1 Tip, 1 Idea, 1 Quote.
On your dogs end of the lead
Dog Trainer Auckland
August 24, 2026
1 Tip - on life with your dog
Often people pull and drag their dog around by their neck, mostly they don't mean any harm - it's more autopilot. A dog dragged away from an interesting smell or the person changing direction - 'come on' without giving the dog any warning - the dog notices through a jolt to their collar.
Instead, try giving your dog a warning by saying, 'this way' or 'let's go', wait a beat, then move off. Practise somewhere quiet first - say the cue, take a step, then reward any movement toward you - that way it means something by the time you need it on the footpath.
1 Idea - on the leading edge
A dog's neck carries a lot in a small space: trachea, larynx, oesophagus, jugular vein, arteries and thyroid. It's a sensitive part of their anatomy. Two studies, one in 2006 and one this year, measured what a collar does to that space under pressure. Dogs pulling against a collar showed weight on the trachea and an increase in pressure inside the eye. Flat faced breeds showed this pressure even standing still. I don't think you need a study to understand why. Imagine clipping a lead to your own neck and having someone move you around by it. Uncomfortable. A harness moves the pressure to the shoulders and is a more thoughtful way to attach yourself to your dog. If the issue is pulling, a front-clip harness gives you steering with no pressure to your dog.
1 Quote - on dogs
I enjoy watching people with their dogs. It's interesting to see how the relationship is in that moment. But that's all it is, a snapshot, never the whole picture. A tense walk might just be a hard day, not a hard life. I try to remember this before reading too much into it.
Tips on loose lead walking
https://www.thedogbehaviouracademy.co.nz/post/how-to-stop-my-dog-from-pulling-on-walks-in-auckland