7 Minute Training Game to Stop Leash Pulling

It's a tale as old as time: you find yourself in a losing game of tug-of-war with your dog's leash.

This is something I hear all the time! Loose leash walking is one of the most common goals dog parents have.

It can be so frustrating to feel like your dog is towing you down the sidewalk while strangers offer their less-than-helpful commentary of "who's walking who?"

But the very good news is that leash manners are a skill. And like any skill, they can be built through short, consistent practice.

This 7-minute training game focuses on two things many dogs are missing: engagement and an understanding of leash pressure.

Watch the Training game in Action

Why Dogs Pull on the Leash

The most important thing for you to realize is that dogs aren't naturally born knowing how to walk politely on a leash.

In fact, the leash creates a pretty strange situation from a dog's perspective: they're connected to us, restricted in where they can go, and often moving through environments full of exciting smells, sounds, and sights.

Many dogs learn that pulling works. They pull toward a smell, a tree, another dog, or the direction they want to go, and eventually they get there.

Others are simply so excited when the walk starts that they're operating at a level of arousal that makes learning difficult.

Before we can teach a dog how to walk on a loose leash, we need to help them slow down enough to engage with us.

Your 7-Minute training game

Minutes 1–2: Work on the pre-walk routine

For many dogs, leash pulling starts before the walk even begins. The leash comes out and everything unravels. So spend the first couple of minutes practicing calm engagement near the leash and near the door. Ask for simple behaviors your dog already knows. Reward moments where they check in with you. Slow the process down.

If your dog is already vibrating with excitement before you leave the house, the rest of the walk is going to feel much harder.

Minute 3: Warm up outside

Once you're outside, resist the urge to immediately march down the sidewalk. Give your dog a chance to sniff. Let them use the bathroom.

Then play a simple food game: a quick food scatter or treat toss game can help shift your dog from "GO GO GO" mode into a more thoughtful state where learning can happen. Think of this as your warm-up before the workout.

Minutes 4-5: Teach leash pressure

Now we're ready to start moving! Walk a few steps. When your dog reaches the end of the leash, encourage them to come back toward you. The moment they release that tension, mark and reward. Then change directions. Over time, your dog begins to understand that releasing pressure creates opportunities for reinforcement. Pulling stops being part of the game.

The first milestone is helping your dog quickly release leash tension. The next milestone is having them avoid creating that tension in the first place.

Minutes 6-7: Expand the walk

As your dog becomes successful, gradually increase how far you're traveling.

Maybe that's a few extra steps. Maybe it's one more driveway. Maybe it's making it to the next house. Reward check-ins along the way and continue using your direction changes when needed. These small wins add up to BIG results.

Why This works

Many leash training approaches focus entirely on what happens after a dog pulls.

This routine spends time teaching the skills that make loose leash walking possible in the first place.

Your dog learns how to engage with you and respond to leash pressure.

You balance that with opportunities to sniff, explore, and move through the environment without feeling rushed.

Those pieces create a foundation that makes walking together actually something you can both enjoy.

Where People can Get Stuck

The most common challenge is trying to cover too much distance too soon. The first goal isn't to get around the block - it's to build skills.

Build the foundation first.

If Your Dog Pulls on Every Walk

Leash pulling is one of the most teachable behaviors I work on.

Seven intentional minutes a day can create a very different walking experience over time.

If you'd like help building a leash training plan that fits your specific dog, book a free consult and we'll talk through what's happening on your walks.

Save This 7 Minute Training Game for Later

Set a timer. Practice the sequence. Repeat it tomorrow.

The repetition is where the change happens.

Looking for your next step?

→ Book a free consult call: Let’s talk about your dog, what’s going on, and where you want to go. Whether it’s 1:1 training or finding the right resource, we’ll figure it out together.

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About Mattison Skoog-Simpson

Mattison Skoog-Simpson is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) who helps overwhelmed dog guardians create calmer, more connected lives with their sensitive or complex dogs. She’s the founder of Freed by Training, a values-driven dog behavior practice rooted in science, compassion, and second chances.

Mattison’s approach is shaped by her own transformative journey, which began in a prison dog training program. Today, she’s known for helping people feel capable, supported, and confident as they navigate behavior challenges using humane, relationship-based methods.

Through her virtual programs, courses, podcasts, and writing, Mattison is on a mission to make ethical, sustainable training more accessible and to prove that both dogs and their humans are capable of lasting change.

Learn more at freedbytraining.com or follow her on Instagram @freedbytraining.