Does your dog pulls when walking on a leash?
Maybe you are not using the right tools for the job or you haven’t spent enough time teaching him what you expect from him when walking on a leash. Most probably every time you are going to walk him you just put his leash on, go out the door and just start walking (or most probably he walks you!).
Well, the good news is, pulling on a leash does not have to be the norm anymore. Follow these tips and you will notice a difference in no time.
- Change your mindset. Yes! When I try to explain to pet parents the foundation of walking, many times they go: “Oh yeah, but I tried and it didn’t work.” Well, learning how to walk on a leash takes time. Specially if the dog has been pulling for months or years. So, change your mind set and believe that your dog can learn, because every dog can.
- Be patient. Ok, this point is very similar to the first one but I just want to emphasize that being patient and doing what I will tell you does work!
- Use the right tools for the job. In my classes I recommend different collars or harnesses for every dog. Dogs may use Head Collars, no pull harnesses, slip leashes or martingale. The right tool for your dog will depend on the strength of the dog and what the owner can handle. I usually recommend head collars for large dogs like Retrievers and no pull harness for small dogs, but this may vary. Also, we may start with a type of collar and then change. So, going back to number 2, be patient. Choosing a collar is a very important part of the process.
- Low distraction environment. Start teaching him the walking foundation in you house where you have less distraction.
Walking foundation
If your dog is a puller, most probably you haven’t spent enough time teaching him the walking foundation. Here is what you will do:
- Before you start. Have a bait bag full of his food or his favorite treats. Many many treats! (I like the Doog Treat pouches because the inside part is easy to remove and I can also carry my keys, cell phone and poop bags.)
- Praise him when he reaches your left side. Inside a safe environment, start walking and tell him “Walk”. Praise him every time his head reaches your left leg. If he crosses you, don’t reward him. Make it fun!
- Timing. As soon as his head reaches your side, say Good and then treat. The timing for the word Good is very important!
- When to praise. If he walks on the wrong side, keep walking until he reaches your left side. Be patient. At this point he is trying to decipher how to win that treat.
- Practice. The best time to practice walk is before feeding. Use his kibbles to praise him.
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We start new group classes every month. To register, visit our web page or visit us at 13859 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, Fl 33635
