06/07/2025
Does your dog pull on leash?
Have you been told that harnesses make dogs pull?
I want to shed some light on the matter. I have many videos of loose leash walking here on my page if you'd like to check those out.
Harnesses don't make dogs. Moving when your dog pulls reinforces pulling. Back clip harness make pulling easier to be self-reinforcing as it allows the dog to use their full strength to pull. A properly fitted front clip harness that doesn't inhibit natural gait can make the pulling manageable while you teach the dog to walk beside you.
I'm a rewards-based trainer, so I almost exclusively train on harnesses and the occasional martingale without the use of collar corrections for dogs who don't like harnesses. I am also a crossover trainer so I have trained on all pieces of equipment in the past. I used to swear by slip leads and prongs. Remember that equipment does not teach the dog what to do. It makes it more manageable while you teach them where you want them. Don't confuse positive with permissive.
Rewards can be anything that the dog wants, within reason. Most would start with toys or food, but I also use sniffing, forward movement, chasing prey, among other things. Start with the lowest value reward that makes the behavior repeat especially when using food. You will increase the value of the reinforcer as you increase distractions. Don't forget your reward marker (verbal yes, clicker, etc) to tell the dog when they're doing the desirable action. I can't stress that part enough.
I put sniffing on cue for dogs who get lost to their nose, chase on cue for prey drive, and the act of simply moving forward for the dogs who just want to go. Every dog is an individual so assess what you're losing the dog to, that's typically the reward to the dog. Put greeting on cue for dogs who want to meet and teach them that they can't say hi to everyone. There are many reinforcers out there.
Also remember that you may encounter emotional distractions as well during your walk in many cases and you'll need to switch to counter conditioning /desensitization during those times rather than focusing on leash work. Your dog can't hold a position without stress if they're overexcited, over stimulated, anxious, reactive, or aggressive.
1. Start off leash indoors with the harness on. Teach the position you want the dog to be in. I use luring to do this predominately with food or toys but again there are other things that a dog may find more valuable. A good trainer doesn't limit their reinforcements to food.
2. Add the leash indoors. Pulling ALWAYS makes us stop or change direction if the wants to go a particular direction.
3. Take it to the backyard off leash if you have access to one. Otherwise, I use a long line in a low distraction area so I'm not relying on the leash or equipment to communicate where I want the dog.
4. Practice on regular leash in low distraction area. I use a hands free setup for this.
5. Increase duration, distractions, and distance (d's). Increase the value of reinforcer as needed. Progress is not linear and you will need to increase one of the d's while decreasing the others to start. Slowly increase all of them.
I'm always happy to answer questions!
Want to set up a session? Give me a call or send a message!
Sabrielle, CPDT-KA and AKC CGC Evaluator
Fear and Aggression Specialist
The Canine's Voice - In-Home Dog Training and Behavioral Boarding
386.336.2469
