In order to get your dog to focus on you instead of the rest of the world you have to control their movement and space. The only way to do that is by walking them on loose leash. This cannot be accomplished by letting them run loose or playing with them in the back yard. In fact the later has the opposite effect because you end up chasing your dog. In the dog world whoever is getting chased is in charge.
A dog that is not walked and used to the leash cannot be expected to behave when you hook them up to go to the groomer or vet. For many dogs getting a leash put on and going out the front door always results in the same things, strange people, in strange clothes, in strange places doing strange things to them starting with restraining them. Dogs don’t like being restrained any more than we do. When they go from zero to complete control they often let you know with their mouth.
The leash is the physical and mental link between man and dog. Its like holding hands with a child. Tension on either end lets you know that something is not right. The looser the lead the easier it is to notice the slightest trouble. When conditioned correctly the dog is put at ease with this connection. What you communicate to a dog walking in the heel on a loose leash is that they are not responsible for responding anything you encounter.
Usually when we think about a dog pulling on a leash they are trying to get something. What can be even more dangerous is if they are trying to get away from something. Dog’s don’t have any self preservation when it comes to getting away from something that scares them.
When your dog is pulling towards something it tends to be more of a consistent pull, towards the front. When they get “spooked” it happens spontaneously and they will jerk out to the side or back. Making the mistake of having the lead wrapped around your hand or even worse, through the loop at the end of the leash, is about the same as getting your boot stuck in the stirrup of a run away horse. For this reason we teach a very specific way of walking the dog based on both dog and human anatomy and physiology.
For young, fit people it may not be a big deal now but it will be. I was once young and fit (in another life). But now I have issues like many of my clients. Even more than that we seem to live in an ever growing world of little people with big dogs. When trained early with consistently, size and strength has little to do with walking a dog. It all comes down to technique. Here are some of the best practices for walking your dog.
On the left– Your dog should be walked on the left unless there is a reason not to such as an injury. This is because 93%+ people in North America are right handed. By walking the dog on the left it makes it harder to muscle the dog and keeps your strong hand free for using your cell phone, opening doors etc.
Head up / shoulders back / relax- Above all else it is vital that you keep your head up and over your butt. Looking down or to the side is the easiest way to break your balance, and being off balance makes you week. We don’t look at the dog while walking for two reasons. First we need to concentrate on responding to the dog by the feel of the lead, not looking at the dog. Second, after correcting the dog you don’t want them to see you looking at what you are trying to get them to ignore. Shoulders should be natural and relaxed. We don’t talk to the dog while walking. All communication is done through touch and movement. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. The dog cannot relax if your aren’t.
Keep your arm straight and relaxed- The number #1 mistake people make while walking their dog is bending their elbow. Even with the Immediate Correction Lead, bending your elbow will result in putting pressure on the dogs throat which they will instinctively pull away from.
Never pull on the leash– If you asked the dog why they were pulling they would say because you are. The whole concept of the Loose Lead Walk is to stop the dog from pulling by not giving them anything to pull against. Our natural reaction to the dog pulling is to pull in the opposite direction which starts a tug of war. Instead, when the dog pull, go slighting in the direction of the pull and quickly snap back in the motion of snapping a towel or a whip. Then immediately relax. When the dog goes to pull there is nothing to pull against. You have just given the dog an immediate negative and positive consequence. When they pull on the lead they get popped, if they don’t pull on the lead they are able to walk next to you without any tension. The requires them to stay in the heel position by focusing on your movement. The result is a loose leash and their focus.
Pop straight back- the farther your arms are away from your body they weaker you are. There is no reason why your lead hand should ever be more than 2-3 inches away from your pants seam. Making a habit of doing so is an invitation for injury.
Arm to the body / turn to the right- Whenever turning or your lead pop is not successful, bring your hand tight to your body and turn to the right. This allows to use your whole body instead of arm strength as well as always putting the dog behind you. We call this the RESET.
It’s not about how far you go– The only thing that matters is the quality of your walk. A Silent Loose Lead Walk of 15-20 minutes a day is more than most American dogs get. Most peoples definition of a dog walk is letting your dog drag you down the street. If you do this with your kid your a bad parent, but do it with your dog and your are spending quality time with them…SMH.
Regardless of what the current situation is with your dog, I guarantee this one intentional act will change things drastically. Give it a try.