Kroki

Question · Puppy

How do I stop my puppy pulling on the lead?

The short answer

Teach your puppy that a slack lead is what makes the walk go on. Start indoors in a comfy harness, reward often at your leg, and when the lead goes tight, stop and wait or turn the other way. Only move on when it loosens. Never jerk the lead; it hurts and teaches nothing. Keep walks short and sniffy for young joints. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, has steps for the harness, the lead and loose-lead walking indoors and outdoors.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Make the harness and lead feel good

    Before the first walk, let your puppy sniff the harness, feed a treat through the neck hole and do up one clip at a time over a few days. Let it drag a light lead around the house under your eye, so the lead is just part of everyday life.

  2. Show your puppy where the treats live

    Indoors, with the lead on, stand still and drop a treat by the outside of your foot whenever your puppy is next to you. Then take one step and pay again at the same spot. Your leg becomes the best place to be.

  3. Turn the tight lead into a pause button

    The moment the lead tightens, stop and stand still. Wait for your puppy to look back or take a step towards you, so the lead goes slack, then say “Top!” and walk on. Pulling stops the walk; a loose lead keeps it going.

  4. Play the direction-change game

    In a quiet street or garden, walk a few steps, then turn and go the other way with a happy sound. Reward when your puppy catches up with you. It learns to keep an eye on you, because you might turn at any moment.

  5. Use sniffing as a reward

    Puppies explore with their noses. After a few loose-lead steps, say “Go sniff!” and let your puppy investigate a lamppost or patch of grass. Sniffing that comes with permission is a reward your puppy loves.

  6. Keep outings short and easy

    Choose quiet times and places for practice walks, and keep them short. A puppy that is tired, overwhelmed or desperate to reach the park will pull more. Carry it past busy spots if it is small and they are too much for now.

Does your grown dog pull like a train?

A grown dog that has pulled for years has learned that pulling gets it where it wants to go, and it may be strong enough to pull you over. That needs safer equipment, new rules and a plan for the first wild minutes of every walk. The page for grown dogs explains how to start again.

Why harnesses, short walks and short sessions suit puppies

What your puppy wears matters. In a study with 26 dogs, pressure on the neck from a collar raised the pressure inside the eyes noticeably, while the same pressure applied through a harness did not (Pauli and colleagues 2006). A puppy that is still learning will pull now and then, so a well-fitting harness that leaves the shoulders free is the kinder choice for walks.

Your puppy’s skeleton is still growing. The soft growth plates at the ends of the long bones close at around six months or a bit later in small dogs and nearer one and a half years in giant breeds (VCA Animal Hospitals). Until then, gentle walks with sniffing breaks suit young joints better than long marches, jogging or a puppy hanging in its lead at full force.

Short lessons also help learning itself. Dogs trained once a week needed fewer sessions to learn a task than dogs trained five times a week (Meyer and Ladewig 2008). In a study with 44 beagles, one or two sessions a week beat daily training, and one session at a time beat three back to back (Demant and colleagues 2011). For your puppy, a few minutes of loose-lead practice, then a break, works better than one long training walk.

Troubleshooting with puppies

  • It bites and tugs the lead: carry a toy to give its mouth a job, and swap the lead for the toy. Teething puppies chew everything, so offer a chew before you go out too.
  • It sits down and refuses to move: wait, crouch and encourage it with a happy voice. New places can be a lot; go back to quieter streets for a while.
  • It zigzags in front of you: drop treats only on one side, by your leg, so that side becomes the place to walk.
  • It pulls only on the way to the park: drive or carry it the first part, or practise near home where the park is not calling.

Common mistakes

  • Following when your puppy pulls. Every time pulling gets it to the next smell, pulling is rewarded.
  • Using an extendable lead. It is always slightly tight, so your puppy learns that tension means moving forward.
  • Repeating the puppy’s name or “Heel!” over and over. Pay for the right position instead of talking.
  • Long walks to “tire it out”. An overtired puppy pulls, nips and gets sillier, not calmer.

When to see a professional

Pulling is normal for a puppy that is still learning. See a professional if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

Should my puppy wear a collar or a harness for walks?

A well-fitting harness is the better choice for walks, because pulling into it puts no pressure on the neck. A light collar can still carry the ID tag.

How do I stop my puppy biting the lead on walks?

Give its mouth something better to do. Carry a soft toy to swap for the lead, and go back to a quieter route if biting the lead starts when your puppy is overexcited or tired.

How long should walks be for a young puppy?

There is no exact number, so watch your puppy. Short, gentle outings with lots of sniffing and rest suit young joints better than long marches, and a tired puppy should be carried or taken home.

Is a retractable lead a good idea for a puppy?

Not for teaching loose-lead walking, because the lead is always slightly tight. For sniffing walks in open spaces, a long line on a harness gives freedom without that constant pull.

When will my puppy stop pulling on the lead?

There is no fixed age. Most puppies get better as they grow up and practise, but the habit depends on what pulling has earned so far. Short, regular practice makes the difference.

Do Labrador puppies need a different method for pulling?

No, the same steps work for every breed. Labradors and other food-loving puppies often learn especially well with treats, so use that and keep the pieces tiny.

Should my puppy walk on my left or right side?

It doesn’t matter for loose-lead walking. Pick the side that suits you and reward there, so your puppy knows where the treats come from.

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