Leading the walk…
The first step of our dog training process is an in-home assessment. This allows us to enter the dogs home, see their surroundings, see their pack (humans included) and ask many different questions (to the humans) that allow us as trainers to determine exactly what is going right or wrong in that household. During that process one of the biggest red flag questions is about who is leading the walk. Almost always the human is complaining that the dog pulls and can be out of control on the walk. This is one of the biggest indicators that the dog is the pack leader of the household.
Matter of fact, one of my famous sayings is “if the walk is bad, everything else will be bad, if the walk is good, everything else will get better” and that is a doggone fact! So, what makes the walk good?
The first step in this process is to determine if the correct leash and collar is being used. Many times, our clients will have the dog wearing a harness which does nothing more than promote pulling.
Once a good leash/collar has been applied, it is now time to start your walk…this time as the pack leader! How do we become the pack leader on the walk? Rule number one is the dog should NEVER be ahead of you. Position on the walk correlates directly with position in the pack. If the dog is ahead of you on the walk, they are ahead of you in the pack.
The walk is also a way to exercise and bond with the dog. There should be rules and boundaries on the walks BUT you need to bond and get to know the dog as well BEFORE implementing rules on a dog that doesn’t know or respect the human yet. Also, the respect is a two-way street.
I have even seen other so called dog training companies recommend walking in circles to correct pulling on a walk. I have found this method to be completely ineffective. Walking in circles is insulting to a dog’s intelligence and to be frank it is insulting to humans as well. Walking in circles implies you have no idea where you are going and as the new pack leader the dog needs you to act like you do, even if you don’t! Remember, establishing a good walking routine isn’t only about leading, you should be exploring and building a trust with your dog. If you are walking in circles, you are not exploring and you are certainly not developing trust.
Explore, spend a minimum of 45 minutes walking.
If you can become the leader of the walk I have some really great news for you, soon you will find yourself being the leader everywhere else as well!
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