Is it harmful to attach a leash to your dog’s neck

 Is it harmful to attach a leash to your dog’s neck?

By Emily Larlham

(Note: This article is a work in progress- the more I research, the more I will add to this work.)

People who live with dogs for companionship and friendship all want what is physically and psychologically best for their dog.  We get dogs as companions in order to experience friendship, trust and to take care of another living creature that depends on us for their wellbeing.  Many of us have a sense of pride when it comes to taking care of our beloved dogs, so finding out about information that conflicts with how we are already caring for our pet can feel like a personal affront.  

I used to walk dogs with the leash attached to a collar or slip lead until I was confronted by someone who suggested I use harnesses instead to prevent neck injury.  I felt harassed, annoyed and in disbelief that this ‘know it all’ dare lecture me on how I take care of dogs, because I love my dogs dearly!  I also felt a feeling of shame from the social interaction of being told I was doing something wrong by a stranger in a public place.  Although the information hurt, a seed was planted in my brain and it began to grow.  It has only been a handful of years since I started using only harnesses on dogs and wince when I see a dog hit the end of their lead on a collar.  

In this article I will attempt to convince you for your dog’s quality of life and physical wellbeing to not to attach a leash to your dog’s throat.  Be it for any reason such as obeying leash laws, managing behavior, or being in a serious rush to get out the door.  I strive to put forth the information in a way that will not cause the reader the feelings I felt when I first was asked to consider using a harness instead of a collar.

Aren’t dog’s necks constructed differently than ours?

A main argument I have heard for the use of collars is that dog’s necks are sturdy, strong and not like our necks at all.  In actual fact, the neck of a canine is physiologically similar to that of a human.  Our general anatomy is so similar to dogs that human medicine has been tested on dogs.  Get down on all fours and gently feel your dog’s neck while you are feeling your own.  Both of our necks contain the trachea, oesophagus, thyroid gland, lymph nodes, jugular veins and spinal column relatively within the same places.  Both contain muscles in relatively the same places.

 

A dog’s skin is very similar to ours too.  Obviously dogs are hairier than us and do not sweat, but the skin is almost exactly the same apart from the epidermis of a dogs skin being only 3-5 cells thick when our top layer of skin is 10-15 cells thick.

Can attaching a leash to a collar on your dog’s neck be physically harmful? 

Attaching a leash to a dog’s collar can indeed cause physical harm to your dog if the dog were ever to hit the end of the leash or pull on the leash. This is because the neck of a dog is full of very delicate and important physiology that keeps your dog healthy.  The thyroid gland for example is located in the front of the neck below the larynx. Just one incident of pulling on a collar could possibly cause severe damage to your dog’s health in the same way as damage to your own neck could cause lasting health issues for you.  Why would you take that risk?  The only real benefit of having your dog wear a collar rather than a harness is that it is faster and easier for the dog’s handler to put on for a walk.

The Dangers of Using Collars:

Neck Injuries- Just one incident of pulling or running fast to the end of the leash could possibly cause serious neck damage.  Neck injuries could include bruising, whiplash, headaches, crushed trachea, damage to larynx, and fractured vertebrae. A neck and spinal cord injury can cause paralysis or neurological problems.

In a study of 400 dogs by Anders Hallgren published in “Animal Behaviour Consultants Newsletter” in 1992, he found that “Pulling and jerking on the leash affect especially the neck and throat in the dog.  As expected, there was no correlation between leash handling and thoracic/lumbar defects.  However, one of the clearest correlations in the whole study was between cervical (neck) damages and jerk and pull. 91% of the dogs who had neck injuries had also been exposed to jerking on the leash by the owner or been allowed to pull hard on the leash for long periods of time.”  “Playing is harmless ? but warm up first.  Dogs that often run, play with other dogs, jump out of happiness or over obstacles, showed no correlation with back problems. This is encouraging.  However, dogs should be given massage and a chance to warm up before strenuous activities, whether its before rough playing, hunting or agility.”

Ear Issues- In the study by Pauli AM, Bentley, E Diehl, KA, Miller, PE ‘Effects of the application of neck pressure by a collar or harness on intraocular pressure in dogs’, it was found that pressure in the eyes “was significantly increased from base-line values when a force was applied to the neck via a leash to a collar, but not to a harness, in the dogs of this study.” This type of intraocular pressure can cause serious injury to dogs already suffering thin corneas, glaucoma, or eye injuries.

