How to Train an Older Dog to Walk Calmly on a Leash

Co-authored by David Levin

Last Updated: November 12, 2023 Approved

Enjoying a good relationship with your dog means being able to take the dog for a walk and having it heel. Unfortunately, many dogs have learned to pull on the lead, which is tiring for you, uncomfortable to it, and could potentially be dangerous if the dog is too large and powerful. However, don't despair if you have an older dog that has learned bad habits, as it's never too late to retrain a dog to walk calmly on the leash without pulling. You simply need time, patience, and an understanding of what motivates your dog to learn and follow commands.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Teaching an Older Dog to Accept a Leash Calmly

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A dog that needs leash training could benefit from the use of a training lead. This is a short leash that keeps the dog at your side. This kind of leash will let you correct bad behavior quickly and effectively by redirecting the dog away from distractions. ^{[1]
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Avoid using punishment-based training techniques. A shock collar, choke chain, or prong collar has no place in retraining. While it might seem tempting to use a prong collar or choke chain, these work by inflicting pain and having the dog associate pain with pulling. Not only could these devices cause actual physical harm to the dog, but they work using fear rather than helping the dog to learn in a positive way.
- In addition, these collars are generally the mark of an inadequate trainer who doesn't know how to correct such behavior in any other way. Don't let this be a label applied to you, but instead retrain your dog in a humane manner using canine psychology.
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Tackle the excitement associated with wearing a leash. The chances are the dog is beside itself with excitement as soon as the leash appears. This is because it associates the leash with a walk. You want your pup to be calm when you set off, so that you are more likely to succeed in retraining.
- To this end, clip the leash on and off the dog in the house, but without going for a walk. Your aim is to break the assumption that because the dog has a lead on it is going for a walk.^{[2]
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- For example, when you are home, clip the leash on but go about your normal routine in the house. After 5 - 10 minutes, unclip the leash and carry on as usual again. Repeat this every half hour or so, so the dog becomes desensitized to wearing the leash.

Part 2

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Teaching an Older Dog to Heel

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Dogs most commonly pull because they are excited to get where they are going, which is usually an exciting place full of interesting smells such as the park. Dogs repeat behaviors when they get a reward from doing that behavior. In this case, the action of pulling on the lead is it's own reward because the dog perceives they get where they want to go more quickly.
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Tackle the excitement of walking out the door. Once the dog is calm when you attach the leash, try taking it outside. This is likely to reboot the whole excitement thing, because this time it looks like the dog really is going for a walk. To counteract this, set aside plenty of time. Walk out the door with the dog, shut the door, pause, then re-enter the house.
- Repeat this until both you and the dog are bored, and its lost all interest in pulling on the lead because the chances are it is going straight back inside and not on a walk.
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Teach the dog to stop pulling on the lead.^{[3]
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Research source} This works best if you set aside plenty of time, and are prepared to not actually get as far as your intended destination. Put the dog on the lead and calmly leave the house. As soon as it starts to pull on the leash, stop dead in your tracks. Hold the leash firmly, but do not try to pull the dog back to you.
- If your dog needs lots of exercise, try playing ball in the yard to tire it out beforehand so that it gets its exercise.
- If you let him pull you to the park during the retraining period then you will undo all the good work done to date.
When your dog turns its head to look at you, give a hearty "GOOD DOGGY!" then move forward and keep on walking. About every three or four times this happens, give the dog a treat.
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Try an alternative method of training if you are not having success. When the dog pulls, stop and set off walking in the opposite direction. If the dog then tanks ahead of you and pulls in the next direction, stop again and change direction. The message you are sending to the dog is that when it pulls it gets no further forward, therefore there is no point in pulling.^{[4]
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- Using this method, however, when the dog tries to get you to move faster, it results in you stopping, which means no movement at all. Pretty soon, the dog will realize that you and you alone are in control of the walks. You determine the time, place and speed. Once the dog has established this, it will no longer pull.
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Take your time with this training. It takes time to change ingrained behavior. Commit to daily training but don't assume that your dog will change its behavior after just a week. It may take a lot longer for your pup to get the messages you are sending it and make the changes you desire.
- Hopefully, after about a month of taking walks like this, your dog will no longer be taking you for a walk!
- Similarly, don't use this method for extended periods of time. It takes time and repetition more than extended training sessions. For instance, do not try to take long walks with this method. Your dog will soon tire or get bored from this training.

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How do you train an older dog to walk on a leash?

David Levin
Professional Dog Walker
David Levin is the Owner of Citizen Hound, a professional dog walking business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 9 years of professional dog walking and training experience, David's business has been voted the "Best Dog Walker SF" by Beast of the Bay for 2019, 2018, and 2017. Citizen Hound has also been ranked #1 Dog Walker by the SF Examiner and A-List in 2017, 2016, 2015. Citizen Hound prides themselves on their customer service, care, skill, and reputation.

David Levin

Professional Dog Walker

Expert Answer

Get better equipment that's easier for older dogs to use. If your old dog is too stuck in its ways, you may need better tools. For instance, you might put the dog in a halter or a front-clip harness. For very old dogs, you might even need more specific gear, like a lifting harness that allows you to help carry some of the load.

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Question

Is it too late to leash train my dog?

David Levin
Professional Dog Walker
David Levin is the Owner of Citizen Hound, a professional dog walking business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 9 years of professional dog walking and training experience, David's business has been voted the "Best Dog Walker SF" by Beast of the Bay for 2019, 2018, and 2017. Citizen Hound has also been ranked #1 Dog Walker by the SF Examiner and A-List in 2017, 2016, 2015. Citizen Hound prides themselves on their customer service, care, skill, and reputation.

David Levin

Professional Dog Walker

Expert Answer

No, it's not true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks! Expect leash-training an older dog to take a little longer than it would for a puppy, though. You do have to remember that older dogs have had many years to ingrain their walking habits, so not only do you have to build new habits, but you have to undo the old ones, and this process can take a while.

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Question

How do I teach an older dog to heel?

David Levin
Professional Dog Walker
David Levin is the Owner of Citizen Hound, a professional dog walking business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 9 years of professional dog walking and training experience, David's business has been voted the "Best Dog Walker SF" by Beast of the Bay for 2019, 2018, and 2017. Citizen Hound has also been ranked #1 Dog Walker by the SF Examiner and A-List in 2017, 2016, 2015. Citizen Hound prides themselves on their customer service, care, skill, and reputation.

David Levin

Professional Dog Walker

Expert Answer

Focus on training the mechanics first. Take the dog somewhere quiet, like inside your home or in your backyard. Break the whole walk into components, like stopping when you stop or backing up on command when it gets too far ahead. Once the dog is comfortable with that, it will be more likely to succeed when you take it to a more stimulating environment.

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