How to Train Your Dog to Walk Slowly & Not Pull On The Leash Using The ‘Slow Command’.

Now that you’re walking with your dog, using the ‘Heel Command’, I thought I’d address a couple of issues that some dog owners experience with ‘walkies’. Yes they were covered with the article ‘teaching your dog to heel’, but instead of expanding that, I thought I’d keep that simple and cover one of the main issues humans have when when walking their dog seperately and that’s how to control an over excited pooch that keeps pulling on the leash or forging ahead faster than you’d like to walk.

Apart from having complete control of your dog from a socially responsible perspective, it’s also important to be in synch with your dog, so he/she understands what you want or expect from him/her and commands, both verbal or visually with hand signals are the main tools you can use to achieve this.

This dog obedience training article will teach you how to train your dog not to pull on their leash when walking with you, using the ‘Slow Command‘ by applying positive reinforcement training techniques.

The following list of items is what we recommend you have handy for this dog training command session:

• Small sized, soft treats that are very tempting
• Clicker
• Collar
• Training Leash, 5-10 Metres (16-32 Foot)
• Small quiet space with no distractions

If you don’t have, or prefer not to use a ‘clicker’, you can substitute it by using the word ‘yes’.

Dog training essentials available from Ezydog Australia

10 Tips to Stop Leash Pulling & Using the ‘Slow Command’

Dogs pulling on their leash is a common issue facing dog owners. Distractions such as birds landing, excitement seeing other dogs, or simply the pace isn’t to their liking are examples of when dogs can want to take off, but don’t despair because there are simple behavioural techniques to teach your dog appropriate leash walking, plus I’ll include suggestions on how making changes to your behaviour could make a big difference too.

1/ Constantly Reward Good Leash Behavior

PetsBook’s position on dog training is firm, we will only support positive behavioural training methods. Part of that methodology is to never take your dog’s good behavior for granted. Dogs will repeat behaviors that are rewarding to them, whether that reward is a tasty treat, positive words of praise and encouragement, rubs, hugs, or a chance to sniff that tree alonside a path. If you fall into the trap of focusing on what your dog is doing wrong and take good behavior for granted, chances are your four-legged companion will replace their good behavior with other ways to get what they want and your attention.

So, when your dog is walking calmly by your side from your use of the ‘Heel Command’, mark/reinforce that good behaviour with a reward. Treat bags are a great tool to keep at your hip when you’re out for a walk, in addittion to the verbal praise or physical rub. For dog’s that are prone to pulling, letting your dog know you appreciate the good behavior with lots of rewards will let him/her know what has to happen to be rewarded. In other words, reward heavily and frequently. Once your dog learns walking too fast or pulling wont be rewarded, you can slowly start to reduce the amount and frequency of treats.

If you notice your dog is picking up the pace, he/she is no longer focused on you, calmly but firmly say his/her name followed by the command ‘Slow’ and be ready to ‘mark’ the good behaviour with a treat once you’ve regained your pooches attention.
Practice walking and using the ‘Slow Command’ as soon as your dog starts to get his nose infront of your legs.

2/ Stop Walking If Your Dog Is Pulling

Remember your pooch is excited to get out of the house and go for a walk, that’s why they’re pulling you along in the first place. This means if you let them walk while they’re pulling, you’re effectively giving them the very reward they after.
Your dog has effectively trained you to get the walk, he/she wants, they pull. By rewarding this behaviour by rewarding it further, you’re reinforcing it’s acceptable and that will make leash pulling worse in the long run.

To break this cycle, as soon as your dog pulls, stop walking immediately and wait for your dog to stop pulling, loosening the tension on the leash.

3/ Only Walk With A Loose Leash

Wait for a slack leash. The lead should be hanging in a J-shape. For head, or nose strong dog breeds, this may take some practice, but eventually your dog will stop when you do and look back to see what’s holding you up.
As soon as he/she stops and looks at you, mark the event with your clicker or verbal ‘Yes’, add praise and reward your dog with his favourite tasty treat from your treat bag, then continue to walk again, slowly. Yes, for some, this will mean stopping and starting every step or two at first, but your dog will soon figure out that pulling makes the walk stop and walking politely by your side allows it to continue.

4/ Incorporate Life Rewards on Your Walk

As we touched on above, walks should not just be about training. Naturally dogs will want to sniff trees and scented flowers. Many dog owners, not too interested in the exercise value for themselves, view walking the dog as a trip to the bathroom. Dogs, especially larger breeds, not only need physical exercise, they need mental stimulation too. Every walk is a chance for training, but should also incorporate some fun as well. Sniffing, meeting and saying hello to other people and their dogs are all rewarding and nourashing to a dog’s mental wellbeing.