Eye Issues- Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM states in an article ‘Dog collars can cause disease and possibly lead to cancer’ which can be found here: http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2011/07/dog-collars-can-cause-disease-and-possibly-lead-to-cancer/, that “Ear and eye issues are frequently related to pulling on the leash. When dogs pull on the leash, the collar restricts the blood and lymphatic flow to and from the head.”

Hypothyroidism- The collar rests on the neck in the area of the thyroid gland.  As Dr. Peter Dobias says in his article, “This gland gets severely traumatized whenever a dog pulls on the leash, it becomes inflamed and consequently “destroyed” by the body’s own immune system when it tries to remove the inflamed thyroid cells.  The destruction of the thyroid cells leads to the deficit of thyroid hormone – hypothyroidism and because the thyroid gland governs the metabolism of every cell. The symptoms may be low energy, weight gain, skin problems, hair loss and a tendency to ear infections and organ failure.”

Malfunction of the nervous system in the forelimbs- Another health issue that Dr. Dobias points out in his article on collars is the possibility of malfunction of the nervous system in the forlimbs.  He states, “Excessive paw licking and foreleg lameness can also be related to your dog’s collar.  Leash pulling impinges the nerves supplying the front legs.  This can lead to an abnormal sensation in the feet and dogs may start licking their feet.  These dogs are often misdiagnosed as allergic and all that needs to be done is to remove the collar and treat the neck injury.”

Behavioral Problems-  It is commonly believed that in all animals with a brain, behavior is linked to health. In Anders Hallgren study published in “Animal Behaviour Consultants Newsletter” in 1992, he found correlations between injury and behavior.  Anders writes, “That dogs are so similar to humans may come as a surprise to many.” “A common cause of behavioral troubles in dogs is disease or pain.  According to those who work with problem dogs, the most usual source of pain

and disease is damage to the muscles and bones.”  Anders study was focused on back injuries.  Of the group of 400 dogs, 79% of the aggressive dogs had back problems, while 21% had no back problems. Of the reserved shy dogs 69% had back problems while 31% had no back issues.  This study shows that there is a correlation between physical health and behavioral problems.

If it’s damaging their necks, why don’t they stop pulling?!

 

If pulling on the collar is damaging to dogs’ necks, why don’t they stop pulling?!  Dogs are not humans and do not operate behaviorally in the same way we do. It would be commonsense for us humans to stop when we hear ourselves gagging.  Our anatomy is similar physically, however our brains are very different.  We cannot make assumptions about dog’s behavior based on how we behave.  If you grabbed an office worker by the tie, he wouldn’t suddenly start madly puling in all directions going red in the face to get to the walls to pee on them or strain and scream to get to the female office workers in the building or repetitively hit the end of his tie again and again to see if they could reach the free doughnuts in the lunch room until he flipped himself onto his back.  I have seen dogs walk on their two back legs with their weight shifted onto the collar to get somewhere.  I have seen dogs pull so hard that they cannot get a breath into their lungs and dogs drawing in rasping breaths.  I have also seem people jerk their dog so that their dogs whole body lifts off the ground, and as soon as the dog is on the ground again, he is hitting the end of the leash to get to that other dog on the other side of the street. 

Some dogs would chase a ball or herd sheep until they died from overheating.  I know dogs that have broken off their teeth trying to get through fence or crate, and dogs that have ripped out their toenails scratching at the door when an owner left for 5 minutes.  My border collie ripped off the pads of her feet while playing in the desert and did not show any behavioral signs of injury until she got up from a nap, and I realized the pads of her feet were gone.  If you have watched the show Animal Cops you might have seen abuse cases of ingrown collars and severe neck lacerations, where dogs are walking around normally as if nothing happened with a huge gaping neck wound.  Dogs do not exhibit or react to injury in the same ways we do.

How can we know what a dog is experiencing?  Is there a way we can measure pain or suffering?

There is no reliable way of measuring suffering or pain in animals, or humans for that matter.  The most reliable way to measure pain and suffering in humans is through verbal communication with the patient.  MRI scans of the brain can also shed some light on how others feel.  Measuring cortisol levels or stress hormone levels have proven to be an unreliable way to measure pain or suffering, as they are just too unpredictable in studies.  For example, in human abuse cases stress levels could either be higher or lower than average and conclude nothing.  The same unpredictable results can happen when measuring stress in dogs.  Therefore at this point in time there is no reliable way to scientifically deduce the psychological implications caused by wearing a collar.  All we know is that behavior can be affected by the physical health of a dog.

If dogs bite each other shouldn’t it be natural for us to emulate them to train them?

