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When we first get a dog we dream of walking side by side, them looking up at us lovingly and us looking at them, so proud. That dream is swiftly shattered when we first take our dogs outside. You take that first step and watch your arm very quickly extend to an unnatural length as you are suddenly dragged down the street. 

Loose leash walking (also known as loose lead walking) takes patience and time, but it is not impossible, and it can be done at any age.

When I first got Archie he was a 1-year-old teenage dog who had no idea how to walk on a lead. Our first walks were a tug of war and not enjoyable, well at least not for me. Obviously being a trainer I had to have that perfect dog that always walked well, and that is what we did achieve. 

You will be building a new focus: you! We often think that our dogs should always think we are the best thing since sliced ham to them. Well sorry to break it to you, but when we take them out for THEIR walk we just don’t cut it. Unless you have built a strong reinforcement history with you, making you exciting and fun.

Loose leash dog training is an essential skill that helps build a positive and cooperative relationship between you and your dog. Using positive reinforcement methods not only makes training more effective but also deepens the connection you share. It is also a fundamental need for effectively walking down a busy footpath.

A medium-sized dog walking calmly on a loose lead with its owner, who is jogging. Bright outdoor setting on a suburban footpath.

🐾 What Is Loose Leash Walking?

Loose leash walking means both parties should have all feet on the ground and humans to have their arms still attached. All jokes aside, loose lead dog walking for me is when there is what I call a smile in the lead — a smile between human and dog. Basically, some slack in the lead that looks like a smile. Now this will be dependent on the length of lead you have so let’s talk about that.

How Long Should My Lead Be?

Choosing the right lead for you and your dog can make all the difference in your loose leash training.

When choosing a lead, you want to take into consideration the length of your dog. Say for example you have a Labrador, the length from their neck to their tail could be between 55–80cm. Now if you have a lead that is only 1.5 metres, if your dog walks not even half a body length in front of you, the lead will be tight. That really does not give the dog much lead to do what they need to do.

You want to start with a lead that is at least 3 metres in length and not the retractable ones. Don’t get me started on those…

Having a lead that has enough length to allow your dog to sniff and engage with their environment helps stop your dog from pulling on the lead.

✅ Why Choose Positive Reinforcement?

Why not I say!! What animal does not respond to being positively reinforced? Where people might argue is when it doesn’t work for them. When this happens we have to look at the why.

That why can be due to where you are doing the training. Is it too distracting for them? Are there other dogs around, is it very noisy, is there a lot of visual distractions?

Maybe the food isn’t that reinforcing for them? Kibble will not cut it. You are competing with the environment which is WAY more reinforcing.

Are you trying to train your dog when they are already hyper excited for the walk? If this is the case, then you need to work with the prediction first — building calm when walking equipment is presented.

Dog pulling on a leash while walking on the footpath, demonstrating a common leash training issue.

🐕 Step-by-Step Guide to Loose Leash Walking

1. Start Indoors in a Distraction-Free Environment

Working to change any behaviour in the environment it happens will always set you and your dog up to fail. Begin your leash training in a quiet area such as inside the house or backyard.

2. Use High-Value Treats

As already mentioned, kibble won’t cut it. Find what actually reinforces them. This will make your dog training lead walking sessions far more successful.

3. Find the Best Food Delivery Method

This is often missed. Some dogs prefer to catch food, others like it tossed on the ground. Some might prefer a squeeze bottle. Let your dog tell you what works.

4. Reward Desired Behaviours Immediately

Condition a marker word like “yes”. When starting loose lead training, mark and reward the moment your dog follows you on lead. Keep sessions short and successful.

5. If Possible, Avoid Them Pulling

If your dog pulls on the lead, try avoiding that situation altogether while training. Use a separate harness for walks and dog pulling on leash training on its own.

6. Gradually Increase Distractions

Start inside, then your front yard, then quieter streets. When your dog is walking with a loose lead for 10–15 metres, begin introducing more complex environments.

