Dog walking problems, pulling on lead and how to help

Dogs tend to spend a lot of time indoors. This means walkies can be the most exciting part of their day. Lots of scents, sights, sounds and friends to play with. It’s easy to see why they want to get where they’re going quickly.

When your dog is excited or anticipating lots of fun, it’s unlikely they realise that you’re being dragged behind them.

The environment can be naturally enriching for your dog. There’s so much to do, like chasing squirrels, playing with other dogs and catching up on the latest scents. It’s no wonder they can get so distracted.  

When your dog engages in behaviours like chasing squirrels or playing with other dogs, they’re filled with happy hormones that make them feel good. When your dog does these things instead of focusing on you, they’re not trying to be naughty or disobedient. They just want to keep feeling good. They might not even realise you were trying to get their attention.

Most dogs need to be taught that walking close to you is better than steaming on ahead.  

Dogs repeat behaviours that work. We can use this to our advantage by rewarding them when the lead is loose. The flip side is that pulling on-lead is easy to accidentally reward. Just one step forward when your dog pulls tells them it works.

Like us, dogs learn from experience. When they do something that works well, they repeat it. Each time pulling gets your dog where they want to go, the behaviour becomes stronger and more automatic. Over time, pulling becomes a habit.

This might feel difficult to overcome, but with the right training, time and consistency, your dog can learn that walking calmly near you is the best place to be.

Just as the outside world can be exciting for some dogs, it can be scary for others. Some dogs might pull on their lead to get away from things that worry them. Others might pull towards them.  

Dogs that feel overwhelmed or frustrated may pull on the lead because strong emotions make it harder for them to control their behaviour.

When a dog’s lead goes tight on a walk, their feelings and behaviour can change.

They might feel like they are:

• Doing what works – if you keep walking when they pull (even accidentally) they might learn to keep pulling as it’ll work eventually.
• Unbalanced – sudden tightness in the lead can pull your dog off-balance. As they try to steady themselves, the tension on the lead might increase and make it look like they’re pulling harder.
• Trapped – a tight lead can stop dogs from avoiding what worries them, so they might feel the need to intensify their behaviour, for example, by barking and lunging.
• Triggered – it’s normal for you to hold the lead tighter if your dog shows reactive behaviours. Some dogs can learn that a tight lead signals that a trigger, like another dog or person, is close.
• Frustrated – some frustrated dogs might pull harder when they can’t get where they want to go.  

Tension on the lead or equipment can alter your dog’s body posture, making their body language harder to read. They may also appear defensive or aggressive without feeling that way.

For example, their muscles are likely to be tense, and their weight shifted onto their front feet. If they pull so much that they’re ‘stood up’ on their back legs, they may seem taller and more intimidating or unusual to other dogs and people.

Walking dogs that bark, lunge and pull towards other dogs, people or things can be stressful. These dogs are often called ‘reactive’.

In addition to the challenges that reactive behaviours present, there’s a lot of social pressure on owners to have a well-behaved dog. This can lead to feelings of embarrassment, stress and worry when things don’t go according to plan.

Reactive behaviours may be seen when dogs feel:

• worried
• frustrated
• excited
• overwhelmed.

Some dogs become scared when out and about. Watch your dog’s body language so you can help them before they panic. This is when they’re most likely to bolt or escape. Bolting is dangerous, as your dog might run to where they feel safe without paying attention to their surroundings.

Like us, dogs get excited when they think they’re going to have fun. This can mean they forget all about walking nicely on the lead.  

Your dog might pull in excitement:

• as soon as you leave the house
• towards other dogs and people they know and like
• when they realise they’re close to somewhere they’ve had fun before
• when they’re curious  and want to investigate something.

Play or training with your dog before a walk helps to use up excess energy. Changing routes, or walking the same route in reverse, makes walks less predictable. This means your dog will have fewer expectations about the environment and can engage calmly with it. They will also need to pay more attention to you.

Some dogs pull on their lead when a lot is going on around them. This could be because they feel anxious or overwhelmed. Think about a crowded marketplace – lots of people making noise, bumping each other and moving unpredictably. For dogs, there are also new scents and the vulnerability of being smaller than humans.  They may feel overwhelmed, and pull towards a safe space or away from scary things.

Other dogs might feel excited about exploring the new sights, sounds and smells. It can be harder for them to focus on their owner when they’re in a busy or overstimulating environment. This might make pulling on lead more likely.

Some dogs bite, grab or shake their lead. This is known as ‘lead ragging’ and is very common. Lead ragging generally happens when a dog is feeling:

• anxious about something, like a dog or person approaching
• frustrated about being stopped from doing something that they want to do
• torn between two choices and confused about what to do
• bored or seeking attention.  

