Are you often troubled by your dog pulling on the leash during walks? However, did you know that while you may verbally say no, your actual actions encourage your dog to pull on the leash? To get straight to the point, the reason your dog pulls on the leash is that you are the one who first tightened it. I have raised many dogs myself, and I found leash training to be quite challenging. But today, I will share a method that can solve this issue in one go. Let's get started. 

When walking together, it's common for dogs to pull on the leash and get easily excited. For example, they might rush towards a stray cat or show certain behaviors towards specific people or other dogs. Do you want to correct these problematic behaviors? In fact, the behavior of pulling on the leash during walks can be easily fixed with just a quick search on YouTube or the internet. However, I am not just looking for simple corrections.

Before understanding the method, I think there is something we need to grasp first. Do you believe that dogs should always walk calmly by our side? Many people think so. We want them to walk beside us without causing a fuss, behaving gracefully. But let's change our perspective for a moment. What if we, as humans, had to become pets and could only go outside when our owner wanted us to, wearing a leash? Just thinking about it would be frustrating, right? But is it any different for dogs? From a dog's perspective, going for a walk is the moment they are finally liberated after being cooped up at home all day. In that situation, if they don't get excited, that would actually be more unusual. Yet, we fail to understand this fact. We simply think, Oh, my dog doesn't listen at all. Can't they just walk a little more calmly? However, if we view and think about dogs from a human perspective, we might actually change our behavior.

It's difficult, isn't it? When you argue with your partner, if you think, I did nothing wrong; the other person is just bad, it feels like you're losing. So, what should you do? You might feel like just letting things be and not causing a fuss. Of course, it's not that you should completely ignore such behavior. Instead, creating appropriate rules between the discoverer and the protector is a way for both to be happy. However, if you think that your dog should just listen to you without any consideration, the more you impose sacrifices, the more problematic behaviors your dog will exhibit. Therefore, the important thing is to first understand your dog's feelings. If you understand how your beloved family member, your pet, thinks and feels, it becomes much easier. Training for behavior correction is not about forcing your dog to comply or demanding sacrifices. The purpose of training is to live together harmoniously.

It's for both of our comfort. Please remember that when we understand this fact and create and adhere to rules, it truly has an effect. Now, let's find out how we can avoid pulling on the leash. First, we need to think about the actions we take when we go for a walk. How do you respond when your dog barks or exhibits problematic behavior during a walk? Most guardians probably pick up their dog or stop the behavior. However, this kind of action can actually lead to more problematic behavior. For example, imagine a child throwing a tantrum on the floor, demanding a toy. If, in that situation, the child cries and causes a scene, and you buy the toy, what will happen? That's right, the child will likely throw a tantrum again next time. The same goes for dogs. If I...

When I pull the leash, the owner follows, and when I wake them up, the guardian plays with me. This recognition leads to a repetition of such behaviors. Therefore, if we understand this perception in dogs, we can figure out how to address it. 

Firstly, dogs that pull on the leash often get easily excited by surrounding stimuli. To resolve this issue, we need to help the dog become accustomed to these stimuli. For the dog to remain calm in crowded places, it must first lose its aversion to minor stimuli. Thus, it is beneficial to practice in an environment without people or other dogs, allowing the dog to get used to the external surroundings. Try taking your dog to a dog park or a quiet area and let them off the leash. They will likely come over to rest beside the guardian and then run around again. The important thing is that during this process, the dog becomes familiar with the external environment.

Dogs often spend a lot of time resting or cuddling next to their guardians. Going outside becomes familiar and natural, allowing them to enjoy walks comfortably. On the other hand, if walking becomes something too special and exciting, it’s natural for them to get easily excited. For example, imagine you haven't eaten all day and someone brings in fried chicken, insisting that you practice chewing it thoroughly. Naturally, you would feel frustrated and angry. The same goes for dogs. If they have been waiting for their owner all day and want to go for a walk, but then are forced to walk slowly once they are outside, they would feel annoyed. Therefore, start training in a quiet place and gradually move to busier areas for walks. This way, they will become accustomed to the stimuli and grow into well-behaved dogs.

