Chasing Your Tail - Help with Loose Leash Walking
When was the last time you learned a new skill? The first time you tried this skill, how did you feel? Were you uncomfortable? Intimidated? Overwhelmed? Embarrassed? Excited? Inspired? Hopeful? Proud? You may have felt a combination of some or all of these emotions.
Learning a new skill is often challenging. So what would the ideal setup look like for learning a new skill? Depends on the skill, right? But whatever the skill, it would be ideal to learn in the least distracting environment starting with the easiest part of the skill.
Sometimes we don’t have the luxury of controlling the learning environment. For instance, before learning to water ski, you would ideally practice balance and being pulled up on dry land. However, that’s not typical. Most folks learn these skills on the fly in the water. If you have ever tried this or other “extreme” sports, I’m sure you remember injuries, how sore you were the following days, and whether or not you were successful. Oh, and I’m sure you remember the laughter, coaching, plus the cheers and jeers from your friends. Whether or not you were successful was mostly up to chance and beginner's luck.
When it comes to learning skills that you will use on the daily with your dog, it’s best to not leave this learning up to chance or beginner’s luck. Take loose leash walking, for instance. If you only practice loose leash walking outside, amidst all of the distractions, you’ll feel like being dragged through the water by a boat.
Loose leash walking is a skill that must be taught, just like any other skill. When you taught your dog to sit, you probably did so in your living room. That’s also where you should practice loose leash walking!
Inside your home is the only place where you can control your dog’s exposure to distractions. I presume you don’t have squirrels, rabbits, birds, deer, and unknown dogs or cats in your home. Why make training this important skill harder for yourself and your dog by only working on it outside?
Introduce loose leash walking inside your home. Layer on distractions inside your home. Inside, can your dog walk with a loose leash past someone wrinkling a treat bag, squeaking a toy, or bouncing a ball? Yes? Time to practice in your yard.
I know what you’re thinking, “But I have to take my dog for a walk!” Maybe so. I say maybe because if you have a fenced-in yard, you actually do have the luxury of training loose leash walking before taking your dog for walks in the neighborhood. (For those of you without a yard, you do have to take your dog for potty walks before they’re fully trained for loose leash walking.)
If your dog is still learning to walk with slack in the leash and you must take your dog for neighborhood walks, here are some tips to keep you from chasing your tail outside.
Tire your dog out by playing tug, fetch, or hide-and-seek inside your home before going for a walk. This will help take some of the zip out of your dog’s step. A tired dog is more likely to walk with slack in the leash.
Practice loose leash walking and attention skills before going outside. This warm-up session can remind your dog that you’re worth paying attention to!
Most dogs will snub their indoor “high-value” jerky-type treats outside in the presence of squirrels, rabbits, birds, cats, and other dogs. Make sure to bring special high value treats outside like real meat and cheese that people eat. Doing so won’t make your dog beg from the table. It will have your dog begging for your attention outside. Your dog can’t pay attention to you and pull away from you on leash at the same time!
Use the same front door routine every time you leave home with your dog. As soon as you step outside of your front door, stop. Wait for three seconds. If your dog volunteers attention within three seconds, feed your dog and start walking. If your dog hasn’t voluntarily looked at you within three seconds, say your dog’s name one time. If your dog looks at you, feed your dog and start walking. If your dog doesn’t look at you, go back inside. Practice loose leash walking and attention games inside before repeating the front door routine. This is a very useful habit, especially when the unexpected passes your front door. If your dog’s expectation is to look at you outside your front door, your dog may miss the unexpected distraction passing by.
Dogs are athletes. Because of your dog already being a mini olympic athlete, neighborhood walks don’t actually tire most dogs out. Walking outside is really in the mental exercise category. Sniffing is excellent mental exercise and your dog should be permitted to sniff for about 80% of the walk. Give your dog at least 6 feet of leash to stop and smell the roses. Better yet, give them 12 feet of leash on a hike.
When it comes to dog training, there’s no need for you to feel like you are chasing your tail. Break the skills down into easy steps with minimal distractions and build from there. This is what we have done for you in our subscription service, Behavior Buddies. Need to add to your loose leash walking skill set? Then you’ll love the Walk this Way course in Behavior Buddies!