Over time, dogs can learn that lead ragging makes them feel better or gets them what they want. This is when it can become a habit.    

Our advice on lead ragging has lots of info about why your dog behaves this way and what you can do about it.

Predatory behaviour in dogs is a natural survival skill. Most predatory behaviours are self-rewarding. This means a dog does something because the behaviour itself is fun or satisfying. 

The dog will show the behaviour on their own, without needing a treat or praise from you. Chasing is one of the most common predatory behaviours that can make walking your dog difficult.

Scavenging is a natural behaviour for dogs and aided the survival of their ancestors. While pet dogs today usually have their food provided, your dog might still show these behaviours when they’re:

• hungry
• ill, have a medical condition or nutrient deficiency
• in busy places with lots of temptation like food stalls or takeaway containers
• feeling unsure
• bored – scavenging is self-rewarding; they have fun and feel good doing it.

Scavenging can be a dangerous behaviour. Here are our top tips for making your walks easier:

• reward your dog for keeping their head up and their focus on you
• avoid temptation – try crossing the road instead of walking past the overflowing bin
• practise your recall so you can call your dog away from items they might pick up
• consider using a muzzle to keep your dog safe – don't forget to train them first.

Most dogs enjoy running around off-lead. But, if they don’t come back when called, walks can become stressful. Your dog isn’t running off because of defiance, spite or dominance, it normally means their training needs some tweaks. For example:

• they’re not rewarded for coming back or the reward isn’t worth coming back for
• the environment is new or too distracting for them
• repeated or multiple instructions can be confusing, so some dogs learn to ignore them
• they’ve learnt that coming back means they’re told off or put on-lead.

If your dog runs off, it’s a good idea to keep them on-lead while you teach them to come back when called.  

Where possible, allow off-lead time in secure fields and gardens along with enrichment and training to help your dog stay mentally and physically stimulated.  

Safety is important, and there are so many options now for secure off-lead fun.

Dogs that refuse to walk on the lead might:

• be in pain, unwell or injured
• feel tired or want a rest
• find being on lead strange as they’re not used to it
• want to go somewhere they enjoy like the park or a shop where they get treats
• want to avoid somewhere they’ve had a bad experience, like the vets
• be in the middle of playing and want to continue
• have learnt that refusing to move means treats are given to persuade them to walk.  

If your dog is refusing to walk, take them to the vet to rule out underlying medical problems. If they have a clean bill of health, try to work out what is causing them to stop. If you need help with this, our free Behaviour Support Line is ready and waiting.

Dogs that show conflicting behaviours when out, are often feeling unsure. They may feel excited about something but become anxious as they get closer. This is completely normal.  

If your dog is unsure, watch their body language to work out how they’re feeling. Sometimes, they may need a bit of time to decide everything’s okay. Other times they might need you to help them move away from what worries them.  

Sudden pain may also cause your dog to switch between pulling and stopping when on lead. You can rule out any underlying medical causes with your vet.

When our dogs are struggling, we can be quick to swallow the blame and assume we’ve done something wrong. But it’s unlikely that’s the case. Many factors influence whether dogs feel afraid, and they’re not always within our control.

If your dog is scared when walking, the best next step is to get professional help. Take them to the vet for a full health check to rule out any underlying medical problems. You can also get friendly expert advice from our behaviour services team.

In the meantime, here are some tips that you may find helpful:

• avoid walking in places where your dog feels scared
• walk at quieter times of the day or in quieter places
• avoid walking in the dark
• keep walks short - focus on enrichment, play, training and good times together instead.
• check out our owner support for more info.

All dogs can pull on their lead, regardless of their breed.

It might seem like big breeds pull more than small breeds. This is probably because the behaviour is more obvious. Bigger dogs also tend to be stronger than smaller dogs, so they’re likely to have a greater impact on the person holding the lead. This might mean that the behaviour is more problematic for owners of bigger breeds.

The biggest influencing factor for dogs that pull on-lead is whether they’ve been trained to walk nicely. Even dogs with historic walking roles that involved pulling carts and sleds can walk nicely when they’re shown how. Equally, dogs that have few traits that make them likely to pull on the lead can pull strongly if they’re not taught how to walk calmly.

Every dog is an individual with their own likes and dislikes. If your dog doesn’t enjoy walks, we understand this might be disappointing.

The first step is to work out why your dog doesn’t enjoy their walks. Take them to the vet for a full health check to rule out any underlying medical problems. If your dog seems anxious or worried, call our behaviour experts who can give you free, immediate advice and put you in touch with our behaviour services teams for longer-term support.

