How a Small Person Can Walk a Large Dog
📝 Summary
Walking a large dog is about control through training, not strength: when the dog lunges, plant your feet and stand still so it learns lunging gets it nowhere, then reward it for coming back. Games like 'follow me,' heel practice, more exercise, and recall work turn a pulling giant into a calm companion.
1 Understand: You Do Not Drag the Dog
A large dog can weigh anywhere from 40 to 400 kilos, and after a day indoors or at the sight of another dog it pulls hard. Many people, women especially, end up with raw, scraped palms or even falls. With a big dog, force is never the answer — strength is not your edge, and you should not try to win by pulling.
To walk a big dog well, first understand why it pulls and then get it to match your pace.
2 Reset Your Mindset
You rarely see an elderly person dragged by a large dog, because dogs that lunged at them got returned to the owner’s adult children, and most dogs are smart enough to read their handler’s state — they slow to stroll together or glance back to wait. When your dog bolts, it is often testing you, and your yelping and jogging behind only reward the behavior.
3 Stop the ‘Jogging Behind’ Habit
Some say if you do not keep moving when the dog lunges, you will be pulled over — but you will not. Trainers have walked many dogs at once; if strength were the trick, no one could manage. When the dog starts to bolt, grip the leash, plant your body, and stay still. The dog will lunge, then notice you are not following, stop, and look back. It may come to you; reward and praise, even with a treat, then move on. If it bolts again, stop and wait again.
4 Play ‘Follow Me’
When the dog lunges, turn and walk the other way, or step back a few paces while holding the leash. The backward motion draws the dog to you; reward it the moment it approaches. After a few rounds the dog loses your rhythm and stays by your side.
5 Practice Heeling
A simple, effective method: while out walking, reward the dog continually for staying at your side, so it learns that being near you pays off. Keep the dog interested in the treats and do not let it fill up too fast.
6 Tire It Out and Build Recall
A large dog leaves the house full of energy; after some exercise the drive to pull fades, and that is the best moment to train with the methods above. Strengthen recall work, and use another dog for desensitization so yours gets less excited at the sight of its kind. Bringing in a second dog as a distraction also tests and reinforces the training.
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