You may be able to remove the marking of smells. Have you allowed your dog to sniff or mark during walks? Many people think it's a natural behavior and tend to leave it as is. However, if you let your dog act freely, the control of the walk will shift to your dog. In this case, the puppy may disregard you, the owner, and act on its own. Yet, this behavior is instinctual, so it cannot be labeled as bad behavior. Sometimes, trainers focus solely on the idea that control should not be lost. This does not mean that you should completely prevent your dog from sniffing. As mentioned earlier, we must not forget that we are trying to align the dog's behavior with our desires. Our goal is to establish at least some rules for both of us to be happy. The purpose of training is not to suppress or restrict the dog's instinctual behaviors.

Please remember that you need to help your dog recognize the rules during walks. For example, if your dog tries to sniff or mark while walking, you should stop them. Additionally, allow them to mark less frequently than usual. The meaning of allowing marking is to help the dog focus on the owner and recognize it as a reward for following. The more you train, the better they will be able to concentrate on you. Once their behavior is somewhat corrected, situations where they cannot focus at home and become uncontrollable will not occur. 

The third point is about why pulling on the leash can make the dog pull more. If I pull the leash, doesn't the dog get more excited and pull harder? This behavior stems from incorrect handling. For example, many owners pull the leash upwards like shown on the screen. This leads to...

Dogs are likely to misunderstand and think that they are being cheered on. This was also mentioned by Trainer Kang Young in a program where he educated guardians. So, you should pull from behind like this. If the guardian manages the control well, you can see a decrease in pulling behavior. This is because the dog understands that it shouldn't behave that way. However, even during training, the dog can still get excited. In that case, try this: when the dog gets excited, sit it down to help it focus. When walking with your dog, it often gets easily excited. For example, you might see it getting excited and barking when it meets a dog friend or sees other people. When it gets excited or can't focus, lift the leash to make it feel uncomfortable. This way, the dog will stop and feel the discomfort.

Through these signals, the dog can focus on its owner. At this time, it is important to ensure that the discomfort is felt clearly, rather than being too loose. You should lift the leash from a standstill. If the dog is sitting in place, please loosen the leash again. If the dog looks at the owner or stops being excited, you can reward it with a treat. Through this training, the dog will accurately recognize what behaviors are acceptable and what are not. If you continue to learn through repeated rewards and discomfort, the behavior will surely improve. Today, we discussed walking training, and I would like to share a few additional tips. Ultimately, dogs learn and recognize behaviors through rewards and punishments. Therefore, walking before meals greatly helps with their focus. The reason most people fail in training is that they are unable to maintain consistency. In fact,

If you maintain this consistency, you will definitely see results. However, it might be difficult to stay consistent. Regarding that, I will create a video in the future about how to maintain good habits. Now, let me summarize today's content. 

First, get used to surrounding stimuli. Start by slowly getting accustomed to the external environment in a place without people or other dogs. 

Second, control marking. The goal of training is not to suppress the dog's instinctive behaviors. It's not about preventing them from smelling everything; rather, we should encourage them to act with the concept of rewards. Our aim is to establish minimal rules for both of us to be happy. We need to help the dog recognize these rules on its own. 

Third, proper leash control. Instead of pulling the leash upwards, try pulling it backwards. If you pull it upwards...

Dogs can have the mistaken belief that they are being encouraged. If they become excited due to the fourth stimulus, we should sit them down to help them focus. If the dog is excited or unable to concentrate, we can lift the leash to make them sit. We should correct their behavior through discomfort and rewards with treats, instilling the understanding that this is how it should be done. To be honest, the reason we train our dogs is not for their comfort, but for the convenience of the owner. However, training that demands unconditional sacrifice has a counterproductive effect. I believe I explained that principle well in today's video. If you have watched this far because of the leash pulling, do you have an idea of how to resolve it? I think I often feel frustrated and fail not only with dog training but also with dieting, all due to habits. However, if we take it slow and tackle things one by one, we will surely see improvements in behavior before we know it.

I can see that. I will try to create videos that can help solve these kinds of problems in the future. If you found this helpful, please subscribe and like so that others who are struggling with similar issues can see this video. I will see you in the next video. Thank you for watching. Goodbye!

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