Stop Walking Your Dog

The most common complaint I hear from dog owners is leash pulling!

While some may see it as a minor inconvenience, it's important to acknowledge that not everyone feels the same way.

In the past three years, I have conversed with individuals who have sustained severe injuries when pulled down by their dogs.

Most often, the stress of the restriction from the leash is just one of the contributing factors that accumulates and leads to the dog barking and lunging in an emotional outburst.

Whether it's a risky situation, an embarrassing moment, or simply wanting to uplift your best friend's spirits, mastering the skill of walking a dog with a loose leash is an essential skill for every dog.

Dog ownership has been made much harder by the lifestyle we live today.

The lack of clarity on what dog ownership entails often leaves potential pet owners unprepared for the commitment.

Profit-driven misinformation from various sources, including breeders and pet product companies, tends to paint an overly simplistic and sometimes misleading picture of dog ownership.

The perception versus reality of dog training further complicates matters; while social media may highlight quick fixes and seemingly perfect pets, the truth is that effective dog training requires consistent effort, time, and patience.

This disparity can lead to frustration and even abandonment of pets when expectations do not align with reality.

Understanding the true demands of dog ownership and seeking reliable, experienced guidance can ensure a more fulfilling and responsible pet-owning experience.

Dogs are always weighing their options of how to get what they want.

You have taught them that if what they want is over there, pulling will get them to what they want.

Pulling becomes the WORK that they must go through to get what they want - kinda like how you go to work for 2 weeks before you get paid. You keep working because it keeps paying (don't forget that part).

They keep pulling because it keeps getting them where they want to go AND when they get there, they get to be more comfortable. A double reward!

If you have an easy dog it can be as simple as standing still when they pull and walking when they stop. However there are plenty of reasons that technique is ineffective. (again - if your job stopped paying - would you stop working altogether or find another way to meet your needs?)

When it Comes to meeting your dog's needs many dog owners fall so far short of meeting their dogs needs that behavioral problems arise. Lack of satisfaction is a major problem in many pet dogs.

Dogs don't look and act the way they do for no reason. Selective breeding FOR PURPOSE has been going on for thousands of years and the fact that his parents are hippies isn't going to stop the german shepherd from wanting to bite the bad guys.

All dogs need to have a purpose, they need to put effort into something, get better over time at something and they need an outlet for their frustration.

Your dog wants to be a dog… not walk

So is it fair of us to ask the dog to ignore who they are as a dog ALL THE TIME?

OR

Might they be more interested in doing what we want to do IF we do a better job of meeting their needs?

What if We STOPPED going for the walk and played their game?

More often than not this comes as a great surprise to many dog owners, the "common picture" these days evening walks to the dog parks, fetch in the back yard and snugs in the bed can be very real for many.

Unfortunately, just like so many other things these days, the reality can be quite different from what the advertisers sell you on. Because dog ownership is thought to be so easy (and again it can be) that when the slightest thing goes wrong, neither dog nor human have a skillset to remedy the issue.

Right alongside being satisfied dogs need to be educated. IF we analogize….

Think about the consistency and repetition it took when you learned basic math, you might have a better idea about what it takes to achieve these goals with your dog.

Luckily, dogs can learn these much quicker and easier than you did. It's not hard to get most dogs to walk nicely in a week or 2…

It's not as easy to teach/learn the human the mental and physical parts of teaching the dog

What if we Stopped Going for the walk and together you and the dog built a skillset and understanding in an easy "classroom" environment?

It's not about the tools

The internet and the stores are full of techniques and gadgets that claim to STOP PULLING quickly and easily. That can work, but I'm never going to bet on it.

After the last 2 points you might not be surprised that I'm going to say it's not about the tools!

Flat Collar, Harness, E Collar, Slip leash, Prong Collar, head halter Choke Chain It doesn't matter.

If you give me a hammer it does not mean I can build you a house.

There's not a single one that is going to be the guaranteed answer to your prayers.

• Can they be EXTREMELY helpful? Absolutely!
• Can they Cause more problems then they help! Absolutely!
• Are they overused and over-vilified at the same time! Absolutely!
• Do I care whether you want to use one or not? nope!

Want/need one of these tools? Use it. Don't Want/need one, Don't!

If we Stopped going for the walk, satisfied and educated the dog, would we need the tools or at least need them less?

Is it possible that improving the dog's experience on the walk could help solve other problems?

The walk will always be there

Walking on a short leash isn't the end all be all of dog ownership. In fact I'm not 100% sure how it became "the thing" that you must do for your dog.

Yes, it's important, my dogs and I need the ability to walk nicely on a lose leash so that

• We can safely navigate to do fun stuff together
• We both don't get frustrated and have an emotional outburst I don't get pulled down and hurt
• I have a skill to use to help them feel better about their world

It is perfectly acceptable to:

• slow down
• skip the walk
• stay in safe and easy training areas
• PLAY
• Train

So That, We can build our skills little by little… TOGETHER

Yes this takes a little longer, Yes this expects that you will do a little more work than you wanted.

That's the way I teach it at Digital Dog School because that's what works For the Most Dogs and Owners

Over the last 10 years, every time I have found a dog that didn't fit the mold, I found a new mold.

Having the right information is key, and remember your dog can't read, so you have to do the WORK, that's the only way it gets done.

So, Stop going for the walk, spend quality time with your dog, playing, training, having fun, learning, and exploring. There's so many amazing things to do with your dog. The Walk will always be there, whenever you're ready!

Joel Harrison is the Owner of Scoob and I Dog Training in Sharpsburg GA. If you would like to learn more to help your dog, no matter the issue Book a call with Joel