Stop the pull before it starts!

The daily walk is the highlight of the day for most dogs. This leads to your dog getting over excited and behaving like a sugar fuelled child at a birthday party. This over the top behaviour starts as soon as you head to get the lead, and is at its height as you walk out the door. On top of this we are usually in a rush to get the dog out for a run round the field before we carry on with our busy lives.  

Slow down

Take your time preparing your dog for a walk. Teach your dog that getting the lead out isn’t the cue to behave like a kid at Christmas. 

One morning I was rushing about to get my girls ready for school and out of the door for work. I asked one of my girls to get the dogs ready as they came to work with me. I have a dog van with crates in the back that the dogs travel in. After dropping the girls at school, I arrived at work. I opened the back of the van to find Siri my young Dalmatian was missing. In a complete panic I drove home, knowing that the front door had been left open while we were rushing around to go out. I arrived home to find Siri chilling in his bed, complete with his harness and lead on. 

The girls had obviously put his harness and lead on but had forgotten to put him in the van. He had just taken himself back to bed which is tucked in the corner of the kitchen, so I hadn’t noticed him when locking up and rushing out of the door. I bet most dogs wouldn’t go back to bed when they were dressed for a walk, especially a breed like a Dalmatian known for its high energy. 

No need to take your dog on a hike

Many owners feel that they need to walk their dog to wear them out, and this involves covering a long distance or the dog charging around at high speed. This really isn’t necessary. I have spent sessions with clients teaching this round a very small area, and after 30 minutes their dog is asleep at their feet and he hasn’t even been off the lead. 

When working with some dogs it can take me 10 minutes to get 2 or 3 paces from the front door. Just giving the dog time to calm down and process the sounds and scents of being outside. I cover a video of me working with one of these dogs in my free Stop the Pull mini course

Calm dog = Good Dog

This is one of my favourite sayings. When out and about, start watching people with their dogs. Notice the difference between the dogs that are walking on a loose lead, and those that are pulling. One of the primary differences will be the dogs excitement level.

In the 21 Days to Loose Lead Dreams, the first week focuses on getting your dog to calm down and take more notice of you. You will learn how to play one of my top games for getting your dog’s attention without asking for it. The course then builds on these skills adding in a variety of different distractions, and teaching a close heel position that is useful in busy areas.