Walk the Dog: Part Two

By Devene Godau, Certified Pet Dog Trainer
www.woofology.com

Sparky posing with a Gentle Leader® Easy Walk™ Harness.

Last issue I wrote about the initial training stage for controlled walking: teaching your dog to keep the leash loose. We also taught them that you are the most important thing in their environment.

When your dog is keeping the leash slack and looking at you constantly, take a few steps forward. Your dog will probably follow you. Praise and treat when your dog is in the area you would like him to ultimately walk. If he stays there, praise and treat often. If he gets ahead of you, turn around and walk the other way. Don’t let him pull you forward, or the pulling is reinforced.

At first you will be praising and treating a great deal. At the beginning of a new exercise the dog needs a lot of direction. As your dog’s behavior becomes more consistent you can slowly and randomly start reducing the number of rewards.

For the best training results, make a list of areas you can train from the lowest level of distraction to the highest. This will be different for each dog, but an example list is:

1. Living room
2. Kitchen
3. Garage
4. Backyard
5. Front yard
6. Street
7. Park

Start working this exercise in area 1, and when your dog masters his response there, move to area 2. Work through the entire list. When you enter a new environment, you will need to start the exercise from scratch, but the more areas you work, the quicker your dog will progress.

The first time you take your dog for a walk, don’t take him too far. Simply walk him in front of your house. Expand his walk as he is able to handle it without mishap. This may mean that you expand your walk by a few feet at a time. The first time you practice at the pet store or park, go during a slow time. Remember: expecting too much too soon will set you both up to fail.

There are ways to speed up the training process. Some dogs go crazy each time they see another dog because they are in need of social interaction. Find a safe dog day care program. If he gets the chance to interact with a wide range of other dogs on a regular basis, seeing strange dogs won’t be such a big deal.

Taking him through a solid, positive reinforcement obedience class will help you build his training response around other dogs and people. People often only train at home, and some dogs never learn how to respond in the presence of distractions or in new locations. For tips on how to find a good trainer, including questions to ask before signing up, visit www.WOOFology.com.

Last, there are some great products on the market that reduce pulling, which will help the dog earn more rewards:

Headcollars, such as the Gentle Leader® Headcollar. Your leash attaches to a nose loop, taking all shoulder power away from your dog. I have seen headcollars save many an arm. The only drawback is that some dogs have a hard time tolerating the new sensation of having a nose loop, but with some conditioning exercises (such as putting it on, feeding the dog, and taking it off) most will learn to tolerate it.

Anti-Pull Harnesses such as the Gentle Leader® Easy Walk™ Harness or Soft Touch Concepts, Inc. SENSE-ible™ and SENSE-ation™ dog harnesses. Unlike traditional harnesses, these products have a front leash latch (located on the chest), which redirects the pressure, allowing the walker more control. These products are fairly new but rapidly gaining in popularity because results are instant.
With all the new tools and techniques on the market any dog can learn good leash manners. So start training. You won’t be sorry.