{"id":39,"date":"2013-04-15T11:35:08","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T18:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thedoginc.com\/dog-pulling-stop-your-dog-from-pulling"},"modified":"2013-04-15T11:35:08","modified_gmt":"2013-04-15T18:35:08","slug":"stop-dog-pulling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/stop-dog-pulling\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Your Dog from Pulling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Why Do Dogs Pull?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Dogs pull for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dogs naturally walk at a faster pace than we do.<\/li>\n<li>Dogs,  especially young dogs are happy and excited to be outdoors. This makes  them want to get to as many places as possible, in as little time as  possible.<\/li>\n<li>Dogs pull to get to people or other dogs that they see  walking on the road. Usually they just want to examine the new people  or dogs, and smell them.<\/li>\n<li>Dogs pull when they see prey because instinctually, they want to chase and catch it.<\/li>\n<li>Dogs pull when they are afraid of something and want to run away.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Contrary to what some people say, <strong>dogs do not pull<\/strong> because of <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/the-dominant-dog-dealing-with-dominance-in-dogs\">dominance or to show their owner <em>&#8220;who is boss&#8221;<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Then why did the dog pull while crossing the road?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Because he wanted to get to the other side &#8230; quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Dominance,  power, and control are very human motives that we often incorrectly  overlay onto normal and instinctual canine actions.<\/p>\n<div id='2641' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_0861-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"Foxy Shiba Inu walking on a park trail (on collar and leash).\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2641\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>How to Stop Your Dog from Pulling<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"alignspace\"><\/div>\n<h2>How to Stop Your Dog from Pulling<\/h2>\n<div id='2705' class='wp-caption frame3 alignright' style='width:280px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:280px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_1158-280x210.jpg\" alt=\"Shiba Inu exploring and sniffing on-leash in a wooded park.\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2705\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>Shiba Inu exploring on-leash in a park.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<p>First, we consider how to get our dogs to reduce their natural  walking speed so that their much slower two-legged companions can keep  up.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most effective ways to get a dog to slow down is to teach him the following &#8211;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>The fastest way to get to where he wants to go is by slowing down and walking with you.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As soon as your dog starts to pull, i.e., the leash gets taut, non-mark (<strong>Ack, Ack<\/strong>) and just stop walking. Initially, your dog may continue to pull and may even pull harder. Just ignore him and stand still.<\/p>\n<p>As  soon as your dog stops pulling, you can start moving forward. In this  way, your dog learns that pulling = we stop moving, and not-pulling = we  get to where we want to go.<\/p>\n<p>For this method to work, it is  important to be consistent with your starts and stops. Do not let your  dog pull sometimes, but not at other times. Make sure to stop every time  the leash gets taut and start again once your dog has stopped pulling.<\/p>\n<p>In  the beginning you may find yourself stopping a lot and may not get very  far from your front door. But that is fine and part of the learning  process. Keep going at it consistently, and your dog will quickly learn  that it is in his best interest to slow down and walk together with you.<\/p>\n<div id='2616' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_0030-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"Shiba Inu Sephy in harness pulling on lead.\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2616\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>Teach our dog that pulling = we stop moving, and not-pulling = we get to where we want to go.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"alignspace\"><\/div>\n<h2>1. Prey Drive<\/h2>\n<div class=\"amazon\"><\/div>\n<p>Most dogs have a difficult time resisting squirrels and other prey.  Once a dog spots a squirrel, the only thing in his mind will be to chase  after that bushy tail. He will no longer be interested in food, in  toys, or in what you have to say.<\/p>\n<p>This has nothing to do with  dominance or being the boss. It is simply in a dog&#8217;s DNA to hunt, since  they come from a line of predators. Some dog breeds have higher prey drive than others, and some dog breeds are more  independent than others. The independent dog with high prey drive are  the most susceptible to <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/the-squirrel-instinct-can-it-be-retrained\">the <em>Squirrel Effect<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Such  dogs will be difficult to control when exposed to a squirrel,  especially a moving squirrel. And it is not just squirrels but also  cats, deer, and other prey.<\/p>\n<p>Some people suggest that the only way to deal with pulling in such situations is to use aversive training, including finger pokes, <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/3-dog-training-techniques#leash-correction\">leash jerks,<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/dog-shock-collar-good-bad\">shock collars.<\/a> Pain is often a strong motivator, therefore it can sometimes be used to snap a dog out of his <em>squirrel trance<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>However,  if our dog is independent and has strong prey drive, the pain that we  must deliver must be even stronger. As a result such techniques are  risky, may cause your dog to lose trust in you, may cause aggression,  will increase the amount of stress experienced by your dog, and will  reduce his quality of life.