The weather is getting nicer, but can you say the same about your dog’s lead walking?
The world is emerging from winter hibernation at last. The weak sun is doing its best to try to warm us and the nights are getting lighter - which means we start thinking about enjoying longer walks and adventures with our dogs. But if you have a dog who pulls on the lead, walks are rarely enjoyable and you may be wondering how to fix that.
In this article I share with you the 6 things you need for loose lead walks - and 3 things you don’t! Let’s start by busting some myths.
Myth #1 You need to stand still if your dog pulls
The theory is that if you stand still when your dog pulls on the lead they learn that they don’t get anywhere when they pull. When the lead goes slack you walk on so they learn that if they want to keep moving the lead needs to be slack. Nice theory. But that is one of the most tedious things you can do. It’s exasperating for you and your dog. It doesn’t teach them the behaviour you do want or address why they’re pulling. That isn't the only popular outdated advice. Traditional training focuses only on the problem behaviour itself, so to train your dog to walk on a loose lead you focused just on loose lead walking exercises.
Seems logical, right?
But nope. If you want to fix pulling or lunging (whether it’s caused by excitement or anxiety) first you have to lower stress and excitement levels so your dog is capable of concentrating. Only then can you start on the loose lead walking training itself. Until then, you go round and round in circles, or get pulled down the street by your doggy steam train.
Myth #2 Harnesses make your dog pull more
Nope. A dog that pulls on the lead will do so regardless of whether they’re wearing a collar or harness. Usually dogs pull because they’re excited or frustrated, anxious or afraid. And because they’ve been doing it a long time it’s often deeply ingrained behaviour. Practice makes perfect!
Likewise, harnesses don’t stop your dog pulling. You may have seen ‘no pull’ equipment advertised. This may reduce pulling temporarily but unless you fix the root cause of why your dog pulls, they will learn to pull again despite the equipment.
So yes, there’s training to do. But the good news is you don’t have to keep spending money on every new piece of equipment that promises to stop your dog pulling.
A good fitting harness combined with training can help your dog walk on a loose lead. Look for a Y-shaped fully adjustable harness that doesn’t tighten to cause pain or discomfort when your dog pulls. Avoid designs that go across your dog’s shoulders as this impedes movement and over time can lead to joint and other health issues.
Myth #3 Your dog should walk at your heel
Nope. Nope. Nope. If your dog is walking to heel they’re not getting chance to do what dogs love most - sniffing and exploring. Dogs already have to conform to a very human-centric idea of what a dog walk should be. We decide when we walk, where we walk and how long we walk for. We walk from A to B in X number of minutes, or play high-octane games. We’re on the go the whole time, we never stop to smell the roses. The ideal walk from a dog’s perspective would involve ample sniffing and exploration opportunities. They’d smell the roses and the trees and the lamppost. Sniffing is a dog’s way of understanding and enjoying the world. Walking to heel is boring, frustrating and unfulfilling.
There may be times on the walk where it’s safer for your dog to be right next to you, but for the majority of the time your dog can walk on a loose lead AND enjoy the world through their sense of smell.
The Ingredients
I don’t recommend trying to train your dog to walk on a loose lead by drilling boring exercises over and over again, or stopping every time they pull. So, what can you do?
The key to loose lead walking is getting all the pieces in place. It’s like a recipe.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a terrible cook. No patience for it, that’s the problem. It was my 10 year anniversary last month and it got me thinking of mine and Ruben’s first date when I made Toad in the Hole for him.
I get bored following recipes so it came as no surprise that when I got everything out to cook, I realised I’d forgotten the sausages. The last thing I could be bothered to do was go back to the supermarket. I contemplated making it without sausages but that would just be… Yorkshire Pudding? Not exactly first date material.
So of course I went back out and bought the sausages because the recipe would have been incomplete without them.
It was worth it. Ruben said it was one of the nicest things he’s ever made. (He also says I tricked him into marrying me by pretending I could cook, it’s a running joke. And I say it just shows how much I love him because I went to all that effort for him.)
Same with loose lead walking. Many people, including some trainers, believe that to stop your dog pulling on the lead you have to drill loose lead walking exercises over and over again.
That is one of the most frustrating and boring things you could do.
Loose lead walking is a recipe. Miss out one ingredient and your dog will continue pulling like a steam train. Get all the ingredients right and you’ll bake it to perfection.
Loose lead walking recipe:
Several weeks of stress reduction
One Ugly Walk
Lashings of Sniff the Dog
A generous helping of Scentventure Stations
A pinch of distraction technique
Finally, stir in the Loose lead walking training
And never ever ever skip straight to the training - or you’ll miss vital ingredients. Without steps 1-5 your loose lead walking will fall flat as a pancake.
When I finally realised that loose lead walking was a recipe I didn’t only start enjoying calmer walks and going to nicer places with my reactive rescue dog Lao, but because he was more relaxed generally, he was calmer in every single area of life.
I just wish it hadn’t taken me so many years to realise.
Our brand new course, The Loose Lead Walking Recipe launched yesterday. We’re guiding you through each of the steps and providing live support and feedback. You’ll get the tools you need for loose lead walking, as well as how to make sure that the slack lead of dreams is not at the expense of health and wellbeing.
And for dogs who get overly excited or anxious when they have their harnesses fitted, we have a complimentary training, Love the Harness. If your dog is calm when they have their harness put on, they’ll be calmer when they leave the house - which means your walk will be set up for success.
It’s all included inside Club Dogwood.