We are taught how to teach our dogs to walk beside us in a perfect heel, how to sit, down and stay, but no one ever teaches us how to actually walk our dog. Do we spend the full 30 minutes with our dog in a perfect heel, giving occasional cues to "go potty" or "say hi" to another canine friend? It's no wonder pup-parents are all frustrated because "my dog still won't walk beside me" or the walks are altogether a disaster.
Loose-leash walking is a challenge that deserves its own article, so we'll save that for another day. Instead let's focus on a few basics that can turn a disastrous walk into a pleasant stroll.
Dogs use their noses the way we use our eyes. While we rely heavily on our sense of sight, dogs rely heavily on their sense of smell to observe the world, take in and process information and make decisions. When we ask our dogs to "heel" perfectly beside us for the full 30 minutes, we're asking them to pause their senses, focus solely on us, ignore distractions, shut off their instincts and basically to stop being a dog. For 30 minutes, that's a lot to ask.
Dogs need to sniff and explore their surroundings - it helps them better understand the world around them, make decisions, assess situations, and stay mentally stimulated. We humans need to be a little more understanding about this basic need and teach our pups to explore their environment while being respectful of us on the other end of the leash.
Lately I've paid particularly close attention on my walks with my own dog and have come up with a few pointers that I thought I would share.
Use the right tools
Gone are the days of the choke chain and the prong collar! (Thank doG.) There are many humane options on the market to help teach dogs to walk nicely and allow the handler to control the dog without using the outdated leash-corrections or torture devices. My personal favourite? The no-pull harnesses (Easy-Walk, Sense-ation/Sense-ible) take first place in my books. I use them on dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds, etc... They can be used as an interim training tool if you don't like the look of them and want to quickly transfer to a flat collar; or they can be used as a life-long tool, if you're not overly invested in teaching your dog to walk loose-leash.
Get engaged - give feedback
Wait, now. Don't rush out to the jeweller's to get a ring! I mean engage with your dog - be a part of the experience. Don't just make it about a bathroom break, don't let him pull you around for a half hour, and certainly don't drag him around! Put your cell phone away, leave your iPod at home and get involved. I think this is the most important part. When I'm walking my dog, I'm talking to him - not just occasionally, and certainly not constantly, but frequently. I watch what he does, what his reactions are, what decisions he makes and I give him feedback.
Any time he offers me eye contact, I praise him and reward him with either a treat, a bum-scratch, or an environmental reinforcer (we'll get to those in a minute). When he sees children running towards him and he turns his head, yawns, or licks his lips, I immediately reinforce that behaviour and ask him to move aside and sit while focusing on me. Whenever he is walking nicely beside me, I tell him "good heel!" a few times so that he knows I'm watching and giving him my full attention as he makes me proud. If he steps over a pile of chicken wings without so much as a sideways sniff, I throw a party and reward him with everything I've got. I also use NRMs (Non Reward Markers) if he does something that I'm not interested in reinforcing. If he gets a little too close to the yellow snow cones, to some other dog's leftover waste or to broken glass, I let him know that I'd rather he not go near it. "Leave it" works well for him as we've practiced for years and he has perfected it, but I also use "ah-ah" or "busted!" - all of which mean "you are on the wrong track - come back to me and let's try again".
Feedback is important when we're learning but it has to be well timed. Imagine getting one progress report per year from your boss and all the feedback from that year is withheld until that moment. You cannot fix an error you made 12 months ago, but had you been told at the time, you could have adjusted your actions and been successful. It's even more sensitive for dogs as they don't look forward or back - they *do* live in the moment, therefore the feedback must be delivered in a timely manner.
Have fun
Turn it into a game! It's no secret that we all learn faster when we are taught using games, so why wouldn't we extend an opportunity to let our dogs have fun while learning? It benefits us both in the end. "Red Light, Green Light" is my personal favourite game to play with dogs as I find that it is the fastest way to teach a dog not to pull on the leash while avoid leash corrections.
How to play:
While walking with your dog, hold the leash handle at your hip or belly-button and keep it there. Do not move this hand! If your dog runs ahead and puts any tension on the leash, Red Light - you slam on the brakes and wait for the tension to disappear. Your dog might back up or look at you, might come back to you - if any of those happen, it's a green light and you can keep moving. Just like with any stretch of road, there are going to be red lights and green lights, so pay attention and follow the rules of the road. With consistency, your pup will soon realize that pulling on the leash causes the journey to stop, but no tension on the leash means that you're moving ahead.
It can take a while, but if you put this rule in place early, you'll have a much easier time later. If you're "starting over" with your older pup, trying to undo months or years of leash corrections or poor leash manners, don't fret - it can be learned - just look at it as you both kicking a bad habit together.
Use environmental reinforcers
The word reinforcer means "to strengthen the probability of (a response to a given stimulus) by giving or withholding a reward." but oftentimes people assume that a reinforcer or a reward must be food-based. What happens when you realize Fido has no interest in your liver treats once you step foot outdoors? You'll have to find his new motivation in a high-distraction environment. Observe his behaviour and take note of all the things he is interested in. Is he eager to greet other dogs or people? So much that he doesn't listen to you? Is he on the scent of something incredible and will ignore all other distraction to keep his nose pressed to the ground as he scuffles along? Is he focused on squirrel hunting?
Once you find his motivation, start using these environmental factors as reinforcers or rewards. My dog loves to sniff. He will give up anything and everything to have a good sniff. He will bypass a chunk of grilled hot dog covered with melted cheese. Now, I've put into play something we call Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) where he must "say please" for anything he wants. Our version of saying please can vary but it is generally eye contact. If he wants to sniff something, he holds eye contact with me for 2-3 seconds and I say "go sniff" and off he goes with his tail propelling him forward. It's a huge reward for him and I have to change it up sometimes by asking for something different, like a sit, shake a paw, or a "touch" (nose to my hand).
You can use environmental reinforcers to keep your pup mentally stimulated, but still under control and focused on you. Just find what your pup's motivations are and use them to your advantage! As for a sit, shake a paw and a kiss before you unhook his leash at the off-leash park - see how every time he does it faster and faster as he knows it means that he is earning play-time with his friends.
Check your emotions at the door
If you're having a bad day, are feeling under the weather or short on patience, try to pull yourself together before you leash up and head out the door. Our energy travels down the leash into the already sensitive dog at the other end. I know that if I'm feeling particularly cranky and I take Parker out, he will revert back to his old reactive self: barking, lunging, snarling at other dogs, barking at people, jumping at every sound. My mood will make or break his walk. I have to check my emotions at the door before I leave, or I postpone our walk for 10 minutes so I can pull myself out of the blues.
Walking your dog shouldn't feel like a task; try to see it from your dog's perspective - as an adventure every time. Change your route often and help keep your pup mentally stimulated and well-socialized. Ask your dog for focus in order to gain access to resources (socialization, treats, sniffing, bird-watching, etc...) but give them frequent breaks to enjoy all of these resources too - it's great for their brains! Most of all, bond with your dog and enjoy yourself!
