The Leash Games Ladder (Printable)

A leash training printable like the games ladder makes progress visible. You tick a box for each good rep of the seven foundation games, then move on when you reach 8 good reps out of 10. It turns “is my dog getting better?” into something you can see on the fridge.

How does the games ladder work?

Each of the seven games gets a row with ten boxes. Do a rep, and if it was good, tick a box. At 8 of 10, move up. The 8 of 10 rule is our rule of thumb, not a studied number.

Rung	Game	Good rep looks like
1	Marker and treat	Treat arrives right after “yes!”
2	Name check-in	Your dog looks at you when you say the name
3	The sweet spot	Your dog stands or sits beside you
4	The two-step walk	Your dog follows for two steps
5	The turn	Your dog catches up beside you after the turn
6	Leash-end lookback	Your dog returns to you as the leash would tighten
7	Sniff release	A loose-leash stretch, then “go sniff!”

For a walk-through of each game, see Seven Foundation Games to Play at Home.

When should I step back?

Step back one game, or make the room quieter, if:

• Your dog stops taking treats.
• Your dog whines or can’t focus.
• You get fewer than 5 good reps out of 10 twice in a row.

Stopping short is not failing. Short sessions, soft treats, an easy win at the end and no scolding or jerking are the rule on every row.

What is the place ladder?

The games ladder pairs with a place ladder, so you add difficulty one rung at a time:

Level	Place	Move up when
1	Hallway or living room	8 of 10 reps on all seven games
2	Backyard or quiet driveway	8 of 10 loose steps in a row
3	Quiet street at a quiet time	Few stops for several walks
4	Busier street, with distance from triggers	Your dog checks in without being asked
5	Park edges, squirrels, other dogs nearby	Practice at a distance first

What else should I track?

Add notes as you go: the date a game reached 8 of 10, the place and a distraction level from 1 (quiet) to 3 (busy). The full tracker in the guide also includes the number of stops per walk, your dog’s mood and a 1 to 3 rating for how your shoulders and hands feel. Fewer stops over the weeks is the clearest sign it is working. Our 4-week walking plan shows how the weeks fit together.

Where do I get the printable?

The printable games ladder is in the Stop Leash Pulling guide, along with the gear check, 4-week tracker, pocket cue cards and a vet sheet for when something is not just pulling. If you prefer to make your own, draw seven rows with ten boxes each and add columns for date and “8 of 10?”.