 

It all depends on your morals and ethics whether inflicting intimidation or pain on an animal is an acceptable behavior. It is part of human behavior in a society to bully, rape and kill each other, but that doesn’t make it moral or give one the right to do it to other people. Because dogs and wolves bully, fight, and kill each other does not make it acceptable for us to emulate their behavior towards our own dog.  Dogs play-fight using their mouths, see the photo above left, but that also doesn’t give us a right to use collars or intimidation to manage or train dogs.  Jerking a dog on a collar could suppress a behavior from happening, but it can also cause behavioral side effects such as aggression and frustration.  Non-violent ways of training dogs exist that don’t have unwanted side effects.  There is a myth that all dogs correct each other.  There are some dogs that correct other dogs, and other dogs that don’t.  You can train multi dog households to cohabit the same spaces peacefully and actually enjoy being in each other’s presence using Classical Conditioning, instead of letting the dogs work in out on their own.

Jerking a collar around a dog’s neck does not emulate the biting of another dog physiologically either.  Many trainers hope to emulate dog corrections to train a dog to stay with them or train new behaviors, but dogs do not bite one another to get the other to stay with them or to train them to offer specific behaviors through out the day.  We don’t even know if dogs consciously know their actions affect another dog’s behavior in the future.  There is the

possibility that dogs correct each other as a reflex, or simply because it has been reinforced in the past.  Also, one should be warned that some dogs will become aggressive when other dogs bite them no matter what the reason.

Then how do I punish my dog if he pulls?

 

There is a way of training animals that involves no form of physical or psychological intimidation called Progressive Reinforcement Training.  Please read the Progressive Reinforcement Training Manifesto at www.dogmantics.com for more information.

To solve leash pulling you can reinforce your dog for being at your side with well-timed treats and the reward of getting to move forward.  You can then “punish” the behavior of pulling, by not moving an inch in the direction that the dog begins to pull in and instead move backwards.  There is no need to intimidate or hurt a dog to teach him to walk on a leash.  The main goal is to never follow a dog on a tight leash, even one inch, as it will teach the dog that leaning into the leash will yield the reward of getting to where he wants to go and he will repeat the behavior in the future.  Leash pulling problems can also be the side effects of other behavioral problems such as fear, anxiety or over arousal, so a trainer needs to get to the heart of the problem rather than work on only the side effects.  There are multiple free leash walking tutorials here if you need assistance: www.youtube.com/kikopup

Here is one basic leash walking video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ

But my dog never pulls on leash… 

Yes, perhaps there is a dog out there, that will never ever pull suddenly towards a smell in a bush, food on the ground, an old friend or another dog.  But there might be some time in that dogs life that the dog might need to be pulled, perhaps a car mounts the sidewalk and you need to jerk your dog out of the way or perhaps a car back fires and your dog runs forward.  We would never attach a leash to a child’s neck to keep him safe, why would we attach a leash to a dog’s throat when there is the option of a harness.  In the same way a human’s neck could get severely damaged if we fell forward onto a collar attached to a lead, a dog can suffer the same harm.   

Make a choice for your dog’s wellbeing- Choose a harness!

Myth: Harnesses make dogs pull.  Truth: People who follow dogs in harnesses make dogs pull.  Yes, in a back clipping harnesses dogs can get more force behind their pulling, and so when they do pull they can pull with more leverage.  The only reason that dogs can’t pull as hard in a collar is because they are using their delicate organs and their spinal column to pull forward.  There are many harnesses on the market today specifically for extremely strong dogs.  If you clip the leash to a front clipping harness the dog cannot get as much leverage as clipping it to the back of a harness, and it is easier to reorient your dog towards you than when the leash is attached to the back of the dog.  If you want your dog to pull you sometimes but not others (perhaps on a skateboard or in a wheel chair) you can put the behavior on cue or you could simply allow pulling when the harness is clipped to the back and not allow pulling when you clip the leash to the front of the harness. 

Choose a well fitting harness that distributes weight evenly and that does not pinch or rub specifically on one area (for example in the armpits).  Make sure not to buy the type of harness that tightens like a slip lead when the dog pulls in order to cause discomfort or pain. Halters that fit over a dogs head could also cause neck injuries but in a different way than a collar, as the neck is twisted to the side or back if the dog were to hit the end of the leash.  Don’t buy a harness that rests on your dogs neck as it could be just as damaging to the throat as a collar, making wearing the harness instead of a collar pointless.  Many suggest a prong collar is more humane as the dog will not pull, but if the dog were to pull once, all the pressure of the collar will rest on a few tiny points on the neck. What if that point were to rest perfectly on the center of your dogs’ jugular vain, or larynx.  Shock collars are also not a solution because of the behavioral side effects that can occur.  Shock collars are under investigation in many countries for being inhumane and banned in many parts of Europe (including Sweden where I live).

