Make sure your dog is walking nicely on a loose lead
Only three Down Dog March Challenges to go – so today’s is quite a challenge!
Today we want you to focus on getting your dog to walk nicely on lead.
It’s so easy to forget to keep practising what you learnt at class and allow yourself and your dog to get into bad habits.
Unsurprisingly, if you have a bigger dog you have to work harder at this. A pulling German Shepherd is a dangerous handful, whereas a pulling Yorkie is unlikely to cause you serious injuries.
Today, go back and check your basics:
– are you using the right equipment?
– are you holding the lead correctly?
– are you working with your dog all the time you’re walking together or do you just let him get on with what he wants and pull you from bush to gatepost?
– are you rewarding any good stuff promptly and well?
Really focus on these things on your walk today. Then record what happened in your diary. Do an honest analysis. What could you improve? What have you been forgetting to do? Are you making sure your dog is calm before leaving the house? Are you taking enough time at the start to make sure your dog is clear what you want?
If things aren’t right – make a plan.
You’ll need more than one day to carry it out, but the plan itself is a good starting point.
Keep training!
Carol