🧠 Tips for Success

Energetic dog pulling forward on a tight leash, illustrating a lack of loose lead training.

🚫 Avoid Punishment

Using punishment may stop the behaviour temporarily, but it doesn’t teach your dog what to do. Slip leads and choke chains may suppress the behaviour, but once removed, your dog pulling on a leash will likely return.

💬 Final Thoughts

Loose leash walking is hard for both dog and owner. It causes frustration for both ends of the lead. The dream of having a dog walk nicely next to you is possible when done in the right way.

Building that relationship between dog and caregiver is such a magical thing — and it can be done in a way that’s fun for both ends of the lead.

Remember: dogs are just being dogs in our human world. It’s up to us to guide them.

Yes, they will get it wrong and they will annoy you — stamp your feet, have a glass of wine, and look at them. That look of love they give you will always melt the frustration away.

Enjoy your furry friends, and if you’re looking for more specialised guidance on how to stop your dog pulling on his lead, get in touch.

Three dogs walking side by side on loose leashes with relaxed leads and focused attention.

🐾 Frequently Asked Questions About Loose Leash Walking

Why does my dog pull on the lead?

Dogs that pull on lead are often excited, curious, or haven’t been properly trained to walk calmly. Pulling can also be a learned behaviour if it’s been accidentally reinforced. Loose leash training helps your dog understand that walking beside you leads to rewards and freedom.

How do I stop my dog from pulling on his lead?

To stop your dog pulling on the lead, start by training in a low-distraction environment. Use high-value treats, keep your sessions short, and reward your dog for walking beside you with a loose leash. Avoid pulling back or using punishment, which can increase frustration and confusion.

What is loose leash walking?

Loose leash walking means your dog walks beside you without pulling, leaving some slack or “smile” in the lead. It’s a core behaviour that makes walking enjoyable for both dog and handler. It’s also known as loose lead dog walking or loose leash dog training.

What’s the best lead for leash training?

For effective loose lead training, avoid short or retractable leads. A 3-metre fixed-length lead is best. It allows your dog to sniff and explore without creating constant tension, reducing the urge to pull.

Can older dogs learn loose lead walking?

Yes! You can teach loose lead walking at any age. While older dogs may have stronger pulling habits, positive reinforcement and consistent practice will help them learn new behaviours. Just go slowly and be patient.

How long does leash training take?

There’s no set timeline, but most dogs start showing improvement within 1–2 weeks of regular, short sessions. If your dog already has a history of pulling on the leash, it may take longer. The key is consistency, motivation, and starting in the right environment.

Is punishment effective for dogs that pull on the lead?

Using punishment (e.g. choke chains, leash pops) may stop pulling temporarily but does not teach your dog what to do. It can damage trust and cause fear. Loose leash dog training using rewards and clear communication builds a lasting bond and better behaviour.

You've tried training, but nothing seems to make a lasting difference.

You’ve done everything you were told to do.

You’ve been to training.

You’ve watched the videos.

You’ve practised every day.

People keep telling you to be more consistent.

To be firmer.

To keep repeating the exercises.

Yet your dog still barks, reacts, growls or struggles with the very same things.

Maybe the behaviour improved for a little while.

Then it came back.

You’re left wondering whether you’ve somehow failed your dog.

The truth is, it may not be a training problem at all.

Imagine going to your doctor because you’ve developed a persistent cough.

Without asking any questions or looking any further, they give you a cough suppressant.

It doesn’t work.

So you go back, and they tell you to keep taking it because it should stop the coughing.

The problem is, they’ve only treated the symptom.

They’ve never looked at why you’re coughing.

Was it an infection?

Asthma?

Reflux?

An allergy?

Something more serious?

Until you understand the cause, it’s difficult to choose the right treatment.

Behaviour works in much the same way.

Barking, growling, lunging and biting are behaviours we can see, but they’re often symptoms of something happening underneath. Your dog’s learning history, emotions, environment, daily routine, sleep, health and previous experiences all influence behaviour. Pain, gastrointestinal disease and other medical conditions can also reduce a dog’s ability to cope with situations they once managed with ease.

