The One Piece of Equipment That Teaches Your Dog to Pull… And It’s Not the One You Think!

Most of us know that dogs learn best when we use rewards. Hand over a tasty treat the moment your dog sits, and you’re far more likely to see that sit again in the future. This is the principle of positive reinforcement: behaviour followed by something the dog enjoys is behaviour that gets repeated. But rewards aren’t just treats. Dogs are constantly being “paid” by the world around them — a chance to greet another dog, sniff a lamp post, or chase a leaf in the wind can all be reinforcing. And sometimes, without even realising it, we strengthen behaviours we’d rather not see.  

Here’s another twist: behaviours don’t even need to be rewarded every time to stick. In fact, intermittent rewards — where a behaviour is only reinforced occasionally — make that behaviour much more persistent. Think of slot machines: you don’t win on every pull, but the possibility that you might keeps you hooked. Dogs work in exactly the same way.

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The Self-Reinforcing Problem

When we think of equipment that causes pulling, head collars or harnesses might come to mind. But the truth is, there’s one tool that almost guarantees your dog will learn to pull harder and more often… and most owners use it with the best of intentions.  

That tool is the flexilead (also known as a retractable lead).  

At first glance, it feels like a good compromise: your dog gets more freedom to sniff and wander, while you keep them “on lead.” But here’s the hidden catch: flexileads actively teach dogs to pull.

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Why Flexileads Reward Pulling

Every time your dog pulls against the flexilead, the mechanism allows them to move forward and gain more lead. Pull = progress. Pull = reaching that exciting smell, lamppost, or passing dog. This is reward in its purest form: your dog’s effort creates access to what they want.  

Even if you sometimes lock the lead to stop them charging ahead, you’ve still set up a classic intermittent reward system. Sometimes pulling works, sometimes it doesn’t — and as we know, that makes the behaviour far stronger than if it was rewarded consistently.  

In other words, your dog is playing the jackpot machine with every walk, and the flexilead keeps the game running.

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Why It Matters 

The more a dog practises pulling, the better they get at it. Over time, this builds muscle memory and habit. You may find that even when you switch to a normal lead, your dog is still straining forward, convinced that pulling is how the world works.  

That means more frustration for you, more strain on your dog’s neck and shoulders, and less of the calm, connected walks you imagined when you first brought them home. 

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A Better Alternative

If you want to prevent pulling from becoming your dog’s default, skip the flexilead altogether.  

Instead:  

Use a fixed-length lead (around 1.5–2 metres) for everyday walks. This gives your dog room to explore but sets clear, consistent boundaries. 

Introduce a long line (5–10 metres) in safe spaces when you want to give your dog more freedom. Unlike a flexilead, a long line doesn’t extend automatically — you control when and how much lead is available.  

Teach structured loose-lead walking as a skill. Reward your dog generously for choosing to walk by your side, and practise in short, successful bursts. With consistency, your dog learns that walking on a loose lead is the fastest way to access all the things they want to do — sniff, explore, and interact with the world.

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Final Thought  

Flexileads aren’t “bad” because they’re cruel or unsafe — they’re problematic because they hand over the teaching job to the equipment itself. And what they teach, without fail, is pulling.  

If you’re dreaming of relaxed, enjoyable walks with your dog, it’s worth swapping the retractable lead for tools that work with your training, not against it. Small changes in equipment can make a big difference in behaviour — and in the bond you share with your dog.