When I first got my dog Seiki, he pulled on the leash. I remember feeling really frustrated. I also have helped many other dog owners with their dog training. Salt Lake City has been a base for me. I practiced often on getting dogs to walk loosely on the leash. We understand your annoyance and frustration. Training a dog to walk loosely on the leash can be easy. The first step is to be consistent with your training methods so that your dog knows that you have created a new rule which is to not pull on the leash.
When training with Salt Lake City dog owners, I have used the changing directions method. When your dog pulls on the leash turn around and walk in the opposite direction. In time he will then begin to walk more loosely on the leash. Imagine walking your dog in one direction. Your dog pulls in that direction, you then immediately turn around and walk in the opposite direction. Your dog then begins to make a connection in his brain. “When I pull toward something it means that we are going to walk away from it.” It is important that every time you take your dog out on a walk that you apply this method of dog training. Salt Lake City has many places where you can walk your dog.
The second part of this process is to keep walking forward in the direction that your dog wants when the leash is loose. Your dog then learns to be obedient on the leash because he associates moving forward with a loose leash. You can speed up the learning process by giving your dog treats, praise and letting him actually make contact with the stimuli he wants when he has a loose leash. Yes to obedience. Salt Lake City will given you many opportunities to practice this.
If you need further help please ask. Training loose leash walking can be challenging at times. Think about choosing from a list of reward-based dog trainers. Salt Lake City has many options.
We want to hear from you in a comment below.
Is it easy to train loose leash walking with your dog now? Why or why not?
Namaste,
Johanna Teresi, Professional Dog Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC, Dog Training, Salt Lake City, Utah
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