Leash walking
Why does my dog pull so hard on walks?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Pulling is rarely stubbornness, it is usually a dog moving at its natural pace while you hold it back, combined with genuine excitement about smells, other animals, or simply covering ground. Dogs walk comfortably at roughly 6 to 8 km/h when motivated, well above a typical human's 4 to 5 km/h stroll, so the mismatch in pace alone explains a lot of the tension you feel.
The pace mismatch
Most breeds were never bred to match a human's walking speed. A Beagle following a scent trail or a young Labrador heading toward the park gate is simply moving at the speed that feels natural to it, and the leash is the only thing translating that into a pull you notice in your hand or shoulder.
Under exercised dogs pull harder
A dog that has been indoors all day and gets one walk carries pent up energy into that single outing, which shows up as harder, more sustained pulling in the first 10 minutes especially. Splitting one long walk into two shorter ones, or adding 10 minutes of tug or fetch in the garden beforehand, often takes noticeable pressure off the leash.
Learned habit on top of instinct
Once a dog discovers that pulling gets it to the smell, the dog, or the door faster, that becomes a rehearsed habit layered on top of natural pace. This is the part that responds to training, even though the underlying excitement about the walk itself is normal and does not need to be eliminated.
Key takeaways
- Dogs naturally move faster than most people walk, which creates leash tension even without misbehavior.
- Under exercised dogs often pull hardest in the first 10 minutes of a walk.
- Pre-walk play such as 10 minutes of tug can lower pulling intensity.
- Pulling becomes a learned habit once it reliably gets the dog where it wants to go faster.