<\/p>\n<div id='2640' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_0860-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"Shiba Inu pouncing and digging for lizards at the park (under a guard rail).\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2640\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>1. Prey Drive<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"alignspace\"><\/div>\n<h2>2. Desensitization<\/h2>\n<div id='2628' class='wp-caption frame3 alignright' style='width:280px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:280px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_01751-280x210.jpg\" alt=\"Shiba Inu Sephy doing a very nice Sit during a walk in the park (on harness and leash).\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2628\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>An effective way to deal with prey drive is through desensitization exercises.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<p>An effective and safer way to deal with prey drive is through desensitization exercises.<\/p>\n<p>Desensitization exercises work by first exposing your dog  to only <strong>a small amount<\/strong> of the problematic stimulus. For example, we start by standing far away from the <em>Squirrel Zone. <\/em>We must stand far enough away that our dog is still calm, able to focus on us, and able to perform obedience commands.<\/p>\n<p>Then we do the following &#8211;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Get our dog&#8217;s attention and reward him for giving us his attention.<\/li>\n<li>Get our dog to do some simple obedience commands and reward as appropriate.<\/li>\n<li>Move one or two steps towards the <em>Squirrel Zone<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Repeat the steps above.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If  our dog fixates on the squirrel and starts to pull, then we have moved  forward too quickly. We want to move back a few steps and repeat the  exercise. Make sure to keep desensitization sessions short, fun, and  rewarding. Do not overload the dog with too much at any one time.<\/p>\n<p>The desensitization process helps to retrain our dog to ignore the squirrel and focus on us instead.<\/p>\n<p>The  desensitization process is best performed in a controlled environment,  for example in our backyard or a quiet neighborhood field. Pick an area  where there are few distractions so that we can focus all of our  training on a single problematic stimulus.<\/p>\n<div id='2646' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_08911-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"Girl smiling at her Shiba Inu during an on-leash walk.\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2646\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>2. Desensitization<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"alignspace\"><\/div>\n<h2>3. Pain and Fear<\/h2>\n<div id='2627' class='wp-caption frame3 alignright' style='width:280px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:280px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_01701-280x210.jpg\" alt=\"Young Shiba Inu Sephy standing-up on railing during a hike at the park (on harness and leash).\" width=\"280\" height=\"210\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2627\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>3. Pain and Fear<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Even  though we used squirrels in the example above, the desensitization  process can be used to help with a variety of pulling issues including  pulling to meet people and other dogs. Desensitization can also help  with fear pulling.<\/p>\n<p>My Siberian Husky used to be very fearful of  the garbage truck. During our walks, she would start pulling like crazy  whenever she saw or heard the garbage truck. To help her with this  issue, I started doing focus and obedience exercises inside the house,  but close to the front door during trash days. Then we did exercises  on-leash but with the front door open, then we did exercises on the  front step and so on. Now, we only need to move into a driveway and she  remains calm enough to focus and do commands.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Remember, however, that fear and prey drive are powerful things.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While  it is possible to desensitize your dog to a certain level,  it may not be possible to ensure perfect success. Instead, the prey  drive will still be present \u2013 but be muted \u2013 because your dog has  learned that focusing on you in the presence of a squirrel or cat is a  very rewarding enterprise.<\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, applying pain through a  leash jerk, finger poke, or shock collar does not magically remove a  dog&#8217;s prey drive either. In that case, <strong>the prey drive is just suppressed by another stronger instinct \u2013 pain avoidance or fear of pain.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id='2619' class='wp-caption frame3 aligncenter' style='width:520px' ><div class='shiba-outer shiba-gallery' ><div class='shiba-stage' style='width:520px'><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/IMG_0043-520x390.jpg\" alt=\"Shiba Inu in harness, looking up and smiling, with tongue hanging out at the side (on-leash walk).\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2619\" \/><div class='wp-caption-text shiba-caption'>Desensitization is an effective way for dealing with many dog pulling issues.<\/div><\/div> <!-- End shiba-stage --><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dogs generally pull us during walks because they are excited, happy, and want to explore. Other times, a dog may pull to get to prey, or to run away from a threat. We can teach our dog not to pull by showing him that pulling results in standing still, whereas being calm results in moving forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[1343,1344,1345,1346,1347,1348,1349,1350,1351,1352],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shibashake.com\/dog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}