In conclusion

If humane is defined as having regard for the health and wellbeing of another, then I believe that attaching a leash to the collar on your dog’s throat is not as humane practice as attaching the leash to a harness.

Walking a dog with a leash attached to their neck is just not worth the risk of the physical damage to your dog’s delicate neck, the organs housed within the neck, and the rest of the body that is affected by pressure on the neck. 

 

On a final note, TRAIN your dog to walk with you.  Don’t just put your dog in a harness to prevent pressure on the neck.  Training a dog is a wonderful way to spend time bonding and interacting with your dog and should be one of the joys of companionship.

Please spread the word.  Use a harness when you need to attach a leash to your dog! 

  

Above pictures are of the authors dogs Trisch, Lacey, Tug, Splash and Kiko in their harnesses.

References:

Pauli AM, Bentley, E Diehl, KA, Miller, PE.  Effects of the application of neck pressure by a collar or harness on intraocular pressure in dogs. J.Am.Anim.Hosp. Assoc.2006:42:207-211

Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM’s article ‘Dog collars can cause disease and possibly lead to cancer’ http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2011/07/dog-collars-can-cause-disease-and-possibly-lead-to-cancer/

“Dr. Peter Dobias has been in Veterinary Practice since 1988. In 2008 he sold his thriving holistic veterinary practice in North Vancouver, BC Canada to pursue his passion for educating the public about disease prevention and natural treatment methods.  He also started a not for profit society aimed at animal welfare, holistic cancer research and educating the public on the dangers of choke and prong collars.  He believes that together, we can create a healthy and long life naturally. Visit him at www.peterdobias.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/drpeterdobias.”

Boyd JS (1991) Color atlas of clinical anatomy of the dog and cat. Mosby, London

Read More..

Walking Your Dog on Leash Doesnt Have to Be a Huge Production

Diposting oleh asinina di 21.09

And 0 komentar

"My dog pulls like a maniac when I walk him on leash!" "My dog barks at everything when were out walking." "My dog wants to pull me down the street whenever she sees something run by - even a leaf!"

These comments are just a few examples of what I hear every day from various dog owners. Whether it be attendees in my dog training classes, my private dog training clients, or those who have written in to the dog behavior advice column Poncho and I write for, everyone seems to be in the same leash-pulling-boat.

As Ive said in other posts about walking dogs on leash: "Dogs werent born knowing how to walk on leash. And us humans werent born knowing how to use one." Then why is it we think we can just leash up our dogs and head right out the door into a world that, to our pet dogs, is probably more like an amusement park than anything else, and think they would understand exactly what we want? To me, a certified professional dog trainer, this is one of those "unrealistic expectations" kinda moments. Leash walking is an art, a science, and definitely an act that requires practice! And just like any new skill, its best to start out slow and simple, and then build as you (and your dog) progress along.

I like to break down the leash walking behavior I teach my dog training students into three sections.

• First and foremost: Reward what you want!!!! If you want your dog walking next to you, then reward him or her with yummy treats while they are next to you. Lure your dog into position and reward them. Its that simple.
• STOP! If and when your dog does pull, stop dead in your tracks! They will soon learn that pulling gets them nowhere, but walking next to you gets them yummy treats and walkies.
• Use your dogs environmental motivators as rewards! Okay, remember, our dogs walkies should be about them, and not always about us. They want to sniff? Mark? Say hello to another person or dog? Roll in something dead? Well shoot, use that to your advantage. Ask for a "sit" or "Watch me", then allow them to go and do their doggy thing. It doesnt always have to be about food.

Establishing boundaries to avoid doing a face-plant into the sidewalk makes for a nice outing, for both you and your dog.

Read More..

Using Leash Training To Your Advantage

Diposting oleh asinina di 05.17

And 0 komentar

When you brought your pet dog home, you had been probably having visions of Lassie, but there have probably been days that you were remembering Cujo more. However, theres still hope! A bit of training goes a considerable ways in reducing bad dog behavior.

In order to train your puppy, it can help when you can think just like a dog. In case your dog will not be doing the standard stuff you teach it, its an easy task to get mad. Try and think how your pet does. Consider how it might be to view the planet inside their eyes. This will offer you a completely different perspective, that ought to help you in training them.

