· By Minou Tpain
Author: Denise Partlow
Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas
Once you’re at a point where you are able to walk a small dedicated area over and over and your dog is maintaining a loose leash, then you know you are ready to advance.
You might be able to do this in the first lesson or this might take you days to get here. DON’T RUSH IT!
Start from the very beginning with those doorway manners. Practice the same area as yesterday but then on the second round add in just a little bit more distance, maybe a house or two or 20 yards or so. Another way to judge this is the moment your dog starts to pull again or gets too far ahead of you, that’s where you know you need to stop.
This is completely normal. With every new area you add in, your dog’s excitement level is going to get a little bit higher- because you haven’t practiced calm walking there just yet-The only memories your dog has of that particular location are memories of excitement or anxiety and pulling-but we are going to change that!
That’s why it’s important to practice this loose leash walking technique in all these new areas. You won’t have to do this for every single new area you ever encounter for the rest of his life, but you will have to do it for at least 7 maybe 10 different areas for your dog to understand this is how we walk all the time.
So many owners want to push this and just go for a regular walk but you will never achieve it if you do not take your time. If you go for that regular walk, I guarantee your dog is going to pull and now you are just creating memories of pulling in that area- totally counterproductive to what you’re trying to achieve.
So every day add in just a little bit more distance. You will know when it’s time to take a real walk when no matter what new area you approach, your dog never starts pulling at any point and yields to the leash pressure.
This is the last post from the series but visit the story highlight (Loose Leash) for a little more information.