Unfortunately, dogs don’t always know what’s safe to eat, and we can’t watch them all the time. This means scavenging can be a very dangerous behaviour.

If your dog has a scavenging habit, it’s important to take them to the vet to rule out underlying health problems. If they have a clean bill of health, we’ve popped some advice below.

• Walk in areas where there’s less risk of your dog finding inappropriate items.
• Keep areas of your home and garden that your dog can access clear of litter.
• Teach your dog to ‘leave’.
• Reward your dog for keeping their head up, and attention on you, while on a walk.
• Use short leads for walks so they can’t wander off and grab something.
• Consider muzzle training so they’re unable to pick items up.
• Feed your dog their meals before walks (remember to wait one to two hours between).

If your dog barks, lunges, growls or snaps at other dogs, people or other things on a walk, then your dog might be ‘reactive’.

You might find it helpful to learn about your dog’s body language so you can work out how they feel.

If your dog grabs and rags on their lead, you’re not alone – this is a very common problem. Our page on lead ragging has lots of advice on why your dog behaves this way and what you can do about it.

Research suggests that many dogs bark at noises, with fear being one of the most common causes.

Your dog might bark at noises because:

• they're afraid – this is strongly linked to underlying medical problems
• the sound is unfamiliar
• they've had a bad experience with loud noises in the past like painful ears
• they think barking makes the noise stop
• they're frustrated because the lead stops them from investigating or stops them from running away
• they're emotionally overwhelmed or ‘trigger stacked’.

If your dog barks at noises, we recommend taking them to the vets for a full health check. Watch their body language and keep a note of when the barking happens. Do they show signs of anxiety before they start barking? Do they only bark in certain places or at certain noises? Do they only bark on lead? This will help you identify and avoid the triggers.

It’s a legal requirement for your dog to wear a collar with an updated ID tag out of the house. You might also find it helpful for them to wear a harness, too.

Harnesses can make walking easier as they absorb much of your dog’s weight when they pull. This means there is less risk of injury to you and your dog. Don’t forget that your dog should be trained to wear a harness before you start to use it for walks.

Whichever you choose, remember that equipment alone won’t stop your dog from pulling on their lead. They’ll need you to teach them how to walk nicely, too.

If your dog or puppy is refusing to walk, take them to the vet to rule out underlying health conditions. If they have a clean bill of health and the situation only happens when they’re on lead, it may be that the lead itself is worrying your pooch.

All walking equipment should be introduced gradually and positively, including wearing a harness.

To understand why your dog growls on-lead, watch their body language and try to work out how they’re feeling. Keeping a diary can help you spot patterns and see what they’re growling at, or whether it happens at a certain time or place.

If your dog only growls on-lead, they might feel anxious or frustrated because the lead is restricting their movement.

If you need support to work out why your dog is growling, or help with how they’re feeling, call our friendly Behaviour Support Line for free, qualified advice.

There are many things that influence how long training can take.

Here are our top tips to speed up the process:

• Seek professional support – an accredited trainer can give you ‘real-time’ feedback on your technique to ensure both you and your dog learn quickly.
• Be consistent – we all understand things quicker when instructions are clear. Ask the same thing, in the same way, every time you train.
• Pay your dog well – dogs repeat behaviours that work. Give them what they love when they’re walking by your side, and they’ll spend far more time there.
• Film your training – as cringey as watching yourself can be, it’s far easier to improve your results when you can watch your training from a different perspective.

It might seem like dogs grow out of pulling because older dogs often walk slower than younger ones.

Unfortunately, this is normally because of medical problems and not them aging out of pulling. If anything, lots of practice pulling on lead could mean that the behaviour is very well established by the time they’re an adult.

The best advice to stop your dog pulling on lead, is to teach them how to walk nicely. It might take some time but the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll enjoy pull-free walks together.

Dogs behaving differently when they’re on-lead is a common problem for owners. Here are some examples of why this might happen:

• the lead might stop your dog from getting what they want, or going where they want to go, leaving them frustrated
• they’ve had a bad experience on-lead in the past
• the lead might stop them from moving away from something scary, so they feel the need to use aggressive behaviours instead
• they might have little, to no, experience of being on a lead.

Stopping your dog chasing wildlife can be a tricky behaviour to resolve, as it makes dogs feel good.

Here are our top tips:

• Avoid walking in areas with lots of wildlife.
• Consider only allowing your dog off-lead in areas you know they can’t chase wildlife like secure dog fields.
• If you want to give your dog more freedom on a walk but are worried about letting them off-lead, consider using a harness and longline. Remember that your dog should be trained to wear a harness first.
• Give your dog a safe outlet for their chase behaviours – why not use a game of chase and tug as a powerful reward for recall?