Why Spaniels Find Loose-Lead Walking So Hard — And How to Help Them Succeed

Spaniels are one of Britain’s favourite dogs (if you know me, you know they’re mine) — bright-eyed, waggy-tailed, endlessly enthusiastic, and always ready for adventure. But if you own a spaniel, you’ll know one thing for certain:

Loose-lead walking does NOT come naturally. At all.

If you’ve ever found yourself being “spaniel-ski’d” down the pavement, you’re not alone. Spaniels around the world are notorious pullers — and it’s not because they’re naughty, stubborn, or ignoring you.

It’s because they were designed to be exactly like this.

This blog dives into:

• The breed history behind spaniel pulling

• The science of scent, arousal, and self-control

• The instinctive behaviours that take over on walks

• Fun facts about spaniel noses and brain wiring

• Practical, kind, force-free training strategies that actually work

Why Spaniels Pull: The Breed-Specific Truth

1. They are bred to move out ahead

Spaniels were originally developed as flushers — dogs who worked in front of the handler, pushing through cover to find game birds.

Their built-in operating system says:

“Go out. Search. Push forward. Cover ground.”

So when you ask a spaniel to walk next to you, at human speed, ignoring the world around them… you’re asking them to act against centuries of genetics.

2. They have hyper-sensitive noses (even more than other gun-dogs)

All dogs have powerful noses — but spaniels are something else.

Fun scent facts:

• A spaniel’s nose has 220 million+ scent receptors

• Their brain devotes 40× more space to smell than ours

• Their nostrils can move independently

• They can detect a scent diluted to 1 part per trillion

Spaniels don’t just notice smells. They get flooded with dopamine when they follow them.

So every sniffy pull forward isn’t defiance — it’s a neurological reward loop.

3. High arousal + high drive = high pulling power

Spaniels sit high on the arousal curve — they become excited FAST and stay excited.

Working-bred spaniels in particular:

• move quickly

• think quickly

• react quickly

• escalate quickly

Loose-lead walking requires:

• patience

• self-control

• stillness

• slowed pace

These are hard skills for a high-arousal breed.

4. They’re bred to ignore discomfort

Spaniels push through:

• brambles

• nettles

• thorn bushes

• icy water

• dense cover

So a bit of pressure on the collar?

They barely register it.

This is why yanking or correction-based tools (slip leads, choke chains) rarely teach them anything — they’re simply too tough and too driven.

The Science: Why Pulling Rewards Itself

Pulling is a self-reinforcing behaviour.

If the dog pulls → they reach the smell, the person, the bird, the leaf that moved → dopamine hits → behaviour strengthens.

This loop repeats hundreds of times per walk.

To change the behaviour, we must:

1. reduce reinforcement for pulling, and

2. massively reinforce staying close to you.

Fun Spaniel Facts (because we love them)

• A spaniel’s ears act like scent scoops, funnelling smells toward their nose.

• Many spaniels perform a behaviour called “air-scenting”, lifting their head to sample scent particles in the breeze.

• Their famous “spaniel wiggle” is linked to high serotonin levels when excited.

• Spaniels are one of the few breeds who naturally work in a zig-zag quartering pattern, which makes straight walking difficult.

• Their tail action (the fast helicopter spin) is a sign of intense olfactory stimulation.

How to Actually Teach Loose-Lead Walking to a Spaniel

Here are spaniel-specific, force-free strategies that work.

1. Lower arousal before the walk

Loose lead walking begins before you leave the house.

Try:

• Scatter feeding in the garden

• 3–5 minutes of nose-work/sniffy games

• Slow patterned engagement (123 game, zen hand, focus games)

• Sitting calmly with a chew for 2 minutes

A spaniel starting at 8/10 arousal will pull.

A spaniel starting at 4/10 can learn.

2. Reinforce proximity — heavily

Spaniels love:

• food

• movement

• hunting games

Use these to your advantage.

Reward:

• eye contact

• checking in

• staying in the “reinforcement zone” by your leg

• choosing you over the environment

At first, reward a lot — every 1–2 steps.

3. Give them legal sniffing time

Spaniels need to use their noses.

Build sniff breaks into the walk:

• cue: “Go sniff”

• 20–40 seconds of exploring

• then return to structured walking

This massively reduces frustration.

4. Use a longline for decompression walks

A 5–10 metre longline gives spaniels:

• space to move

• space to sniff

• freedom to be themselves

Use these sessions to satisfy their breed needs so your on-lead training walks become easier.

5. Teach “pattern games” to regulate the brain

Spaniels thrive with predictable patterns:

• 123 walking game

• Up/Down (treat on ground → treat to hand)

• Ping-pong recall

• Middle position reset

Patterns lower arousal and improve focus.

6. Train in low-distraction environments FIRST

Spaniels are easily overwhelmed by:

• scents

• birds

• movement

• sounds

Start indoors. Then garden. Then driveway. Only then go to the real world.

7. Keep sessions short

5 minutes of good quality loose-lead work is better than 40 minutes of being dragged. Spaniels learn FAST in short doses.

8. Use the right equipment

Recommended:

• Y-front harness (non-restrictive, comfortable)

• 2–3 metre training lead

• Treat pouch full of high-value rewards

Avoid:

• slip leads

• choke chains

• head-collars that cause panic in sensitive dogs

• extendable leads (encourage pulling)

Final Thoughts

Spaniels aren’t being difficult when they pull — they are being spaniels.

They are:

• scent-driven

• birdy

• excitable

• enthusiastic

• bred to work ahead of the handler

Loose-lead walking is a trained skill, not something this breed naturally offers.

But with:

• realistic expectations

• the right techniques

• arousal management

• plenty of sniff time

• clear reinforcement patterns

…spaniels absolutely can learn beautiful loose-lead walking. And when they do? They’re an absolute joy to walk.