How To Stop Your Dog PULLING On The Leash 

I don't usually comment on videos, but I have to. I have a 1 year old lab who is perfect in the house, but a pain outside. We felt like we could not walk him due to how embarrassing the pulling would be on a walk. I tried the directional changes and the engagement/attention was like a completely different dog. My girlfriend walked the dog in the evening and came back crying because of how well he walked. That was a 15 minute session with him. Thank you so much, we will move on to heel now

You have the very best “good boy” voice ever!

It's so pure to see a large, masculine person encouraging their dog with such a high and warm voice 😊

I love how he talks about the dog not having any engagement and he immediately starts gnawing on a tree limb

Tried this with my 1 year old Huskita who drags me around on walks. 20 minutes later he was walking beside me and giving me a little engagement which is better than normal. With time and perseverance I can see him learning to walk nicely. Thank you so much!!

I love that all throughout, even with the corrections he still looks really happy and seems to be a lesson rather than a "disciplining" moment.

Omg! I have the sweetest golden doodle, 9 months. The worst puller ever! I just did this... By the time we walked around the block she barely needed a leash!!! My neighbors probably think we're crazy with all the back and forth, but it's so worth it! Thank you so much!!!!!! And now she is passed out! Lol

it can be embarrassing and stressful when they don't cooperate during walks.

Brandon mcmillan is the most gentle, thorough and effective dog i've ever encountered. My friend and i love the dog show and never miss it. So many times we've shed a tear of happiness just seeing a dog's life changed forever when proper training is applied and they go on to live their lives the way they should. I have brandon's book ru-vid.comUgkxK8-VQWpYThx4IC6MiIvb6VS1ebTzzdxq in two formats. Not only the paperback version but also the kindle version to refer to when i don't have the paperback along with me. I have used his methods with my cavalier kc spaniel and turned a non-disciplined furbaby into a companion who has traveled thousands of miles with us across the country. He is a near perfect dog thanks to brandon's methods. I don't get one cent of kickback for recommending brandon but i do it because i love dogs. They deserve to be given a chance. Brandon's mission in life - to rescue dogs and place them in a forever, happy home - is very dear to my heart. I recommend his methods to anyone who has a dog - young or old. I've seen him take even old dogs and teach them. Brandon was an animal trainer before his current mission. His parents were animal trainers. His methods are the best i've ever found. Your furbaby will thank you for spending the money on this book. Don't hesitate - it is worth every cent.

One of my biggest problems is making that "dog voice" in public but seeing this man do it with no sweat is giving me courage

Dude. This got my Aussie border collie walking perfectly in 5 minutes. No joke. The engagement is the key. Thank you

Brilliant! One of the first training videos I've watched on RU-vid that brought such incredible respect, affection, and understanding for the dog, nurturing the dog's desire for relationship. No pain, no discipline, no dominance. Just direction, praise, affection, and connection. I am dog-sitting a 7-month, 75-lb, untrained and headstrong Lab. I'm a 5'5", 68 yo woman, so struggling with his strength and complete lack of engagement. 10 minutes and I was already getting a loose lead heal and eye contact for portions of time. Thank you!

I really like the fact that u didn't rely on treats in this training, and that u put the emphasis on leadership and relationship. I'm looking forward to trying this with my dog!

I spent 10 minutes using these techniques to get my dog engaged and the difference is night and day. Appreciate the tips!

Iv started this with my dog Two half hour sessions he walks like a gentleman I enjoyed the dog walk for the first time today. Thank you so much for taking the time to film this Legend 👍🏻🙏

I can now happily walk all 3 of my dogs at once, and my arm doesn't feel like it's going to fall off. Now I'm gonna look through your videos to find one about reacting to other dogs while on a walk. More than words can express, thank you. 🎉

The way this giant man talks to the dog is just what I needed this morning.

I just adopted my exes puppy two weeks ago, I’ve been practising “look at me” but with moderate success, but I can’t take him anywhere because he pulls like a wild beast. I swear to God I opened up this video on our walk and I started going back-and-forth and by the end of the walk the leash was loose and he was following beside me. It’s impressive how quickly that showed results! Dude Count me in as a new subscriber. Fantastic work!

Sandy is precious. I couldn’t help giggle the whole time with the happiness of his tail. He wasn’t at all stressed and such a sweetie!

I have a puller. 5 months old and my sweet Violet goldendoodle behaves exactly as this dog initially did. I’m excited about the probability of a nice calm walk.❤

9 year old pittie...always pulled on the leash. I watched so many vids on stopping it, and this is the first method that worked. She seems MUCH happier on walks now, too!