Young puppies are given to chewing on the owners belongings. If he chews an inappropriate item, you are able to address this issue by immediately stopping your puppy. You shouldthen and instead, supply him with the toys that he is allowed to chew. Praise your pet dog whenever you finding him chewing a permitted toy. Remaining consistent with this particular training method will save your best furniture or footwear.

Watch what kind of activities you are encouraging your pet to complete. Sometimes we might perform actions with the dog without realizing they are training those to take steps we dislike. If each and every time your dog chews something up you send him outside, you are teaching him that chewing something up is key for you to get outdoor time. Be mindful together with the actions you are taking, especially ones that are usually consistent practices.

Prepare to administer lessons to your dog repeatedly. Most dogs will not get a whole new command with only 1 or 2 tries. Sometimes it is helpful to focus on 1 or 2 commands every day to ensure via your sessions you might be repeating enough times to repair the commands solidly inside your dogs memory.

Tend not to repeat the command repeatedly just before getting a response, when giving commands in your dog. Through giving the command once and awaiting the dog to respond, you will teach him that you are expectant of the behavior. When the command is not really obeyed at the beginning, show the family pet everything you expect before saying the command again.

It requires many repetitions before your dog can learn new commands. It isnt uncommon for 25-50 repetitions on this same command to use for the dog to comprehend it. Keep teaching it and be patient. The canine will learn with time.

Producing good training your dog involves patience, a and encouragement good reward system. What you should do is set up a quality reward system for while they are doing the best things. Supplementing positive behavior with treats is a wonderful way to start, and over time you are able to train these with another reward system for example affection and compliments. What is important to concentrate on is encouraging them to perform the right thing.

To help you train your pet dog, you must assert yourself as the dominant one in your relationship by refusing to give the dog undeserved attention or food. Whenever you convince your pet dog you manage the show and, furthermore, let the dog recognize you can utilize that power to give it something it wants, your pet dog will obey your commands better.

Be consistent when training your dog. Always give commands utilizing the same words, in the same tone of voice. Know that your pet will not learn commands instantly. You must show him what you would like. As an example, if you want him to discover to make right and left on command when walking, you have to say, "left" or "right" every time you come up with a turn. Eventually, your dog can get you drift!

Never yell in a barking dog. While a barking dog will definitely boost your frustration level, resist the impulse to yell their way. Dogs tend not to understand that you will be yelling their way, and sometimes associate your raised voice as you joining inside the fun of barking. Should your dog is barking, calmly distract these with a toy or treat, and when the barking stops, allow them to have their prize.

It is going to sometimes be counterproductive when you pour excessive information and training into the puppy. Puppies have short attention spans, therefore keep your sessions short and supply ample levels of praise. Should you do excessive the puppy will just forget what you have taught him, and remember it within a negative way, it will probably be harder to aid him ultimately.

Some dogs have enormous reserves of energy that can induce the canine to act crazy through out of the day. For dogs like this a fenced in yard or electric collar fence can be quite a great tool to allow the dog to run around inside a contained area. Your pet could have more exercise and become more enjoyable when it comes inside.

Underestimating the need of good exercise will cramp your dogs training style. Naturally, all dogs must run, chase and play simply to release energy so if they are doing not get enough exercise outside training they are very probably be distracted or over excited and result in the session to get frustrating for anyone.

A fantastic puppy training tip is usually to be perceptive regarding what dog foods and treats your pet dog likes. Exactly like humans, not all the dogs just like the same foods. There are a variety of different dog treats. Try experimenting with different dog treats to find out which ones your pet likes by far the most.

Once you start applying these pointers you will be impressed by the outcomes. Experiment with these guidelines in case you are having problems with the dog.

Read More..

How to Walk Your Dog on A Loose Leash

Diposting oleh asinina di 22.50

And 0 komentar

Here now you will learn how to walk your dog on a loose leash, theres been a lot of dog owners who complain heavily regarding to their dogs leash manners, and here we need to tell you that it is not the dogs to blame, its our fault that we cannot teach them right, all we need to do is actually patients and determination.


One of the biggest problems people have with their dogs is poor leash manners.  I often see owners being dragged down the street, while their dog pushes, pulls and runs to and fro racing from one area to another; that is not an enjoyable situation for the human!  Pulling can also be dangerous not only for the human and their rotator cuff, it can damage the dog’s windpipe permanently. It is, after all, the human who is taking the dog out for a walk, it should be just as enjoyable if not more so for them than their dog! 


When I take my dogs out, I see it as a privilege not something that is owed to them, it is MY walk and I am inviting them to join me on my excursion.  Keep this in mind when walking your dog, it is about you, and your dog should learn if he is good and respectful of you he can come along to enjoy your time.


First things first, you must teach your dog about leash walking.  In my opinion, the most important facet of leash walking is “THE LEASH” it is essential to me that the leash is always the same length, meaning I never train with a flexible leash.  My dogs must know exactly how many feet they have before they are at risk of pulling me.  

walk your dog on a loose leash

The next part about the leash is to make sure it is easy on my hands, I am a leather snob I like it because it doesn’t hurt if my dog does pull.  I also like a regular buckle collar or a martingale collar.  A well leash trained dog should be easily walked on a regular collar.


Loose Leash Step 1

Choose a side of your body for your dog to be on all the time, or most of the time. I chose the left side because that is where the “Heel” position is located.  I put the handle of the leash over my right thumb and then grasp it in my right palm. I can make it shorter or longer as we are working simply by releasing my grip or gathering more.

walk your dog on a loose leash

I dont wrap it around my wrist!  If you wrap your leash around your wrist and your dog takes off you can be seriously injured. My grip is much stronger than my wrist could ever be, you would never do a pull up with your wrists. Do not touch the leash with your left hand if your dog is on your left side. 

We have a tendency to want to pull or strangle our dogs and put constant pressure on their collar, which forces them to pull back.  If you grab and pull someone, they pull away, it is instinct.  Don’t pull on your dog! Make it almost impossible for you to strangle your dog by using the opposite hand to hold the leash. Put treats into your left hand so that you can reach down and put them in front of your dog’s nose.  Admittedly, this takes some grace and skill which may elude you at first, but with practice you will get it down.


Loose Leash Step 2
With the leash in your right hand, draped across your body and hanging loosely from your dog’s collar, grab a handful of treats and stick them next to your dog’s nose and lure him forward 3 steps with the treat, then stop and release the treat.  Continue doing this for two to three steps at a time.  You may also start to ask him to sit when you stop.  Once your dog has the idea, you can begin taking more steps.  If your dog chooses to be next to your leg and is not pulling, reward with praise and treats.  Change your pace, make some left and right turns and make this fun by rewarding your dog for following your hand.


Loose Leash Step 3
If your dog is not paying attention, play a fun game of keep away!  If my dog is not watching me and starts to go forward, I turn around and change my direction.  My dog will soon wonder where I went and try to catch up to me.  If he looks to the left and I think he is going to start to go that direction, I go to the right. 

walk your dog on a loose leash

When he catches up to me and is again back at my side, I reward him with praise and a treat.  I want him to choose to be right next to me on his own, and I also want him to think that unless he keeps an eye on me he never knows which way I will turn.  I simply want him to learn to not pull me, and to keep his eye out for where I am going. He should notice immediately when I change my direction.  The moment you notice he is not paying attention; go the opposite way before he pulls on the leash.  This should be fun!  He should think that the object of the “game” is to watch you and stay next to you.


Loose Leash Step 4
This is a training exercise, don’t expect to go on an actual walk with a destination.  You will be changing your direction and turning around often so understand that distance is not the goal.  Walking in a straight line is BORING!!  Even at its best, or fastest pace one direction is a yawn fest for your dog, which is why his nose wanders and he tries to find something else to entertain him.  Stimulate his mind by changing your direction, making a circle to the left or to the right, throw in some left turns and some right turns, stop and ask him to sit or down.  If you mix in some obedience and turns, it makes it fun and exciting for your dog, your dog will never know what is coming next so he is more likely to pay attention to you.  He lives for diversity, give it to him and make it fun! 


If you teach him that sticking by your side and following you around is exciting and fun and brings rewards and praise, he will choose to be there by you.  If he drifts off and looks like he is going to begin to pull, go the other way.  If you are having problems, ask yourself if you are boring him to tears, and if the answer is “yes”, then make it more fun for each of you.  You will both benefit from adding more obedience and even advanced obedience to your regiment!


So how do you walk your dog now, we hope it is now a matter of time that you will master the technique, with the little help from this how to walk your dog on a loose leash information, we all hope so.

Read More..

How to Use the Leash in Training

Diposting oleh asinina di 12.21

And 0 komentar

width=""height=""border="o">
To your success in dog training

Read More..

Langganan: Postingan (Atom)