Are you relevant to your dog? (Photo: a person holding a retractable leash with the dog wayyyyyy out in front of them in a forest)
How are your walks going? Is there a lot of pulling? Does your dog spend most of her time on the walk:
-zigzagging
-peeing on things
-hunting for squirrels/bunnies/birds/other dogs/people
-lunging at people and other dogs
-chasing cars/cats/wildlife
-looking at everything but you
-pulling your arm out of its socket
-barking at…everything?
One of the reasons your dog is doing this is because you are not relevant. Sure, you’re attached to the other end of the leash, but you’re following behind her. She’s in control of where she’s going.
Is your dog calling the shots and reacting to everything? (Photo: brown dog wearing a flat collar lunging at the end of his leash)
Because she’s in the front, she’s also in control of making all the decisions and dogs make pretty terrible decisions (and then yank us along with them, hurting our backs, shoulders, wrists, etc.)
Here is your dog’s thought bubble:
“That smells great, let me just pull over here. Now, over on this side of the sidewalk. Awesome! Mom’s pulling on the leash, guess I’ll dig in my nails, so she knows I want to keep smelling this. And GULP! Wow! That tasted as awesome as it smelled. Growl at that guy. Lunge at that senior citizen. I’ll nip that guy’s ankles, but I’ll wait until he’s passed by me. Barking seems to work to get other dogs to move away from me, so I’ll keep doing that move. Yep. Worked again. Those kids are screaming, let’s calm them down by jumping on them. Whoa! Garbage truck! Back away from that friggin’ thing! Squirrel!!”
And on and on it goes.
The only communication that is happening is:
The dog is the leader and you are the follower. This is how pack animals think. If you are in the back, you’re a follower. If you’re in the front, you’re the leader.
There’s tension on your leash. Tension creates opposition reflex. In a nutshell, it communicates to your dog that it’s go time. Fight club time. Read more about that here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/who-is-protecting-whom
Are you practicing a bite sport, or are you on a calm and enjoyable walk? (Photo: a woman holding her Dogue de Bordeaux back while a man picks up a bite sleeve from the ground)
If you want a better relationship with your dog, but don’t know where to start, start with the walk. Teach your dog how to heel with a nice loose leash. Her head should be behind your knee to communicate to her that you are her leader.
By walking your dog in this way, you earn leadership points. You get to choose which direction you walk which keeps you and your dog safe — you won’t be pulled toward aggressive dogs, forced to walk on the slipperiest part of the sidewalk, or pulled into traffic anymore!
Your dog will understand that it’s now your job to keep her safe, not the other way around. If she’s in front of you, it’s her job (that’s why she’s barking, lunging, and growling at every person and dog who comes toward you.)
When your dog realizes you’ve got her back:
-she can learn to trust you
-she can finally relax and just enjoy her walk (and not have to feel “on” all the time — she doesn’t like that, by the way.)
-you will feel more relaxed and enjoy your walks more too
Walking your dog should be enjoyable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore. It shouldn’t be something you want to avoid.
Walking your dog should feel like joy, peace, and calmness (Photo: Author, Alyssa Foulkes and her Rottweiler who is in an off-leash heel position in the forest)
Check out our latest IGTV video to learn more about:
-fulfilling your dog’s physical and mental needs on walks
-heeling/loose leash walking
-one of the best places to practice loose leash walking
Our Instagram handle is: @GoBeyondDogTraining
The video you’re looking for is called: Are you Fulfilling Your Dog? It’s in the IGTV Series: Structured Walks
See you there!
Happy training, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa
Photos by: Marek Szturc @marxgall (a person holding a retractable leash with the dog wayyyyyy out in front of them in a forest,) Upsplash image (brown dog wearing a flat collar lunging at the end of his leash,) Upsplash (a woman holding her Dogue de Bordeaux back while a man picks up a bite sleeve from the ground,) Parry Bast (Author, Alyssa Foulkes and her Rottweiler who is in an off-leash heel position in the forest)