This is literally my dog: 3 years, golden, puller, runner, and more. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH. I was in tears yesterday and feel hopeful today. Cannot afford training and this is an appreciated gift.

I have a 9months golden retriever, and he pulled like crazy. I watched this video and tried the method on him for 30mins, and it works like magic! I will continue to train and build the engagement. Thank you for sharing this!

I love how you use a light hand to correct, because that's all you need. And he's still engaging and learning. I also love how you speak to him and warn hom before the directional change. So many trainers just jerk the dog off his feet randomly without thinking of how the dog is supposed to anticipate that movement without engaging or being taught. He's being rewarded and encouraged for engaging, changing direction, and make the correct choice! No wonder this works!!!

I have always been very sceptical of people who say "I can sort a dog out in no time", so to see someone who knows and understands his craft doing exactly that is a complete revelation. The addition of a clear and straightforward explanation of what is going on makes for an excellent video - makes we wish we had a dog !

Tried this with my Samoyed and he laughed at me and pulled me down the road. Maybe I need to grow my beard out a bit more.

I did this with my dog three days ago and I now live a much more peaceful life outside thanks to Will! I didn't think it would work as quickly or continue working with him as I've tried training routines before, but I was wrong! I've been going on stressful, pulling walks for longer than I'd like to admit, now my dog is completely different and walks are enjoyable! Changed my life and helped him with his reactivity triggers too.

This is the only video that has actually helped my 3 year old hyper Australian shepherd. I’ve been crying trying to fix his leash work. Thank you.

Really nice to see a dog trainer on youtube actually understand dogs. Well done.

Im waving my tail after hearing your ''Good boy''

Haven’t even finished watching the whole video and I already feel confident about my 8mo old husky. He doesn’t always pull on walks but he pulls hard when he does. And the engagement is definitely not there. Thank you in advance. There’s a million training videos out there but something made me stop on yours. I feel good about this!

My boyfriend and I adopted a five year old Australian shepherd mix who has had no training whatsoever. I would stop walking her after five minutes because of the excessive pulling almost knocking me over. I watched this video and decided to give it a shot. For the first time in three months since we’ve had her, she is more interested in us than anything else and we even tried off leash in the backyard which was even better than on the leash. Thank you so much for making these videos!

You are amazing! I trained my border collie to stop pulling on her leash in 10 minutes. I used your phrase "let's go" and walked her on her leashe up and down a country path about fifteen times and now she is trained. We live in the countryside and so she was only put on a leash to go to the vet's office. There she was an embarrassment, hauling on the leash and making gagging noises as she strained against her collar. Now the phrase "let's go" means that she walks at my side or a little in front with or without the leash. She also changes direction the second she sees me do so, especially if I say "let's go" to her as well. I wish I'd seen your video two years ago. She learned so quickly that it feels like a magic trick. Thank you.

My husky is a terrible puller and I've just watched this today, I've implemented what you've said and honestly tonight's walk was the best one we've had yet. Thank you so much for this advice, it absolutely works. I can't thank you enough, we will definitely keep working on this.

I've been watching many different train your dog videos but this is the first I was able to do with immediate success. I walk 2 dogs together, a 4 year old scent hound who is strong, and a younger terrier. I have been working on engagement and been able to use these techniques on both at the same time. Its amazing how fast they have changed. Thank you

I've been struggling with a big dog for weeks. This worked within seconds, and he immediately responded to the positivity. Thank you so much. I enjoy my walks so much more now. It gets easier every day.

I cannot thank you enough for this. It literally took me 20 minutes for my dog to do the same thing. So far, I trained 2 of our adult dogs and one of our puppies. I mimicked your "good boy" "thank you" and the dogs love it!

I've spent 5 years with my dog trying to herd everyone and pulling on her lead and me trying every gimicky "game training" plan I could pay for. 20 minutes following this and my Collie is walking like a different dog. Thank you so much for this video.

I have two 4 month old golden retriever puppies. They are awful pullers and have become incredibly naughty in the last two weeks. Taking them for a walk this morning almost broke me after 2 weeks of ignoring commands, having to pick up dog poo from almost every room in the house every day, a constant cycle of carpet cleaning, a constant need to tell them off for one thing or another. Iove them, they are goofy and fun, incredibly clever and loving and great company, but I really wasn't enjoying being a dog owner at all. I took each puppy out on their own and did this and the difference is incredible. It's not just their behaviour either, I realised that I was so busy struggling with the behaviour that I had lost sight of them as puppies that I love and enjoy being with. The engagement has helped the relationship no end. Thank you, from a happy puppy owner

Found your biting video last night . Just in 12 hours it’s worked miracles for my 10 month old GSD rescue. Now I’m going down the rabbit hole of your channel. Subscribed and bingeing. Love your content! You’re like Eddie Hall but with dogs!

