First of all, your dog isn’t really pulling on the leash so much as she’s being pulled by things in the environment that stimulate and attract her instincts. Of course, all dogs are different, so each dog will have her own reasons for being drawn to specific stimuli. However, the underlying reason is always the same: it feels more natural for a dog to move toward something that excites her instincts than it does to walk calmly beside you, unless walking next to you also attracts her instincts.
How to Train Your Dog to Walk Calmly by Your Side
Now that you know why she pulls, what can you do to stop it? Again, we have to look at it from the dog’s perspective. It’s much easier for her to learn a new behavior than it is to unlearn an old one—especially if the old behavior already satisfies her instincts. So instead of thinking, “How do I get my dog to stop pulling?” you need to shift your thinking to: “How can I attract her instincts?” This means that what you do must make sense to the dog—even if it doesn’t seem logical to you.
Start with a game, toy, or activity that your dog loves. It doesn’t matter if the game seems impractical or silly; in the long run, it will help teach her to walk next to you, as long as it excites her and arouses positive emotions. That’s the key. Next, take her somewhere with minimal distractions and begin playing. If she’s still too focused on the environment, tie her up and walk away about twenty feet. Don’t talk to her or even look at her—just keep a watch on her from the corner of your eye for any signs that her focus is shifting from the environment back to you. Once you see her attention on you, wait for about thirty seconds, then return and tease her with the toy. Make her crazy to sink her teeth into it! Then untie her and get her to chase you around—change pace, zigzag, stop suddenly, then take off again. Throw in some stutter steps, even fall to the ground and jump back up. Do anything you can to build her desire to connect with the toy, praising her the whole time.
This may not feel like “training,” but remember that the primary goal is to make yourself more interesting and attractive to her instincts than the environment.
After a few days, refine these “zany moves” into one behavior: getting her to run or walk next to you, on your left, in the heel position. If she moves out of position, bring her back using the toy as a “lure.” If she keeps trying to jump up on you, that’s actually a good thing! She’s connecting with you. Don’t correct her—just gently remind her, “Heel!” (in a pleasant tone) and move the toy down to her level.
Next, begin making about-turns, to the left or right, keeping the toy just out of reach. Any time she loses focus, remind her, “Heel!” and get her back in the game. Be sure to make the word “Heel” sound inviting, and use it whenever she moves out of position. You only need to play this game for about thirty seconds or so. Once she’s “heeling” fairly well, give her the toy and praise her so she’ll understand that being in the heel position earns her the toy. Take a break, then repeat it twice more.
After a few days (or maybe a week), this should carry over to her regular walks. Of course, you won’t be able to do the “zany moves” you did earlier, but the about-turns and the pleasant tone of your command should help her remember the lesson. While this method may take more time and effort than simply putting a Halti on her, if you do the exercise properly, walking calmly next to you will soon satisfy your dog’s instincts—something a Halti could never achieve.
