Leashed walking is the puppy skill that guardians who contact me seem to struggle with the most. Few puppies are taught what we want them to do before they learn to do whatever they want on the leash.
Sniffing and exploring are among the most entertaining activities known to dogs, so it’s not a surprise that these are a puppy’s default behaviors in the outside world. Puppies naturally pull on the leash to get to the next exciting thing, not because they enjoy pulling or need to be in front. Puppies just want to have fun!
When we “leash train” the leash no longer leads to fun and adventure. In fact, from a puppy’s perspective, the leash becomes a barrier to fun and adventure. It’s no wonder they resist by pulling, when you look at it like that.
If you want your puppy to enjoy walking with you on a loose-leash, associate fun with being on a loose-leash before introducing rules and limitations.
Sniffaris, or decompression walks, are the perfect tool for achieving that.
* Use a long leash
* Practice away from foot and vehicle traffic
* Allow your puppy to choose the direction and when, where and for how long they stop
* Reward all voluntary eye contact
* Use rewards to encourage your puppy to come to you and/or move away from anything concerning
Rather than imposing strict rules, commands (“heel”) and consequences, allowing your puppy to learn what a loose-leash feels like as a side-effect of fun adventures infuses the leash with joy and forms a happy, positive association in your puppy’s mind.
When both parties are having fun, loose-leash learning is sustainable.
Dee Green has been a professional dog trainer and canine behavior consultant for more than 20 years. She specializes in puppies up to 18 months, and fearful, anxious and reactive dogs of all ages.
©️2024 Dee Green, all rights reserved