Loose-lead walking for Weimaraners

Weims pull because pulling gets them places. Teach that a slack lead moves you forward, with a comfortable harness, good rewards and plenty of sniff breaks.

Written by

James

Updated

21 October 2026

Your Weimaraner pulls because pulling works: every step forward on a tight lead pays off. Loose-lead walking is teaching the opposite, that a slack lead is what moves you both forward. It takes patience, comfortable equipment and good rewards, and it is never about strength or pain. This guide is part of our training and behaviour hub.

Equipment that helps, and why

Choose equipment that is comfortable for your dog and safe for you. Dogs Trust warns that some products promising to cure pulling work by causing pain or discomfort in a sensitive area, which it calls unnecessary, unpleasant and confusing, and recommends whatever is most comfortable for your dog, such as a flat harness or collar.¹

The Pet Professional Guild accepts harnesses, head halters, non-choking collars and leads when they are used as intended and not in a way that causes pain or fear.² If you are thinking about a head halter, get a reward-based trainer to help you fit and introduce it gently, because many dogs need time to accept one.

What we never recommend. Never use a prong, choke or slip lead, or an electronic collar, to stop pulling. AVSAB says trainers should not use tools that involve pain, naming choke collars, prong collars and electronic shock collars, and it does not accept lead jerks either.³ Under the Pet Professional Guild's principles, shock, prong and choke equipment is never used.²

In Australia, RSPCA Australia states that pronged collars are not legal to import, and that their use is not permitted in Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland, where the Queensland law allows a "reasonable excuse" exception.⁴ Beyond the law, RSPCA Australia opposes the sale or use of pronged collars anywhere and recommends reward-based training instead.⁴

Teaching position

Start indoors or in the garden, where nothing is competing with you. Dogs Trust suggests rewarding your dog for standing or sitting by your side in a calm place first, practising without the lead attached, and then adding movement.¹

Loose-lead walking does not mean a strict heel. For most walks, any position where the lead stays slack is fine. You can add a cue such as "let's go" for the times you need your dog close, and a release cue such as "go sniff" for freedom.

Stopping the pull without yanking

When the lead goes tight, the rule is simple: you stop. Dogs Trust explains that taking even one step with your dog when they pull tells them that pulling works, and that the moment the lead tightens you should stand still, stay quiet and wait until it goes slack, without jerking the lead or telling your dog off.¹

• Be a tree. Stop, wait. The moment the lead slackens, mark it and walk on.
• Turn and go. If your dog stays fixed on something, calmly turn and walk a few steps the other way, then reward your dog for catching up.
• Reward the check-ins. Every glance back at you is worth a treat or a word.
• Allow time. Dogs Trust warns that walks will take longer while your dog is learning.¹ Use short training walks when you are not in a hurry.

On days when you cannot train, such as a rushed vet trip, use a harness and accept the walk for what it is. Consistency matters, but nobody gets it right every single time.

Arousal and sniff breaks

A Weim who has spent the morning indoors and then sees the park gate is not in a state to learn. Over-arousal makes pulling far more likely. Help your dog arrive calm:

• let your dog sniff the garden or front path before setting off
• start walks somewhere quiet, not straight into the busiest place
• build in planned sniff breaks with a release cue ("go sniff"), then carry on
• scatter a few treats in the grass to help your dog slow down and use their nose

Sniffing is not a distraction from the walk; for a gundog it is a big part of the point. RSPCA Australia notes that scent enrichment has been shown to reduce stress-related behaviours and increase time spent resting.⁵ Our guides on settling and calm and scent games have more ideas.

Adolescent regressions

Many owners find a young Weim who walked nicely as a puppy suddenly pulls like a train. Adolescence brings more confidence, more energy and more interest in the world, and it is normal for skills to wobble.

• go back a stage: more rewards, quieter routes, shorter training walks
• check the rest of the day: is your dog getting enough exercise, sniffing and rest? See how much exercise a Weimaraner needs
• keep the harness on for every walk, so a strong pull never strains the neck
• never respond with pain or force; it can make pulling and reactivity worse

When to get help

Contact a reward-based trainer if pulling is not improving or you feel unsafe on walks. Talk to your vet and a qualified behaviourist if your dog lunges, barks or growls at other dogs or people, seems fearful on walks, or if pulling started suddenly: lunging can be driven by fear or frustration, which need a different plan, and sudden changes can have a health cause that your vet should rule out. AVSAB advises that a trainer having difficulty with a reward-based approach should refer to a veterinarian or qualified behaviourist rather than use aversive methods.³ Our editorial policy explains our standards.

Common questions

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