I was recently watching some instagram reels when all of the sudden, a “trainer’s” video came up where he was being super harsh with a dog just because the dog walked a bit ahead of him. When the dog got ahead of him he planted his feet and gave a the leash a big jerk. The poor dog had no idea what was going on.
The explanation that the “trainer” gave was he wanted the dog to pay attention to him without him having to say or do anything. (A very narcissistic approach.) He said he wanted to be able to go about his walk so he could enjoy looking at trees and such all while his dog walked at his side.
My question is, why can’t our dogs stop and enjoy the trees? Why can’t our dogs get to go for a walk of leisure? What is the point of going for a walk with your dog if they can’t leave your side at all times? I mean, a heel is nice for times of need, but a dog shouldn’t have to heel at all times.
This is just one example of some of the horrible advice out there online. Poor dogs have become victims of people trying to become celebrities.
Teaching a dog to walk without pulling can be hard. The training itself is generally easy, but it takes a lot of consistency. What we’re actually doing is asking dogs to do the opposite of what they want to do. They want to investigate as many things as possible and they want to do it all at a much faster pace than we go.
If you’re hoping to get a better walk with your dog you’ll want to focus on teaching your dog what you want to happen. Provide food rewards for a loose leash and provide environmental rewards as well. Think of walks for the next few weeks as training walks. This means you’re not going to focus on the distance you cover but the amount of time you’re practicing for. And why should you believe what you read in this blog? Because I have a formal education from The Academy for Dog Trainers.
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