Trained my newly adopted deaf pitbull to heel using this method after watching this video but instead of voice inflection, I changed it to the ASL sign for “clapping”. Love your method.

This is one of the best examples of teaching a dog to walk on the lead. So informative and clear! I love that you explained why this type of dog just needs direction (and fun!), and that providing leadership gives them the chance to relax. Dog behaviourists seem very split down the middle these days: some don't take the time to build engagement with a dog and overly correct; others think correcting a dog and showing leadership is out-of-date. It was fab to see a balanced approach and the end results speak for themselves. Nothing better than a pack walk with calm, happy dogs! Definitely one of the best channels for dog training and rehab.

Absolutely fantastic..Dog training without fear and pressure. I also had a goldie many years ago, he was lovely in the house,but dragged me around outside. The dog training in Germany was very harsh at these times,so I stopped that and did it by myself the best I could. I wish I had a trainer like you…But Sam and I were best buddies until he passed away at the age og 12. He was so loved by all of us and we miss him so much…He was such a good boy..

He's so keen to do it when a human shows him what's expected. Amazing.

Watched this vid and bought a slip lead. First walk was today and the misery that was walking my nans dog was instantly gone. They were talking about getting rid of the little bugger as they cant walk him anymore. Thanks to this I think we might be able to train him, and keep him around.

Great great video, no tension, no aggression. Really nice job. Thanks for the advice 👍

I absolutely LOVE that you don’t bribe but rather build a mutual connection! My dog is very food motivated but I always had an issue with using food in training. I’m my eyes it just reinforces a bad habit. It’s nice to see a training video that doesn’t depend on treats. My golden just turned 1 and he is out of control on the leash to the point where I ended up in the hospital for 2 slipped discs. I was convinced that I am just not used to the breed and their energy level after having a Pyrenees. Now that I see another golden doing the same thing and learning very quickly, I have hope that he will learn with your direction. I was convinced he is ADHD because he doesn’t have “engagement” outside on a leash. In the house he’s the opposite, like Jekyll and Hyde! But as soon as we go outside of the house I lose total control. Thanks for the video. I will start trying your techniques in the morning!

I respect this no-bribery approach very much. I'd imagine that in a situation where your dog encounters for example wild game it won't resist it's hunting instinct just because offer some treats. When the dog searches your attention and approval instead, he will listen to your commands. Great video!

One of our dogs has always struggled with socialization and walking. We attributed it to his background (abandoned huskie rescue) and just tried to live with it after seeing a behavior therapist and trying anxiety medication (recommended by therapist and approved by vet). After yet another embarrassing incident on a walk Monday i spent an hour watching some of Wills videos and wanted to start over with training from step one. It's Wednesday today, and I just got back from the 3rd in a row loose leash walk, as in he's at my side for 20 minutes straight walking near perfect. . Things are going amazing. My best guess is every training technique we used before was food reward/driven, but Will said to focus on engagement - and it's working so much better. I'm so happy and thankful I found this. *EDIT* I just wanted to clarify some things: I spent maybe 10-15 minutes the first day doing a 'tune up' and he's been loose leash walking since then. He had never loose leash walked in his life before this except in the backyard with constant food rewards and basically zero distractions. Socializing is still a challenge but it's also improved dramatically. It used to be the moment we see another animal constant howling and extreme pulling (constant pull on walk even without distractions prior remember). Now we can see another dog and head straight at it and around 25' is when we lose engagement...BUT we're able to redirect away and get back to moving and engaging shortly. We're taking socialization slower, but for the first time in a decade I have hope/believe that he can become a well adjusted dog and enjoy the outdoors with me even more. I'm just sitting here still in awe over the whole thing. A weight has been lifted off my (and his) shoulders. I am eternally grateful.

Haha this is how I train my horses to not get ahead of me when I’m leading them! Great advice!

