Since the weather has been warmer, Bonnie and I have been
going on longer walks in the evenings after work more often. We live on a
street that makes a loop, so we walk a few times around… and so do all of the
other dog families in our neighborhood! I’ve noticed lately that some of our
neighbor dogs are really well behaved and are great on the leash when we pass
by, but others can cause a bit of a ruckus every time. I’ve been training
Bonnie to follow my lead and keep walking calmly as we pass any other dogs (or
squirrels or rabbits or birds…), and she has made tremendous progress. It takes
a consistent effort, but it pays off to have a dog that will walk with you on a
loose leash. After all, if you decide to take a jog, the last thing you want is
a quick jolt of the leash with a 65-pound dog on the other end!
Hence this article… Below are some important reasons why you
should train your dog for walks, some tips to train your dog to walk properly
on a leash, and some reminders about walking your dog during summer weather.
A trained dog on a
leash has more perks than just a pleasant walk!
- You won’t have to worry about the leash being jerked out of your hands (resulting in a dog chase, potentially in a high-traffic area) and you won’t have to worry about being pulled so hard that you fall (which could also result in that dog chase if you lose track of the leash on the way down).
- You won’t be dragged along whatever path the dog wants to take—it’s a lot of effort to walk a dog that pulls on the leash the entire time, even a small dog! This isn’t how you want to get an arm workout, trust me.
- Your dog may be friendly with other dogs, but not all of the dogs you walk past have the same good intentions, so it’s best if your dog follows your lead and doesn’t try to go visit every dog or person that you see.
- Same goes for people—we love our dogs, but some people are not so keen on animals or may even be afraid of dogs, so it’s just more polite to have an equally polite dog who waits to be invited for a pet.
Like I said earlier, training your dog takes consistent
effort on your part, but it’s completely worth it and will make you so proud of
your pup! The training tips below have helped me with Bonnie, but of course you
should choose what works best for your dog. Some dogs catch on really
quickly while others take more time—Bonnie is a quick learner and highly treat
motivated, so these have worked great for us!
Please note that I am
not a dog trainer and don’t claim to be one, I have just read a lot of articles
and listened to many trainer tips over the years!
- Use a short leash for the walk so your dog doesn’t walk ahead of you. You want them to walk next to you or a little behind. I purchased a sturdy 4-foot leash with a padded handle, and I tied two knots in the leash farther down to hold when I need to shorten the leash (great for training but also for safety if a car comes close by, etc.). It will also reinforce your grip if your dog is pulling hard on the leash to give you even more control.
- I use a harness on Bonnie when we go on walks because it’s more comfortable for her and because it gives you a good place to grab your dog if the leash just isn’t giving you the control you need (if if you need to grab your dog quickly for whatever reason). However, many dog trainers suggest not using a harness because it can encourage pulling for some dogs.
- Take your time. If you’re in a rush on your walk, your dog will sense that energy and your training efforts won’t get very far at all.
- Use positive reinforcement throughout the walk. Don’t wait until your dog pulls on the leash or lunges in another direction toward a squirrel and only correct them in those moments. Sure, you want to correct that behavior, but you also need to periodically tell your pup “good girl” or “good boy” in a calm tone of voice so they know that the way they’re walking at that moment is great. It also helps with dogs that may get a little nervous, like Bonnie. I notice a difference in her demeanor when I reassure her that she’s being such a good girl every so often.
- Bring small training treats with you that are easy for your dog to quickly eat. Give treats periodically when using positive reinforcement so that your dog associates good walking behavior with deliciousness. (Be mindful about giving treats when other dogs are around—I personally don’t give treats if another dog is in view to avoid any food-related issues.)
- Use a calm voice for positive reinforcement instead of an excited voice—you want the walk to be relaxing, and getting excited about that good behavior might very well get your dog excited and result in the opposite response you're expecting.
- On the other token, when correcting your dog, use a firm tone without getting upset about the situation. Correct, keep walking and move on.
- When correcting behavior, don’t stop walking if possible—you want your dog to know that you are in charge, and right now they’re supposed to be following your lead. Once your dog is distracted, correct them and interrupt their attention so that they don’t fixate on the distraction. This will also remind them that, “Oh, mom is telling me to do something that I need to do” instead of completely ignoring you. This is easier said than done, and you have to find your own groove to correct and interrupt the distraction all while continuing to walk. Don’t get discouraged if this takes some time to master—it was the most difficult part for me figure out, and I tried several tactics until I found what worked best for me and for Bonnie!
- When you are finished with the walk, stay in “training mode” until you get home (or in your car), then reward with a nice treat and let your dog know how wonderful they did before you let them wander off to their next adventure. Or to an immediate nap, as Bonnie does after she eats her treat.
For training tips on teaching
your dog to heel, which for many has to be a first step in this whole process,
visit my favorite website with short PDF training handouts: Dumb Friends League. They have all sorts of
training and behavioral handouts for both dogs and cats.
Before you take your
newly trained dog on your walk, don’t forget to check the weather so that it’s
safe out for you and your pup…
Georgia weather goes quickly from beautiful spring weather
to hot, humid summer days that take your breath way. Remember that dogs are
much more susceptible to heat stroke, so there are a few things to think about
before taking your dog on a walk:
- If the pavement is too hot for you to walk on, it’s too hot for your dog’s sensitive paw pads. Going on walks in shaded areas, at dawn or dusk, or on natural paths will feel better on your pup’s paws.
- Watch your dog to make sure they don’t get overheated. Monitoring their panting and energy level will help you know whether it’s time to end the walk or keep going.
- Be sure your dog has access to plenty of water before, during and after your walk.
- Don’t leave your dog in a parked car to do errands before or after your walk, even quick ones—and cracking your windows won’t help much at all. For example, when it’s 85 degrees out, the temperature in your car can rise to over 100 degrees within just 10 minutes and up to 120 degrees within 30 minutes. Find out more at MyDogIsCool.com.
My final piece of
advice… Stick with it, be patient and don’t get discouraged!