If we don’t understand why the behaviour developed, we’re often left treating the symptom instead of the cause.

That’s why every consultation begins by understanding the whole dog.

Not just the barking.

Not just the growling.

Not just the biting.

The whole dog.

I’ll take the time to understand who your dog is, how they learn, what their daily life looks like and the factors that may be influencing their behaviour. From there, we can build a plan that is specific to your dog, not a generic training program.

If I believe there are underlying medical or physical factors contributing to the behaviour, I’ll recommend involving your veterinarian and, where appropriate, work alongside them and other qualified professionals. Every professional has a different area of expertise, and by working together we can make sure we’re doing the right thing by both you and your dog.

My goal isn’t to give you another list of exercises.

It’s to help you understand why your dog is behaving the way they are, so we can put the right plan in place from the beginning.

Because lasting behaviour change starts with understanding the cause, not simply trying to stop the symptom.

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Your dog struggles with change, new people or everyday situations.

Some dogs seem to take everything in their stride.

Others find even small changes difficult.

A visitor arriving at the front door.

A walk somewhere unfamiliar.

Furniture being moved.

A person wearing a hat.

The wheelie bins appearing on collection day.

A change in routine.

Moving house.

Or something new appearing in a place they know well.

You may find yourself constantly trying to predict what your dog will struggle with next.

For some dogs, the world feels less predictable.

When a dog hesitates, avoids, freezes, barks, retreats or becomes highly alert around something new, it’s easy to think they’re being difficult or overreacting.

But the more useful question is:

What is making this situation difficult for this particular dog?

Some dogs are naturally more cautious around novelty.

Others may not have had enough appropriate exposure to different people, environments or experiences during early development.

Previous frightening experiences can change what a dog expects to happen next.

Rescue dogs may come to us with learning histories we know very little about.

And factors such as pain, poor sleep, repeated stress or significant changes within the household can affect how well a dog copes with things they might otherwise manage.

Often, it’s not one thing.

It’s the accumulation of experiences and circumstances that determines how manageable the world feels to that dog.

Predictability matters.

Imagine having to enter every situation without knowing what was going to happen next.

Who might approach you.

Whether you’d be touched.

Where you were going.

What was expected of you.

For a dog who already finds change difficult, constantly having to work this out can be exhausting.

Creating predictable patterns in everyday life can give them something important:

information about what happens next.

That might mean predictable routines around visitors, leaving the house, meals, rest or getting into the car.

It can also mean using consistent words and actions that help your dog understand what is about to happen.

We’re not trying to make their world so controlled that nothing ever changes.

We’re giving them a more predictable foundation from which they can begin learning to cope when it does.

We’ll look at what your dog can cope with now.

During your behaviour consultation, we’ll look at the situations your dog finds difficult, what they do when they’re unsure and how long it takes them to recover afterwards.

We’ll also look at their history, environment, daily routine, sleep, previous experiences and physical health.

Just as importantly, we’ll identify what your dog already does well.

Because building resilience isn’t simply about repeatedly exposing a dog to things they find difficult.

We need somewhere safe and achievable to start.

We won’t force them to face their fears.

Putting a worried dog into a situation and waiting for them to “get used to it” can sometimes make that situation even more difficult the next time.

Instead, we’ll work at a level your dog can cope with.

Depending on the individual dog, that might involve increasing distance, slowing things down, creating more predictable routines, giving them greater choice, using positive reinforcement, building problem-solving skills and gradually introducing manageable changes.

You’ll also learn to recognise the difference between your dog being curious, uncertain, overwhelmed or beginning to recover.

That means you can make better decisions about when to encourage them, when to give them more time and when the situation has simply become too much.

We’re not trying to create a dog who is never worried.

Life changes.

People visit.

Routines change.

We move house, go on holidays, encounter unfamiliar things and sometimes ask our dogs to navigate situations they’ve never experienced before.

The goal is to help your dog become better able to cope when life doesn’t go exactly as expected.

