Unleashing the Secret: Why Dogs Pull on Leash & How to Stop It (+ Top Gear Picks)

Dogs are wonderful companions, but when it comes to taking them for a walk, many pet owners have to deal with a common problem: their dog pulling on the leash. In a recent study conducted in Ireland and the UK, a reported 82.7% of pet dogs pulled on leash (Townsend, 2021). This can be frustrating for both the owner and the dog and can make walks less enjoyable. Leash pulling is also one of the most common reasons that owners stop taking their dogs on walks and has a direct correlation to relinquishment of dogs in shelters, re-homing, and increased behavior issues resulting likely from said decreased walks (Townsend, Dixon, Buckley, 2022). In this blog post, we will discuss common reasons why dogs pull on the leash and ways that you can set you and your dog up for success.

1. Excitement, Energy, Breed Type, & Age

One of the most common reasons why dogs pull on the leash is because they are excited and full of energy. Dogs have a natural desire to explore their surroundings, and when they see something interesting, they typically want to investigate it. This includes checking out interesting sights, sounds, and smells. When left to their own devices not on lead and with no former training, dogs do not generally walk in a straight line like humans do. They tend to walk more in a zig-zag pattern and be more driven by smells to decide their walking path versus sight (what us humans tend to rely on). This can cause them to pull on the leash in an attempt to reach the object of their interest. Many dogs also love (and need) the opportunity to run. If a dog’s running needs have not been met and they attempt to do so on lead, then they will be met abruptly by the end of the leash. Many dogs will learn to brace leash tension as they have learned they will get to where they want to go faster if they continue to pull forward.

It’s also important to take into consideration a dog’s age and breed type as it pertains to their energy levels, frustration tolerance, and what their underlying motivations tend to be. Adolescent dogs (generally 6 months-2.5 years old) for example, tend to be more easily distracted, have more energy, want more social interactions, and get frustrated more easily than fully matured dogs. Breed type such as sporting and working breeds, generally have been selected to have more energy and endurance and may fixate more on distractions such as chasing small critters or tracking scents. All dogs have some degree of predation behaviors as well, but some breed types and individuals possess stronger predatory behaviors than others. This predatory sequence (orient, stalk, chase, bite, kill, eat) can vary in severity and intensity between individuals and breeds but can be a highly motivating cause for dogs to pull on leash even if they never get to complete the sequence.

2. Lack of Training/ Understanding

In my experience the second most common cause for leash pulling is that dogs do not understand how to walk on a leash calmly or how to respond to leash pressure. This paired with a high-energy dog is typically a scenario that ends up frustrating both dog and owner the most. If a dog has not been taught to walk on a leash, they typically do not understand that pulling is not acceptable behavior to you. If they have learned that they always feel leash tension before they get to investigate their favorite smells or say hi to their friends, then they will learn to brace through the leash pressure in order to get to something they want (technically positively reinforcing them for pulling). If they sometimes get pulled back and sometimes keep walking forward while feeling leash pressure, you are not communicating clearly to them what your expectations are. Be consistent and clear with what you are wanting to teach and remember that patience is a virtue when working with animals. As a good rule of thumb, if your dog is getting it “wrong” more than they are getting it “right”, that should be a signal to you that they do not fully understand what you are trying to teach them or that the environment they are in is too challenging for them at this point in their training. When your dog experiences tension on the leash, there is an increase in stress hormones being released into the body which tend to increase overarousal and hyperactivity (making leash pulling and reactivity worse). This leads us to our next category…

3. Over-arousal & Fear

Sometimes, dogs may pull on the leash because they are afraid, anxious, or experiencing high states of arousal. Arousal can be defined as the state of feeling highly awake, activated, and reactive to stimuli and includes physical body effects to prepare the body for action. In plain terms, if a dog’s body is entering fight, flight or freeze mode then the rational thinking part of their brain turns off and typically so does their hunger or desire to eat. This is why when dogs are what trainers call “over-threshold” they do not typically take treats and generally act as if they cannot hear you. Some dogs even feel hyper-vigilant, threatened, or over-stimulated every time they step outside or even if a window is cracked while they are inside. There can be medical and genetic influences on a dog’s arousal, fear, and anxiety levels in addition to prior learning histories or traumatic experiences that can contribute to their perception of the world around them.

Some dogs may experience one or a combination of anxiety, fear, and arousal only in certain contexts or if certain triggers are present. This can be caused by a variety of things, such as loud noises, unfamiliar surroundings, or other dogs. While it may feel silly to think of our dogs as captive animals, they indeed are. Sometimes our “enclosure” or environment for them is not what is best for that particular dog’s needs, and they may be unable to cope in healthy ways on their own. Difficult situations like this are recommended to consult a certified dog behavior consultant and/or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist to prevent or manage the negative effects of chronic stress on your dog.

So, what can you do to stop your dog from pulling on the leash?

