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Lead pulling · Chelmsford, Brentwood and all Essex

Stop your dog pulling on the lead

If every walk feels like a tug of war, it can change, whatever your dog's size or age.

Husky sitting on a lead on a tree-lined avenue, looking up

5.0 on Google from 250+ reviews

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Sound familiar?

  • Your shoulder, wrist or back aches after every walk.
  • You dread seeing another dog, a cat or a jogger coming, because your dog turns into a sled dog.
  • You've tried a harness, a head collar and a lot of stopping, and it's still the same.
  • The children, or your partner, can't hold the lead at all.

What changes

Walks where the lead stays loose and your dog walks with you, not in front. Passing another dog stops being a battle, and anyone in the family can hold the lead again.

How Alex fixes it

  1. AssessmentA 1.5-hour session at our secure Chelmsford field (or at your home, extra). We watch what your dog does, when and why.
  2. A plain explanationWhat is driving the behaviour and what will change it, in plain English, with no jargon.
  3. Practise togetherYou do it with your own dog there and then, with Alex coaching, until it works for you and not just for him.
  4. Follow-ups when you need them£100 an hour at the field, £120 at home, or where the problem really happens, such as your street, the park or your home.
Recall and lead

“Alex has worked wonders with our St Bernard, she was awful at pulling on the lead and being such a big dog we found it so hard to walk her. …”

Read the full review

“Alex has worked wonders with our St Bernard, she was awful at pulling on the lead and being such a big dog we found it so hard to walk her. After 2 hours with Alex our dog was walking on the lead without pulling and she is now a joy to take for a walk. Thanks Alex”

Harriet S. · Google review

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What it costs

First 1.5-hour session at our Chelmsford field
£160
Home visits
£190
Follow-up sessions
£100 an hour (£120 at home)
Residential training, if it suits your dogNew dogs stay a minimum of three weeks; for puppies and behaviour problems we suggest four. Dogs who have trained with us before can book shorter stays, for example while you are away.
£850p/w

See all prices

  • You deal with Alex directly, from first message to the last session
  • Master Dog Trainer, Guild of Dog Trainers

Tell Alex about your dog's pulling

We reply Monday to Saturday, usually within the hour, by email.

Please choose what your dog is doing.

Please tell us your name.

Please add your town, postcode or country.

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Please add your email address so we can reply.

We reply Monday to Saturday, usually within the hour, by email.

Prefer to talk? Phone 07557 943 820 · Only used to reply to you: privacy

More about lead pulling

First at the field. The session starts at our secure 1.5-acre field at Roxwell, west of Chelmsford, where there's nothing for your dog to drag you towards. Alex watches how your dog walks with you, then shows you the handling that changes it: where your hands go, when the lead goes slack, and what your dog earns for walking with you instead of in front.

Then where it really happens. Pulling is learned on your own pavements, so that's where it has to change. Later sessions move to your street, the park or the route that's hardest, with distractions added one at a time.

You hold the lead. Alex demonstrates each step with your dog, then hands the lead back and coaches you until it works for you, not just for him.

Big, strong dogs too. Shepherds, Rottweilers, St Bernards and bull breeds all learn the same way; the timing just matters more.

  • Short, frequent sessions. Five minutes of good walking beats an hour of being dragged.
  • Change the walk while it's changing. Pick quieter routes for a week or two so your dog isn't rehearsing the old habit every day.
  • Same rules for everyone. Whoever holds the lead does it the same way, or the dog learns that pulling still works with some people.
  • Kit that helps, not hides. Alex will tell you whether your lead and collar or harness suit your dog. There's more in choosing a lead, collar or harness for a dog that pulls.

Want the background first? Read Alex's guide on how to stop a dog pulling on the lead. If your dog also ignores you off the lead, see dog recall training.

If your dog pulls, barks and lunges only when it sees another dog, that is usually reactivity, not manners, and Alex works on it differently. The first session sorts out which it is.

Questions about lead pulling

What does it cost?

£160 for the first 1.5-hour session at our Chelmsford field (£190 at your home), then £100 an hour for follow-ups at the field (£120 at home). You only book follow-ups when you need them, and every price is on our prices page before you start.

Will it last once we're home?

That is what the sessions are built for. You practise with your own dog until it works for you, not just for Alex, and follow-ups (£100 an hour at the field, £120 at home) can happen where the problem really happens: your street, the park or your home.

Is the training kind?

Yes. Training is done calmly, because frustration, anger and harsh methods only slow progress. We never punish a growl or fear, we explain everything we do and why, and you see exactly what we're doing. Alex is a Master Dog Trainer with the Guild of Dog Trainers.

Why not just do it myself with videos?

You can, and our guides are there to help. Where owners get stuck is timing and reading their own dog. In a session you practise with your dog while Alex coaches, so you see what works for your dog, not a dog in a video. Alex has worked with more than 10,000 dogs in over 15 years.

Is my dog too old or too big to change?

No. Older dogs and very strong dogs learn to walk on a loose lead too; Alex adjusts the handling to the dog in front of him.

How quickly will my dog stop pulling?

Many dogs walk differently by the end of the first session. Making it stick on your own walks usually takes a few weeks of practice, and Alex tells you honestly how many follow-ups he expects.

Can you come to my road instead of the field?

Yes. Home visits cost extra for the travel and are priced when you enquire. Many owners start at the field and move to their own route later.

Do I need to buy special equipment?

Usually not. Bring what you use now; Alex will say if something would help.

From the blog

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Tell Alex what your dog is doing

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hello@essexdogtrainer.co.uk · 07557 943 820 · Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm