Is Your Dog Taking You for a Walk
With nicer weather coming, its a great time to get out there and enjoy some walks with your favorite pooch. Are your dog walks resembling a marathon – with you in 2nd place behind your dog? These tips are for you!
Mixing It Up
Abruptly changing the direction you’re heading in may be enough distraction to make your dog understand that he needs to follow you. Whenever your dog tugs on the leash or begins to get ahead of you, abruptly turn and start walking in the opposite direction. When he obeys and returns to your side, be sure to follow up with praise and/or a small dog treat. Its pointless to scold your dog, catching him off guard and redirecting his attention is far more effective.
You may have to repeat this many times , even if it means your “walk” is only a few steps at a time, back and forth. You want your dog to carefully watch your movements; thereby following you and not the other way around. Repeating this process and giving praise and treats when he responds positively, quite often fixes the tug of war game some dogs like to play.
If you already own a dog training collar that has both positive and negative tone reinforcement, now would be a good time to use it.
Consistency is Important
Now that you’ve made up your mind to leash train your dog, always be consistent. Dogs can be easily confused when the rules aren’t consistent. Think of this like you would any other dog obedience training.
Initially its best if you stick to familiar places, like your backyard or driveway, to practice your new leash training skills. Once your dog has mastered the art of following you, you can then move on to longer walks in other places.
Keep Up the Good Work
As with all dog training, teaching your dog to walk properly on a leash is an ongoing process. Don’t expect instant understanding. Your dog may need more than one training session to fully understand what you’re trying to teach him. You’ll want to continue to use this technique occasionally to keep your dog on his toes and reinforce his new behavior.
Be generous with your praise – act as though your dog just did the smartest thing ever! Dogs love being rewarded for doing the right thing. Be generous with your praise and offer rewards when your dog is doing the right thing; he will be encouraged to continue payinging attention to you.
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Tags: Dog Training, dog walking, dog walks, leash training, training your dog