Improve your canine companion's leash manners by implementing three easy games suggested by a professional trainer - proven to be highly successful!
In a bid to curb the common issue of dogs pulling on their leashes during walks, professional dog trainer Amelia Steele recommends the use of mental stimulation games [1]. These games are designed to engage your dog's mind, helping to reduce excitement and improve focus, thereby alleviating pulling behaviour.
Dogs often pull on their leash due to excitement and the belief that it propels them forward. To address this, it's crucial to teach them that waiting and walking nicely is rewarded.
Amelia Steele's approach typically involves interactive games that require the dog to slow down and pay attention to the owner, incorporating focus and impulse control exercises that transfer to better leash manners, and reward-based play that encourages walking calmly instead of pulling.
To put these techniques into practice, start by teaching your dog simple focus games like "watch me," where they earn treats for maintaining eye contact. Enrichment toys or puzzle feeders before walks can help tire the dog mentally. During walks, apply games involving following cues or commands (sit, stay), rewarding calm behaviour.
These techniques, as promoted by Amelia Steele, create a foundation of mental engagement that naturally reduces leash pulling by shifting the dog’s focus to the handler rather than distractions or excitement ahead [1].
For those struggling with leash pulling, the article "My dog's leash pulling made walks miserable until I helped her reactivity, here's how" may be useful. It's important to remember that it takes time and patience to train a dog to stop pulling on a leash.
When it comes to treats for training, Pupford Beef Liver Training Free-Dried Dog Treats were found to be a suitable size and a favourite for tester Isaiah's dog Hayes.
One game recommended by Steele is running back and forth, which helps teach dogs to orient to their owners and boost engagement. For more precise game examples from Amelia Steele, her TikTok account (@Amelia Steele) is a great source to check directly [1].
Read also:
- Quarterly Review of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries: A Look Back at Q2 2025
- Summer Fruit Stars of 2025: Blueberries, Tomatoes, and Cherries Lead the Charge
- A renowned culinary artist opted to dine at this establishment:
- Expanding Plant-Based Protein Market Projected to Reach US$30.8 Billion by 2034, Exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.1%
