One of the biggest challenges for a Samoyed owner is when their pup starts to pull during walks. Samoyeds were bred to pull sleds and herd animals in some of the coldest conditions. They are adorable landclouds that are playful, however; they have a rather high prey drive and herding instinct which can lead to leash pulling. With the proper training, that annoying pulling will be a thing of the past.
How to Stop my Samoyed from pulling on the leash?
To stop your Samoyed from pulling, you will need to motivate and capture their attention by using something more exciting. When you first start training, make sure it is in an area that your samoyed is used to. this will limit the amount of distractions. Start in your backyard and eventually work your way up to public spaces with more distractions. This will not happen overnight. It will take time and patience. You can start by walking randomly around the yard and whenever your dog chooses to walk by your side, praise them with a treat or with play. Make sure you feed them near to your side, by your thigh. It will solidify in their minds that this is the area where the treats come from and why. Continue this method until your Samoyed automatically starts walking by your side.
Food is something that will always motivate your dog with normal training, however; sometimes treats just don’t cut it when a Samoyed is focused on something that they really want. I would also bring your Samoyed’s favorite toy on a walk to aid in your training. This will grab their attention and help them realize what you want them to do.
The most effective way to stop your Samoyed from pulling is proper leash training. Many people say the best way to train a Sammy is with a harness. This is NOT correct as a harness will make it more difficult for the owner to stop pulling. A harness will actually make it easier for your Samoyed to pull on the leash while walking. A better tool to utilize is the Gentle Leader.
The Gentle Leader will help any Samoyed owner if you use it with all of the other techniques and strategies talked about above. Beckman’s Dog Training will show you how to utilize this tool to the maximum effect and will reduce your stress of handling a pulling dog.
