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5 Tips for Polite Leash Walking Like a Pro Has walking your dog become a battle of wills over who will be dragging who in what direction? Polite leash walking can be a frustrating endeavor for many dogs and owners but the good news is by following a few tips, you can help your dog learn how to make walks more enjoyable for the both of you. 1. Walking outside with all the new sights and smells can be highly distracting for dogs who are working on their polite leash walking. To help your dog focus on what you are trying to teach them, try working in a more neutral environment where there are less distractions such as in the backyard or even in your house. 2. Dogs need to be motivated to have good manners and that means you need to plan ahead by bringing high-value treats along. A treat pouch offers a great way to easily be able to reward good choices. When choosing a treat make sure that you pick something that will be motivating for your dog even when distractions are present. Typically moist treats are your best bet and they can be cut to a small size (fingernail size) so that you can reward a lot without overdoing how much food your dog is getting. 3. If getting the leash put on sends your dog into an excitable frenzy, the likelihood that you will then be able to go for a calm and well-mannered walk drops. Often times the best way to start preparing for a polite walk is by practicing “getting dressed” (putting your dogs walking leash and or collar on). The key here is to not continue to go for the walk until your dog has calmed down sufficiently and can listen to instructions. So if you have put the leash on and your dog is acting wild, simply ignore them and wait for that behavior to stop before starting your walk. At first, this may take some time while your dog tries to understand these new rules but in no time they will learn that the only way they get to go on their walk is if they keep their cool. 4. Sniffing is an incredibly important part of being a dog and dog owners who attempt to prevent their dog from sniffing are really setting themselves up to fall short. This doesn’t mean however that your dog should be dragging you to go check out exciting smells. Instead, have your dog earn sniff breaks by responding to a command like a sit or come. When your dog performs the command successfully, give them a cue like, “go sniff” and allow them to get their nose on their ground to investigate. By utilizing sniff breaks you can allow your dog to be a dog while also developing a relationship where they don’t just pull you all over the place to check out their surroundings. 5. The last tip is easily the most important… make sure pulling doesn’t work! If your dog has learned that by pulling towards things, they get access to them you have inadvertently taught them to pull. Whether it’s to greet a person, dog, go through a door or whatever your dog wants to pull you towards, make sure that you don’t allow them to drag you where they want to go. Instead, turn and go the other way or simply stop until your dog gives up and then you can practice walking towards the thing that they want with a loose leash. Each time your dog pulls, you show them that pulling is not effective by stopping or turning around. Yes, this requires some patience and consistency early on in training but that dedication will be rewarded during the lifetime of your dog through relaxing walks. As Spring brings sunshine and nicer weather, it’s definitely the time of year to get outside and start walking our dogs! Keep these tips in mind to ensure your walk can go smoothly and that your dog is practicing good manners with you rewarding their positive choices as you go! Erin Kramer Erin Kramer is a professionally certified dog trainer who works as the owner and lead trainer for Tug Dogs a dog training business located in Sacramento, CA that specializes in behavior modification for dogs with fear, aggression, and anxiety issues. Erin has a lengthy canine training resume including training and handling dogs for use in TV and film, training for competitive sports such as AKC obedience, livestock herding, protection sport, and scent tracking, working as an evaluator for both service and therapy dogs, testifying in court as an expert witness in canine aggression and training, and working internationally as an instructor and now owner of trainer’s school. Erin is known for offering clear and easy to understand advice that helps dogs and their owners meet the challenges of helping dogs who are facing problem behaviors at home in a thoughtful and effective manner. You can learn more about Erin, her business Tug Dogs, and see training updates in action by visiting the Tug Dogs Facebook page at: facebook.com/teachtraintug :|zpendofcontent|:
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In the basic obedience classes I teach as a dog trainer, I don’t spend hours training the dogs to heel. I don’t even spend much time on loose-leash walking as a trained behavior. I simply direct my students to the smorgasbord of anti-pull gear at the local pet store (front-clip harnesses and head halters), and move on to other items on the curriculum, like safety recalls, jumping up, and leave-it. It’s not that training dogs to heel isn’t fun–it certainly can be, if we toss the out-moded leash-pop and use a modern training plan. But few of my students actually … Continue reading →
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If you are a parent to human children, you are probably familiar with the term “helicopter parent”. If you do not have human children, you may not be familiar with the term. “Helicopter parents” are parents that constantly oversee their children. They often are hesitant to leave their children at school, they are involved in everything the children are doing (even when they are at home playing) and they rarely allow their children to do anything without them. Most children with these overly involved parents will either become extremely dependent on their parents to do anything or they rebel … Continue reading →
