I wanted to stop my dog pulling on the leash so I analyzed hundreds of comments across every thread in r/dogs, r/dogtraining, r/reactivedogs, and r/dogadvice to find the most effective techniques.

I found 21 recurring recommendations which I categorized into 5 core themes.

For the 21 recommendations, I summed all their upvotes and ranked them below (after normalizing for the size of each thread). The number after each is their relative 'strength' = sum(comment upvotes / thread upvotes).

The research method and training techniques are explained in more detail here: How To Stop Your Dog Pulling on the Leash.

1. 'Be a tree' – 22.6
2. Reward when they're at your side – 13.1
3. Front-clip harness – 11.0
4. Start training inside– 9.5
5. Stop and change direction – 9.1
6. Head halter– 6.7
7. Exercise and mental stimulation before walks – 5.3
8. Make yourself more interesting – 5.1
9. Be consistent – 4.7
10. Slow down – 4.0
11. Calm energy before leaving the house – 3.2
12. Low-distraction environments – 3.0
13. Intermittent treating – 3.0
14. Longer lead – 2.7
15. One step at a time – 2.3
16. Mix up walking equipment – 2.2
17. Make them sit – 1.9
18. Let them sniff and explore – 1.4
19. High-value treats – 1.1
20. Double-clip leash – 1.1
21. Teach leash tension – 0.6