Loose Leash Training Method For Walking Your Dog
You may have discovered the loose leash training method for walking your dog and you may already be working on this method, but are having a hard time getting your dog to stop walking against you – and his leash. This is natural, because many dogs instinctively go where they want to go. It takes time and training to encourage your dog to pay attention to you and what you are doing.
At the same time, when you’re loose leash training, you may find that there are situations where your dog only wants to pay attention to you. In order to properly train your dog with the loose leash training method, you need to be able to identify at what point your dog begins to pay attention to your actions again. Struggling to get your pooch to pay attention to you is the worst thing you can do when you’re working to train your dog to walk well with you. Rather, you need to wait until you have your dog’s full attention, then you can begin training again.
For instance, say you’re loose leash training your puppy and you take him on a walk, but his attention to you falters and he begins to tug at the leash. This is a good time to stand still and wait until you have your puppy’s attention once more. By paying attention to your puppy’s actions, you will know when you have regained his attention. When he begins to pay more attention to what you are doing, you can begin your walk once more.
This part of loose leash training can be time consuming and tiring, but it is one of the most effective ways to teach your dog to pay attention to what you are doing. It’s also a good time to reward your dog for coming back and paying close attention to your actions. You may want to offer your dog treats and positive verbal praise and lots of petting at this time. Once your dog learns that this is what is expected of him, it will become much easier to get your dog’s attention, but until then, you will have to work toward rewards and praise for your dog.
You should also work on teaching your dog to walk closer to you. You can do this by letting your dog get to the end of his leash and then stop walking. When you stop walking your dog will notice a change and turn his attention to you. At this time, you should call him back to you and verbally praise your dog’s good behavior by offering all the “good boy’s!” and petting that you can handle. You can now resume your walk.
In the end, any method of training is time consuming and can seem exhausting both to you and your dog, but you will find that your bond with your pooch improves and you will learn your dog’s personality and he will learn yours. Good training is a great start to a lasting friendship between you and your dog, so choosing an effective form of training is imperative. The loose leash training method teaches your dog to respect your authority and love you and your praise. You and your dog will both be glad you chose this training method.
Loose Leash Training and Your Dog
When you are struggling to train your dog in any way, it can often seem frustrating because you may feel as if your dog just isn’t getting what your are asking him to do. Loose leash training is really no different, because what you are essentially asking your pooch to do is learn something and, much like a small child, teaching takes time and patience, but it can be done.
When you are loose leash training, it’s important not to plan that your dog will behave exactly the way you expect right away. For instance, if you walk past a place that your dog finds especially attractive, say, mailboxes, your dog will have a difficult time resisting the temptation, so it’s a good idea to work up to these things. Rather than frustrating yourself and your dog with these ever-so-attractive mailboxes, you may want to avoid them at first so that your pooch doesn’t derail all his training in one day.
Instead, when you’re loose leash training, it’s important to begin the process in an open area that doesn’t have these particular temptations. Choosing a larger area will help your dog to avoid “triggers” to tugging because many of the scents in an open area tend to be diluted a bit and less attractive to dogs. As you’re working with your dog, you will find that he becomes more able to keep his nose off the ground and pay attention to the walk with you.
Also, it’s important when you are working on loose leash training to mix up your routine a little bit. Much like a dog hearing a bell and assuming it is time to eat, dogs can learn a routine and know how to behave during that time, but when the routine is changed around, they become confused about what is expected of them. By taking the time each day to walk in a different area and develop a different routine, you may find that your dog responds better to your training efforts.
Always remember that when loose leash training, your goal is to teach your dog to pay attention to you. This ultimately is what stops him from tugging at the leash because he wants to know where you are going. When you are working with any type of training, the most difficult part is teaching your dog to pay attention to you, so this is the most important part of any training. Since dogs are like small children, it may be difficult at first to develop a method that encourages your pet to pay almost exclusive attention to you when they are walking, but with time and patience and a little creativity, you will find ways to encourage your dog to avoid distractions and keep their eyes on you.
Some people find that talking to their dogs through out the loose leash training process is very helpful, while others find that when they say nothing to their pet and depend on eye contact, the loose leash training process is more effective. Before you begin loose leash training your dog, it’s a good idea to work with your dog in other types of training so that you know what will get your pooch’s attention. When it comes to walking, then, you will have a stronger understanding of how to get your puppy’s attention.