That means helping them build positive experiences, giving them opportunities to make safe choices and developing their ability to recover when something does worry them.

Because resilience isn’t about never finding something difficult.

It’s about being able to experience something difficult and find your way back again.

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They guard food, toys, space or even you, and it's causing stress for everyone.

It often starts with something small.

A quiet growl when someone walks past the food bowl.

Picking up a toy and moving away.

Stiffening when someone sits beside them on the couch.

Standing between you and another dog.

Then one day they snap.

Suddenly, everyone starts changing what they do around the dog.

You stop walking past when they have a chew. The children are told to stay away. The other dog is separated at mealtimes.

Home starts revolving around preventing another incident.

Resource guarding is often misunderstood.

People are still told that a dog who guards is being dominant, trying to control the household or challenging their owner.

But guarding tells us something much more useful:

For that dog, keeping access to that particular resource matters.

That resource might be food, a toy, a bed, the couch, a particular space — or sometimes a person.

The important question isn’t simply “How do we stop the guarding?”

It’s “Why does this dog feel the need to guard this resource in this situation?”

The answer isn’t always straightforward.

Previous learning, early experiences, genetics, stress, anxiety, competition, predictability within the home and physical health can all influence guarding behaviour.

Pain can be particularly important to consider. A dog experiencing dental pain, musculoskeletal discomfort or another painful condition may feel differently about being approached, touched or moved when resting or when they have something they value.

And then there’s learning.

If growling makes someone move away, growling worked.

If snapping makes another dog back off, snapping worked.

The dog isn’t plotting to take control of the household. They’ve simply learned that a behaviour changed what happened next.

That’s why taking things away, confronting the dog or punishing the growl can make the situation more difficult — and potentially less safe.

We need to understand what is happening for your dog.

Every behaviour consultation begins by looking at the individual dog rather than applying a standard resource-guarding program.

We’ll look at what they guard, who they guard it from, when it happens, what happens immediately before and afterwards, their previous experiences, daily routine, environment and physical health.

Sometimes what appears to be a straightforward resource-guarding problem is part of a much bigger behavioural picture.

If there are signs that pain or another medical issue could be contributing, I’ll recommend involving your veterinarian and, where appropriate, work alongside them or other qualified professionals.

Our first priority is safety.

Safety for your family.

Safety for visitors and other animals.

And safety for your dog.

We’ll first put practical management in place to reduce the chance of another incident while we work on the behaviour itself.

Management isn’t giving up or ignoring the problem. It creates the conditions in which learning can happen more safely, without repeatedly putting your dog into situations where they feel the need to guard.

From there, we’ll develop an individual plan based on what we’ve learned about your dog.

That may involve changing how valuable resources are managed, creating more predictability, changing what your dog expects when someone approaches, building alternative behaviours and gradually changing their emotional response to situations that have previously resulted in guarding.

The goal isn’t to prove who’s in charge.

It’s to understand why your dog is guarding and give them a different way of navigating those situations.

We don’t need to punish the warning signs or win a battle over the resource.

We need to understand what your dog is telling us, what is maintaining the behaviour and what needs to change for both your dog and your family to feel safer.

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Your dog has growled, snapped or bitten, and you're worried about everyone's safety.

When your dog bites or threatens to bite, everything can suddenly feel different.

You may find yourself watching them more closely.

Worrying when visitors come over.

Keeping them away from the children.

Replaying what happened and wondering what you missed.

And there’s usually one question sitting underneath all the others:

Could it happen again?

The first thing we need to think about is safety.

A growl, snap or bite tells us that, in that moment, your dog reached a point where they used aggression.

Before trying to change the behaviour, we need to reduce the chance of another incident.

That means looking carefully at what happened, identifying situations that may currently present a risk, and putting practical management in place to protect your family, other people or animals — and your dog.

Management isn’t the treatment.

It gives us a safer place from which to begin.

Then we need to understand what happened.

Aggression isn’t a diagnosis and it doesn’t tell us why your dog behaved that way.

