Loose Lead Walking: Step-by-Step Exercise for Building Calm, Focused Walks

Step 1: Build Attention With Backward Walking

One of the most effective exercises is walking backwards. The trick is to vary your pace:

• Slow backward steps – helps your dog notice your movements

• Quick backward steps – encourages them to catch up without pulling

• Mix speeds randomly – keeps them attentive and engaged

Every time your dog’s front paws reach your knees:

• Reward immediately with your marker word, “yes!”

• When you turn slightly sideways, move the reward to guide your dog next to you

This teaches your dog to focus on you, follow your movements, and settle into the correct position next to you. You can even practise this during mealtimes or short sessions at home. It works for both puppies and adult dogs.

Step 2: Add the Lead

Once your dog understands backward walking:

• Pick up the lead, keeping it slack

• Walk backwards, varying your pace as before

• Reward when your dog stays next to you or slightly in front

• Use side turns to encourage your dog to settle into the correct position beside you

You can also mix in direction changes or sideways walking, but always keep the focus on:

• Dog position next to you

• Slack lead

• Attention on you

This reinforces the loose lead habit while keeping training positive.

Step 3: Reinforce Forward Walking

After mastering backward drills, move forward while keeping your dog in the correct position:

• Speed up and slow down randomly

• Reward when your dog stays close

• Stop or change direction if they start to pull

This keeps your dog engaged and prevents pulling habits from creeping back in. Practising loose lead walking works best with hands-on guidance— book a session to get personalised tips.

Why This Helps

Varying pace, walking backward, turning sideways, and rewarding attention:

• Teaches dogs to watch and respond to you

• Builds impulse control

• Strengthens the loose-lead habit
  
  Walking calmly on a loose lead works best when your puppy is confident and relaxed in new environments—learn how to build that foundation in our Puppy Socialisation guide.