How many of us have eaten dirt while walking our dogs? Well, not literally. You are walking and suddenly your dog lunges to the end of the leash, and you are pulled to the ground. It’s always when we least expect it; we are picking up after our dog’s business, checking our phone, or tying our shoes. Having spent 10 years walking a 70-pound dog with leash reactivity (I’m only 5’2”), I learned the hard way about what to do and what not to do. 

Whether your dog struggles with leash reactivity or is trying out for the US dog sledding team, here are some helpful tips I have learned about how to safely handle your dog’s leash and position your body to keep you standing when your dog starts pulling.

Footwear

It starts with the right footwear even before you leave the house. You want shoes that offer traction with good tread on the bottom. You also want your shoes to be enclosed or at least have straps over the toes and over the top of the heel to keep them snug on your feet. I love flip flops, but it’s best to leave them home when walking your dog, even dogs that do not struggle with leash reactivity. When it’s icy out, think about wearing traction cleats on your shoes to provide better grip.

Finger Lock

One of the best ways to hold the leash is the finger lock. The finger lock securely holds the leash without unnecessary strain to your hand and wrist, while providing control over the amount of leash slack available to your dog. Here are some steps to follow to create a finger lock: 

1. Unravel the leash that you have tightly wrapped around your hand. Your hand and wrist will thank you! 
2. Place your hand through the leash’s handle loop so that the handle rests on your wrist or forearm. 
3. Pick up the leash and create a loop that looks like a bunny’s ear. The sides of the loop should be parallel and not cross. 
4. Place the loop over your index finger on the same hand that has the leash handle, so both sides of the leash rest against your palm. 
5. Make a fist and enclose the loop in your hand. Both sides of the leash should hang down from the bottom of your hand past your pinkie finger.

When taking up leash slack, open your fist slightly and pull on the side of the leash closest to the handle. To give your dog more slack, open your fist slightly and pull on the side of the leash closest to the dog. The finger lock method can take time to master, so be sure to practice this leash handling technique at home before on a walk with your dog.

Arms at 90

To pull you over, your dog only has to get your center of mass over your feet. That’s it. Keep your arms bent at or near 90 degrees and your elbows close to your body.  If your dog pulls and your arms go out straight with the leash, your center of mass is already shifted in the direction of your dog. When you feel the leash tighten as your dog pulls, bend your elbows and pull your hands close to your hips. This provides better control over your dog’s pulling, protecting your arms and shoulders from hyperextension and possible injury. 

What about if your dog wants to move away from you to casually sniff something over there? Rather than extend your arm out to give your dog more leash length, consider walking over with them or letting out more leash slack through the finger lock to keep your elbows slightly bent and close to your body. 

Boxer Stance

Take a moment and walk around for a few seconds. Stop walking and look down at your feet. Most of us naturally place our feet side by side below our hips when we are standing. From that position, now plant your feet and lean your entire body forward as if someone were pulling you. You may notice that you quickly adjusted and placed one of your feet forward to keep from falling over. 

Now, position one foot in front of you and one foot behind you, at least hip width apart, with your knees slightly bent. Think of a boxer’s stance (the fighter, not the dog). Then, lean your body forward as if someone were pulling you. It’s much harder to get your body over your feet, right?

Each time you need to pause when walking your dog, think of the boxer’s stance. You can practice following the steps below: 

1. Orient your body towards your dog.
2. Place one foot with toes pointing in front of you and one foot behind you. 
3. Bend your knees slightly and shift your weight toward your back leg. (Don’t forget about those elbows!) 

If your dog pulls, shift more of your weight towards your back foot to counterbalance. If your dog’s pulling shifts direction to follow a moving target (e.g., a dog walking past), pivot your feet to keep them oriented toward your dog. Remember, your dog just needs to get your center of mass over your feet!

Bringing it All Together

Let’s review:

• In at least one of your hands, use the finger lock to keep the leash secure.
• Keep your elbows bent and your arms by your body while walking. If your dog does pull, immediately draw your elbows and hands toward your hips.
• If you have to stop while on your walk, position your feet like a boxer’s. Position one foot in the direction of your dog and your second foot at least hip width apart behind you. Shift your weight toward your back leg as your dog is pulling. 

Learning and using these techniques to keep you and your dog safe takes time and practice. Practice at home often. Have a human assistant pull on the other end of the leash (where the dog would be), allowing you to practice your footing, arm position, and finger lock. Repeatedly practice standing like a boxer when stopping until it becomes muscle memory. Staying on your feet is not strength, it’s physics! 

When it comes to leash pulling, the training solution is loose leash walking, building fluency to the point of focus around distractions, even triggers. While the above techniques are helpful tools to have in your toolbox when walking any dog, take the time to teach your dogs what to do when walking on a leash, whether through group classes or private training…and keep those elbows bent! 

Looking for training support for a dog who pulls? We are here to help! 

• If your dog is new to leash training or struggles with impulse control on walks, check out our upcoming Beginner Obedience group classes: Class Calendar and Registration.
• If your dog struggles with leash reactivity and lunges and pulls towards dogs, people, or other triggers, check out our Reactivity Meets Real World program that now includes a fully online portion: Reactivity Meets Real World.