A dog may growl, snap or bite because they’re frightened.

Because they’re guarding something.

Because they feel trapped or unable to move away.

Because they’ve learned that aggression creates distance.

Because they’re experiencing pain or physical discomfort.

Or because several factors have come together at the same time.

This is why I don’t look at a bite as an isolated event.

I want to know what was happening for that dog when the bite occurred.

Sometimes the warning signs were there — but they were difficult to recognise.

People often tell me:

“There was no warning.”

And sometimes it genuinely seemed that way.

But dogs communicate through much more than growling.

Changes in posture, becoming still, turning away, avoiding eye contact, closing the mouth, changes in facial tension, moving away or repeatedly attempting to disengage can all provide information about how a dog is coping.

These signals can be subtle, brief and very easy to miss — particularly when you don’t yet know what you’re looking for.

Part of our work together is helping you understand your own dog’s communication so you can recognise when they’re beginning to struggle before they reach the point of needing to escalate.

Physical health matters too.

A change in aggressive behaviour can sometimes be associated with pain or illness.

Musculoskeletal pain, neck or back discomfort, dental disease, ear problems and other medical conditions can change how a dog responds to being touched, approached, moved or placed in situations they previously tolerated.

Pain isn’t always obvious, and dogs don’t necessarily limp or cry when something hurts.

If your dog’s history or behaviour gives me reason to suspect a physical contributor, I’ll recommend involving your veterinarian and, where appropriate, work alongside them or other qualified professionals.

We’ll look at the whole dog, not just the bite.

We’ll go through what happened before, during and after the incident.

But we’ll also look further back.

Has the behaviour happened before?

Has anything changed recently?

What situations does your dog find difficult?

How do they respond when they’re uncomfortable?

How quickly do they recover after stressful events?

What does their daily life look like?

What have they learned from previous experiences?

All of this helps us begin to understand why aggression became the behaviour your dog used in that particular situation.

From there, we’ll develop an individual plan that prioritises safety while working on the factors contributing to the behaviour.

That may include changes to the environment and daily routine, management around particular situations, helping your dog feel differently about specific triggers, teaching alternative behaviours and giving you practical strategies for responding when your dog tells you they’re uncomfortable.

The goal isn’t to stop your dog from growling.

A growl is information.

Simply suppressing it doesn’t tell us why your dog was uncomfortable and doesn’t necessarily make the situation safer.

I want to understand why your dog felt the need to growl, snap or bite, what we can change to reduce the likelihood of it happening again, and what you can do differently when your dog tells you they’re struggling.

You may not be able to change what has already happened.

But you can understand it.

And that understanding gives us somewhere much more useful to start.

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Your puppy's behaviour has become overwhelming, and you're not sure what to do.

Bringing home a puppy is exciting.

It’s something you’ve probably been looking forward to for weeks, if not months.

Then reality arrives.

They’re biting everything.

They won’t settle.

They seem to have endless energy.

They’re chewing furniture, grabbing clothes, jumping on people, having zoomies through the house and completely ignoring you one minute after they were doing so well.

You start wondering if you’re doing something wrong.

The truth is, most puppy owners feel exactly the same way.

Puppies aren’t born knowing how to live in the human world.

Everything is new.

Every sound.

Every person.

Every surface.

Every experience is shaping the way their brain develops and how they’ll respond to the world as an adult.

During the first few months of life, your puppy’s brain is developing at an incredible rate. They’re constantly learning, making predictions and building the neural pathways that will influence their behaviour for years to come. Some experiences help build confidence, while others can create uncertainty or fear. The goal isn’t to expose puppies to as many things as possible. It’s to help them experience the world in a way that teaches them they can cope.

Many of the behaviours owners struggle with are completely normal.

Puppies bite because they’re exploring the world with their mouths, they’re teething and they’re learning how to interact.

They chew because chewing is a natural behaviour.

They struggle to settle because they’re still learning how to regulate themselves.

