Wrist, back, and shoulder pain can be prevented by teaching your dogs to heel.
Do you ever feel like you’re being dragged down the street by your dog? Yanked into the bushes? Pulled off your feet?
Do you have neck pain? A sore shoulder? At this time of year in Canada, you need your back and shoulders in tip-top shape for shovelling snow and for fun winter sports too!
Wrapping the leash around your hand can lead to wrist pain.
Many new clients approach me for help because they suffer from wrist, shoulder, and back pain. It’s very common for people to wrap the leash around their hand many, many times. Not only can this lead to wrist pain, it’s actually very unsafe. Your dog may yank you into traffic. In fact, I saw a woman pulled into the street just last week, because her Rottweiler decided it wanted to cross the road. It was terrifying! A car had to swerve to avoid them!
A dog that pulls you in a field, is a dog that can pull you into traffic.
This week, I want to save your shoulder and also your life, by teaching you a few tips about heeling.
A lot of people hesitate to teach their dog to heel. Most of this stems from guilt. Guilt that our rescue dog was born into terrible conditions and we want to gift her the best life ever. Guilt that our dogs have been inside all day while we were away at work. Guilt that they only got a pee break in the morning because we were running late. We feel guilty and think that letting the dog do whatever it wants makes it happy. We have forgotten that dogs crave structure and love to work. Heeling makes them happy!
So, let’s get rid of that guilt, shall we? I gift you right now my guilt-crushing unicorn. There. It just sat on your guilt and now you can’t pick it up and carry it around anymore. Feel better? Don’t try to move my unicorn! Just walk away from the guilt. And while you’re walking with that newfound confidence, pick up your leash with no tension and follow these three tips so that you can enjoy safer walks with your dog.
Note: Guilt-Crushing Unicorn is heavier than she looks.
Teach your new puppy or rescue dog to heel as soon as you bring them home. A puppy that is pulling you soon grows into a full grown dog. A heavy dog. Did you know that male Great Danes weigh between 140 - 175 pounds? Even if your dog isn’t going to be very heavy, heeling is a great way to bond with your dog.
2. Practice heeling indoors. Outside, your dog is distracted by all the wonderful smells, sights, and sounds. Work on heeling inside your home before upping the challenge and heading outside.
3. Change direction. When you’re walking with your dog or new puppy and they start to take off ahead of you, call their name and/or tap your thigh and encourage them to change direction with you. Reward them for doing so. This doesn’t mean hand them a barbecue chicken. A simple “Good boy,” is praise enough. Dogs LOVE to please their people.
Happy heeling, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa
Photo by: Mel Elías (cover photo), V Srinivasan (red leash wrapped tightly around hand,) Jordon Conner (close-up of hand with leash and black dog pulling ahead,) James Lee (Guilt-Crushing Unicorn,) Jeffrey F Lin (pulling lab with pulling Weimaramer.)