I LOVE watching/listening to your videos Will!! Aside from your BANK of canine knowledge, your voice and accent make listening so FUN AND EASY!! It’s almost HYPNOTIZING!!☺️ This said, my daughter brought home an Australian Shepard puppy 6 months ago. This dog has to be the most WILD ANIMAL THAT EVER EXISTED. We live in a very modest home and she runs SINGLE-SECOND CIRCLES in it- we describe her as a STREAK OF COLOR instead of as a dog… lol. Attempting to walk “Shiesty” is a CLOWN SHOW. People of all ages, from all areas come out to watch us fail MISERABLY!!🤡 Trying to walk Shiesty is a full body workout. All we are REALLY doing is trying to save ourselves from being DRAGGED… The MOMENT we attach her leash, we are against what seems like 400+lbs of RELENTLESS PULLING. The SECOND the leash clicks, all 4 paws hit the ground running and don’t stop until we remove the leash.🥵 I’ve watched so many of your videos trying to find the necessary guidance we need. So far nothing relates to our specific situation. I’ve possibly overlooked a helpful video or just haven’t listened well enough to the hear the appropriate teaching… Anything you could reference for us would be AMAZING!! Again- we just LOVE YOU and think your work is ONE OF A KIND!!😉

6:15 "I'm in charge of this walk." This, I feel, is one of the absolutely most important concepts that many dog owners don't understand. In order to have a well behaved, safe, and happy dog, the owner *needs* to be able to assert and provide guidance and instruction, and demonstrate consistently that they are the person in the relationship who gets to decide what is happening. The very simple notion of, "yes, I know you want to go that way right now, but that isn't what we're doing," is something dogs will pick up on very quickly when given the appropriate indicators to pay attention to it, and, as you've demonstrated here, this can be done without any cruelty or punishment, but rather simply by intentional communication.

I'm only at 4.29 into the video and I've got to stop and say thank you! I took my puppy to a training class where they pushed food rewards for absolutely everything and it reversed all the training I'd already done with my pup to that point. Lottie was amazing at sit before the training classes but after it took forever because she constantly wanted food. It also made her pester me at meal times which she hadn't done before the training classes. The people the ran the class didn't seem to understand my frustration with good based rewards and it made me feel like the crazy one but you've summed it up perfectly in a matter on minutes. I want my dog to respond to me because of our connection and because I've asked her to do something - not because I've had to bribe her. Thank you again.

Just got a pup been watching countless vids, this is by far my biggest hurdle other than come command. Thanks for the tips boss! Love the farm.

I love how happy you sound when you are saying ' good boy'. Amazing video, and it explains very well how to get your dog engage with you. I will try this today, and tomorrow with my girl as she is pulling so much on the lead. We got slip lead which I will use it too. Thank you ❤

1:35 :D classic dog. "I'm bored, let's eat a stick"

This is, by far, the best video on pulling. Explained plainly and show effectively. Absolutely fantastic! Thank you.

Thank you! Have a very small, ten pound dog and using slip lead. Training me to train her. Love your lessons.

Just brilliant ❤ This will help so many owners and their dogs - just rescued an 8 month old hound with no training whatsoever and this is perfect for me to start his journey. I love thé face that you reinforce that he should be a dog but there are rules he needs to keep him safe and relaxed. I am really grateful x

I'm such a psychology nut and seeing the way you built off his reactions and responses and encouraged them to make him better behaved is so incredible.

This guy is a genius! Worked after only 10 minutes.

You're a magician Will! Your methods are working like an absolute charm on my 15 month old, 90lb German Shep. This one was a life saver. A million thanks Sir!🙏💕

Made a huge difference for me, will keep refining but so nice to see a video where the trainer isn't actively hurting the dog. Subscribed!

You have to be the best, kindest, most gentle and effective trainer I have ever come across on RU-vid. Trust me I've watched so many but you are the REAL DEAL. Good on you mate! Love you!!!

All I’ve seen are videos that only use treats, my puppy ignores them and he’s tiny I can’t always crouch down to engage him with treats, he’s more engaged without them. This is amazing I can’t wait to try it.

Taking care of a rescue rn thank you for this information!!

Awesome! I just worked with my very hyper leash pulling one year old Labradoodle, and I used your technique. I can’t believe how well that worked! You are a life saver! Thank you!

Thank you so much! 15 month old Bernese Mountain Dog, pulling like mad… 20 minutes of direction changes and lots of positive encouragement and she started walking by my side. First 5 minutes she was a bit reluctant as in “hang on what’s going on, normally I’m in charge and not him” but then she went with it and for me it was the best walk we had after constantly being stressed and freaked out by her pulling.

THIS DUDE DOES MAGIC! He just liek fixed the dog in 20 mins! OML MAGICCCC

I have a pit bull who is one year. She's an angel inside and a terror outside. This video has helped us sop much! You definitely have a subscriber for life. Thank you so much.

Oh my God. FINALLY! Somebody who actually explains the reasoning behind this type of back & forth training. Thank you!

