In Portaferry last week doing a few wee messages for my parents, I spotted an owner walking two dogs, what looked like a smallish terrier cross and a Labrador. As I watched them pull him down the street, the terrier, walking on the right, spotted a dog in the window of the house they were passing and pulled backwards, running behind the owner to have a rave and bark at it.
Unfortunately at exactly the same time, the Labrador spotted a possible food source in the gutter and jumped from the owner’s left side in front of him towards the gutter.
The poor owner was left entangled in two leads while he tried to control both pulling dogs, one jumping and barking and the other determined to get to whatever had caught their eye. He ended up tripping over one lead and nearly falling over, arms flailing in the air to prevent an ignominious collapse, but to his credit he kept hold of his dogs, though it took him a minute to sort himself and his dogs out to be able to continue his walk. I shouldn’t have laughed at his predicament – but I did, though it was just a brief nose snort and snigger to myself. The owner didn’t hear me.
It reminded me of a time I was out walking my then two dogs in the beautiful Peak District in Derbyshire. We were walking along one of the many, wide, white-dusted tracks in the rolling hills. My dogs were pottering about, sniffing, while I was daydreaming about something or other, when Bill, for no obvious reason, shot across in front of me.
I wasn’t nearly as agile or acrobatic as the man I saw and I faceplanted into the track. Getting up as quickly as I could, I checked no one had seen my embarrassing trip then tried to dust myself down. But it had been raining that morning and the dust was sticky and muddy. I had to walk back to my car covering in white muck. I swear both dogs were sniggering about it behind my back.
Such things happen. But you can reduce the risk of a faceplant by teaching your dog to walk nicely on lead. Then, if they do see something and pull to try to get to it, you have more chance of managing the situation without an embarrassing flail or fall.
If you want help to stop your dog pulling then come along to one of our Wonderful Walkies Masterclasses. During the 90 minute session, you’ll learn a range of games to give you everything you need to teach your dog to walk nicely by your side on a loose lead.
Join us at one of the clinics and make damaging walks a thing of the past.
Keep training and keep safe,
Carol