My daughter just sent me this and the last line pisses me off to no end. One of the biggest reasons dogs do not get walked, surrendered, or not adopted is because of pulling on a leash. Im OK with everything on this list except for the last line. “Its their walk, not yours” That belief is the number #1 behind all behavior issues. Either you don’t walk your dog or you let them lead you on a tight leash.There are two kinds of scent, air and ground. Dogs can get all the air scent they want off leash and on a loose leash. They can even get ground scent as long as it does not interrupt the movement of the pack. Following your dog around on a tight lead tells them they are in charge and you will go wherever they go. This creates a dog with zero impulse control that can do whatever they want, whenever they want.There is a reason why we start every session with a loose lead walk and how fast you see the change. Unless you are capable of keeping up with your dog as they run around the yard you need to control them on walk. If your dog is perfect, not problem, but if they are not this is the first step to developing the dog you want.
Just like parenting, the easy way is to let your kids think your buddies and let them do what they want. But then when they do something over the top you are not in a position to control them and sadly nobody else will be either. Its called respect. When you demand respect early on from man or beast there is no need to be heavy handed. Its the little things you do everyday that make the biggest difference in life.