WHY DOGS PULL ON A LEAD

This web page gives some explanations as to why dogs pull on their lead when it is attached to - its collar its harness. (See also the Harness section of this website which recommends various styles of harness that are comfortable and effective). See also the excellent book by Turid Rugaas"What do I do when my dog pulls?" available from our web shop.

I am going to use an example of the Memory flow chart to show how a dog's mind works while walking on a collar and lead.

BRAIN ASSESSES EVENT
Because this is the first time the dog has encountered the restriction of a lead on its collar
there are no environmental photos stored in its memory to trigger a behaviour.
Therefore, the dog's brain has to assess whether the event is rewarding, threatening or irrelevant.

REWARDING		THREATENING DOG'S SAFETY
Pulling makes the handler move faster.		The pressure and choking sensation in its throat is unpleasant and painful. * It has to compensate its loss of balance by distorting and straining some of its throat, neck and back muscles. * Because it's head is restricted, it cannot stimulate its mind or relax by sniffing the ground. * It cannot control its body posture to give the correct calming signals to other dogs or its handler.
VERY REWARDING		UNPLEASANT			or	IT IS VERY UNPLEASANT
The walk finishes faster. * All the Threatening effects of the lead & collar disappear when the lead is removed. * It reaches a pleasant destination (eg. Home, car, off- lead walk, training or work area, or stimulating environment) *
		SHORT-TERM MEMORY
				REINFORCED The unpleasant side effects of the collar become even more stressful for the dog each time it is taken for a walk and it pulls on the lead. *
		Either STOPS PULLING ON LEAD or it becomes a
"GOOD" ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTO stored in LONG-TERM MEMORY		"BORING" ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTO stored in LONG-TERM MEMORY		"BAD" ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTO stored in LONG-TERM MEMORY
THE DOG'S LEAD IS ATTACHED TO ITS COLLAR ON ITS NEXT WALK
ITS BRAIN MATCHES THE SENSATION IT FEELS ON ITS THROAT & NECK WITH THAT OF THE "LEAD PULLING PHOTO" IN ITS LONG-TERM MEMORY
TRIGGERS THE DOG TO PULL ON LEAD TO GAIN REWARDS LISTED ABOVE		TRIGGERS THE DOG TO IGNORE THE SENSATION ON ITS THROAT & NECK AND CARRY ON PULLING - WHATEVER THE CONSEQUENCES				TRIGGERS THE DOG TO BECOME STRESSED AND PULL ON LEAD

This is done by attaching the dog's lead to a comfortable and well-fitting HARNESS, which -

• Stops the painful throat and neck strangulation sensations and therefore the environmental photo and trigger that the dog has built up a strong association with.
  
  
• Changes the dog's center of gravity by evenly distributing the dog's weight around its shoulders with the PADDED STRAPS OF THE HARNESS (see the Harness section of this website which recommends various styles of harness that are comfortable and effective). Beware of using harnesses with thin straps or straps with harsh edges, these types will cut into the dog's skin when it leans against the shoulder straps - the discomfort and pain will have similar effects to that of a collar.
  
  
• Does not damage or distort the dog's throat, neck and back muscles because the dog is not trying to pull its head and neck forward when the lead was attached to the dog's collar.
  A very experienced animal chiropractor friend of mine (who has been working with all shapes and sizes of dogs for over 10 years) has confirmed that a large proportion of the injuries to dogs that she treats are caused by dogs continually pulling on their collar and lead. She strongly recommends the use of well-fitting comfortable harnesses which do not cause these very painful symptoms.
  
  
• Enables the dog to lower its head while walking with a harness and lead and use its amazingly sensitive nose to exercise and stimulate its brain and working instincts. Because the dog needs to be calm and unstressed to concentrate on the scents around it, it will consciously make the effort to lower its stress levels so that it can really "read the newspaper" (see Smell for a detailed explanation about dogs amazing abilities to use their noses).
  
  
• Another benefit of using a harness rather than a collar is that it gives the dog far more freedom of body movement and posture to make Calming Signals to other dogs (and humans) that it meets. This is particularly useful for dogs that seem to be either "aggressive" with other dogs or "victims" of unprovoked aggression when meeting other dogs on a collar and lead. The underlying reason for this type of behaviour is often caused by the dog being unable to display the correct greeting and claming signals when approaching other dogs. When the dog is walked on a harness it is able to communicate more freely and these behavioural problems soon disappear.
  
  
• But I think the biggest benefit of walking on a dog on a harness is that the dog's long-term stress levels drop dramatically due to the removal of all the stressful causes and symptoms of walking a dog on a collar and lead (see items marked with a * in the flow chart at the beginning of this web page).