, you're not alone. Leash pulling is one of the most common challenges guardians face, and it's also one of the most frustrating. Your arm aches, your shoulder's sore, and you're starting to dread what should be an enjoyable daily routine. But here's the good news: leash pulling isn't a character flaw in your dog, and it's absolutely something you can change with the right approach and a bit of patience.

Before we dive into solutions, it's worth understanding why pulling happens in the first place. Dogs don't pull to be difficult or to "dominate" you. They pull because, quite simply, it works. And once you understand the why behind the behaviour, the path forward becomes much clearer.

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Why Dogs Pull on the Leash

Let's start with a basic truth: dogs move faster than humans. Their natural walking pace is quicker than ours, and the world around them is endlessly fascinating. Every walk presents new scents, sights, sounds, and possibilities to explore. From your dog's perspective, moving forward quickly makes perfect sense. There's so much to investigate, and standing still or moving slowly means missing out.

When your dog pulls and you follow along, even reluctantly, they've learned something important: pulling gets them where they want to go. This isn't manipulation or stubbornness. It's simply how learning works. If a behaviour results in something rewarding, that behaviour is more likely to happen again. In this case, the reward is reaching that interesting smell, getting closer to another dog, or simply moving toward whatever has caught their attention. Every time pulling succeeds in moving them forward, it's being reinforced.

It's also worth considering what your dog has learned about walks over time. If the only time they get to move freely and explore is during leash walks, the pressure to make the most of that limited time becomes even stronger. For many dogs, walks represent their primary opportunity for mental stimulation, physical exercise, and sensory enrichment. That's a lot of importance riding on a twenty-minute outing, and it's no wonder they're eager to make every moment count.

Additionally, some dogs pull because they're excited, anxious, or overstimulated. A dog who's spent hours inside may burst out the door with pent-up energy that has nowhere else to go. A nervous dog may pull to create distance from something they find uncomfortable. And a young or under-exercised dog may simply have more enthusiasm than self-control. None of these reasons make pulling acceptable, but they do help us understand that it's not about defiance. It's about what your dog has learned, what they need, and what the environment is asking of them.

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What Leash Pulling Isn't

Before we talk about solutions, let's clear up a few myths that tend to circulate about leash pulling. Understanding what pulling isn't will help you avoid approaches that don't work or, worse, create new problems.

Leash pulling is not your dog trying to be "alpha" or dominate you. This outdated idea has caused a lot of unnecessary frustration and has led guardians toward forceful methods that damage trust and don't address the actual cause of pulling. Your dog isn't trying to control you. They're trying to get somewhere interesting, and they've learned that pulling is an effective strategy.

It's also not something that will fix itself if you just assert yourself more firmly. Yanking back on the leash, using choke chains, prong collars, or other aversive tools might suppress pulling temporarily, but they don't teach your dog what you'd like them to do instead. In fact, these methods often create anxiety, discomfort, and even pain, which can lead to new behaviour challenges and erode the trust between you and your companion animal. Walking should feel safe and enjoyable for both ends of the leash, and that means using methods that build confidence rather than compliance through discomfort.

Finally, pulling isn't a sign that your dog doesn't respect you or that you've failed as a guardian. It's a learned behaviour, and like all learned behaviours, it can be unlearned and replaced with something better. What it does signal is that your dog needs clearer communication, more appropriate reinforcement, and possibly some adjustments to how walks are structured. That's not a reflection of your bond or your abilities. It's simply information you can use to move forward.

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How to Help Your Dog Learn to Walk Calmly

So, if pulling is a learned behaviour that's been reinforced over time, the solution is to teach a new behaviour and make that new behaviour more rewarding than pulling ever was. This takes consistency, patience, and a willingness to slow down and rebuild the habit from the ground up. But it absolutely works, and the long-term payoff is worth the effort.

The first step is to stop reinforcing pulling. This doesn't mean yanking your dog backward or using force. It simply means that when the leash becomes tight, forward movement stops. You can stand still, wait for your dog to check in with you or release the tension on the leash, and then continue walking. What you're teaching here is that pulling doesn't work anymore. It no longer results in forward progress. At first, this might mean a lot of stopping and starting, and walks may feel frustratingly slow. That's normal. You're undoing a pattern that's been practiced for weeks, months, or even years. Give it time.

While you're removing the reinforcement for pulling, you also need to actively reinforce the behaviour you do want. This means rewarding your dog for walking beside you with a loose leash. Use treats, verbal praise, or anything else your dog finds rewarding, and deliver that reinforcement frequently at first. You're building a new habit, and the more you reward it, the faster it will take hold. Pay attention to your dog when they're doing well, not just when they're pulling. Many guardians only interact with their dog on walks when something's going wrong, which means the dog never learns what right looks like.

It also helps to make walks less about rushing from point A to point B and more about giving your dog opportunities to engage with their environment in ways that don't involve dragging you down the street. Let them sniff. Sniffing is how dogs gather information about the world, and it's mentally enriching in ways that simply covering distance isn't. Build in time for exploration, and your dog may feel less frantic about getting everywhere at once. You might also consider whether your dog is getting enough physical exercise and mental stimulation outside of walks. A dog who's had a chance to run, play, or work their brain in other ways may be calmer and more focused when it's time to walk on leash.

Training doesn't happen only on walks, either. Practising loose leash walking in low-distraction environments like your garden or a quiet hallway can help your dog learn the skill before you ask them to perform it in more challenging settings. The more your dog practices walking calmly in easier situations, the more that behaviour becomes automatic, and the easier it will be to maintain when distractions increase.

Finally, consider your equipment. A well-fitted harness that doesn't restrict movement or cause discomfort can make a significant difference, particularly for dogs who pull heavily. Front-clip harnesses, in particular, can reduce pulling by redirecting your dog's momentum back toward you rather than allowing them to forge ahead. This isn't a magic fix, but it can be a helpful tool while you're working on training. Just remember that equipment supports training; it doesn't replace it.

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Moving Forward Together

Leash pulling is frustrating, but it's also entirely fixable. It requires patience, consistency, and a willingness to see the behaviour for what it really is: a learned response to an environment full of interesting things and a history of reinforcement that's made pulling seem like the best option. By removing that reinforcement, teaching a better alternative, and making walks more enriching and less rushed, you can help your dog learn to walk calmly beside you.

This process takes time, and some days will feel easier than others. That's normal. Behaviour change isn't linear, and setbacks don't mean you're failing. They mean you're working on something worthwhile, and every step forward is progress. If you're feeling stuck or unsure where to start, you don't have to figure it out alone. Working with a trainer who uses positive, science-based methods can give you the guidance, support, and accountability you need to make real, lasting progress.

If you'd like help creating a plan that works for you and your dog, we'd love to support you. Reach out to 360 Animal Training & Behaviour to book a free Discovery Call. We'll talk about what's happening, what you're hoping to achieve, and how we can help you and your companion animal enjoy walks that feel calm, connected, and genuinely enjoyable for both of you.