They become overexcited because they haven’t yet developed the skills to manage big emotions.

That doesn’t mean we ignore those behaviours.

It means we teach puppies what to do instead.

Every puppy consultation begins by looking at the whole puppy, not just the behaviour that’s driving you crazy. We’ll discuss their daily routine, sleep, enrichment, learning experiences, socialisation, health, environment and how they’re coping with their new world. Understanding these foundations allows us to build a plan that supports both your puppy’s development and your family’s lifestyle.

Rather than simply teaching sit, drop and stay, we’ll focus on raising a dog that can think, problem-solve and regulate their emotions. You’ll learn how puppies learn, how to use positive reinforcement effectively, how to build confidence through everyday experiences and how to create predictable routines that help your puppy feel safe as they grow.

The first few months of your puppy’s life are about much more than training.

They’re about building the foundations for the dog they’ll become.

The choices you make now can influence how your puppy feels about people, dogs and the world around them for years to come.

My goal isn’t simply to help you survive puppyhood.

It’s to help you raise a confident, resilient dog that can navigate the human world with curiosity, confidence and trust.

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Your dog barks, lunges or reacts when they see other dogs, people or things.

Walks that should be enjoyable have become something you worry about.

You’re constantly scanning ahead.

Checking who’s coming around the corner.

Crossing the road when you see another dog.

Choosing quieter times to walk.

Maybe you’ve stopped going to certain places altogether.

And despite everything you’ve tried, your dog is still reacting.

Reactivity tells us your dog is struggling with something.

Barking, lunging, growling or pulling towards something are the behaviours we can see.

What we need to understand is what is happening for your dog when they react.

One dog may be frightened and desperately trying to create distance.

Another may be frustrated because they can’t reach another dog or person.

Some dogs become highly alert after a frightening experience and begin anticipating that something is going to go wrong.

For others, pain or physical discomfort may have changed how well they cope with situations they previously managed.

And sometimes several factors are involved.

That’s why two dogs who look almost identical at the end of the lead can need very different approaches.

Distance can become part of the learning.

Imagine your dog sees another dog approaching.

They become tense. They stare. Perhaps their mouth closes or their movement changes.

Then they bark and lunge.

The other dog eventually moves away.

From your dog’s perspective, something important just happened:

The thing they were struggling with disappeared.

If this happens repeatedly, reacting can become a very effective strategy.

This doesn’t mean your dog is being dominant, stubborn or deliberately difficult.

It means we need to understand what they’re trying to achieve and help them learn another way to cope.

We’ll look at more than what happens on the walk.

During your behaviour consultation, we’ll look at your dog’s behaviour as part of the bigger picture.

We’ll talk about when the reactivity began, what triggers it, how much distance your dog needs, how quickly they recover afterwards, their previous experiences, daily routine, sleep, environment and physical health.

I’ll also help you recognise the smaller changes in body language that often happen before the barking and lunging begin.

These early signs matter.

The earlier you can recognise that your dog is beginning to struggle, the more opportunity you have to help them before they reach the point where reacting feels like their only option.

If I see indicators that pain or another medical issue could be contributing, I’ll recommend involving your veterinarian and, where appropriate, work alongside them or other qualified professionals.

Then we’ll change what walks look like.

We’re not going to repeatedly put your dog in front of their triggers and hope they eventually get used to them.

We’ll work at a level your dog can cope with.

Depending on your dog, that may mean creating more distance, changing where or how you walk for a period of time, building engagement and communication with you, teaching alternative responses and gradually changing what your dog expects when they see the things they currently react to.

You’ll learn when your dog is coping, when they’re beginning to struggle and when they need more space.

Because you shouldn’t have to spend every walk waiting for something to go wrong.

The goal isn’t simply to stop the barking.

It’s to help your dog become better able to cope with the world around them — and to give you the understanding and practical skills to help them do it.

Over time, we’re looking for more than a dog who stays quiet.

We’re looking for a dog who can notice something, process it and make a different choice — without needing to explode at the end of the lead.

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