Walk with ease
Pulling and dragging on the leash is probably one of the biggest problems for walkers and dog owners when it comes to walking our dogs. I’m going to share with you 4 easy, well, maybe not so easy, tips that I use to accomplish something I like to call WWE, or Walking With Ease.
If your dog is full of energy like some of mine in the past, then you know that fighting him while walking can sometimes feel like a real WWE match. Not only can this be extremely frustrating for you to walk the dog, but your dog could also injure himself in the process. Especially if you wear chokers, which in my humble opinion is a somewhat cruel way to get your dog to do what you want. While following these instructions may be a longer process, I would recommend it as it will likely produce more satisfactory results in the long run.
My first recommendation would be to enroll your dog in puppy training classes when they are still young. These classes do wonders with new puppies, teaching them how to behave in and out of the house and listen to your commands. One of the most important commands you will learn is “heel”. For those of you who don’t know what heel is, it’s the command you use to make your dog walk alongside you, rather than dragging you. If you are trying to teach your adult dog new tricks, don’t worry. I have witnessed a number of senior dogs that have benefited substantially from attending a class. This may not be your dog, yet a class is not the only way to train your pet. In fact, learning this command is only the first step in training your dog to walk on a leash.
The next step has to do with you as the human controlling the leash. For this step, think of the leash as a direct connection between you and your dog, where they can literally feel everything through it. Because they can. What I mean by this is that any anger, aggression, or nervousness you feel is channeled through their grip on the leash and transferred from you to them. Doesn’t it surprise you how cool dogs are? However, with this in mind, it is important to remain calm and confident even when you feel like you are losing control. Also, try not to get angry at your dog, especially verbally. Patience may be difficult for you at first, but practice developing it over time. Believe it or not, the more relaxed you are, the more your pet will be in return and the more likely it will be to consistently follow your commands. It is important that you have a mutual relationship based on love rather than simply trying to dominate your dog through fear and punishment. This can lead them to rebel or resent you. A good tip that I learned to help with this is to change your point of view of the situation. Instead of thinking of it as wanting your dog to stop pulling (something that frustrates you), think of it as teaching him to walk quietly with you (more positive).
The next step in learning to walk easily is to develop a positive reward system to encourage the behaviors you like in your dog. For example, when they respond correctly to the heel, you should have a treat on hand to reward them. For starters, you’ll want to do this every time, gradually tilting them so that they learn to hear if there is a prize waiting or not. Be sure to reward them not only for following explicit commands to you, but also for other behaviors that will benefit them. For example, every time your dog yields to the streets or traffic without you having to tell him, be sure to reward him. You might even want to reward them a bit more for these safety habits. This way, in a situation where your dog is moving away from you, he will be trained to avoid cars with or without you there. A positive reward system reinforces the loving relationship between you and your dog over that of owner and owner.
Lastly, remember to practice, practice, and practice. I’m not going to bore you with such clichés, but we all know the importance of practice if you want to perfect something. The same concept applies to your dog. At first, they will try to keep doing their thing, even with the reward system. But think about it, if you were stuck in one place all day and could finally explore, you would go crazy too! Walking your dog every day will desensitize him to that freedom, and he will learn that the same house rules apply there. Once the reward system kicks in, use it over and over again. Even if it’s every half a block or so that they walked with you instead of pulling you. Like I said, you can wean them over time once they learn it, and you can easily tell when that time comes.
In general, this is definitely a process. And I don’t want to lie to you and tell you that it will be easy. But if you hang on, you’ll definitely be glad you did. There is nothing like walking a well trained dog. When you and your pet really get in sync, you can even walk them off the leash. But that’s a lesson for another day. Whether you’re walking dogs for others or just walking your own dog around the neighborhood or park, get out there and practice your new skills.