The other day I decided to be nice and walk my mother-in-law’s dog Katie. I had no idea that I would spend the majority of the time fighting her from pulling on the leash. It was frustrating, and to be honest, a little embarrassing when my neighbors walked by us.

If this sounds familiar, there is still hope for you. There are things you can do to fix the problem. First, be sure that you are using the right kind of leash and walking equipment. Some leashes work great for some dogs, but are useless for others.

Normally, when a dog pulls on a leash, it is because they can walk faster than we can and don’t want to wait up. Or they want to leave while we are standing around visiting with neighbors. This is a natural dog behavior, so you will need to train your dog how to keep slack on the leash.

A standard nylon buckle collar or a Martingale Collar is the best type of collar for training a dog how to stop pulling on a leash. Don’t try to use a choke collar because they can cause damage to your dog. Find a leash that is not too long, or too short, to give you apple of room to train. A standard six-foot dog leash should work great for this type of training exercise.

If your dog is constantly pulling away from you, a retractable lead can really help. Body harnesses are not meant to be a training tool, so don’t use them. They are especially a bad idea if you own a bigger dog.

The best way to train your dog is by positively reinforcing the times they go where you want them to, and standing stiff when they pull you. Train your dog to keep slack in the leash and praise them. Training collars are also a good training device, though they are not meant to be a permanent control solution.

You can also try to train your dog where he will have little distractions. It may be a good idea to start training your dog indoors if you can. If that is not ideal, find a place where you can walk with him and he will listen to your commands without being distracted by people or animals nearby.

If you are lucky you can begin training with a puppy. However, do not fret. You can still teach an old dog some new tricks.

Being walked by your dog as opposed to walking your dog can be very annoying and sometimes embarrassing. Jim Witt is an expert on dog training supplies. Jim suggests visiting Country Brook Design for a wide assortment Dog Training Collars and Dog Leashes.