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Many people pick fluffy, cute puppies; when in fact they should be choosing a puppy that fits their lifestyle the best. This is the most common mistake when looking to make a puppy a part of your family. Some families are looking for a dog that will lie around the house with them and their children, while others are looking for a puppy that will be able to go hiking with them on their weekend camping trips. Although this task of choosing a puppy may seem easy, it is something that be done with a lot of thought and research … Continue reading →
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If you ever read my blog, My Kid Has Paws; you know that Rooney is the kind of dog who loves to swim in mud puddles as much as he loves to swim in swimming pools. Not to mention, he sheds, a ton! So, one would imagine that my car isn’t always in the best shape. However, my car is new, so I try not to let the dog hair in my car get out of control. Today, I would like to share with you some tips that you can use to keep your car clean from dog hair. … Continue reading →
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I own a Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) named Zeus. If you are unfamiliar with the breed, think 100-pounds of muscle in the form of what many think looks like a giant Pitbull. People constantly cross the street, pick up their small children, and shoo their dogs away when we are walking by. I know this is because people are afraid of Zeus, they assume he is aggressive and would harm them. If only they knew how well behaved he is and that he will not attack at any given moment. When most people think of a typical guard dog … Continue reading →
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Most of our dog pet owners are not aware that there are different philosophies/approaches to “training” a dog and more so how to approach solving behavior problems. There are two main veins of approach even though I titled with three; two of them go together. Medical Model see “problem behavior” as if it’s a disease. The “trainer”, “counselor” or “veterinary behaviorist” may take a history of your dog and come up with a diagnosis for the behavior and label it something like “dominance aggression”. This approach focuses too heavily on the “symptoms” presented and do little to address … Continue reading →
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New year, new adventures! Are you planning a big trip in 2017? And are you thinking about bringing your dog along for the ride (or flight)? Besides working out where to stay and what to eat, there are many things to consider when flying with a pet. Here is how you can prepare yourself, and your dog, for air travel. As soon as you have decided on a destination, it is crucial to start planning your trip at least a month ahead of time. There is a lot to do! 1. Plan Your Trip You will have to decide whether … Continue reading →
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Poop is a big part of being a dog mom – we all have to deal with it and the grossness of picking it up! As a result, poop bags are an essential part of life. It’s been driving me nuts to see poop bag rolls all over our house, in drawers or left by the door. And, of course you can never find a roll when you need one, or forget them when you’ve gone on a walk. I sought to alleviate this problem without spending a bunch of money on a new container. Enter the hanging poop bag … Continue reading →
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Labels like Resource Guarding can blind us to other possible explanations to aggressive outbursts by our companion dog. The common understanding of resource guarding is that your dog may show the following behaviors: tense, stiff, give you a non-wavering gaze, lip retraction to show teeth, growling, snapping, and/or biting when a person or other animal approaches. This behavior usually occurs only when a person or other animal approaches your dog while: meal preparation, eating, sleeping, has a toy, by a “favorite” place or there might be a “new” item brought into the house, food/treats/vomit, anything related to meals – … Continue reading →
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We all love our pets and when it comes to giving them treats and other food-related rewards, we’re used to seeing articles about those with all natural ingredients are best along with warnings regarding some overseas brands that have been toxic or even deadly for some animals. But now we want to discuss some other safety issues when it comes time to feeding and treating our pets. First of all we should point to the growing obesity epidemic when it comes to today’s companion animals. Without getting into a bunch of scary statistics, veterinarians and other animal care professions … Continue reading →
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When the temperatures rise and the sun is at its strongest, you’re not the only one feeling the heat—just think about how your dog feels under all that fur and hair! Many people consider shaving their dog a necessary part of their hot-weather preparations. However, this may not be the best idea for your dog. To Shave or Not to Shave? If summer or hot weather to your dog translates to unlimited time inside with the cool air conditioning, there’s absolutely no reason to shave his coat. Your dog’s coat has been specially adapted for those times he’ll need … Continue reading →
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