CHENNAI: I’ve just adopted a puppy, Cody, and walking him is a nightmare. He pulls all the time. What can I do?
The innate inquisitiveness in a pup inspires him to wander aimlessly with his nose stuck to the ground, pulling you along in the process. For some, the leash is a tempting tug toy that is fun to tug mid-walk. What we do not realise is that dogs have to be explicitly taught to walk on the leash. Being tethered to and lead by a leash is a foreign concept and is not natural to them.
The leash training begins from the moment you take the leash in hand for the walk. Ensure that your pup is calm when you put on the leash. Wait for him to settle down before you walk out the door. If he is in an excited state before the walk and you endorse it by taking him on the leash, you are rewarding him for an unacceptable behaviour. Excited starts ensure excited pulling on the walk.
The next step is the physical walk itself. This starts from the minute you step out of the house until you come back in and unleash him. Throughout this journey, whenever he pulls, stop and stand completely still until he relaxes. He would either take a step back or turn around to you. Wait until the leash is relaxed, give him a verbal encouragement, and then take the next step. While you may not have great success with distance, your dog would now be learning that he gets to walk only if he behaves.
The walk is his reward. Do not allow for distractions to stop you mid-walk. Allocate a few minutes for exploration and nature calls, and do not include this in the walking regimen. Remember to treat these sessions with the end goal in mind. The first few days your progress will be pretty minimal and you may not even walk a few steps. Don’t lose heart, but keep your patience and enthusiasm. Your dog’s only motive is to please you and he will learn to walk without pulling. In addition, a good basic obedience training would be of immense help. Consult a professional to help you with this.