You love going for a walk with your American Cocker Spaniel but there is a small problem: your American Cocker Spaniel pulls when it is on a leash. Don’t worry, in general all American Cocker Spaniel tend to pull on the leash but you will see that there are methods (leach training) to succeed in walking your American Cocker Spaniel quietly without him leading you.

Why is your American Cocker Spaniel pulling on his leash?

As soon as it can, of the most natural way, your American Cocker Spaniel will sniff to look for new smells. So, when walking, he will let himself be guided by a smell on the right, one on the left… And too focused on these smells he will pull on his leash to reach them quickly.

In addition, your American Cocker Spaniel will be distracted by many things during your walk. He will try to force it to reach what attracts his attention. For example, if he or she sees another dog, your American Cocker Spaniel will shoot to go there….

Your American Cocker Spaniel pulls on his leash – What not to do?

Do not stretch the leash by forcing your American Cocker Spaniel back towards you. That’s what we tend to do naturally. But the more you pull it on your side, the more your American Cocker Spaniel will go the other way by pulling very hard on the leash. If you do so, there will be a balance of power that will settle and reproduce with each walk.

Training a American Cocker Spaniel on a leash – What to do?

Leash training a American Cocker Spaniel – Treats to stimulate him in a different way

Since he shoots because he is motivated by something (smell, bitch, children…), I advise you to bring what will motivate him even more. And the strongest stimulant will necessarily be a treat he loves… So, when he starts pulling, you simply offer or show him the treat and this regularly so that he is attentive to this stimulant throughout the walk.

Zuke’s Natural Training Dog Treats

Zuke’s brand has created little appetizers that are perfect to reward your American Cocker Spaniel when you train him to walk on a leash. These are very small bites which allows you to give several during the walk without risk of making your American Cocker Spaniel bigger. Moreover, this treat is natural, it contains no artificial coloring or flavors but they have vitamins, proteins, minerals…

Users’ opinions

Among the best selling dog treats in Amazon, this product is very well rated. Internet users point out that their dogs love them and that the size of the bites is perfect for putting them in a pocket or bag. In addition, the bag is resealable! The very good value for money is also mentioned in many opinions.

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Leash training a American Cocker Spaniel – Method to educate him

For some American Cocker Spaniel, stimulation with a treat will not be enough. There are (for the American Cocker Spaniel “shooters”) training harnesses that allow them to be braked at chest level. This is a great help when you want to train your dog to walk on a leash. But you will have to be patient because the learning method is quite long and laborious. However, it has good results. All you need is to be applied regularly!

When you walk with your American Cocker Spaniel and he pulls on the leash like a madman in one direction, you will have to turn around and walk the other way without pulling him and diverting him from his own direction. You’ll tell him Go! So he can follow you the other way.  Then, if he pulls again in the new direction, it will be necessary to immediately turn around and go back in the opposite direction by saying Go!  And so on… As soon as you feel a tension on the leash, you must change the direction of your dog. The lesson should not be too long (15-20 minutes) and should be repeated as often as possible.

As soon as your American Cocker Spaniel follows you, remember to congratulate him and reward him with a small treat.

Best anti-pull harness for American Cocker Spaniel

They are often Y-shaped harnesses. The fastener is fixed in front under the chest and not above the back. So when your American Cocker Spaniel shoots, it will feel uncomfortable and therefore slow down on its own.

They are perfect to force your American Cocker Spaniel to walk on a leash at your own pace. It helps to retain the most energetic American Cocker Spaniel.

Rabbitgoo Dog Harness No-Pull Pet Harness

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This harness is ideal for the well-being of your American Cocker Spaniel but above all for its training in leash walking. Indeed, the traction pressure under the neck is studied for its education but limited to prevent choking or injuries during the walk.

Your American Cocker Spaniel will adopt it easily because it is comfortable with a soft padding made of high quality nylon, a breathable and lightweight material.

This harness is adjustable thanks to its buckles. And, with its two clips on both sides of the harness, it is quick and easy to install.

Users’ opinions

The majority of Internet users confirm that this training harness is very well adapted to the morphology of their American Cocker Spaniel and that the 2nd ring under the chest does the anti-Traction well. 

Training your American Cocker Spaniel to walk on a leash – When should he be trained?

For better learning, the sooner the better. As soon as you start taking your American Cocker Spaniel puppy out for a walk, you will have to start training him to walk on a leash. And the more you educate him regularly, the better the results will be!