The following are the 10 many common mistakes I see people making while walking their dogs, assuming a goal is to stop the canine from pulling.
Of course, I have made all of these mistakes as well. numerous times.
Mistake #1: walking in a straight line.
Most of us want to walk in a somewhat straight path to get to a certain destination or to complete a certain “route.”
However, when you’re training your canine to heel or walk on a loose leash, this makes it way too tempting for him to pull forward in an attempt to get to some random scent or object as fast as possible.
Solution: mix it up.
Talk to your canine in a pleased voice and walk in all sorts of random patterns.
Cikcak. walk around trees. Randomly turn around. walk in tight circles. walk in huge circles (like in an obedience class). zrychlit. zpomal. To je jedno.
Do this while popping treats at your dog’s face when he looks at you. At the very least, change up your route every day so it’s not so predictable.
Mistake #2: walking too slowly.
Dogs are typically much faster than us. We relocation at a painfully slow pace, so when they’re barging ahead, they’re typically not doing so to be “dominant.” They’re just being dogs.
Solution: Jog, walk faster or run with your canine for at least part of the time.
I agree that dogs ought to learn to walk at our pace. but while they’re still learning, we can make it simpler by walking faster.
Mistake #3: firmly gripping the leash.
Most dogs will naturally pull harder if the leash is tight. It’s a natural reaction as they try to totally free themselves from the tension, right?
Řešení:
Instead of holding the leash as tight as possible, hold it loosely. Don’t wrap it around your hand or wrist. Hold it really loosely, like with two fingers in your left hand with the slack held loosely in your right. When your canine pulls, simply turn and walk the other way.
Mistake #4: Not using the best treats.
And I imply treats! Not dry Milkbones, but hot dogs, real hamburger, pieces of chicken, etc.
(It doesn’t hurt to train your canine when he’s a little hungry, either.)
I find that many dogs respond really well to the soft, training treat called Zuke’s minis. I also recommend a treat pouch to hold the treats while you work on training.
Mistake #5: getting frustrated with your dog!
It’s very aggravating when a canine is pulling and making those terrible choking and wheezing sounds. It’s also embarrassing!
I’ve been there and I remember feeling like people were judging me for being unable to control my dog.
Solution: stay positive, and don’t worry what others think.
Most people don’t really care how someone else’s canine is or isn’t walking. and if they do? No a co!
If you find yourself getting frustrated often, I highly suggest purchasing a training collar that will give you much more control. walking your canine ought to be fun, not stressful.
I suggest a prong collar, a gentle Leader or a no-pull harness.
For me, having the best collar makes all the difference and helps me keep my sanity, especially while the canine is still learning.
See our post: best canine training treats
Mistake #6: using the wrong tools
Tools like retractable leashes, flat collars and regular harnesses tend to enable pulling because they don’t offer us any control.
They ought to only be used on dogs who have remarkable leash walking skills or who have slowed down a lot due to their age. Harnesses with leash attachment points on the back also work well when you take your canine running.
Řešení:
Replace retractable leashes with a durable 6 ft leash made of nylon or leather. use training collars like a martingale collar, head collar, slip collar or prong collar instead of the flat collar.
If you choose walking your canine on a harness, use a no-pull harness that has a front attachment for the leash.
Mistake #7: using the training collar wrong
If you’re using a training collar in the wrong way, it won’t be effective and/or it will hurt your dog. For example, if the prong collar is used incorrectly, it can damage your dog’s throat area, and you won’t be able to redirect your canine on a loose head collar.
Řešení:
Make sure to understand how to use the different training collars before you use them on your dog.
The prong collar needs to sit snuggly but conveniently best behind your dog’s ears and not around his throat. It can’t be too loose or it won’t stay up there. You’ll likely have to remove or add some links from/to the collar to get the ideal fit for your dog.
Walking Wally on a correctly fittedostnatý obojek
For the head collar, such as a Halti or gentle Leader, you’ll need to adjust it so that you can only fit one finger underneath the neck section of the strap.
Wally walking on a head collar
Mistake #8: working in an area that is too distracting
Your canine won’t be able to concentrate on what you ask him to do if you’re working in an area that’s too distracting for him.
Řešení:
Start working in a very low distraction area and slowly work your way up from there.
For example, start asking your canine to obey your commands like sit, down, stay, and come in the comfort of your home.
Once he reliably listens to you, take things up a notch and practice in an area outside that is a little much more distracting. This could be your fenced-in backyard, front yard, or maybe your driveway or open garage.
You could work with him on an extra long leash that’s 15-30 ft long. That way, you’re practicing in a controlled training environment where you can always reel your canine back in if he gets distracted by something or someone.
Wally working on a sit-stay in a backyard with a 30 ft check cord
Once he’s mastered this new level of distraction, increase it again by practicing obedience on walks through your neighborhood. After that, you can really take it up a notch and practice on walks in local parks and urban environments.
Tip: Don’t forget to bring high-value training treats!
Mistake #9: Not being consistent with your dog
Dogs who receive different messages from different people have no clue when they’re allowed to do what. These inconsistencies will make training your canine really hard, if not impossible.
Řešení:
Make sure that everyone who communicates with your canine is on the same page as far as leash training and overall behavior is concerned.
This goes for your immediate family like spouse and kids, but also for visitors, house guests, and canine walkers or pet sitters.
For example, if your canine is allowed to behave like a maniac before he heads out on a walk with your spouse, but you expect him to sit calmly and politely best by the front door when you walk him, he’ll be confused.
The same applies for walking inconsistencies. You can’t expect him to know that he’s allowed to pull ahead when your sweetheart walks him, but that you don’t allow that type of behavior. Instead, you expect your pup to walk best next to you.
Mistake #10: Not training your multiple dogs separately
It’s impossible to achieve a variety of leash training goals for your multiple dogs when you’re trying to do it all at once. That’s why canine obedience classes always require one handler per dog.
Solution: Train your multiple dogs separately.
If they all pull on leash, you’ll have to take turns walking them or recruit someone to walk with you. Otherwise, you won’t be able to efficiently appropriate your dogs’ unwanted behaviors.
For example, if one canine pulls you towards a squirrel while the other one lunges at a fellow canine walker passing you, you’ll have to choose which one to appropriate first. Yelling and yanking on both leashes will only instruct your dogs that chaotic behavior is OK. It won’t instruct them to pay attention to you and to stop pulling.
When you’re out walking your dog, reward him with verbal praise like YES, good BOY/GIRL and a high-value treat whenever he looks at you and makes eye contact. also frequently change the direction you walk in.
That teaches him to stay close to you and to check in with you on a regular basis. Ultimately, it will make him a lot less interested in other dogs and people you encounter on your walks.
Other suggestions that can help:
Stop moving if the canine pulls.
Blog reader Margaret P. said she can’t walk very fast due to arthritis in her knees. She found that to stop her canine from pulling it worked to stop dead in her tracks, refusing to go any further.
“Generally she comes back to my side and looks up at me at which time I start to walk forward again. She has learned that in purchase to keep moving, she should be close to my side and not pulling me. It took awhile, but she got the message.”
Using your other canine as a teacher.
Karen B. said she taught her boxer mix to walk nicely on a leash by using her older canine to help the new man acquire confidence. While her boxer mix was frightened to walk on concrete at first, he eventually learned to walk nicely.
“Now that he’s older, he’s running 3 to 5 miles every otherden se mnou. Miluje to.”
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K tomuto článku přispěly řeky Barbara. Pravidelně píše pro tento MUTT a je bloggerkou, syrovým podavačem a psí chodcem. Udržuje blog K9s přes kávu.