Some Tips to Stop a Mastiff Puppy From Pulling on the Leash

For this Omaha puppy training session we shared some loose leash walking tips to teach 9 month-old English Mastiff pup Margo to stop pulling on the leash.

Knowing that Margo had a tendency to get over excited when guest arrive, Zach and I used a delayed entry technique to give her the ability to settle down before we came inside.

As we discussed her behavior issues, I learned that Margo probably needed more mental stimulation and physical exercise on a daily basis. In fact, twice during the session Zac took Margaux out for a little bit of a walk to release some of her pent-up energy.

Often, when dogs start getting mischievous, it’s an indication that they are bored or have too much energy. I pointed out that behavior was an indicator that a walk, training or some other energy burning activity was needed. Now that the guardian recognizes when that is the case, she can do something that burns energy or mentally stimulates Margo.

To help keep her out of trouble, I shared a number of creative ways of exercising her physically like playing ball or tug-of-war. I also went over the importance of mental stimulation and how that can be a really big aid when it comes to exercising a puppy or dog. When a dog uses its brain, not only does it drain energy, it can help them develop new skills as well as boost their confidence.

I recommended that the guardian start giving her a lick mat, chew item (bully stick, cow, knee, no hide, etc) or kong filled with peanut butter once a day, showed her how to play cookie in the corner as a prelude to sent games and recommended some basic training in short spurts a few times a day as well.

Getting Margo some mental stimulation or physical exercise before a walk is another puppy tup that can set her up for success and reduce her pulling on the leash.

A lot of people try to teach their dog to walk with a loose leash while they are on an actual walk. But often that is the worst place to teach the skill. The dog is distracted by things it wants to investigate which leads to pulling on the leash.

A better scenario to stop a pupy from pulling on the leash is to practice loose leash walking in an environment that is not distracting, like a backyard. Margo‘s guardian and I headed outside so that I could share some secrets to stopping dogs from pulling on the leash. You can learn how to get your dog to walk with a loose leash by watching the free positive dog training video below.

It was great to see how quickly Margo responded to these tips to stop her from pulling on the leash. Within minutes the guardian had this giant puppy walking next to her with a loose leash for several steps in a row. You dont have to be a professional Mastiff puppy or dog trainer to teach your puppy to walk with a loose leash, just some patience and good timing.

I recommended the guardian practice these loose leash walking exercises in the backyard until Margot is giving her attention and those behaviors are second nature for the human. Once that’s the case, the guardian can start in the backyard with a practice period, then continue into the front yard but not go out for an actual walk. It may take a little bit of time and practice, but by keeping the walk to areas that the dog is familiar with and not o ever stimulating, the distraction level is lower which will make it easier for the human to get her attention.

Earlier in the session I went over something I like to call rapidfire treating which is a great way to get a dog or puppy’s attention. The guardian may want to incorporate some elements of that game to her walks as well. Stopping and asking her dog to sit or lay down periodically is a great way to reconnect with them. Repeating basic cues like this rapidly usually results in a dog who is paying more attention to their human then their surroundings. it’s also a great way to practice some fundamental obedience which has its own benefits.

Because Margot is definitely an excited puppy at times, I recommended that Zack return to practice the relaxation protocol with the pup for a few days to get the humans comfortable with the exercise. This is a microcosm of what we went over with the leash training, putting the dog in a position to succeed and then building on success in very slow and progressive steps to ensure that the puppy knows what to do and has practiced that behavior.

We wrapped up the session by recording a roadmap to success video summarizing all of the dog behavior tips we covered in this in-home Omaha puppy training session.