I want him saying "Good boy" as my text message ringtone! Absolutely love it! 😄💖

Me and my boy kei (dog in picture) can't thank you enough this is exactly what we have been looking for to truly enjoy our walks.

Just did this with my lab/golden retriever mix for 10 min and already a HUGE change! Ty!!!

I love how he is training Sandy…lovingly and respectfully.

I dont even have a dog and I'm watching this whole video..

My dog is 2.5 years old and has always been a puller, but it's gotten way worse since I moved to a new neighborhood with lots of squirrels. After just a few minutes of working on this, my walks him are 1000x less frustrating. I even added another dog to the equation and he still did great. He still needs work and reinforcement, of course, but if I get this much improvement in 20 minutes, I look forward to seeing what 20 days and 20 weeks of discipline might yield! Thank you for this resource.

Wow! That was bloody brilliant! Got my rescue dog a week ago and I can't wait to get into this on his next walk. Thank you!

What a great video! My 5 month old golden doodle finally had a perfect walk after following the video. He stopped leash pulling and biting too. Really good content. Fixed walking problems within 30 minutes. Other Dog trainers don’t cover these important details. I didn’t have to use the command ‘heel’ my dog walks better than what I trained him with treats. U CAN actually see the difference within 20 mins. Thank You!

I’ve watched a lot of different trainers and I feel like this is among the most straightforward and sensible ones, what with how you say that an action shouldn’t be a result of bribery but instead of engagement and relationship. This helps a lot, I plan to practice this way more often. Thank you.

I love how your voice goes up an octave when praising sandy 😍❤️❤️

Your content is absolutely brilliant! So clear in your methods, well done 👍🏻

This is so refreshing to see the dog being happy the whole way. I have tried similar after watching someone elses video but with corrections my dog got very confused and visibly anxious because she didn't understand what she was doing wrong. Will be giving this a go! P.s. would've loved to see owners reaction at the end!

I cannot express how helpful this video is! My fiance showed me this after my puppy tripped me this morning. I always thought it was because he was too excited, but this video changed so much in so little time! I was a little apprehensive trying this with a 4.5 month old, but wow. I cannot thank you enough!!!

This is pure gold! Our 3-year old, male rescue responded immediately to this technique. Thank you for posting!

I 100% believe that loose leash walking is the gateway to all other training. It is the foundation on which everything else is built. I've successfully trained many dogs, including my Caucasian Ovcharka, use all of the tools (even the "scary" ones) when necessary, and I still like to watch trainers i trust go over the basics. You never know when someone else will slip in a useful idea. Good work, my man.

Fantastic video. I can’t wait until my puppy can go for a walk. Will definitely be doing this. Thanks so much for making this!

Love the little "thank you" after Sandy engages each time :)

"Take the weight of the world off the dog's shoulders". We are there to help them to find that love of life they desperately need. We enjoyed the reminder that it's a mutual work not only to be of service to the owner but also to free the dog from stress and alienation. Bravo!

Your the best. I’m so happy I found your channel. I have a 10 month old Heeler/ Australian shepherd mix. He’s a rescue super smart but bad behaviors. Your calm training method is a god send!

really fantastic that’s all that i can keep saying, how you break it down for the user is just excellent. I find this allows someone like myself to properly understand everything and not feel overwhelmed.

We have a year-and-a-half-old labrador retriever and we have tried everything for his pulling. I watched this video and decided to try this out and bought a slip. Within 20 minutes Rollo was the most engaged I have ever seen him. Honestly it was like a breath of fresh air. We did this in the driveway and started to go up the street just a little bit. He was great on the driveway but as soon as there was grass and smells he would get distracted. When he would break attention we would switch our way. Will keep doing this every night with him and build up to a taking a walk with full engagement.

Great video. It would be wonderful to see the dog walking again with his owner and see how you can guide and correct them to continue with the good work you have done.

Just watched the video last evening, and tried it out on our 1 year old golden retriever puller. Very promising results even on one walk. Will continue working it. Thanks!

Love that you say "thank you" to the dog!

I love how much less stressed the dog was once the human took charge. No controlling required, only an engaging partnership. Thank you!

I'm not really sure who to admire, YOU or The CAMERAMAN holding the camera so straight 😉😆😃

This is so amazing! I always wondered how trainers did it. You are very patient and talented. Thank you for sharing this.

Your video has completely changed how I walk my dog. We enjoy our walks now and he walks with me instead of pulling. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

So simple and so, so helpful. My girl is a very distracted walker who pulls JUST enough to be annoying. Practiced for maybe 5 minutes in my backyard midday, and then throughout our long evening walk with several sniff breaks. The joy in our walk increased exponentially. Thank you!!!