Hello…
I’m new here and a first-time dog owner. My family and I recently adopted a 6-month-old mixed breed puppy named Max. He’s super energetic and loves to explore, but walking him on a leash has been quite a challenge. He tends to pull a lot and gets distracted easily by everything around him.
I’ve tried a few things, like using treats to encourage him to stay close to me and stopping whenever he starts to pull, but we haven’t made much progress. I’m worried that our walks are more stressful than enjoyable for both of us.
On our “walks,” I’ve started bringing along a tiny spoonful of peanut butter. He only receives the PB when out for walks, and it always works! When I have it, I can even get him to quit trying to swallow acorns.
It also helps with the process of putting on and taking off his harness, which I use it for.
Try placing something on the floor that your dog would really like to get to, such as a toy. If your dog pulls on the lead to get towards the toy, stop and call them towards you . Their reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to the toy. This way, the dog learns that pulling just slows things down.