Although small, Boston Terriers are very strong. That deep chest and those big shoulders are perfect for pulling. Many Bostons use this to their advantage on walks, much to the chagrin of their owners. Your Boston is certainly not meaning to cause you pain or frustration, they just want to greet everyone and explore everything. But as you know, this can cause injury to you. If you are struggling with this, here are five tips to prevent your Boston Terrier from pulling on the leash.
#1 – Start Young
Many people make the mistake of not starting leash training right away. But the sooner you instill those good leash manners in your Boston Terrier, the better. This includes puppies that are just eight weeks old. Why wait until he is a wayward teenager who finds the rest of the world more interesting than you? Instead, reinforce those good habits while your Boston still wants to follow you everywhere.
#2 – Teach Self-Control
Dogs with lots of energy also usually need to be taught self-control. Boston Terriers are definitely no exception to this rule! Teaching self-control can help keep your Boston calm and cool while on a walk. “Stay,” “Go To Bed” (mat-stay behavior), sitting for a toy/food/petting, etc., are all good ways to work on self-control.
#3 – Practice Attention
Boston Terriers can be butterflies, flitting from thing to thing without a lot of focus. This is one of the reasons they pull on their leashes – they want to explore everything! On leash, this can lead to you being pulled in twenty different directions, which is not fun! A key to stopping these behaviors is to keep your Boston focused on you during a walk. Working on looking at you when you say her name, offering eye contact without a cue, “Leave It,” and “Drop” are important to leash training.
#4 – Reward Correct Position
Whenever your Boston Terrier is calmly walking in heel position – by your side with a loose leash – be sure you reward him. You can even turn this into a game, which is something Bostons love, by moving away from him and seeing if he stays with you off-leash in your house or in your backyard. Start off easy and then increase difficulty (quicker pace, tighter turns) as your Boston learns the game. Rewards can be anything he likes, including treats, praise, toys, etc. As long as your Boston Terrier likes it, it’s a reward. Dogs repeat behaviors that are reinforced, so the more you reinforce him for being in that spot, the more he will do it. It’s as simple as that!
#5 – Don’t Let Pulling Be Reinforced
As mentioned, dogs do what gets reinforced, so make sure your Boston Terrier is not being rewarded for pulling. If your Boston pulls on the leash and gets what he wants (to sniff that bush, to greet that person, to play with that dog) then he will continue to do it and it will get worse. So, if you feel your Boston start to pull you in one direction, plant your feet and don’t move, waiting until he returns to you. You can also turn and walk the opposite direction. Once he is walking next to you nicely, you can turn back and go the way he wanted to. This teaches your Boston that if he wants to go somewhere, he has to keep that leash loose. I find this method to work really well because dogs get the rules very quickly.
