Walking on the Lead
Walking your dog on the lead should be a relaxing, enjoyable experience.
However, many people find it just the opposite, as they have never trained their dog to walk nicely.
I tell all of my clients that dogs do not pull on the lead, people do.
Think about it: all your dog is doing is trying to walk at his own natural pace, not yours. If you have ever walked with a really old or really young person, you will know how irritating this can be. Your dog’s pace might be a tad faster than yours, or at least sixty miles an hour faster than yours, but nevertheless, hanging onto the lead is uncomfortable for all concerned. It also means that the dog will get walked less and less often as you begin to dread it.
Here is a quick and efficient way to train your dog to walk by your side, so that you needn’t pull on the lead. Start in the house, so your dog has no distractions, and you do not need a lead.
- Take one of your dog’s favourite treats.
- Hold it under his nose.
- Place the treat next to your leg.
- Say, ‘heel’ or your chosen command.
- As your dog moves towards your leg, praise him and give him the treat.
- Repeat this until he has a ‘light bulb moment’ and moves to your leg on hearing the command.
- Next try to do this in the garden, moving further and further away from him before you call him to heel.
- As he touches your leg, continue walking for a few paces, keeping him with you, and repeating ‘heel’ or your chosen command.
Once you have this mastered, put out two markers six foot apart in the garden. With your dog’s nose on your leg, lured by the treat (no lead) walk a figure of eight around the markers. Keep your dog’s attention with your voice, body language and the treat. You should not have to use food for long, but you do need to lose your bad handling habits. While you’re still making mistakes, you can’t expect your dog to get it right. Many of my clients really do expect their dogs to work harder than they do!
Remember, all you have to control is your dog’s nose.
If your dog’s nose is next to your leg, he will be walking at heel, and when you put the lead on, as long as you don’t pull on it, your dog will be walking nicely by your side. Hopefully, at no time will the dog’s nose ever leave its body, so just concentrate on keeping the nose next to your leg.
Most common handling mistakes are:
- Pulling on the lead (you not the dog)
- Failing to communicate with your dog
- Being boring
- Failing to give out energy
Timing is essential; praise must be contiguous.
This means that as soon as the dog’s nose touches your leg, praise must be instant. This way he understands what he is being praised for. Each time your dog looks up at you, praise instantly. Nothing must happen between the dog’s action and the praise, or he will be confused about what the praise is for.
Using food in training needs to be faded out gradually.
If you are the most interesting item in your dog’s life, you won’t need the food for long.
So, make an effort, take responsibility for being in charge of the training, and stop pulling on the lead!
Christine Woodall
www.tasleydogtrainingclub.co.ukphone: 01746 764332
email: tasleydogclub@aol.com