Exercise is a key component of the relationship you have with your dog. Most dogs benefit in lots of ways from a good deal of exercise and hey, it’s good for us as well, right?
So leash training is important. You don’t want your dog to be out of control, pulling you around or suddenly changing direction as and when she feels like it. A walk is also one of the best opportunities to socialize with her own kind and here again some boundaries of behavior are required, which we’ll look at in future.
Most dogs get excited at the sight of the leash as it usually means they are going out. There are exceptions:
- if your dog appears timid around the leash then it might be that walks are associated with it being dragged around. You should be walking at a steady pace to suit you; if you do like a brisk walk, make sure she’s comfortable with it as well.
- if you are not the dog’s first owner, it might be that the leash has been used to reprimand the dog in the past, clearly an absolute no-no but one that could take a while to rebuild her confidence on and around the leash.
Effective ways of reassuring her in non-extreme cases are to re-introduce her to the leash as nothing uncomfortable. You can start by leaving the leash in sight around the house, building up to fastening it to her collar, possibly by brushing her while wrapping it round you wrist or petting her while the collar’s on and the leash is attached.
In some cases, part of confirming that it’s no big deal can be to play a short but not too boisterous game, such as letting her walk dragging the leash around within the yard.
Repeat these things a few times and watch the improvement. There are several aspects referred to in here that we can return to later.
Finally for this post, people often ask what the best form of equipment is. Aside from training aids for specific circumstances, a good-quality collar of leather or webbing and a leash of webbing of a length comfortable for the walk will normally prove best for most dogs. Until next time, enjoy the exercise!