You’ve seen it. And maybe you’ve experienced it during your own dog walks.
The dog walks all over the place. She listens to you sometimes. And others…not so much.
Then you see other people walking their dogs. The dog walks calmly by their side. It listens and obeys on the first try.
How do you get your dog to do that?
Well, it’s actually not that easy. And especially so if your dog already has their habits ingrained a certain way. So try not to be too hard on yourself if your dog isn’t walking the way you want yet.
How do you walk your dog so you have slack in the leash and it feels like you’re not constantly battling your dog for control?
Here’s some tips and recommendations as you train your dog to walk the way you want, just like a professional dog walker does:
1. Always Walk in Front of, Or Beside Your Dog
Whoever’s in front is seen as the pack leader. Dogs want someone in control. If you don’t take charge, they will.
They simply need a leader. It’s an absolute must for them.
It’s also fine if you walk beside your dog.
This actually begins the moment you leave your home. To establish yourself as the pack leader from the get-go, make sure you’re the first one out the door. And then only let your dog out of your home once you give them the command that it’s okay to do so.
In addition, you should be the first one back in your home as well.
This tip comes from Cesar Millan.
2. Avoid Using Extender / Retractable Leashes
Never ever use extender / retractable leashes. Ever!
This is what we’re talking about, just in case you’re not sure:
These leashes let your dog control the walk and teach them to pull to get to what they want.
This goes against everything you want to teach your dog about walking!
Retractable leashes also have many other problems that come along with them. Just some of those include:
The locking mechanism is susceptible to breaking. And imagine all the problems that could result!
My insurance guy says they frequently get wound up with other people, causing skin lacerations and burns. You don’t want a dispute with someone else or a lawsuit on your hands.
The dog may keep going once it reaches the end of the leash. This can knock you down.
Allowing your dog to make uninvited contact with dogs or other people.
Letting your dog walk themselves into the middle of the street.
Your dog experiencing injuries from sudden jerking on their neck.
Dogs can get terrified by the sound of a dropped retractable leash. This can cause them to run off.
The handles on retractable leashes are bulky, which can cause the retractor to slip out of your hands rather easily.
3. The Correct Leash To Use: A 6-Foot Rope / Nylon Cord with a Harness
Now that you know what to avoid and why, take a second to understand which type of leash to use and why.
First, make sure you have a 6-foot nylon leash or rope. I personally use a rope with my Great Dane, Zara, because she’s a chewer. She’s chewed right through the nylon leashes before. But, she can’t chew through a rope.
I do train her to not chew the rope. Not only is that obviously dangerous, but it’s a sign of disrespect for the walk by the dog. It’s a behavior that can’t be allowed to continue.
I simply say “No” and take the leash away from her mouth if she grabs it. And then I move on to the next step of getting ready for our walk.
Anyway, a nylon cord / rope leash sets you up for control over the walk. And that’s exactly what you want.
Then, you want to connect that to what any decent professional dog walker recommends: a harness:
Why a harness?
Harnesses discourage pulling. And they give you greater control.
You want a harness that allows you to connect the leash to either the top or front of your dog. Connecting your leash to the front of your dog’s harness gives you greater control.
A decent harness only costs $30 - $50. And when you think about all the trouble one saves, including the potential of a lawsuit, that’s not a lot to ask.
Need a recommendation for a harness?
Here’s 10, along with the pros and cons of each. FYI, I do not have a business relationship with that company and I do not make any money when you purchase a harness using any of the links on their website.
It’s simply a recommendation.
4. How to Actuaflly Walk Your Dog
Whew! That’s already a lot of information and we’ve said practically nothing about walking your dog yet.
Chances are, you don’t have a puppy and you’ve already been walking your dog for some time. And along with that, your dog probably isn’t walking quite the way you want.
Though it’s challenging to correct how your dog walks if they already have a habit built up, it’s not impossible to make the change.
First, make sure you have a bag of treats.
Then, get ready to leave your home. Remember, you should be the first one out the door. And your dog should only come out the door after you’ve given them the command it’s okay to do so.
Have them “stay” or “stand” at the door’s threshold. Give them a “good dog” if they stay. You can give them a treat if this is something new they’re learning.
What if they don’t stay?
No problem!
Tell them “no” gently and pull them back into your home. Keep repeating this process until they willingly stay completely of their own accord. They will get it. It’s just a matter of repetition and reinforcement on your part.
Tell them “okay” when it’s fine for them to come out.
Remember, this establishes you as the “pack leader” for the walk. That’s exactly where you want to be because it puts you in control.
Ok. So now that you have your dog out of your home, chances are they’ll go right in front of you and take charge of the walk because that’s what they’ve learned up to this point.
Remember, that’s your dog taking charge of the walk. And that’s not what you want! When your dog takes control of the walk, they decide what’s okay and what’s not.
And that could end up leading to them biting someone they shouldn’t.
That’s your job. You decide what’s safe and what isn’t. And then your dog should follow.
Your dog should be beside or behind you. Your leash should have some slack in it. It should not be tight.
Good dog walking looks like this:
Remember, the leash is the primary way you communicate with your dog on a walk. If the leash is tight, your dog is tense and anxious.
If it’s loose and has slack, your dog feels calm and relaxed. And the latter is what you want. That’s because your dog is ready to accept commands and directions from you as necessary. And he’ll make much smarter and safer decisions with the information he receives.
What if your dog immediately goes in front of you and pulls the leash tight?
Don’t fret!
It’s going to happen.
If your dog does that, immediately stop walking.
Wait until they put slack in the leash. The moment they do, tell them “good dog” (and make a big deal out of it) and give them a treat.
Once you have this habit built up, you can reduce the frequency of treats. You can treat occasionally rather than every single time your dog walks the right way.
If your dog puts tension on the leash more than twice, do a complete “About Face.” In other words, walk exactly the opposite way you’re walking.
You’ll have to do a little tug on the leash to get your dog’s attention that it’s time to walk the other way. You can (optionally) use the word “no” as a way to train your dog that they are engaging in undesirable behavior. But, you don’t have to in this case if you don’t want to.
When you use the word “no,” understand that you don’t have to be nasty and intense about it. You can just say,”No,” in a calm, even, and assertive voice.
Then, you simply keep repeating this process over and over until your dog learns to walk beside or behind you with some slack in their leash.
Remember That Dogs Want Someone in Charge
Dogs have been socialized with the pack mentality since…forever. They want a leader of the pack to show them exactly what to do. And they want that leader to take care of them.
Either you are going to be that leader, or your dog will take control. Someone, in their mind, must have that position.
And you’ve seen in your own personal experience what happens when the dog is in control. They just do what they feel is best. And that could include biting and attacking other people and dogs.
So, that’s why you want to put yourself in charge. You know what’s best in every situation. And your dog needs to listen, learn, and be a support to what you desire (and not the other way around).
Don’t ask your dog what it wants to do and then see what it does. Remember, it’s just like a child. It doesn’t have experience to refer to. So, it just does whatever instinctually comes to mind.
You show and tell your dog exactly what they should be doing. You don’t have to be all tough and nasty with them if you don’t want to. You don’t have to yell, threaten, or punish.
You can be gentle, yet calm and assertive at the same time.
It takes practice. Dogs aren’t easy. They’re complex animals. And they’re adept at reading behavior.
So give yourself time and a break for making mistakes. You’re going to make them. And that’s okay. It’s part of the learning process.
In the meantime, have fun with a dog who walks in a way that’s easier for you to control so you both have more fun!
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