Training a Standard Poodle to Stop Pulling on the Leash

For this Nebraska dog training session we were asked to train two-year-old Standard Poodle, Rizzo, loose leash walking and to stop pulling on the leash.

After I arrived I noticed that Rizzo loved to steal objects from around the house. Rizzo’s guardians told me that she loved to steal things from around the house even though she was getting up to six miles of exercise per day. Often times when dogs start to steal objects around the house they have learned that they get their guardians attention when they take things, leading them to build up a bad habit. To help Rizzo stop stealing objects I wanted to restrict her freedom by putting her on a leash.

Rizzo was not happy to have her freedom restricted and after the first leash-up she wanted to coyly play “catch me” around the house. I taught the guardians to give Rizzo treat rewards for having the leash put on Rizzo, even if she is being a good girl and then taking it off immediately. This way she learns that every time the leash goes on, she won’t have her freedom restricted. I also taught the guardians our Structured Walk exercise to help Rizzo stop pulling on the leash in the house and when she goes on walks. To see how I did this you can watch the video below.

By the end of the session Rizzo was starting to look to her guardians for leadership and direction. She started to have much calmer energy and even laid down (one of the first times ever!) while being outside of her kennel. To keep up this good behavior the guardians will want to make sure that they follow through when Rizzo attempts to steal objects and use our Petting with a Purpose technique to reward her for good behavior. We wrapped up this session with Rizzo’s Roadmap to Success video, which you can watch below.