Whose walk is it anyway?

One of the most common questions dog owners ask is "How can I get my dog to stop pulling on our walk?"

Some related questions I have been asked are:

"If my dog doesn't heel on the left beside, is he trying to dominate me?" No, absolutely not.

"If my dog doesn't walk right beside me, will he become territorial of his space?" No, he will not.

So why do we think it's so important for dogs to walk in a heel? For starters, safety. In a hunting breed, it is important for the dog to learn a heel on the left side because a hunter would be traditionally carrying the gun on their right side, with the barrel pointing downward and they need to dog to be out of harms way, which is beside them on the left side. Having a dog lead too far ahead may also scare off whatever is being hunted. 

But what about your average suburban family dog? Do they need to walk in a tight heel next to you for their entire walk? No they do not.

Should they be allowed to pull you wherever they want? No they should not.

Dogs don't pull because they are trying to overpower you or dominate you. They are pulling because generally they walk faster than you and the world is exciting - they have places to sniff and sights to see! And if you don't have a history of reinforcing (rewarding) them for walking nicely, then the environment is way more exciting than you at the other end of the leash.

What I recommend to my clients is to focus on a nice loose leash. You will want the dog to pick a general side, but that is only so that they don't trip you up as you move forward together.

If you are a regular suburban or city dog owner, chances are you don't need to have your dog in a tight heel for the entirety of your walk. You can even have part of your walk be human-led and part of your walk dog-led. 

I suggest training our dogs to understand what a tight heel is for situations where you may need to pass someone else or walk on the shoulder of the road and you want your dog close by, but that would be a very quick moment in your walk and then you can return to a loose leash walk.

There are three main types of walk:

• A quick pee break, when you may not have a lot of time but you need your dog to go out to relieve itself. 

• A human-led exercise walk. This requires lots of training to get your dog to understand that they need to be walking at your pace.

• A dog-led exploratory walk. This allows the dog to enjoy the environment, to stop and sniff as they please and choose the route.

We should also be looking at the purpose of your walk. 

• If the purpose is for you to enjoy the walk and your dog is encroaching on that enjoyment by pulling and being erratic, one of two things need to happen:

  • You go on a walk by yourself so that you can fully enjoy the walk/get the exercise you need.

  • Train your dog separately from the walk in an environment that is easy for them to learn and slowly progress up to a full walk with distractions where they can walk with you on a loose leash and you can enjoy a walk together. Until then, find other outlets for their mental and physical stimulation needs.

• If the purpose of the walk is for the dog to enjoy the walk, then you need to stop and let them sniff and explore their environment. After all, this walk is for them. This is their time to check their "pee-mails" and go on a neighbourhood adventure, so let them do that without corrections or pulling them away from the things they want to see/do.

Tools you need for a successful loose leash walk:

• A fixed length leash like a regular 6' leather or nylon leash

• A flat collar or Y-front harness with a front and/or back clip

• A treat pouch filled with treats. LOTS of treats. Bring a variety - kibble, liver, chicken breast, blueberries, whatever your dog loves. The sky is the limit - be creative!

• Poo bags - because we're respectful neighbours!

While there are many factors that play into training your dog to be a loose leash walker in your particular neighbourhood, some very quick and easy tips are:

• If you dog is a puller, use the front clip and back clip of the Y-front harness. This makes it difficult for the dog to pull forward. We call this management. Using both of the clips stops them from pulling but it still doesn't teach them what you want them to do. That's where a training plan comes in.

• If your dog is simply an explorer who likes to sniff, you can use their flat collar or the back clip on the Y-front harness. This allows more freedom for the dog to move his body naturally.

• Let them sniff! As anyone who has been stuck in their house during the recent pandemic without the ability to go shopping or spend time with friends, you can imagine how dull a dog's life in the house day-after-day can be. Allow them to explore and enjoy their neighbourhood. Checking their pee-mails is akin to a human scrolling through Instagram. They just want to know what's happening in their environment.

• Anytime your dog orients back toward you, REWARD them. This could be a quick body turn toward you or they can make eye contact. Either way, be prepared to tell them "YES!" and offer a treat. Building this reinforcement history will make you an important part of their walk.

• Give your dog some choice. When approaching an intersection, allow your dog to choose the direction they would like to go on.

Happy walking!