My dog's leash behavior flipped completely after 3 months of this one small change

I used to think my golden retriever was just stubborn on walks. She'd pull like crazy every time we passed a squirrel or another dog. But I stopped using her retractable leash and switched to a 6 foot nylon one back in May. Now at 3 months in, she stays right by my side 90% of the time. The retractable leash was basically teaching her that pulling got her where she wanted to go faster. Has anyone else seen that big a difference just from swapping out the leash type?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylorellis11d ago

3 months of a 6 foot leash wouldn't fix a thing if the dog was actually trained to pull with it, @susan649. A retractable leash gives them 26 feet of freedom, which is a lot more rewarding than a short tether.

susan64911d ago

Wow, I read that retractable leashes basically reward pulling behavior. Makes total sense!