5/ Walk at a Brisk Pace

Generally, humans walk at a far too leisurely pace for dogs. Even small dog breeds will love to get their little legs pumping faster than you. This can be one of the reasons dogs pull on their leash, they want to get moving. Your dog will appreciate a slightly faster pace than the casual stroll, so by getting your legs going a little faster can make all the difference, and as a side effect, you’ll now benefit from the cardio workout too. This doesn’t mean you have to run, or walk at a pace that’s uncomfortable for you, especially if you’re a little older or not as fit as you could be, I’m talking about meeting your dog part way with respect to the pace of the walk.
Remember by this stage you have a number of commands at your disposal, so if you’re getting tired and see a park bench, slow to a stop and command your fury friend to sit while you recover.

6/ Be Consistent With Your No-Pulling Rule

It can be tempting to let your dog pull when it’s convenient for you, when you’re in a hurry, or when it starts to rain. This will have a detrimental effect though, teaching your dog that it’s okay to pull, sometimes. Be consistent with your no-pulling rule regardless of the situation. Anytime you allow your dog to pull on the leash, you’ll set your progress back to square one, and under no circumstances should you be laughing when you’re being pulled along!

7/ Keep Training Sessions Short

It can be frustrating, especially in the beginning, you might not think you’re making progress. Rather than pushing your dog until you’re both cranky, keep your training sessions short. Most dogs, especially puppies have lots of energy but short attention spans, so keep the training part of a walk to just 10 minutes, then play. Alow your dog to roam and explore on a long-leash. Remember, your goal isn’t to make a particular distance, it’s to walk with a loose leash even if that’s only a few houses down the street. Training is a marathon over time, not a sprint, a little everyday is far better than too much all at once.

8/ Be Engaging on Walks

There’s a lot going on and many exciting sights and smells on a walk for your dog. If you’re on your phone or otherwise ignoring your dog, there’s little reason for them to pay attention to you. Instead, be engaging, talk to your dog, use the ‘Slow Command’ if they’re picking up the pace a little too fast for your liking, take breaks, stop for a game, make him/her feel they’re the centre of your world. They should be!

9/ Stay Calm

Like humans, dogs will get excited by certain events. Seeing their favourite doggy friend or neighbour at the end of the street, can cause an excitable reaction. You need to appreciate this and stay calm. Dogs are experts at reading human emotions. Your stress and reactions will be read by your dog and that will just intensify their anxiety. Calm dog owners have calm dogs, it’s not a coincidence. Show your dog there’s nothing to be excited about, by talking to them in a calm manner. Yelling will never work.

10/ Engage Your Dog In Distracting Situations

Teaching your dog how to behave in different situations, with distractions, means putting them in those situations so they can learn how to handle them properly. When you encounter other dogs, it’s easy for your dog to forget the rules and start leash pulling.
To help your dog cope with any and all distractions, get them to focus on their best friend, that’s you. Calmly offer them treats, give them praise, rubs and hugs can all be ways of keeping your dog from being distracted by anything else. Be proactive. Obtain your dog’s attention before they see the distraction, and hopefully they won’t even notice it.

Summary of Teaching Your Dog The ‘Slow Command’

Remember consistency, practice and patience are the keys with all dog training. Some dogs, such as Beagles are more difficult to teach than others, because they love to sniff and follow their nose.

Some dogs that aren’t overly motivated by food treats (rare) will almost certainly take to cooked chicken pieces. However, I would strongly suggest finding a commercial option that works because apart from the expense, chicken is messy and doesn’t last very long out of a sealed container in the fridge. There are many brands and flavours to choose from these days, and many are made with healthy natural ingredients. I would also suggest using and rotating several different types, so your dog doesn’t become used to just one.

As I mentioned above, using a training leash of between 5-10 metres is ideal. These leashes are used extensively for ‘track and trace’ dog training disciplines so are readily available.
Most pet shops, which you can find near you, listed on Pet Directory will have these in stock.

It’s worth noting that the longer leash isn’t to reel your dog in if they ignore you, but to control the situation. As you walk, give your dog some ‘down time’ by saying ‘free’ as a release word, allowing your dog to roam about freely to relieve themselves or have a good sniff, before resuming the heel position.
This command is ideal to use when out for a walk and people with other dogs are approaching, especially smaller dogs if your dog is larger. Being totally focused on you and your instructions is the key to avoiding distractions as you pass people to your right.

Having trouble, or have a question about getting your dog to stroll calmly by your side when commanded?
Leave a comment for ‘Bear’ below and he’ll be happy to answer it for you, especially if you get his attention by using his name.

We at PetsBook also recommend getting out with your dog and join a training course.
Pet Directory has many local dog training businesses listed near you with experienced and accredited dog trainers ready to help you with dog obedience and dog command training.

» List of Dog Training Commands

Bear

Hi, I’m Bear, the Training Manager at PetsBook. With over 20 years experience using positive reinforcement dog training techniques, I’m proud to have the opportunity to help you develop a stronger bond with your fur baby, by teaching you useful commands with obedience training.