How to stop your dog pulling on the leash
in Singapore — no treats.

The short version: dogs pull because they haven't learned what the leash is asking. The fix is three steps, always in this order: leash pressure, then a loose-leash walk, then heel. No treats — the reward is the leash going slack and a calm "good dog." You can start indoors today, and it works on puppies and grown dogs alike. In Singapore, most of the pulling is won or lost before you even leave the flat.

Most owners lose the walk before they've even left the flat.

The door opens, your dog dashes. The lift opens, your dog dashes. By the time you're at the void deck, they're already in pulling mode — and you're the one being walked. Sound familiar? In Singapore it's the most common thing I see — puppy or fully grown — because our walks start in tight spaces full of triggers: the corridor, the lift, the neighbour's dog waiting in the lobby.

I'm Shawn — I run DOGPAPA, in-home dog training across Singapore, and before this I was a handler with the Singapore Police K-9 Unit, where I worked Narcotic Detector Dogs. Dog training is a family trade; my uncle trained both Singapore's Police K9s and their handlers for over forty years. So when I tell you that you don't need a pocket full of treats to get there, it comes from working dogs whose job depended on it.

Here's the part most advice skips: if your dog pulls, it simply means they haven't learned what the leash is asking yet.

We rush straight to "walk nicely" and miss the step before it. To your dog, the leash is just tension — something pulling against them — so they pull back. They genuinely don't understand what the leash is asking. Until they do, no amount of correcting will stick.

And every walk they spend pulling, they're rehearsing it — and a rehearsed habit only gets harder to undo. The puppy months are the easiest time to get this right, but it's never too late: this same foundation is exactly what I use with grown dogs that have pulled for years. It's the loose-leash groundwork behind all dog obedience training in Singapore.

You'll see plenty of advice that says lure your dog into position with food. I don't, and here's why.

My K9 partner, Benji, didn't sniff out narcotics for a snack. He worked because he trusted me. A treat works right up until it runs out — or until something more interesting shows up, which on a Singapore walk might be a community cat, a passing jogger, or another dog. Trust doesn't run out. So I don't train a dog who walks nicely for food; I train a dog who follows me because of the relationship. On a busy void deck, that's the difference between a dog who holds it together and one who doesn't.

Here's the reassuring part: you can start today, somewhere quiet — at home, or a calm corner outside — so the foundation is going in long before you face the lift and the void deck.

Loose-leash walking isn't one skill — it's three, and they only work in sequence. You can't skip ahead.

1. Leash pressure. This is the foundation everyone misses. Keep it quiet — no talking to the dog. Gently pull the leash to one side, just enough to create light tension. The moment your dog gives to it — moves in that direction so the leash goes slack again — release and say "good dog." That release is the reward. Do the same to the other side. You're teaching them that the leash isn't something to brace against — it's something to follow, because following it is what makes the pressure stop. Over a few short sessions, they learn to respect the collar and the leash instead of fighting them.

2. Loose-leash foundation. Now you just walk — wherever you want to go, changing direction freely. Your dog learns to check themselves at the end of the leash, instead of charging ahead until it pulls tight. The goal you're watching for is simple: the leash stays in a U-shape. A U-shaped leash means slack, and slack means they're paying attention to you, not dragging you.

3. Heel. Only now. Heel isn't a command — it's a position, a place beside you that the dog earns through the first two steps. You teach the position first, then put the word to it — not the other way round. By the time you ever say "heel," the dog's already doing it. Try to teach heel before the foundation is in and you're just repeating a word your dog can't yet understand.

None of this clicks overnight. It's short, consistent sessions — a few times a day, every day — until following the leash becomes second nature. There's no quick fix here, and that's the point: what you build is a dog who follows because they understand you, and that lasts a lot longer than anything a treat can buy. That's why I train the owner as much as the dog — as one client put it, I "take the time to explain what exactly the dog needs and how we can help as owners to achieve the results we want."

One more thing, because it's where most of my HDB and condo clients are really losing the battle. The fix for the door-dash and the lift-dash isn't the leash — it's your body. I stand in front. I use my body to set the pace and I never let the dog pull me out the door. The walk starts on my terms, in the corridor, before we're anywhere near outside. Get that right and half the pulling disappears before you've reached the lift.

None of this depends on what's in your pocket. It's about communication your dog can actually understand. Ditch the treat — train a dog who listens because they want to.