Two Modes of Lead Walking: Why Letting Your Dog Sniff Can Actually Improve Walks

One of the most common things I hear from owners is:

“My dog just pulls towards every smell on walks.”

It can feel frustrating. You set off hoping for a relaxed walk, but instead your dog is constantly dragging you towards the next lamppost, hedge or interesting scent.

Many people assume the answer is to stop the sniffing altogether.

In reality, sniffing is rarely the problem.

In fact, for many dogs sniffing can be the reward that makes loose lead walking work.

A simple way to think about this is having two modes of lead walking.

Mode 1: Loose Lead Walking

This is the part where your dog walks close to you with a slack lead.

You reward short periods of walking nicely, such as:

staying within the lead
checking in with you
walking alongside you calmly

Importantly, we’re not expecting perfect behaviour for long stretches. Instead we reward small moments of good walking.

Those moments gradually build into longer periods of relaxed walking.

Mode 2: Sniff Time

Dogs experience the world through their noses. For many dogs, sniffing is one of the most rewarding things they can do on a walk.

So instead of constantly trying to prevent sniffing, we can use it as a reward.

When your dog walks nicely for a short stretch, you simply release them to sniff and explore.

This creates a clear pattern for the dog:

walk nicely
earn the chance to sniff
continue the walk

Over time dogs start to realise that staying connected with their handler actually makes the walk more rewarding.

A Simple Analogy I Often Use With Clients

I sometimes explain this idea using a comparison that many owners immediately understand.

Imagine you’re taking children to a theme park.

The theme park is the big reward — just like the park or field is often the most exciting part of your dog’s walk.

But if the children behave on the journey, you might stop at the services and get them a McDonald’s on the way.

That McDonald’s stop isn’t the main event. It’s just something that makes the journey easier and more enjoyable.

Loose lead walking works in a very similar way.

If your dog walks nicely for a short stretch, they earn a small reward along the way — a chance to sniff.

The big reward (the park, field or open space) still comes later.

Why This Approach Works

Many lead-walking problems happen because dogs believe the walk is all about getting to the next smell as quickly as possible.

When sniffing becomes something they earn, the whole walk changes.

Your dog learns a simple pattern:

stay connected with the handler
earn opportunities to explore

Instead of battling against your dog’s natural behaviour, you’re working with it.

Loose lead walking isn’t about stopping dogs from sniffing.

It’s about using what dogs love as part of the training.