How Do I Stop My Dog Pulling on the Leash?

Teach your dog that a loose leash is what moves you forward. Stop when the leash goes tight, and walk on with praise and a small reward when it slackens. A front-clip no pull dog harness helps while you train.

Skip prong, choke and shock collars. Veterinary behavior groups advise against them, and the research suggests a well-fitted harness does the job without the pain.

Why does my dog pull on the leash?

Because it works. The smells, the dogs and the people are all ahead of you, and every time pulling gets your dog there faster, pulling has paid off.

Some dogs pull more than others. A study in Animals fitted leashes with a tension meter and recorded 370 walks with 111 shelter dogs. Younger dogs pulled more often than older ones, and smaller dogs pulled more often than bigger dogs.

The bigger dogs pulled less often but harder, which anyone walking a young Labrador will recognize.

Here's the surprising part. The equipment you choose can make pulling worse.

In a 2021 study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 52 dogs were walked toward food on a neck collar and on a harness with the leash clipped at the back.

On the back-clip harness, their peak pull was more than twice as strong and spent about two-thirds of the time pulling, against about a third on the collar.

A back clip lets a dog lean its whole chest into the leash comfortably. That's lovely for a dog that already walks nicely, and unhelpful for one that doesn't.

Which harness is best for a dog that pulls?

For most pulling dogs, the sensible first choice is a front-clip harness without a tightening loop, according to a 2025 review of collars, harnesses and head collars by Cavalli and Protopopova in Animals.

The front clip sits on the chest. When your dog surges ahead, the leash turns their body back toward you, so pulling stops getting them anywhere.

A 2024 study in PeerJ measured it. Twenty-three dogs walked on a martingale collar, a front-clip harness, and two kinds of prong collar. All three alternatives cut pulling compared with the martingale, and the harness did as well as the prong collars.

That last result matters. If a harness reduces pulling as much as a prong collar, the prong adds pain without adding control.

Fit matters more than brand

The same review found no single harness suits every dog. One study it describes found a front-clip Y-shaped harness had the most effect on elbow movement of the designs tested, so the authors advise fitting each dog individually.

What about a regular collar?

A flat collar is fine for a dog that already walks on a loose leash, the review says. For a strong puller, the pressure lands on the neck.

In a study in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, eye pressure rose significantly when pulling force was applied through a collar, and not through a harness.

The authors advise a harness for dogs with thin corneas, glaucoma or other eye problems where higher pressure could be harmful.

And head halters?

A head halter steers from the nose, and AAHA's guidelines note it gives more control than a standard collar. They also say it must fit well, your dog needs time to get used to it, and you should stop using it if your dog panics.

The 2025 review is more cautious. It describes studies where dogs in head collars crouched, pawed at their noses and fought the leash, and recommends them only as a last resort after a front-clip harness.

Why not use a prong, choke or shock collar?

Because they work through pain, and gentler methods work at least as well.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) says trainers should avoid any tool that involves pain, naming choke chains, prong collars and electronic shock collars, along with leash jerking.

AAHA's guidelines list the same tools and say none should be used to teach or change behavior.

The studies AVSAB reviews found that dogs trained with aversive methods showed more stress signals during training, such as lip licking, yawning, a lowered body and a lowered tail. Survey studies link these methods to later aggression and anxiety.

The Merck Veterinary Manual adds that prong and shock collars can make an already aggressive dog worse. That's a real concern for a dog that pulls because it wants to reach other dogs.

The obedience results point the same way. AVSAB cites a study where dogs trained only with rewards had the highest obedience, and dogs trained only with punishment had the lowest.

How do I teach my dog to walk on a loose leash?

AAHA's guidelines describe the principle simply: reward the behavior you want, and remove the reward for the behavior you don't. On a walk, moving forward is the reward. So it happens on a loose leash, and pauses on a tight one.

1. Start somewhere boring, like your hallway or yard. Fewer distractions make the lesson easier.
2. Reward your dog for standing or walking beside you. AVSAB describes reward-based trainers marking the moment with a clicker or a word like "yes," then giving a small, tasty reward.
3. When the leash tightens, stop. Stand still and wait.
4. The moment the leash slackens, even slightly, mark it and walk on. Forward motion is the prize.
5. If your dog lunges toward something, calmly turn and walk the other way, then reward them for catching up.
6. Keep sessions short and end on a good walk. Move to busier places only once the quiet ones go well.

The hardest part is consistency. If pulling sometimes gets your dog to the park, they'll keep trying it. Everyone who walks your dog should follow the same rules.

For a puppy, early walks double as toilet trips, so the same reward timing from puppy potty training applies here too.

A dog that pulls toward other dogs or people may be excited, frustrated or worried. If your dog barks or lunges on walks, our guide to why dogs bark, and why to skip the bark collar, covers what that barking means.

How long will it take?

No veterinary source we found gives a timeline, and it varies with age, energy and how long pulling has been working for your dog.

AAHA's guidelines name pulling on the leash as a good reason to see a trainer. AVSAB suggests choosing one who uses reward-based methods, and steering away from anyone who talks about "dominance" or being the "alpha."

Call your vet promptly if your dog:

• coughs, gags or wheezes when the leash tightens
• starts limping, or seems stiff or sore after walks
• suddenly doesn't want to walk, or flinches when you put the harness on
• panics or fights a head halter
• lunges, growls or snaps at other dogs or people

Pain can look like a training problem, and AVSAB notes that a vet should check for medical causes behind a behavior concern.

Questions new dog parents ask

Are no-pull harnesses bad for a dog's shoulders?

The research is mixed. One study found a front-clip Y-shaped harness affected elbow movement more than other designs. A 2025 review still recommends a non-tightening front-clip harness first for pulling dogs, fitted to the individual dog.

Is a harness or a collar better for a puppy?

For a dog that doesn't pull, the 2025 review found back-clip chest-strap or Y-shaped harnesses most suitable. A collar may suit a dog that already walks on a loose leash.

Do prong collars stop pulling?

They reduce it, but in a 2024 study a front-clip harness reduced pulling just as much. AVSAB and AAHA both advise against prong collars because they work through pain.

Can an older dog learn to stop pulling?

Yes. Reward-based training works at any age, and older dogs tend to pull less often to begin with. It may take longer if pulling has worked for years.

Sources

• American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, 2021
• AAHA: 2015 Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines
• Cavalli C, Protopopova A. Review of Collars, Harnesses, and Head Collars for Walking Dogs. Animals, 2025
• Johnson AC, Wynne CDL. Comparing efficacy in reducing pulling and welfare impacts of four types of leash walking equipment. PeerJ, 2024
• Shih HY, et al. Dog Pulling on the Leash: Effects of Restraint by a Neck Collar vs. a Chest Harness. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021
• Shih HY, et al. Behavioural Evaluation of a Leash Tension Meter Which Measures Pull Direction and Force during Human–Dog On-Leash Walks. Animals, 2020
• Pauli AM, et al. Effects of the application of neck pressure by a collar or harness on intraocular pressure in dogs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2006
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Behavior Problems in Dogs (dog owners)

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own dog — they know the animal in front of them.

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