The first step is to creatively meet some of your dog’s needs before going on your walks. This could include feeding them their meals in more interesting ways such as through food puzzles, Kongs, or even scattered throughout the house or backyard. It could also include playing with your dog or engaging in a training session before you begin your walk. Dogs that tend to get over-excited may do best from more calming exercises prior to walks such as sniffing out treat scatters, doing relaxation type training, or chewing a bone. Dogs that are more fearful, but enjoy playing with you may do better engaging in play before the walk. Incorporating predictable pattern games into your training can also help combat fear, anxiety, and over-arousal.

Secondly, it’s important to teach your dog to walk on a leash and to respond to gentle leash pressure. This can be done through positive reinforcement, such as rewarding your dog with food when they walk calmly on the leash. It also can be done by applying negative reinforcement through releasing gentle leash pressure when your dog comes into the pressure vs. them bracing against it. Another commonly used technique is to not move forward if a dog is pulling on the leash and to only move forward when there is slack on the leash. This technique can work well for some, but for other dogs can increase frustration - sometimes making their behaviors worsen. Personally, I prefer to use positive reinforcement to build a foundation first with little to no distractions present. Then, we take our foundation in increasingly challenging environments and use negative reinforcement as gentle and sparingly as possible if they get to the end of the leash. I may also use treat scatters out on walks if I’m noticing the dog’s arousal levels increase as sniffing greatly reduces arousal, stress, and hyper-activity.

But what about equipment?!

We don’t want to rely on equipment making it uncomfortable for our dogs to pull. Why? Because they do not learn what it is you want them to do, but rather learn how to avoid discomfort or get used to feeling uncomfortable. Some dogs may even find a particular scent or friend they’d like to say hello to more motivating than avoiding the discomfort they are feeling. This strategy will not only not stop pulling, but it also will increase the risk for injury.

For dogs that are stronger than their human handlers, it is important that the risk and benefits of equipment being used on the dog are taken into consideration. Strong pulling - whether chronic or acute - on a flat, prong, or choke collar greatly increases the risks of tissue and nerve damage to the neck in addition to causing potentially life-threatening injuries to flat-faced dogs such as the French Bull Dog or Pug. Prong and choke collars in addition to slip leads have been documented to have the highest risk of damage to the dog due to their concentrated pressure points on the throat and the room for improper use from the general public (Townsend, 2022). Y-shaped harnesses are the most vet-recommended equipment for dogs to wear, but even then, all harnesses are not created equal. Strong dogs will be able to pull from a stronger leverage point if the harness is clipped on the back than if it was clipped from the front. Improperly fitted harnesses can also cause skin irritation or restrict a dog’s natural movement which can lead to arthritis or other injuries later in life. “No-Pull” harnesses such as the “Easy Walk” have also been documented to alter a dog’s natural range of motion more so than Y-shaped harnesses, which increases the likelihood of developing arthritis or other injuries even more.

Shock and e-collars are also not recommended by veterinarians and have a higher risk of causing unintended emotional and physical damages to the dog. Additionally, the average pet owner tends to have imperfect timing and technique which can further confuse the dog and damage the welfare of the animal. Punitive methods are rarely recommended for sensitive dogs even by “old-fashioned” trainers and e-collars have actually been banned in several countries due to concerns about animal welfare.

Head collars can be an alternative option for strong dogs, but it must be conditioned with positive reinforcement and done so slowly. Typically this process can take most dogs around 6 weeks to feel fully comfortable wearing a head halter. If not conditioned, most dogs show acute stress signs when wearing head halters and repeatedly try to take the equipment off. Dogs have many more nerve endings on their snout and face then we once thought, and it’s likely that head halters are exceedingly uncomfortable for dogs to wear. If a dog is abruptly pulled back while wearing a head halter, they can also experience whiplash and muscle damage to the neck which is why it is recommended to clip the leash to a double-sided clip or use a double-sided leash attached to the head halter and a flat collar or harness to more evenly distribute force and pressure.

In conclusion,

Dogs pull on the leash for a variety of reasons, including: excitement, age, breed type, energy, lack of training, fear, and arousal. Contrast to popular opinion on the internet, they do not pull because they’re wearing any particular type of equipment. Rather that equipment is necessary to obey leash laws and keep your dog safe. Some types of leash walking equipment are minimally aversive, and others can be increasingly more uncomfortable or unsafe to use on your dog. By understanding why your dog is pulling on the leash and the risks/benefits of different types of leash walking equipment, you can take the necessary steps to address the issue and make walks more enjoyable for both you and your dog. This may also involve working with a professional dog trainer or behavior consultant to help your dog understand what you are trying to communicate or to help them change their underlying emotions and feelings.

References:

Townsend, Leslie & Dixon, Laura & Topping, M & Buckley, Louise. (2021). Owner approaches and attitudes to the problem of lead-pulling behaviour in pet-dogs. BVBA, 2021. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340478244_Owner_approaches_and_attitudes_to_the_problem_of_lead-pulling_behaviour_in_pet-dogs/citation/download

Townsend, L.; Dixon, L; Buckley, L (2022). Lead pulling as a welfare concern in pet dogs: What can veterinary professionals learn from current research? Vet Record, May 2022. https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vetr.1627